This book was not for me. I read to chapter two but then found myself thumbing through so I gave up.

Hand me a mystery or a thriller that focuses on the art world and I'm a happy reader. Add exotic locales and what's not to like about the book? This is the fourth in this excellent series, one that I would encourage you to read in order to get the most out of each book. You can read this one out of order as Ritter Ames does fill in the background nicely, but treat yourself to the series in order. I don't know which part of this series I like best - art heists, intrigue, suspense, relationships of all kinds, locations, etc. If you enjoy any of these, make sure to put this series on your to-be-read list right now.

Fatal Forgeries

by Ritter Ames

Fatal Forgeries focuses on returning stolen art work and on discriminating forgeries in the art world. Laurel heads up a team for the Beacham foundation. She also uses her connections to solve related personal issues that threaten her safety and life and that of her team. Three men who may be related to her are suspects in crimes against her.

Fatal Forgeries is the fourth book in Ritter Ames’ Bodies of Art Mystery Series. The author has conceived a complicated and continuing plot in this series. This feature is different from most cozy mysteries in that it is not just the characters that continue from book to book, but the actual plot. Fatal Forgeries begins with an unidentified, and therefore puzzling, action scene followed by the author’s concerted effort to bring the reader up to speed by summarizing the plot and the relationships of the characters as delineated in the first three books. The major flaw of this book is that the first half rambles. In the second half, the pace picks up and the plot has some clarity. The only way I can recommend this book is if all the preceding books in the series are read first and in order.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Category: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery

Notes: This book needs to be read as part of the sequential Bodies of Art Mystery Series.

Publication: June 6, 2017—Henery Press

Memorable Lines:

“She’s as happy or unhappy as she wants to be.”

There’s something magical about this place. Barcelona’s sun, sea, sangria, and street food seduces me every time.

A full moon in the dark sky not only lit up the heavens, but bathed the sea in light as well, the rippling waves appearing to bring the luminescence to shore.

Laurel and Nico reclaim a stolen painting before it gets sent to auction. Setting off a series of attempted kidnappings and assaults on Laurel, and is possibly the cause for Nico disappearing. Does Laurel have another employee to worry about having defected. Cassie goes to France to pacify Max and Jack goes on a secret mission for the Queen and Country. Leaving Laurel to go running for her life to hide in the country with her favorite friend from her teens.

Ritter Ames has written a fast paced story filled with narrow escapes and humor to keep the pages turning through the time you should be asleep.

Setting:  Racing between London, England, and Barcelona, Spain

Characters:

Laurel Beacham - Smart, daring, beautiful art recovery specialist
Jack Hawkes - Dashing, intelligent, agent of The Crown 
Nico - Highly skilled tech wizard on Laurel's team
Cassie - Laurel's assistant/right-hand woman
Plot:  Fatal Forgeries begins with Laurel doing what she does best - a covert operation to recover a stolen piece of art. She has visions of reuniting the true owners with the priceless treasure - just as soon as she and Nico get the piece safely away, that is. Laurel makes it safely back to Beacham Foundation headquarters in London, but it seems that Nico has been sidetracked. The question, given the events that have recently unfolded in previous books of this series, quickly becomes: did he leave willingly or not? 

What happened with Nico weighs on Laurel's mind, especially since it seems like the work of art they just recovered might not be the real thing. More questions hang over the heads of Laurel and her team, which makes everything even more complicated. Three separate enemies come to mind - and one of them might just be Laurel's father. With Nico out of the picture, Laurel is left on her own when Jack is called to service and Cassie is needed elsewhere. She relies on her wits and backbone to elude a kidnapper and a mugger, escaping to a quiet country house until reuniting with Jack. As much as they would love to enjoy the peace and down time, Laurel and Jack are on the run. Whether they end up one step ahead or one step behind remains to be seen.

Pacing:  Fast and furious!

Predictability:  Low

Wild Card:  The Bodies of Art mysteries are consistently some of my favorite books. Each installment of the story is full of rich references to works of art and detailed descriptions of sights, sounds, and scenes from locations around the world. As the story unfolds, I'm always pushing around the pieces of the plot puzzle, trying to keep up with the action playing out on the page. Ritter Ames creates complex and challenging characters who carry out her plots and reel readers in. My only complaint is that once I start reading, I don't want to stop! It's hard to set the story aside when it's time to get to work or sleep. This book (and the series as a whole) is exciting, enticing, and engaging - not to be missed.

