The Art of the Decoy (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery)
by Trish Esden
I am delighted to welcome Trish Esden to Escape With Dollycas today!
A Collector at Heart
by Trish Esden
I’m author Trish Esden and I’m happy to be here. Like Edie Brown, the main character in THE ART OF THE DECOY, I’m an antique dealer and a collector at heart. Yes, my house is packed with things I cherish and don’t intend to part with. But don’t be mistaken, I’m not a hoarder. An equal number of items have price tags on them. These pieces head out weekly to a booth I have at an antique center or go into online sales.
When I see or handle antiques or vintage things, they make me think about their history and the people who previously owned them. There is a bow-back Windsor chair in my kitchen which was made in the early 1800s. At some point, someone cut the chair’s legs so short that it’s nearly useless for its original purpose. But when the chair was built, it was someone’s prize possession. I currently keep an antique crock on it, filled with my dog’s dry food. On the wall behind the chair is an oil painting of a lobster boat done by my mother when I was five and we were on vacation in Maine. Next to it, is a wooden sign off a peddler’s wagon. It reads: Charles A. Francis Traveling-Store. I discovered it on a late autumn afternoon in a half-collapsed barn.
But it’s not just antiques and vintage items that I treasure. Like Edie’s Uncle Tuck, I also love to collect houseplants. They remind me of people and times gone by. I have a large Christmas cactus that started as a conglomeration of pieces off a plant owned by my grandmother and cuttings purchased at the estate sale of a local busybody. I have an enormous Eucharist lily that I acquired decades ago when I was fresh out of college and doing plant maintenance at a hotel. One of my favorites is an aloe plant that I divide every autumn, so I can give away its babies to friends. I don’t know how many burnt fingers were healed by the juice from that plant. I used it quite often myself, back when I owned and ran a florist shop—aka: when used a hot glue gun on a daily basis.
I guess you might say, I’m a collector of memories.
How about you? Are you like Edie and me, do you like to collect? Do the things you choose to keep hold special memories? Or is it more about the hunt for you?
About The Art of the Decoy
This cover is absolutely beautiful!
The Art of the Decoy (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery)
Traditional Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Vermont
Crooked Lane Books (April 5, 2022)
Hardcover : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 1643859641
ISBN-13 : 978-1643859644
Digital ASIN : B098PXZNDF
Perfect for fans of Jane K. Cleland and Connie Berry, Tricia Esden’s series debut is sure to please.
After her mother is sent to prison for art forgery, Edie Brown returns to Northern Vermont to rebuild her family’s fine art and antiques business. She’s certain she can do it now that her mother is gone. After all, butting heads with her mom over bad business practices was what drove Edie away three years ago, including a screwup that landed Edie on probation for selling stolen property.
When Edie scores a job appraising a waterfowl decoy collection at a hoarder’s farmhouse, she’s determined to take advantage of the situation to rebuild the business’s tarnished reputation and dwindling coffers. In lieu of payment, Edie intends to cherry-pick an exceptional decoy carved by the client’s renowned Quebecoise folk artist ancestors. Only the tables turn when the collection vanishes.
Accused of the theft, Edie’s terrified that the fallout will destroy the business and land her in prison next to her mom. Desperate, she digs into the underbelly of the local antiques and art world. When Edie uncovers a possible link between the decoy theft and a deadly robbery at a Quebec museum, she longs to ask her ex-probation officer, and ex-lover, for help. But she suspects his recent interest in rekindling their romance may hide a darker motive.
With the help of her eccentric uncle Tuck and Kala, their enigmatic new employee, Edie must risk all she holds dear to expose the thieves and recover the decoys before the FBI’s Art Crime Team or the ruthless thieves themselves catch up with her.
About Trish Esden
Trish Esden loves museums, gardens, wilderness, dogs, and birds, in various orders depending on the day. She lives in northern Vermont where she deals antiques with her husband, a profession she’s been involved with since her teens. Don’t ask what her favorite type of antique is. She loves hunting down old bottles and rusty barn junk as much as she enjoys fine art and furnishings.
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Purchase Links
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Great Escapes Praise for The Art of the Decoy (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery)
by Trish Esden
The Art of the Decoy is a crafty whodunit…
~The Avid Reader
This all makes for a great read as we get to know the characters, their world, and all about antique stuff. Made for a nice change of pace. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
~Book a Plenty Book Reviews
This was an interesting and unique mystery. It held my attention with the details about the antique business and provided a unique backdrop that makes it stand out from the crowded mystery market.
~Nellie’s Book Nook
I did warm up to this small town and Edie, and it’ll be interesting to see where this series goes in the future.
~Novels Alive
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 29 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
March 29 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 30 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, RECIPE
March 30 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 31 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
March 31 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST
April 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 1 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT
April 2 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
April 3 – Nellie’s Book Nook – REVIEW
April 3 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
April 4 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
April 4 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
April 5 – I Read What You Write – GUEST POST
April 5 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
April 6 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
April 6 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST
April 7 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
April 8 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 9 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
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April 10 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
April 11 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
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I have a few antique pieces handed down to me that I cherish and I would never part with them. Reading a story that has the world of “antigue-ing” as the background sounds fascinating and fun!
My brother used to have an antique store long ago. We did lots of hunting.
Thank you for hosting the launch of The Art of the Decoy! You’ve made it super special for me.
What an intriguing book! Great cover too.