Welcome to the Blog Tour for The London Forgery by Heidi Eljarbo, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The London Forgery
Series: A Fabiola Bennett Mystery #1
Author: Heidi Eljarbo
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery, Dual Timeline
1973. Art historian Fabiola Bennett sees herself as a prudently observant deer who becomes a daring and even mischievous lioness if the situation calls for it. And that’s exactly what’s required when greedy criminals steal, forge, and tamper with treasured artwork. When the crooks add murder to their list of crimes, the chaos is complete.
A mysterious note is delivered anonymously at the door of the National Gallery in London, and the director immediately calls Fabiola’s office in Oslo and pleads with her to come without delay. The message is confusing, but it seems one of her favorite eighteenth-century portraits is in trouble.
Fabiola hops on the first plane and meets up with her vibrant side-kick Pippa Yates and the ever-loyal Detective Inspector Cary Green from New Scotland Yard. But she is not naïve enough to think untangling the purpose and meaning of the mysterious note will be as simple as a walk in Hyde Park. These things never are.
1750. Newly married Robert and Frances Andrews, members of the landed gentry of Suffolk, England, hire young and talented Thomas Gainsborough to paint their wedding portrait. Their desire is a lovely conversation piece showing their wealth and class, an artwork to remember them by for generations to come.
Little do they know the gifted artist portrays their personalities exactly how he perceives them, and the artistic symbolism is not as flattering as they’d hoped for. Even the looming clouds in the distance promise a troublesome future.
This is the first book in a new dual timeline series by Heidi Eljarbo—an intriguing spin-off from the much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries.
Fans of Lucinda Riley, Rhys Bowen, Kathleen McGurl, Kate Morton, and Katherine Neville will love this cozy historical art mystery, which takes the readers back to the nostalgia of the groovy seventies and the classical Georgian era of the eighteenth century.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Excerpt
Director Wilson showed him the note and presented the details about the time and place of the anonymous message’s sudden appearance.
He read the note and then lifted his eyebrows. “Peculiar sentence. Almost theatrical or old-fashioned.”
The director nodded. “This could very well be a hoax, but I’ve called on Fabiola here to help us in case there actually is something amiss.”
Cary smiled at her. “A clever move.”
“Yes, she’s helped us many times when we’ve needed advice or assistance. This time I’m not exactly sure what the problem is or if there truly is one. The note we received is curious, to say the least. We hope it’s nothing serious, but my gut tells me it is. That’s why I’d like you here, as well, Detective Inspector Green… I mean, in case we need help from the Metropolitan Police.”
Cary frowned, causing deep creases to appear on his forehead. “Before we continue, please tell me, who are Mr. and Mrs. Andrews? Art dealers? The Bonny and Clyde of art theft? Who are they?”
Director Wilson spoke in a low voice. “It’s a priceless British masterpiece—an eighteenth-century portrait—much loved and well-known.”
About the Author
Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.
Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.Connect with Heidi by visiting heidieljarbo.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
Author Interview
Q: What was the inspiration behind The London Forgery?
Heidi: The London Forgery is the first book in a new series—a spin-off from Soli Hansen Mysteries. It is also a dual timeline art mystery, one that combines two different periods of the past.
Q: How long did it take you to write this story?
Heidi: I must have spent half a year doodling with ideas, plotting, and writing this book.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?
Heidi: Fabiola Bennett is a young widow. When speaking out loud to her late husband, she says, “You always told me to be courageous and adventurous but also careful and forehanded. I’m afraid those words don’t combine well.”
When you, as a reader, get to know Fabiola, you’ll see how she is a good girl who wants to do what is right, but solving art crimes often gets her into trouble.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from The London Forgery?
Heidi: I hope they’ll be swept up in the two combining stories and root for Fabiola and her friends as they try to solve the mystery, but also learn something about the art world and art history along the way.
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?
Heidi: I love nature and being outside in any kinds of weather. I live on a small island south of Oslo, Norway. We have beaches and the Oslo fiord just a few minutes’ walk from our house. We have sheep and horses next door. And a couple of hours drive from home, we have a mountain cabin. Rain, snow, sunshine, flowers, fog, wind, forests…it’s all so wonderful, and I am grateful for a kind Heavenly Father who created such a beautiful world for us to enjoy.
Q: How many bookcases are in your home?
Heidi: In addition to scattered books in most of the rooms in our house, we have a library—a room with sooo many books. I am very proud of the books my parents bought during WWII. They were married in Oslo, Norway during the German occupation, and were bound by strict rules…no parties, no popular music, set curfews, etc. There was no television, no radios (radios were confiscated by the Germans). But they had books and loved to read.
Q: How long ago did you start writing?
Heidi: Hard to say, as I’ve always wanted to write. I wrote a children’s book when I was a young mother, but it was never published (maybe I should get back to that one?). First, I worked as a magazine journalist for quite a few years before completing my first full-length historical novel after my children were grown.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a writer?
Heidi: The creative explosion of all the stories and scenes in my head…building a world…developing characters…working on sentences and good words to use. I also like writing at home and choosing my own schedule. The hope that readers will enjoy my novels makes me excited and happy.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Heidi: I do genealogy, paint watercolors, and try to keep up with house and garden. Most of all, I love being with my family, hiking with my dog and husband, and hugging my husband!
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will win a print copy of "The London Forgery", an eBook "Of Darkness and Light" and a $10 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 26, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 3, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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