Book Review: THE MOST MAJESTIC CRIME OF THE YEAR - MISSING MASTERPIECE: A Massanutten Tale (The Artzy Chicks Book 5) by Judith Lucci

Synopsis

The gun-toting Artzy Chicks, Lily and LauraLea are off on another adventure. This time, they’ll leave Massanutten Mountain behind to venture off to uncharted waters. Uncharted for them anyway. Flying to London was the easy part. Their newest creation, The Majestic Norway, had been selected for auction aboard a prestigious cruise ship bound for Norway. They’d planned to sit back, relax, and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere. Maybe even check off one of their bucket-list items and view the spectacular northern lights. As usual, things didn’t go as expected. Amid suspicious Vikings, irate security guards, and a terrified cruise staff, LauraLea is missing her gun within hours of departure. What have they gotten themselves into this time?

Review

Lily and LauraLea have landed a great venue to show off their creation of Majestic Norway, a three piece panorama of the Aurora Borealis against the magnificent landscape and mountains of Norway. It is a mixed media creation with layers of different forms from jewels to metals on top of paint. It's to be auctioned off on the cruise with part of the funds donated to help animals in Australia. A visitor to their (LauraLea's) gallery in Massanutten Mountain takes a picture and they're featured in an art magazine. All of this is a dream come true, until it isn't.

Initial concern over whether the three pieces will make it to the cruise ship is replaced with consternation when the original is stolen off the ship and not-so-good replica is put in its place. In between arguing with ship security, Norway police, and Lily's well-placed phone calls to her FBI friend, Roger, the ladies get to see and enjoy parts of the Norway cruise. Then all the other mixed media works are stolen from the gallery at home.

Both ladies have strong personalities, and though they are gun-toting in their home town, they are gun-less, but not gut-less in Norway. There is drama, humor, and the mystery on two continents, with expected twists and surprises. As they try to enjoy the cruise, the reader gets a taste of Norway and some of the sights, like the Viking, make sense as the story comes together.  

This is the fifth in the Artzy Chicks series, but my first. It can easily be read as a standalone. If you enjoy cozy mystery, and yearn to travel without leaving your house, you will enjoy Lily and LauraLea's adventure. 

AMAZON