Eileen Harris

Magic, forgery, betrayal, and fabulous jewels surround Alicia as she struggles to find the reason for her friend's death.

Antique Forgery

Kritika Narula

Originally Reviewed at  So many books so little time 

The second book in the Alicia Trent series, Antique forgery continues where Antique Magic left off. Ali has a couple predictions as given by the magic objects in the first installment, and now that she has been called to the place of the prediction, she is sure it will come true.
Her childhood guardians, more of a family, consisting of Arthur and Janice, have called her because Olivia, one of the sisters has died and Ali is needed for appraisal of the jewellery that Olivia, who was a spinster, had hoarded.
All the detritus of her life might go to the strangers, because Janice doesn't even want to look at her sister tenderly, even though she has left for heavenly abode.
The plot is no less twisted-knotted, what with personal issues, and materialistic tendencies, playing the prime players. The love for art, which is a constant in magnitude, even though different in the presentation, is beyond comprehension,
When she arrives, and they manage to get though the jewelery room, it appears as if there was a robbery, yet it is obvious that it was disheveled in a fit of rage, a tantrum.
The time for the prediction to come true is near, and to her utter dismay, it does come true. Another inexplicable murder follows and Ali now becomes a prime suspect. Kendra, her friend has been gruesomely murdered and she was the one to find out. Grief and shock and trauma were overridden by rage at being suspected . Detective Barton arrives and they start off on the wrong note. The circumstantial evidence makes her a suspect, and of course does not elicit a friendly disposition. later on, Nick arrives, and it turns out he has a secret too. He asks Barton to go easy on Ali. Ali still thinks he is either a jerk or is coping up with the stress of the job.
She has made other discoveries but then with an unfriendly authority at work, she refrains from revealing the discoveries to the Detective.
Barry's character is as always the sweetest person who knows what to say to make her feel better.
However, I felt quite irritated with the remark that murder follows Ali around. The reason is simple: the very nature of her job requires her to stay at places which have riches and precious stuff, which has been inherited, death is inevitable and certainly a mystery, and although Ali has her curiosity going at full velocity, still this was a forced observation.

There are different characters: a woman inhabiting the guestroom. the helps, the chef etc.
Then comes a twist: Janice and Arthur, who have a knack for paintings weren't at the auction they were supposed to attend on the day of the murder.

The revelation in the end, was worth the reading. I think there hasn't been so tasteful an ending to a crime/mystery novel.
It wasn't an acrimonious or vengeful goal that had perpetrated the murders, but a helpless situation.
I enjoyed reading the mystery and it was gripping just like the previous book.

Antique Forgery

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