"The Metropolitan Affair," by Jocelyn Green

"The Metropolitan Affair," by Jocelyn Green

For years her explorer father promised Dr. Lauren Westlake she'd accompany him on one of his Egyptian expeditions. But as the empty promises mounted, Lauren determined to earn her own way. Now the assistant curator of Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lauren receives two unexpected invitations.

The first is her repentant father's offer to finally bring her to Egypt as his colleague on a new expedition. The second is a chance to enter the world of New York's wealthiest patrons who have been victims of art fraud.

With Egyptomania sweeping the city after the discovery of King Tut's tomb, Detective Joe Caravello is on the hunt for a notorious forger preying on the open wallets of New York's high society. Dr. Westlake is just the expert he needs to help him track the criminal. Together they search for the truth, and the closer Lauren and Joe get to discovering the forger's identity, the more entangled they become in a web of deception and crime.

This book is both delightful and sad at the same time.  It is set in the Roaring 20's of New York; a time of glitz and glamour.  The sad part of the book for me was Lauren's yearning for approval from her father, which only brings her more and more heartache.  Bring in a pot load of mystery and intrigue, and add in some romance and you have a winner of a book.

There were many twists and turns in this book; that when you have finally figured it out, or so you thought, out comes another plot twist.  I loved all the references to Egypt; it brought back memories of me studying that in school.  Thoroughly enjoyed that part of the book.  You must read the author's notes, they were enlightening.

The author's attention to detail brought everything to life for me, you could easily imagine yourself in all the scenes she painted throughout the book.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5  It did take me a couple of chapters to get invested in the book, but once I did I couldn't stop reading it.  A well worth read and is the first book in the "On Central Park," series.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".