Book Review of 'The London Forgery' by Heidi Eljarbo

Happy Friday Bookworms!

I don't know about you, but I can read a cozy mystery any time of the year, but there is something extra delicious about curling up with a cozy mystery during the fall. It's an immersive experience that I love so much, and the novel I'm reviewing today was that and more, espcially since it's also by one of my favorite authors AND is kicking off a new series! It is also available to read right now on Kindle Unlimited, so after you read my thoughts head over there and get your copy. It's a great weekend read that you can easily get lost in.

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

My Review

I am a huge fan of the Soli Hansen Mysteries series and was so excited to see that the author was doing a spinoff series featuring Soli’s daughter, Fabiola. Soli taught Fabiola everything she knew about art history and her daughter is not only following in her footsteps when it comes to vocation, but she is also keeping solving mysteries in the family as well.

It’s 1973 and Fabiola is in London admiring one of her favorite paintings and shocked when she realizes that the painting that she is looking at is actually a forgery. With the help of her detective friend Cary and best friend Piper, Fabiola embarks on a journey to find the missing art piece and catch the thief.

This novel is a dual timeline that gives the reader a glimpse into the past, telling the story behind the painting Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, the artist and his life, and the subjects that the painting was based off of. I was transported back to eras where I did not yet exist, yet the author did a masterful job of making these worlds come alive for me. The small details made the greatest imagery, allowing me to see a glimpse into the past. Even though we do not get to see Soli in this particular novel she is mentioned frequently, as she is now a legend in the art history field, a fact that put a smile on my face. It also makes me want to go back and finish that series!

This is a very well done spinoff that has the same heart and spirit as the original series, something that I appreciate and enjoyed. The characters feel fresh and the world building is phenomenal. The overall flow is perfection and I ate up every historical tidbit about Gainsborough and his painting, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews.

I loved that Fabiola, Cary, and Piper work as a tremendous trio, giving a lightness and sense of humor to the narrative while also working together as a team to solve a mystery. I know absolutely nothing about art, but after reading this novel my curiosity is piqued. The stories behind both the artist and the paintings themselves is utterly fascinating to me. I truly cannot wait to see what adventures this series is going to take us on.

My Rating: ★★★★★

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.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.

Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

Connect with Heidi by visiting heidieljarbo.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

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.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!