Canvas of Secrets

Dive into Canvas of Secrets, a 1960s historical fiction art world mystery. This California Noir literary mystery blends investigative journalism fiction, art fraud fiction, and character-driven crime fiction into a gripping masterpiece.

When wealthy collector Amelia Hart falls to her death, disgraced detective Ray Stone sees his last chance at redemption in Amelia's suspicious death. Dennis Driver, a Vietnam vet turned reporter, recognizes the violence hidden beneath this coastal paradise—the same darkness he thought he'd left in the jungles overseas.

Working separate investigations into the same case, they uncover Amelia's secret life: crushing debts to a Las Vegas mobster, extremist political ties that earned her death threats, and a partnership with a forger whose work could fool the experts. When their evidence leads to an arrest, both men believe they've solved the case.

Then everything they know shatters.

A confession reveals the truth about Amelia's death—but it's not the truth they expected. Just as the murder investigation collapses, her daughter Julie exposes the real crime: a sophisticated forgery ring that used Amelia's reputation to authenticate millions in fake masterpieces. Now, Ray and Dennis must abandon their phantom killer and join forces with the FBI to dismantle a criminal operation before it disappears—and takes more victims with it.

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War era, CANVAS OF SECRETS combines the atmospheric noir of Michael Connelly with the character-driven complexity of Dennis Lehane—perfect for readers who loved the intricate plotting of The Plot and the period tension of City of Dreams.