 
|
Imagine how exciting it would be if you could travel all over the world while still in your early teens. Now think how much more exciting it is to see the world while tracking down an international art thief! That’s the position that best friends Kari and Lucas (she’s a girl) find themselves in when we meet them in author Susan Runholt’s novel The Mystery of the Third Lucretia.
Artists themselves, Kari and Lucas first spot the Gallery Guy at the museum in their hometown. Like a lot of artists, he is set up in the museum, copying the portraits of Lucretia by Rembrandt to improve his own technique. The two known paintings of Lucretia are together in this rare exhibit, so it isn’t unusual that Gallery Guy would be taking advantage of the exhibit to practice his skills. It’s his rudeness that captures the girls’ attention, and the whole incident is filed away in memory.
Most likely the Gallery Guy would have been forgotten soon enough if not for that business about traveling the world. Kari’s mom is a reporter for The Scene, and when she gets an assignment in London, Kari and Lucas are allowed to tag along. Imagine their surprise when they spot Gallery Guy at the National Gallery in London.
Just like before, he’s set up his canvas in front of the Rembrandts, where he is still rude and secretive. The odd thing is, though, he’s disguised himself. Why would an innocent art student need a disguise? And why would an innocent art student be following Rembrandts from Minnesota to England?
Smart, sassy and fearless, Kari and Lucas are determined to get to the bottom of this mystery even when no one else seems to find it worth pursuing. They prove themselves to be worthy adversaries for Gallery Guy, but he has one thing on his side that the girls lack: he is willing to do anything to carry out his scheme.
Susan Runholt knows how to tell a story. Every scene is built upon a solid foundation, every action follows logically from what has gone before, and every character is fully-drawn. The Mystery of the Third Lucretia, while revolving around the world of art, is so well-crafted that readers need not know or even care to know about art. Kari explains the pertinent details in her narrative – just enough, never too much—and lets the adventure take center stage.
The first in a series featuring these two strong and likeable sleuths, The Mystery of the Third Lucretia is a vivacious beginning to what I hope will be a long string of books about Kari, Lucas, and their travels.
|
|
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia (A Kari + Lucas Mystery)