I’ve read the entire series of A Bodies of Art mysteries and, while I enjoy the series, I felt that “Fatal Forgeries” left a little too much up in the air at the end of the book.

The story lines of the preceding books generally solve a smaller crime while leaving an other-reaching and larger crime or criminal activity left unsolved. I am used to this type of scenario, especially in British television mystery series. The problem with this book is that none the lesser crimes were solved.

There is plenty of action in the book, with kidnappings and murders alike. The usual cast of characters is back with Laurel, Jack, Nico, Cassie and even Max making appearances. We get to learn a little bit more about both Laurel and Jack’s backgrounds which moves their relationship forward a notch or two.

I was actually quite happy the action in this book centered mostly on Laurel rather than on the two of them. While they are together for a good part of the book, a lot happens to and with Laurel as a separate individual.

Having read all of the books, I do recommend reading the series in order. Much of the action is based upon the characters history that is revealed from book to book. I’m not sure if one could get as much enjoyment out of reading this book as a stand-alone novel.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

I wanted to like this book as much as I did the previous ones in this series. Alas, I could not. If I could give it 4 1/2 stars, I would. It is still a wonderful concept and once again I loved Laurel, Cassie, Jack, and Nico (although Nico is not as present in this book as in others although he certainly still influences the storyline.) But it just isn't the 5 star that the first two books were.

My problem with this book was how complex the story became. There are the stolen original works of art that Laurel works to restore to proper owners. The story also contains numerous forgeries. And we have two groups vying for the spoils of selling/trading the forgeries. There were entire sections of the book that I could not follow the plot. Laurel spent a lot of time pondering who was behind thefts and auctions, coming up with good theories of why either of two factions could be behind the activities. Suffice it to say, I just thought to myself, "Bad guys are active and want something (I'm not even sure what that is.)" Actually, it was okay that I couldn't understand the nuances of the criminals, all I really needed to know is that Laurel wasn't certain of anything either. But I did find the storyline in those instances distracting even if necessary.

I somehow missed reading the third book in this series and will certainly go back to read that one. Perhaps that might make some of the puzzling parts clearer to me.

We do learn some more surprising things about Jack. Didn't see that one coming! And while we have always known there are moles in this field, concerns are that someone close to Laurel may be working against the Beacham Foundation.

This story is set in England and also Barcellona. I haven't been to Barcelona in over 40 years but am planning a return trip this fall. I enjoyed reading the places Laurel and Jack went and will make note to visit things mentioned.

Fatal Forgeries

by
Ritter Ames

A Review

Laura Beacham’s parents were art thieves. She was in the art recovery business. That at times put her at odds with much of the rest of her family - and those odds could be fatal. That theses sounded intriguing, but I was disappointed in its implementation.

The book is inviting as the characters travel throughout Europe, visiting or traveling near landmarks in London, Barcelona, and Paris. Similarly, the book introduced me to the world of art, particularly as created by Caravaggio, an Italian artist. These side trips did give value to the book and made the trip interesting as I used Google and Wikipedia to discover more of these unknown worlds.

The book, however, has one large problem - it does not offer a complete story. This reader felt as if he were set up, but that nothing was accomplished in its 300 pages. Paintings were not returned, parents were not found, thieves were not caught (though one murderer was).

I kept hoping for some conclusion of the story, but it never came. Like an afternoon soap opera (with far less romance), one can only hope the next book offers the satisfactory ending expects from an enjoyable book.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinion are mine alone.

Fatal Forgeries is the Body of Art Mystery fourth in series. I highly recommend you the entire series however this edition can stand alone.
This is a very exciting read from the beginning. The characters are rich , the art is fascinating and well developed The added enjoyment of this series is being a armchair traveler through the art world in Europe. The mystery is well crafted with many clues throughout the story . I enjoy the team of Jack and our protagonist Laurel a art expert in art recovery. Its mystery perfection as the team travels Europe and recovers exciting and valuable art.
I look forward to the next in series. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this exciting next in series. I look forward to reading this series in the future.

Laurel Beachem is an Art Recovery Expert who is working out of a temporary office located in London, England. Working with her team, Cassie Dean who is an assistant to Laurel and Nico who is a digital wizard, the Beachem Foundation job is to find stolen art works and return them to their respectful owners. Also, there is Jack Hawkes who isn’t a partner of the Beachem Foundation but helps protect Laurel with his ties to Scotland Yard. We are allowed an insight to the relationship between Laurel and Jack while Lincoln Ferguson, a journalist who wants to do a story on Laurel and the Beachem Foundation also desires to learn more about Laurel. The dangers of obtaining a special artwork named Caravaggio that was spotted in a museum in France puts Laurel and her team always on guard. Ms. Ames has once again provided her readers with a fast-paced adventure combined with mystery on the side. I am waiting patiently for the fifth book to be published.

