The Rembrandt Secret
"A marvelous twist at the end caught me by surprise. "
Synopsis:
An ancient conspiracy is uncovered which may devastate lives across the globe. A serial killer is striking all over the world and although his victims have a tenuous connection nobody can figure out what they knew or who will be next.
The first was forced to swallow consecutively larger stones until he choked. The second was whipped to death. The thirds was stabbed in the heart whilst sleeping.
Deadly murder and hidden truths are wrapped up in the hunt for Rembrandts Secret.
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Review:
Marshall Zeigler is an interpreter living in Holland who is thrust into his father's world of art galleries and old masters when he returns home on a routine visit. Marshall is an ordinary man thrown into an extraordinary situation in the same style as many of Dick Francis' protagonists. He is a reasonable man living a normal life until he learns of the Rembrandt Secret. Then he is forced to suspect all around him as he tries to uncover the killer who has attacked his family and threatened the art world with a damaging disclosure. Samuel Hemmings, Teddy Jack, Lillian Kauffman and Nicolai Kapinski are just some of the characters who fall under the broad net of Marshall's suspicions yet each help him in their own ways. An ex-wife and former lover make their presence felt and Marshall is left reeling with indecision. The plotting is complex enough to keep the reader guessing but no so twisted as to lose the reader. A marvelous twist at the end caught me by surprise. Meanwhile the pace is steady with spikes of frantic action before the final reveal. A deep knowledge of the art world is displayed by Conner and the research behind the novel must have been intense. The premise of the plot is sound and although I expected another Da Vinci Code type novel that is far from what The Rembrandt Secret is about. It is more in keeping with the work of Steve Berry or Glenn Cooper than Dan Brown. Overall I enjoyed this book and would certainly read another Alex Connor novel.