The King's Jar: A Dani O Rourke Mystery
Museum fund-raiser Dani O’Rourke is excited about a new exhibit at her San Francisco museum that will feature the recently acquired King’s Jar, a legendary African artifact. Then the antiquities expert last seen with the jar is murdered, and the artifact goes missing, leaving Dani to find out who would have the most to gain from its disappearance. Two donors, Jamie and Fritz, give Dani contradictory messages about the jar and who owns it. Another murder prompts concern that the jar may have been obtained illegally. The museum setting and the detailed information on how art is acquired contribute as much to the appeal here as does the mystery itself. The contrasting characters, from wealthy art patrons and eccentric scientists to determined museum staff, add intrigue to a layered, smart, surprising plot, which contains elements of a locked-door puzzle. --Amy Alessio