Last month I dropped multiple books titles on you hoping summer would inspire you take some time to lose yourself between the pages of a good story (or three!). This month we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming, and I’m sharing just one; one really GOOD one!

It’s a work of historical fiction entitled,The Art of Love and Lies, by Rebecca Anderson.

In it, a free-spirited artist teams up with a no-nonsense detective to capture a thief who has stolen a priceless Michelangelo painting.

”Manchester, England, 1857

Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families.

When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in England opens in Manchester, Rosanna is excited to visit. She meets the handsome Inspector Martin Harrison, who is head of security, and is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and portrait-worthy good looks.

The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art, and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.

But when they discover the theft of some of the paintings—and all the evidence points to Rosanna—she must convince Inspector Harrison she is innocent and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.

It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection—Michaelangelo’s The Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Inspector Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to paint their own happily ever after.”

I hope some part of each day finds you parked in the coolness of a big shade tree - or at least in front of an air conditioning unit! And when those moments arrive, I hope you’ve got a chilled beverage beside you and a book in your hands!

The Art of Love and Lies is the perfect story to get lost in while the heat of August rolls over us. Get your copy today!

ORDER: The Art of Love and Lies