Portraits of the Past: A Beatrice Holloway Mystery (1920s Cosy Mystery)
By C J Arden
A commissioned portrait, anonymous threats, and an artist whose past is painted with secrets…
Millbrook, England, 1926. Amateur sleuth Beatrice Holloway has barely had time to tend to her spring garden when a new mystery blooms in her beloved village. When renowned artist Lucia Bluethorn arrives to paint a portrait of the late Lady Webb, what should be a moment of civic pride quickly spirals into danger. Break-ins, threatening letters, and a suspicious fire make it clear: someone will stop at nothing to prevent this portrait from being completed.
As Beatrice investigates alongside her rekindled love Arthur Worthington, she uncovers a canvas of artistic rivalry and buried resentments. Everyone seems to have an opinion about Lucia’s modern style – and potentially a motive for sabotage. Meanwhile, the portrait’s commissioner, Vivian Webb, guards secrets of her own in an unopened box from her mother’s past.
In a village where art and revenge blend like paint on a palette, can Beatrice expose the truth before the final stroke falls? Join Beatrice Holloway as she races against time to protect both the artist and the legacy of one of Millbrook’s most prominent citizens!
Portraits of the Past is the third installment in C J Arden’s captivating Beatrice Holloway Mystery series. Set against the backdrop of a changing England, it blends the charm of a village mystery with the artistic flourishes of the 1920s. Perfect for fans of Miss Marple who appreciate a dash of artistic intrigue and a heroine who proves that the best detectives, like the finest wines, only improve with age!
A commissioned portrait, anonymous threats, and an artist whose past is painted with secrets…
Millbrook, England, 1926. Amateur sleuth Beatrice Holloway has barely had time to tend to her spring garden when a new mystery blooms in her beloved village. When renowned artist Lucia Bluethorn arrives to paint a portrait of the late Lady Webb, what should be a moment of civic pride quickly spirals into danger. Break-ins, threatening letters, and a suspicious fire make it clear: someone will stop at nothing to prevent this portrait from being completed.
As Beatrice investigates alongside her rekindled love Arthur Worthington, she uncovers a canvas of artistic rivalry and buried resentments. Everyone seems to have an opinion about Lucia’s modern style – and potentially a motive for sabotage. Meanwhile, the portrait’s commissioner, Vivian Webb, guards secrets of her own in an unopened box from her mother’s past.
In a village where art and revenge blend like paint on a palette, can Beatrice expose the truth before the final stroke falls? Join Beatrice Holloway as she races against time to protect both the artist and the legacy of one of Millbrook’s most prominent citizens!
Portraits of the Past is the third installment in C J Arden’s captivating Beatrice Holloway Mystery series. Set against the backdrop of a changing England, it blends the charm of a village mystery with the artistic flourishes of the 1920s. Perfect for fans of Miss Marple who appreciate a dash of artistic intrigue and a heroine who proves that the best detectives, like the finest wines, only improve with age!