THE REMBRANDT CONSPIRACY

Art and Camille return to foil another art thief.

Twelve-year-old Arthur Hamilton Jr. (“Art” to his friends) is certain that the National Portrait Gallery’s newest exhibit is in danger. Art’s father, recently appointed director of the gallery, doesn’t share Art’s concerns; the paintings are protected by several state-of-the-art security systems after all. But Art can’t shake the feeling that something’s up, and he ropes his friend Camille Sullivan into helping him expose the suspicious characters buzzing around the museum for the thieves they are. The novel mirrors its predecessor’s mixture of propulsive plotting, dynamic character work, and nifty art facts. Fans of The Van Gogh Deception (2017) will be thrilled to see not much has changed here. The mystery provides a few pleasant twists and turns, culminating in a rousing conclusion that handily points to the next book without feeling incomplete. While the QR codes included effectively render the works mentioned, the scanning is sometimes difficult when using a digital copy of the book, interfering with the mystery’s momentum. Thankfully the art history lessons never feel too artificially wedged into the narrative. The author’s note discusses the notorious 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the subject of tantalizing discussion in this story. Art and Camille are White.

A solid second helping.