In the Frame

Lyn Farrell is a new author to me, and this was a fun introduction to her work!

Billy Jo is a young lady working for Rosedale Investigations, a firm headed by her grandfather, PD Pascoe. She wants to be more involved in investigations, but feels like the senior partners keep holding her back. When a woman comes to the firm requesting that they trace the provenance of a century-old painting, Billy Jo pushes to take the case. The senior partners are resistant, but Billy Jo finally persuades them to give her two weeks to try to track down the information. Little does Billy Jo realize she'll be putting herself in danger.

The painting's provenance and efforts to document it are a primary arc in the story, but there are other threads to chase as well. A woman is missing, and her grasping, greedy relatives want to know where she is (and whether they can get their mitts on her money if she's dead). Wayne, one of the Rosedale investigators, is preparing for his upcoming wedding to Lucy, and he's trying to find her younger sister in time for their big day. We see a relationship story line that I hope will develop in later books with PD's discovery of unexpected family.

And it all adds up to a quick, enjoyable read for me. The characters are likable – I think Dory is a particular favorite. I also liked that Farrell gave her bad guys some understandable reasons for their actions, and not just malicious intent. I mean, good intentions don't justify theft and mayhem and attempted (or actual) murder, but it gives the characters some unexpected depth.

If you enjoy a clean cozy mystery that will hold your attention, you'll want to read In the Frame! I look forward to reading more of Farrell's books.