Hoodwinked

A perfect vacation (i.e., beach read) kind of book, complete with a totally amazing cast of characters. There is the voodoo mambo, the cowboy, the "bull" a hired killer, a cruel playboy, a compromised President, the Las Vegas - by way of Mississippi - con man gone semi-respectable, a conniving wife, a look alike set of good/evil ladies, and a couple of Van Gogh sunflower paintings. The Caribbean island setting is delightfully detailed, and the story is light and enjoyable and perhaps not too implausible.

R.J. Kaiser has done it again, writing a book that is irresistible reading for old fans and new! The one-of-a-kind plot is masterfully crafted and populated with intriguing characters. Imagine, if you will, a real Van Gogh painting and a very clever imitation which end up in the care of conman turned banker Simon Van Biers. Add then, the ingredients of New York art appraiser Zoe Marton and bull-riding cowboy Billy Blue Bear, both of whom are on a mision to retrieve the real Van Gogh for their respective families. When they all end up on the Caribbean island where the paintings are located, the mysteries multiply and the sparks fly! This book is Kaiser at his best -- DON'T MISS IT!!!

The disappearance of art appraiser Ray Pearson raises a cloud of suspicion on the island of St. Margaret in the West Indies. Pearson was reputed to have discovered the Van Gogh painting Kansas sunflowers painting for Simon Van Biers. Since Van Bier's financial empire and questionable business practices rely on the painting, and consequently the economic wellbeing of the island, Pearson's disappearance holds the attention of not just St. Margaret's police, but also the FBI. Tangling with the wrong woman results in bodily injury and makes returning to the rodeo impossible for Billy Blue. When he receives word that his beloved grandmother is dying, he rushes to her side at the hospital. She tells him of painting, and with her dying breath, extracts a promise that Billy will retrieve the painting from his biological father, a man he's never met. Billy's quest leads him first to New York, where he learns of his father's name change to Van Biers, and then to the island of St. Margaret. Along the way, he coincidentally finds himself traveling with curator Zoe Marton, who eventually proves to be seeking the same destination. She doesn't confess, however, her own interest in the Van Gogh sunflower's nor her family's history with the painting.Secrets kept and secrets revealed keep the plot of HOODWINKED by R.J. Kaiser moving smartly along. A hired hit man, and hit woman, a voodoo priestess, and corruption that lead to the door of the president of the island all stem from a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. But since there are actually two paintings, one an alleged copy almost impossible to tell from the original, and people willing to kill to keep both, Billy and Zoe find themselves in dangerous waters, despite the island's lush background. A fun ride that combines romance, drama, and murder, HOODWINKED is a real page-turner that comes highly recommended.

A good story that moves at an enjoyable pace. I was able to finish in several hours. As usual, Mr Kaiser knows how to entertain. Enjoy.

.... HOODWINKED is an enjoyable romantic suspense novel that centers on the Van Gogh "Sunflower" paintings. The story line is fun to read once Billy and Zoe meet, as they become embroiled in a who-done-it, fake and authentic paintings, and the mystery of love. R.J. Kaiser always turns up the suspense along with the love with this powerful drama.Harriet Klausner