“Fatal Forgeries” earns 5/5 Mysterious Family Photos!

Ritter Ames once again starts us off with a riveting intro…keeping me turning the page and ‘under my breath’ hoping Laurel gets out of this safely. The plot is a continuation of an intricately planned story weaving through the series of now four books. Fans have been treated to an action-packed, twisty-turnsy, world-wide adventure with new and exciting revelations and characters evolving in their skill and interpersonal relationships. “Fatal Forgeries” does not disappoint, in fact, may be the best one yet! There are some respites from the non-stop action, but even an engagement tea with a college chum isn’t without problems. Along with the ‘goods and bads’ of the art world references to actual artists and their work puts Google on ‘speed dial’…Caravaggio, for example, was an interesting side adventure. Newbies need to know going in there will be a few spoilers. Although there are enough explanations to join in with the adventure, I still highly recommend starting at the beginning with “Counterfeit Conspiracies” to get the necessary background, character development, and engaging experience… But anywhere you start this series, Ritter Ames has created a great series. Perfect for your summer reading!

Again the characters are complicated, truthful and have interesting relationships. The plot is unusual with a twist tha makes sense

This didn't really do it for me - I think because I was missing too much background to the story. I liked the initial heist component and was hoping it was going to evolve into Fox and O'Hare crossed with Vicky Bliss, but I never really recaptured that initial excitement as the book went on. Also some of the British bits didn't really ring true for me. However, if you've read the series and have the back story, this may well be just the caper that you need.

Action begins immediately with Laurel
and Nico on a nighttime adventure.
Attempted kidnapping, murder, forgeries,
spies, guns, relationships, deceit, humor,
family matters and a touch of romance makes
this a read you won't want to miss!!!!
Captivating writing with vivid description to
put the reader right there with Laurel Beacham
and her associates. Laurel takes you on a fast
paced, action packed worldwide tour of art
thieves. Thrills, chills with plenty of twists &
turns.
I highly recommend this book # 4 in the Bodies
of Art series. It can be
read as a stand alone.
I volunteered to read Fatal Forgeries. Thanks
to Henery Press via Net Gallery for the opportunity.
My opinion is my own.

The Bodies of Art Mystery series captured my attention from the first book! Fatal Forgeries in my opinion is the best one yet. It is a fast paced, well plotted, cozy with lots of mystery to keep the reader wanting more with each turn of the page! The author has done a great job of blending the wonderful characters in with a great story line. The book flows so well that I finished it in one sitting.

While this book could be read as a stand alone one I believe that the reader benefits more from reading earlier books because the author peppers scenarios and characters from them which add so much to this book. Although this is a complete mystery by its self and does warrant a second read after reading the preceding books. The author writes engaging and fun cozy mysteries which capture your attention and hold it to the very end. Always leaving the reader looking forward to more to come..

Fatal Forgeries written by Ritter Ames is book four in the Bodies of Art Mysteries. This one started off very well with Laurel Beachman attempting to liberate an original Caravaggio away from the hands of the wrong person so she can return it to its rightful owner. Laurel becomes the target of someone who wants her dead and with Jack away on a mission she really needs his help. When he returns from his mission, they work together because now one of their own has gone missing as well as the issues they are having due to Laurel's recovery of the stolen painting which cause events that could cost someone their life. In addition, they believe in the possibility that there could be two masterminds working against her and her team. Will Jack and Laurel solve this dilemma or have they met their match, only time will tell as you read this book.

I highly recommend this series to any one who love cozy mysteries. Ritter Ames always gives the reader a highly entertaining read! I was given a copy of this book via Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Fatal Forgeries by Ritter Ames

3 stars

A fun and exciting action-adventure story but probably should be read as part of a series

Art recovery expert Laurel Beacham spends her time retrieving stolen or missing masterpieces for the Beacham Foundation. After a successful incognito mission to steal back a stolen painting turns out to throw a spanner in the works of her team’s greater plans to catch someone selling one of its forgeries, Laurel discovers that there may be a spy in her midst. Unsure of whom she can trust, she sets off with her partner Jack on an adventure across Europe, avoiding danger and kidnapping attempts at every turn. Unfortunately, the people who were interested in the stolen painting are not happy and Laurel must use all her wits to stay alive and to try and uncover who is behind the forgeries and thefts before it’s too late.

