The Hogarth Conspiracy

September 24, 2012
At the start of Connor’s well-crafted second stand-alone (after 2011’s The Other Rembrandt), set in 1732 London, painter William Hogarth is dismayed by the mutilation murder of one of his models, prostitute Polly Gunnell. Hogarth had the audacity to insert the images of Polly and Frederick, prince of Wales, who was her lover, into a painting of his. Polly’s murder is a warning to Hogarth to stay silent—especially about the bastard son ripped from Polly’s womb. In the present, British art dealer Oliver Peters, who’s dying of cancer, learns that a fellow dealer, a hedonistic Australian, possesses a mysterious lost Hogarth painting. Hogarth’s efforts to save the infant’s life have implications in the present day that threaten all who know of the painting’s existence, including Peters, who hopes the painting can help secure his family’s financial well-being. Convincing characters and a fast-moving plot lift this above the pack of mystery thrillers centered on an old work of art.

November 15, 2012
On a private flight to London, intoxicated art-dealer Bernie Freeland makes a stunning revelation to an unlikely gathering of rival dealers, female escorts, and the flight's crew, disclosing his acquisition of a previously unseen William Hogarth canvas from 1732 depicting Frederick, Prince of Wales, with his prostitute mistress. The existence of the painting, priceless largely because of its threat to the Crown, launches a storm of greed and duplicity that soon turns deadly. Former art dealer (and ex-con) Victor Ballam is hired by an interested party to use his expert knowledge of the art world to find the killer. Quickly realizing that he's become a target without allies, Ballam knows his survival depends on finding the painting first. Connor (The Other Rembrandt, 2011) puts the painting, the suspects, and Ballam in constant motion, which creates some confusion between the numerous characters and their relationships, but art-thriller fans will happily carry on to untangle craftily intertwined agendas. Match with Paul Malcolm's Tim Simpson series, Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon novels, and the numerous Da Vinci Code read-alikes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)