THE CROWN HEIST

Art and Camille go to foggy London town in this follow-up to The Rembrandt Conspiracy(2020).

Camille’s estranged father has come out of the woodwork and invited her to visit him in London, and of course, Art is happy to tag along for emotional support. Unfortunately, Camille doesn’t get the heartwarming welcome she’s longed for upon disembarking from the plane. Dad’s a no-show, and it doesn’t take long for the friends to discover a clue at his abandoned apartment that points to his whereabouts. Camille’s dad is a professor of English Renaissance history with extensive knowledge of myths and legends, and it seems someone has snatched him up hoping to exploit his expertise to solve a long-lost mystery. Art and Camille must visit a variety of famous London sights in search of professor Tinsley. Twists and turns present themselves at just the right moments, and the White tween sleuths bounce off one another with comfortable familiarity as they solve the case. The QR codes remain frustrating to scan when reading a digital edition of the book, but the author is admirably effective at sliding art history lessons into the narrative at just the right times. The balance of character work, nifty art facts, and propulsive mystery-solving remains impeccable in this third entry. Fans will be delighted.

Another strong entry in a consistently appealing series.