Set in New York City, Catriona Benedict is a down on her luck theatre actress, with an Italian immigrant boyfriend Mario Montefiore, a cramped apartment on the Lower East Side and a theatre show off Broadway that is cancelled after a week because of poor ticket sales. She is approached by the charismatic Miles Kingston, a wealthy Park Avenue business. He offers her ten thousand dollars to pose as his wife. Miles will only gain his full inheritance if he abandons his playboy lifestyle and marries by the age of forty. Catriona disenchanted with her life Off Broadway and eager to pay off Mario’s debts to a violent loan shark, accepts Miles’ offer.
At a party at the Stork Club to welcome her into the Kingston family, Catriona meets Grace, Mile’s hostile cousin with links to the art world; Freddie Swann, a society photographer being sued by Miles; Rupert Ward, Miles’ valet who nurses a terrible grudge against the Kingston family; Louis Ferrero, an Italian casino boss with links to the mafia. All of them, including Catriona herself, become suspects in a murder investigation, when Miles is suddenly poisoned by cyanide during a champagne midnight toast to the bride and groom.
To make matters worse, Catriona finds that the mafia is after her to pay Miles’ gambling debts and someone is trying to kill her. This is a stylish murder mystery thriller with surprising twists and revelations, featuring a host of memorable characters.
Published 21st September 2024
Pre-order on Amazon (UK)
My thoughts: This is the first adventure of Catriona Benedict and boyfriend Mario Montefiore, I reviewed book two recently and the author very kindly sent me this book to read as well.
This is where it all starts, where Catriona gets involved with dodgy Italian gangsters, missing masterpieces, murder and conspiracy. She’s asked to pose as a wealthy man’s wife, he says to claim an inheritance that has a codicil that he must be married.
Her boyfriend Mario, a musician, isn’t very happy about this arrangement, especially when things go sideways and suddenly people are being murdered. He’s worried she isn’t safe, and he might just be right. Then there’s the missing Caravaggio painting.
Drawn into the criminal world and the art world at their intersection – Catriona and new pal Freddie, a society photographer, are digging into the mystery of the forged paintings, but it puts them in the firing line, literally. Luckily Catriona keeps a cool head and starts to slot it all together.
Intelligent and enjoyable, this was a great read and I was really pleased to learn all about what happened in New York that sent Catriona and Mario to Italy and more adventures.
ramblingmads 