What Hides Beneath

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 31 Aug 2017 | Archive Date 29 Nov 2017

Description

Hidden beneath a lump of clay and dirt is a very rare art work crafted by a Japanese artist known as a warrior. Two museum curators, who specialize in Asian art say it is valuable but renowned appraiser, Annette Williams claims it is worthless and her words carry weight in the art world. So which is it?

Pete White, an insurance investigator disappears from the museum where he is researching the treasure. Did he uncover its true value or find it’s a fake?

Lieutenant Detective Philip Samyn wonders why he is assigned to investigate a low priority robbery from a museum. Is his boss trying to push him to retire? He never thought his last case would be a missing laptop. That’s not how he envisioned leaving the force.

His investigation proves we see never the complete picture. There is always something hidden beneath.

Hidden beneath a lump of clay and dirt is a very rare art work crafted by a Japanese artist known as a warrior. Two museum curators, who specialize in Asian art say it is valuable but renowned...


Advance Praise

“Canfield erupts into the world of fiction with forceful characters, an observant eye, and a set of twisted wretches that would make any writer envious.” –Joseph Courtemanche, author of the award-winning Assault on Saint Agnes

“Canfield erupts into the world of fiction with forceful characters, an observant eye, and a set of twisted wretches that would make any writer envious.” –Joseph Courtemanche, author of the...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781612969329
PRICE $0.99 (USD)

Links


Average rating from 6 members


Featured Reviews

I’ve never read anything by this author, but she does a good job setting the scene and drawing the reader into the action. I liked the characters too.

I do have a couple of complaints though. For one thing, she skips around with POV so that I was not sure who the real main character was. I think it was Alison, the curator who discovers a muddy vase. But you could also say it was Annette the appraiser or even the police officer investigating the case. I guess it doesn’t have to have a MC; it could be several people. But I kept expecting one of them to take over more.

Besides that, I felt there were a few plot holes. It takes a while to really build to where I just couldn’t wait to see what happened next. But it was an easy read and I liked the ending. I recommend this one and I’d like to read more by this author. Now I want to go visit an art museum and look for hidden treasures!

Was this review helpful?

What Hides Beneath is a standalone mystery with romance subplot by J.L. Canfield and Black Rose Writing. A mud encrusted vase is discovered in a box of similarly forgotten items in a storage area under an unspecified Richmond, Virginia museum. Research including photographs sent to an expert in Japanese artifacts indicate the find to be a priceless 16th century Japanese vase. A contradictory valuation from Sotheby's appraiser, Annette Williams claims the vase is a 19th century copy, worth a few hundred dollars. By the next morning, the vase and a plainclothes insurance security guard have disappeared.

The bones of a really well crafted story are here. The characters are well described, and the plotting is well paced. The book is 210 pages, so the author has sufficient time to develop the story and characters. There are, however, some problems. There are a number of grammar and spelling mistakes, 'poured' instead of 'pored' as well as several dittographies. I received an ARC, so the editing and grammar mistakes might have been corrected before release. Additionally, the place setting has very little to do with the story, which makes the story line seem somewhat untethered. There is very little background or sense of place. There are problems with the dialogue which seems forced and unnatural at times. There is a fair amount of 'telling instead of showing'. All in all, the problems are relatively minor and probably won't detract from the enjoyment of the novel for most readers.

There is very little direct violence or sex; it's a 'clean' mystery and would be suitable for most readers. The violence is mostly psychological. The murders are not gruesome and I found nothing to be offended over. I feel the author has a real voice and that the technical problems with the narrative and dialogue are a matter of experience, rewriting and editing.
Three and a half stars.

Was this review helpful?

What Hides Beneath is a mystery of course but it is a subset of a slimy man named Lowell who led on Annette in the beginning and sent her away,she was his partner in more than one way and he was married. Well next thing you know there was a body found underneath in the archives. It was poor Peter White who was doing the appraisal on their Vase as to whether it was a real one or not and he was going to give them their answer. There is a poor young employee having been drawn into that murder down in her Department. Then there is a detective, who was put on to this case for some unknown reason, will he find the truth about the murder and the Vase? Will he find out why he was put on the case?

Was this review helpful?

I was given a Netgalley copy of this novel prior to release in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
To start with, this is an interesting storyline with some well-drawn characters.
I had some issues with the writing, particularly with the dialogue, which seemed a little clunky to me.Perhaps this was rectified in the final edit, I don't know.
Maybe suitable for younger history enthusiasts. The story is accessible and not too gory or adult.
A solid 3 star read.

Was this review helpful?

Crazy people do crazy things, in this whodunit that centers around a museum's stolen art, while detectives try to find not only the missing stolen object but also the insurance agent who has disappeared along with the stolen items. From the beginning, you have many suspects that could have committed the crime but as the pages unfold we are able to eliminate suspects to come to the real devious criminal insane mind behind the murders and thefts. Who will it be? Will they catch the killer in time to save lives? #BookReview #WhatHidesBeneath

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: