LUCY BURDETTE: it's always a pleasure to find out what Marilyn Levinson will come up with next. I know you'll enjoy reading about the art forgery background she chose for her latest book!
ALLISON BROOK/MARILYN LEVINSON: Every new book in a series requires research. In OVERDUE OR DIE, the seventh book in my Haunted Library series, my sleuth Carrie Singleton is looking for the perfect wedding venue. What fun I had accompanying Carrie and her fiancé Dylan as they scouted out various places; as Carrie and her bridesmaids shopped for Carrie's wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses. I also researched theft and forgery in the art world because both play a large role in OVERDUE OR DIE.
Stories of stolen art work have always fascinated the general public. Who hasn't been intrigued by the heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum, when thirteen works of art were stolen and never recovered? Helen Mirren starred in the popular film "Woman in Gold," about the Klimt painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer that was stolen by the nazis during World War Two, and, after much haggling, was returned to its owner. The painting can now be viewed in the Neue Gallerie in Manhattan.
Art forgery has a long and interesting history. Many supposed "masterpieces," revered for years in museums, have later been proven to be copies of the original paintings. Recently, a technical staffer at Munich's Deutsches Museum was sentenced to prison for stealing paintings from the museum, which he sold at an auction house, and replacing them with crude forgeries.
Art theft and forgery are major themes in OVERDUE OR DIE. Dylan has just taken possession of a famous painting he's inherited, when he's assaulted and the painting is stolen. The FBI's Art Crime Team tells him the painting was stolen so forgers could make copies of it and sell them to unsuspecting buyers. Though the painting and other artwork is recovered, this collection of artwork is only the tip of the iceberg of a huge, well-organized art forging syndicate. After Dylan spots a forgery on an art collector's wall and the owner of a local gallery is murdered, Carrie and Dylan investigate to find out if the syndicate is operating in their home town.
What fascinating aspect of research have you incorporated in a mystery, or enjoyed reading about?
About Marilyn: A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Overdue or Die, the seventh book in the series, had its debut October 10th. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series.
Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Her YA horror, The Devil's Pawn, will be out in a new edition next year.
Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet.
ABOUT OVERDUE OR DIE: Carrie Singleton has more than her fair share on her plate: her job at the Clover Ridge Library, preparing for her wedding to Dylan Avery, and hoping that the local art gallery doesn’t steal away one of her part-time employees. Her fiancé Dylan accompanies her to the beautiful home of Victor Zalinka—art collector and successful businessman—to select paintings for an art show at the library. While Carrie muses that Victor's home would be the perfect wedding venue, Dylan spots a forgery among the paintings in Victor's collection.
Then Martha Mallory is found murdered in her art gallery. With the assistance of Evelyn, the library ghost; the resident cat, Smoky Joe; and the office manager of Dylan’s private investigation company, Carrie comes up with a suspect list long enough to rival the size of an encyclopedia. During her investigation, Carrie stumbles across a terrible truth: Martha’s murder was part of something far bigger and more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. And it all leads back to the art gallery.
Order OVERDUE OR DIE right here.
Amazon page: https://amzn.to/41nQiec
Follow Marilyn/Allison on social media:
Twitter: ; https://twitter.com/AllisonBrookML
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson;