This was a very well-written book by a clearly talented author. Laurel is a strong and witty heroine and, as the story is written from her POV, the reader gets an insight into her thoughts as she delves into the mystery of the stolen artwork and experiences the many shocks and dangers that her character encounters as a result. The rest of the characters are mostly well-constructed and interesting to read about, and the relationship that Laurel has with them all – particularly her tentatively burgeoning romance with Jack – were well represented through their conversations and her thoughts. The locations of the novel (which range from London to Yorkshire to exotic Barcelona) are also described in a very atmospheric way that makes the reader easily able to imagine the events taking place there. The biggest draw of this story for me was the non-stop action, with twists and turns on almost every page and barely a lull in either the plot or the peril that Laurel seems to find herself in, making for an exhilarating read. Gun fights, kidnapping attempts, spies and hand-to-hand combat – this book has it all, and with a bit of mystery and romance thrown in, it will certainly entertain fans of a multitude of genres.

However, despite being a good read, I felt straight away that this book would have been significantly more enjoyable if I had read the first three instalments in the series. Whilst the author does make great efforts to get the reader up to speed with what went on in the previous books, I still found the many different characters and organisations that were conspiring against each other and betraying each other very difficult to follow. From what I can gather, there are at least two separate ‘groups’ working against Laurel, with one of their members a double agent for the other – all quite confusing, but intriguing nonetheless! Add in a previous plot about Laurel’s supposedly dead father turning out to be alive and a master art criminal and it was easy to get a bit mixed up with what was going on and who was working for whom. In terms of the actual writing, one minor criticism is that I did find the character of Laurel a bit too perfect at times, and the (fairly frequent) sections of her narrative where she described her designer clothes and such made her come across as a bit stuck-up and unlikeable.

Overall, this was a fun adventure novel that was easy to read and well-constructed, but without even looking at the previous books I can confidently say that reading them first would probably have improved my enjoyment of this instalment. It may have even increased my star rating, as my confusion over certain parts of the plot was one of the main let-downs in this book and I would otherwise have rated it higher. I would recommend ‘Fatal Forgeries’ to anyone who enjoys a good action-packed mystery, providing they are willing to read the three previous ‘Bodies of Art’ novels or are good at following complicated plots, and may even seek out the earlier episodes myself in order to fully appreciate them.

Daenerys

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Enjoyable, fourth book in the Bodies of Art series, (it is very important that you read them in order to avoid spoilers!) Not your typical cozy, being filled with action and having a high body count, but still a compelling thrill-ride of a read.

Laurel is still based in London, and on the move in Europe. Nico, Jack, Cassie and Rollie are still about, and someone is still after Laurel for one reason or another, or, to be honest, even another reason! She has earned many enemies during her career in art recovery.

Again in this book, more questions seem to be asked then answered, but I think that is how Ritter gets you to look forward to the next book in the series. The travel guide book descriptions whenever Laurel arrives at a new destination are a bit, well, straight out of a travel guide book, and I wish the author would find a different way to describe locations.

If you're searching for a passport to adventure, you've just found it. This is a must read international mystery.

The author is so descriptive in all the scenes that you feel you are there. When Laurel was on the train, I felt the vibrations on the track and how comfortable she felt. I was afraid for her when she was in danger and happy when she was safe. I felt like I was Laurel. Her interactions with Jack were full of tension and yearning. We get to learn more about her mother. This is only the second book that I have read in this series, but it won't be the last. Thank you, Ritter, for another fabulous read!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley.

Fatal Forgeries is the fourth book in Ritter Ames' Bodies of Art mystery series. The unknown threat against Laurel Beacham, head of the London office of Beacham Ltd., is barely kept at bay. Jack Hawkes, mystery man and well connected in British espionage if not an actual operative, does all he can to protect Laurel, but can that be enough when two attempts are made to kidnap her when he is on assignment for 24 hours?

After the betrayal of former office head and love interest, Simon, when her right hand man, Nico, seems to go with known forgery ringleader Rollie, Laurel is crushed. When she and Jack learn of an invitation only auction in Barcelona, they head to go under cover with the hopes of tying the forgeries and arms dealing together and busting the case wide open. Instead, they are targeted, barely escaping.

Another fast paced edition of this series, Ritter Ames's expert storytelling will have you hanging on and reading late into the night, I found this book impossible to put down and when it was over it left me anxious to have the next story in this series. I absolutely recommend both this book and the complete series!