The Crown Heist

October 15, 2021
Art and Camille go to foggy London town in this follow-up to The Rembrandt Conspiracy(2020). Camille's estranged father has come out of the woodwork and invited her to visit him in London, and of course, Art is happy to tag along for emotional support. Unfortunately, Camille doesn't get the heartwarming welcome she's longed for upon disembarking from the plane. Dad's a no-show, and it doesn't take long for the friends to discover a clue at his abandoned apartment that points to his whereabouts. Camille's dad is a professor of English Renaissance history with extensive knowledge of myths and legends, and it seems someone has snatched him up hoping to exploit his expertise to solve a long-lost mystery. Art and Camille must visit a variety of famous London sights in search of professor Tinsley. Twists and turns present themselves at just the right moments, and the White tween sleuths bounce off one another with comfortable familiarity as they solve the case. The QR codes remain frustrating to scan when reading a digital edition of the book, but the author is admirably effective at sliding art history lessons into the narrative at just the right times. The balance of character work, nifty art facts, and propulsive mystery-solving remains impeccable in this third entry. Fans will be delighted. Another strong entry in a consistently appealing series. (Mystery. 9-12)

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October 15, 2021
Grades 5-7 Traveling to London to meet the father she has never known, 12-year-old Camille is accompanied by her mother and her best friend, Art, who is there to provide moral support. It's a good thing, too, because like her history professor-adventurer father, Camille has curiosity, quick wits, and plenty of courage, and those qualities sometimes lead her into trouble. Camille learns that her father has vanished, leaving behind a cryptic riddle within a stolen artifact. Convinced that he's in danger, she springs into action, while Art scrambles to keep them safe from the cruel thug who lands him in the emergency room and pursues Camille onto a precarious rooftop ledge above Westminster Abbey. While Camille is at the center of the action, the telling gives equal weight to Art's point of view. With a tight time frame, a fast pace, and plenty of action, this sequel to The Van Gogh Deception (2017) and The Rembrandt Conspiracy (2020) is a page-turner that can be enjoyed on its own, but it will particularly interest readers of the Lost Art series.

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