Restrike: Coleman and Dinah Greene Mystery No.1 by Reba White Williams

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 about book:

Money and murder go hand in glove in the rarified art world of Reba White Williams’ exciting first novel, Restrike.

Cousins Coleman and Dinah Greene moved from North Carolina to New York after college to make their mark on the art world: Coleman is the editor of an influential arts magazine and Dinah is the owner of a print gallery in Greenwich Village. But their challenges are mounting as one of Coleman’s writers is discovered selling story ideas to a competitor and The Greene Gallery is in the red because sales are down.

When billionaire Heyward Bain arrives with a glamorous assistant, announcing plans to fund a fine print museum, Coleman is intrigued and plans to get to know Bain and publish an article about him. Dinah hopes to sell him enough prints to save her gallery. At the same time, swindlers, attracted by Bain’s lavish spending, invade the print world to grab some of his money.

When a print dealer dies in peculiar circumstances, Coleman is suspicious, but she can’t persuade the NYPD crime investigator of a connection between the dealer’s death and Bain’s buying spree. After one of Coleman’s editors is killed and Coleman is attacked, the police must acknowledge the connection, and Coleman becomes even more determined to discover the truth about Bain. In an unforgettable final scene, Coleman risks her life to expose the last deception threatening her, her friends, and the formerly tranquil print world.

my thoughts:

Reba White Williams' debut novel, Restrike is a must-read!  It is the epitome of a cozy mystery - one that had me all curled up, clutching a cup of tea, and staying up till the wee hours of the night.  And I loved it! I found myself easily engaged with cousins, Coleman and Dinah - two successful women making a name for themselves in the NYC art world.  Some backstabbing and sabotage is par for the course, but when both women find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery, well, the stakes suddenly get a lot higher. 

You see, a man named Heyward Bain has brought some excitement into the art world - he's planning on opening a print museum and has been buying rare pieces lately.  However, one of the sellers winds up dead and something is starting to smell rotten in the house of Bain.  So, with their sleuth caps on, Coleman and Dinah dive into the seedy underworld of the art world (you know, where forgery, theft, and murder occasionally occur) and start investigating Bain.  Who is this mystery man, with his rare prints and dashing good looks?  Hmm.  Suffice it to say, intrigue and drama ensue.  And, the mystery remains intact until the very end.  Yep, I couldn't crack it any sooner and believe you me, that drove me crazy! I'm usually good at figuring out, "Who done it?", but not this time round.  I'll just say this - the ending left me gobsmacked (did not see that coming!)

So, yes, I would happily recommend Restrike to all fans of mystery novels - you will love this one! And, luckily for us, this is the first book in the Coleman and Dinah Greene Mystery series.  I can't wait for the next one!  Until then, I'll be reading Sarah Jio's, The Last Camellia.  Happy reading!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book tour schedule of: Restrike.  Check it out! 

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!