The Costa Affair

‘The Costa Affair’ is a great police procedural that has the twist of being centred on the art world. I loved the education you received about the art and how money can be moved around the world and laundered through purchasing art etc. I had no idea about this side of everything. This is why I loving reading as you find out so much about our world!

Nick Costa is a big-time art dealer and collector in New York. When his ‘housekeeper’ comes to the police to report his disappearance Detective Maggie Flynn catches the case and is soon immersed in the high-end art world! Who broke in and stole artworks from his house and where is the man?

I liked Maggie as a detective as she is a strong female lead, shows empathy, is intelligent and is in touch with her history. All the references to the gorgeous Italian food made me very hungry! I'm fascinated when it comes to art crimes and I have read all the Nick Costa mysteries and the new Jeffrey Archer ones as well. Therefore, the narrative had me hooked from the beginning. This is the second Maggie Flynn book but you can certainly read it as a standalone. I will be looking forward to see what comes next for Maggie!

Let me know if you pick this one up!

I enjoyed being able to learn about the art world. Maggie is a really great character and I enjoyed her story.

📚 Book Review 📚

The Costa Affair
Lisa Fantino

GENRE: Detective Thriller

“Some debts are hard to repay while others continue forever.”

LAZY BLURB:

A famous patron of the art world disappeared together with a number of some expensive art works.

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THOUGHTS:
I like the pacing and the progress of the story. Revelations happen along the way but that only leads to more questions and mysteries keeping me really engaged.
Also, I learned a lot of interesting things about the art world and some of the workings in it. (So if you're wondering if I googled to confirm their authenticity? I did.)
Each character was set apart from each other which adds authenticity to their relationship. Either be it the boss, partner, coworker, father figure etc.
Overall, I highly recommend this book.


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AUTHOR BIO
Author Lisa Fantino is a veteran journalist turned attorney & bestselling author...with a burning passion for travel, salsa & dark chocolate!

The Costa Affair by Lisa Fantino

Genre: mystery thriller

⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thoughts: this was such a fun, fast-paced ride that I couldn’t wait to discover the art thief/killer! What a fantastic mystery, the art history and I loved Detective Maggie Flynn’s character. She was knowledgeable, funny and incredibly sharp! I haven’t read the first Maggie Flynn book but I am now ready to join her again on more adventures and solving cases. Well done!

If a work of art by a renowned master fails to catch a glimmer of light, is it still a glorious piece of work? Do the eyes or the exposure set the value? Truly......

Detective Maggie Flynn has served her time as a rookie for three years in The Bronx in New York City. She's cut her bones near Mamaroneck harbor as a member of the homicide squad. Rough times take rough attitudes. But Maggie knows the neighborhoods well having half Irish and half Italian lineage. She benefits from both sides in her solid demeanor and her highly inquisitive nature. The streets can keep your pulse at a staccato beat.

Maggie has also benefited from the fact that it's in her blood. Her father was the late veteran Detective Lieutenant Sean Flynn. She has big shoes to fill. But Maggie has been blessed with a solid partner, Detective Sergeant Tommy Martin. Tommy gives Maggie a wide berth, while at the same time, pointing out the scurrying neighborhood cockroaches zipping into their dark hidey holes. Job performance benefits from being prepared for the unexpected......and the Bronx is the best petri dish for that.

A call comes in that the renowned philanthropist, Gianni Costa, is missing. His young cleaning lady, Anna Cinquemani, found the back door open and no sign of Costa even with his car in the driveway. A search is made of the property.......no signs of Costa. Anna is highly nervous under questioning. And here's where our novel peaks: Anna is hiding something huge that's way bigger than a bread box. And does this secret connect with the missing Costa? Stay tuned.

Lisa Fantino opens our eyes to the back door exits and entrances of the art world. Her research is superb and her cover art for this novel is beyond eye-catching. The character of Maggie Flynn splits the apple into bite-size pieces with her professionalism and her human insight into the games that people play. You don't have to be an art aficionado in order to enjoy this one. Fantino fills in the gaps nicely while keeping the mystery on high boil. I'm looking forward to the next offering in this series with open arms. Bravo, Fantino.

Thank you to @lovebookstours for my copy of this book.

I read this in 2 days, gripping from the start and kept my interest peaked. The main characters of the police detectives, Maggie and Tommy, were great and worked so well together. Loved their banter and family ways.

I loved learning about the art world and their ways of avoiding taxes, no wonder they can afford Old Master pieces. The history of some of the artists was very informative, along with notes on some paintings themselves.

A great book, did feel a little like the “thief” part of the story wasn’t ended fully but overall a good mystery set in another world.