Art forgery and murder are the last things Lissa Franklin expects to encounter when her hunt for beautiful places to paint brings her to Tarrytown. Twenty miles up the Hudson from the fame-and money-oriented New York art scene she dislikes, Tarrytown has a charming Main Street that inspires her. Charismatic cop Nick Bellini, whose family owns the ice cream shop in Lissa's first local painting, admires her work and asks her to be on the lookout for forgeries that may be coming out of the area. Drawn to him but hesitant, she takes the plunge and tells him when she sees a questionable Monet in the home of a local power couple. Her involvement gets dangerous when she responds to a vague request for help from a fellow artist and finds him dead in his studio. Is there a link to the forgeries? Is someone in the art community a killer? Could Lissa be the next target?
"Ice cream, art, and murder: this colorful novel blends forgery, trendy art-world nonsense, and a budding romance in a can't-put-it-down small-town murder mystery. Such fun!"--Joanne Dobson, author of the Karen Pelletier Mysteries "A well-written detective novel, inspired by a popular figure in a real town that serves as the backdrop for murder and local history. The most visual novel I've ever read! It holds together and holds your interest." Sarah Bracey White, Executive Director, Arts and Culture Committee, Town of Greenburgh, NY, and author of "Primary Lesson: A Memoir" This is the first novel by artist/writer Ronnie Levine, who has found happiness painting in the Hudson Rivertowns since 1998. Her paintings and prints are in many private collections. She has written numerous non-fiction articles, mostly about the arts, which appeared in Westchester Magazine and local newspapers and websites.
Art forgery and murder are the last things Lissa Franklin expects to encounter when her hunt for beautiful places to paint brings her to Tarrytown. Twenty miles up the Hudson from the fame-and money-oriented New York art scene she dislikes, Tarrytown has a charming Main Street that inspires her. Charismatic cop Nick Bellini, whose family owns the ice cream shop in Lissa's first local painting, admires her work and asks her to be on the lookout for forgeries that may be coming out of the area. Drawn to him but hesitant, she takes the plunge and tells him when she sees a questionable Monet in the home of a local power couple. Her involvement gets dangerous when she responds to a vague request for help from a fellow artist and finds him dead in his studio. Is there a link to the forgeries? Is someone in the art community a killer? Could Lissa be the next target?
"Ice cream, art, and murder: this colorful novel blends forgery, trendy art-world nonsense, and a budding romance in a can't-put-it-down small-town murder mystery. Such fun!"--Joanne Dobson, author of the Karen Pelletier Mysteries "A well-written detective novel, inspired by a popular figure in a real town that serves as the backdrop for murder and local history. The most visual novel I've ever read! It holds together and holds your interest." Sarah Bracey White, Executive Director, Arts and Culture Committee, Town of Greenburgh, NY, and author of "Primary Lesson: A Memoir" This is the first novel by artist/writer Ronnie Levine, who has found happiness painting in the Hudson Rivertowns since 1998. Her paintings and prints are in many private collections. She has written numerous non-fiction articles, mostly about the arts, which appeared in Westchester Magazine and local newspapers and websites.