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;
Congratulations, Marilyn/Allison, on your newest book. What a compelling mystery with Carrie and Dylan involved in art thefts and forgeries . . . I'm looking forward to discovering how it all turns out.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joan. It was a fun book to write.
DeleteI'm hoping I'll now be published as Marilyn Levinson.
DeleteCongratulations on your newest book! I need to read this series. Dan Brown's books must have had a lot of research done on them. I love books that have lots of details so that I can picture myself there.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, books take us to so many places we'll never get to actually visit.
DeleteCongratulations on your new book, Marilyn. I am a couple of books behind in your series. It's good to see the progression of Carrie and Dylan's romance.
ReplyDeleteArt theft, art forgery, the Nazi theft of art during WWII, all are fascinating subjects. Tell us a little more about your research. Also, I would love to hear how you did research on wedding venues. That could have been a lot of fun.
Whoops. The above blurb was mine.
DeleteI manage to get a good deal of information on Google
DeleteMarilyn, I saw the Helen Mirren film about the Nazis stealing art. Diana
DeleteMARILYN: I am happy that Carrie & Dylan are looking for a wedding venue!
ReplyDeleteYes, art theft & forgery are interesting topics to add to a story. I read WOMAN ON FIRE by Lisa Barr last year. It is a gripping tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece.
Did you read THE ART FORGER by Barbara Shapiro? It's another good one. This is such a great topic for a mystery!
DeleteNo, I have not read that one. Another great art heist book I read is PORTRAIT OF A THIEF by Grace D. Li. It's kinda like an Ocean's 11 team stealing coveted Chinese art around the world for a huge payoff..
DeleteI read a novel called The Forger's Daughter. A bit grim but interesting.
DeleteCongratulations, Marilyn. Last week I went for a ride in a 1927 Ford Model A for research - and fun! It was a beautiful fall Sunday and the driver (in period attire, of course) tootled us along a bunch of back roads and explained anything I asked about the car. Fascinating stuff.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds fun and relaxing Edith!
DeleteThanks, Edith. It seems we fiction writers are constantly learning about new subjects.
DeleteI'm endlessly fascinated by the subject of art forgery and theft, Marilyn. How forgers are constantly upping their game to outwit the experts. I will be looking for the haunted library series, for sure. One of my favorite series, set in Boston, was the Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn series by Charlotte MacLeod. Several of her books featured a museum modeled on the Isabella Gardner museum, involving forgeries, thefts, etc. And a favorite movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole--How to Steal a Million--involves forgery and theft. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteYes, art theft and forgery are fascinating subjects to us. Someone should write a book about why this is so.:) And the heist at the Gardner Museum seems to top the list, doesn't it?
DeleteOh, I loved those Charlotte MacLeod books, Flora!
DeleteCongrats Marilyn! Sounds like a great story.
ReplyDeleteI read a very intriguing memoir by one of the greats -Tony Tetro (The Life and Crimes of the worlds Greatest Art Forger). It was so amazing the talent he had to reproduce such great artists as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Rockwell, Dali, Picasso, etc. They were sold to some of the best museums and collectors.
Two interesting things about him ... 1. he built an exact replica of a '58 Ferrai TR and 2. a "friend" of his loaned then Prince Charles three of Tetro's forgeries which were displayed in a Royal venue.
Some of the well-known forgers had amazing talents. And we still have no idea how many forged paintings are now being exhibited in museums around the world.
DeleteRoberta/Lucy, I want to thank you for having me here as your guest on the Jungle Reds today.
ReplyDeleteI want to read this book for sure. Congratulations, and I'm waiting for the release. I'm interested in mysteries that deal with art, and my current WIP involves international art theft.
ReplyDeleteI read The Art Forger, mentioned by Lucy Burdette, and I also read The Art Thief, by Noah Charney, both chock full of good information, as well as some nonfiction books. I was really shocked to learn what a lucrative "enterprise" that is for crooks.
Elizabeth,
DeleteFascinating topic, isn't it?
Marilyn?Allison, welcome to Jungle Reds and congratulations on your new novel, OVERDUE OR DIE.
ReplyDeleteAs a reader, I enjoy reading about things that I did not know before like the beginning of Pilates in a mystery series that I love. I always look at Author's Notes. Even contemporary mysteries have Author's Notes too. I just finished a wonderful new to me mystery novel yesterday and it was a wonderful surprise to learn that some of the things Really do Exist in Real Life.
As a writer currently writing my first novel, I often go into rabbit holes. The most exciting part of research is to find out the possibilities out there. If it never existed, then why not invent it? After all, it is Historical FICTION, with an emphasis on Fiction, right?
Look forward to reading your mystery.
Diana
Thanks, Diana, and good luck with your first novel. In the mystery I just finished writing, I had to add an Author's Note regarding the historical subject I'd written about.
ReplyDeleteOVERDUE OR DIE (wonderful title!) sounds like the perfect fall cup of tea, Marilyn. I love art heist/ forgery stories, I think because it sounds like such a, well, classy crime. I know in reality people have gotten hurt, and sometimes it's just an opportunistic snatch and grab, but the fact they involve people of taste and talent (and money, in the case of the buyers) makes them so different in fiction.
ReplyDeleteI have title envy! This is fabulous. Art forgery mysteries are always fascinating to me. I can't wait to read your latest, Marilyn!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenn! I must admit, most of the titles that I suggest aren't taken.
DeleteMarilyn, I love art forgery stories! You must have had so much fun researching this. Can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteDeborah, I did have fun doing the research. Research is such a great excuse not to write because it's done in the service of the manuscript.
ReplyDeleteSo fun - thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
DeleteArt forgery is such an international crime involving talented forgers, inside men, rich patrons, people desperate to own something valuable. It's fascinating with all the disparate people involved.
ReplyDeleteI'd imagine it's sometimes difficult to prove the provenance of a painting. Especially if it's very old.
DeleteCan't wait to read this! I was involved in a real-life forgery matter when I worked with the law firm. It turned out to be a huge misunderstanding! Can't go into details but fielding that first call from the FBI was interesting. Suffice it to say I was certain it was a hoax call so after we disconnected, I called the FBI and asked if they had a so and so working for them. The ensuing conversation was hysterical with neither party really trusting the other to give much information. The call turned out to be legit.
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating, Kait. I can just see you getting a call from the FBI and telling the person "I don't believe you." Very funny.
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ReplyDeleteSept. 8th, 2023
Kathy Reel here. (Still having trouble signing in) Marilyn, art forgery is a fascinating topic, even though it makes me quite angry that people would do this. I watched the documentary on the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum heist, and what a mystery that is. I'm not able to read much of my beloved mystery/crime genre right now, but I think Overdue or Die might just be one I can handle. I'm sure lots of readers will love this book.
Thanks so much, Kathy. This is a series I've really enjoyed writing.
DeleteI love reading about history and especially enjoy any history included in a book I read. I'm especially drawn to historical research about foods and fashion and dating. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDelete