PALM BEACH FAKE

TOM TURNER

Palm Beach Fake-by veteran mystery writer Tom Turner takes the reader on a wild ride from Boston to the heart and soul of Palm Beach, where the rich get richer and sometimes get murdered. Palm Beach Fake reunites the reader with Turner's ever-present detectives, Charlie Crawford, formerly of the NYPD, and Mort Ott, a longtime detective formerly with the Cleveland, Ohio, Police Department.

As the story opens, a woman walks into an art gallery on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, and she sees a painting reminiscent of Edward Degas. From there, Palm Beach Fake takes off like a rocket. Bodies drop as Crawford and Ott work the case. It gets complicated. At first blush, the picture appears to be original. The detectives go through their rituals, talking to those who look like they could be part of an infamous art theft that occurred in Boston many years ago. The story features unpredictable twists and turns that leave the reader wondering who is responsible for the art theft and the homicide in Palm Beach. Along the way, the reader meets crooked lawyers, seemingly innocent bystanders, and others who may or may not benefit from the death that the detectives are investigating.

Palm Beach Fake is another outstanding entry in the Palm Beach series that has made Tom Turner a reliable, entertaining, and expert procedural author. While Palm Beach Fake can be read as a standalone, readers will benefit immensely by checking out all of the Palm Beach mysteries, starting with Palm Beach Nasty.