Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Release Date: July, 2004
ISBN: 1590581229
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Hardcover
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Genre:   Mystery
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Jeanette Clinkunbroomer
Reviewer Notes:  
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Artscape  
By Frederick Ramsay

      Outside of serving as the backdrop for a minor Civil War skirmish, Pickettsville, Virginia’s main claim to fame is Callender College, a private women’s school. In turn, Callender is best known for the fact that the renowned Dillon art collection is housed there under heavy security. The Dillon family pumps money into Callender to defray the extensive security and storage costs, and the collection is a draw for paying art students. Because the school gains so much of its income directly or indirectly from the Dillon Collection, College President Ruth Harris is alarmed when the Dillon family suddenly announces plans to remove the collection of masterpieces.

      Ike Schwartz, Pickettsville’s newly-elected sheriff, picks that unhappy moment to shamble into her office. Ike is a Jew in a predominantly Baptist town, and though laid back and unhurried, he’s also a former CIA agent. Ike’s main concern is convincing President Harris to issue Callender students ID cards so local residents can’t falsely claim the student discounts offered by local merchants. President Harris, a devout liberal, is furious at the suggestion, scolds Ike as a local redneck, and not-so-politely ushers him out of her office. But then, only days before the art collection is to be moved, it disappears. Harris is loathe to trust Ike with the investigation, particularly when it becomes apparent that two students have vanished with the collection.

      Author Frederick Ramsay has constructed a complex, but plausible tale that raises enough questions to keep readers turning the pages. Eventually, Ike’s CIA background comes into play, along with international terrorists and Mafiosa. Ramsay’s style is witty and fresh; he has a sharp eye for current social attitudes, and the final, surprising scenes weave all the threads together.