The Body in the Gallery: A Faith Fairchild Mystery (Faith Fairchild Mysteries, 17)

Caterer Faith Fairchild's friend Patsy Avery suggests she take over the café at the local Ganley Art Museum since business has been slow. Plus Patsy wants her to figure out who switched the priceless piece she lent the museum with a fake. Faith stumbles upon a mysterious corpse one morning that stirs up the already murky history of the museum. Who is she and could have killed her and why? As if that weren't enough, Faith's middle school aged son, Ben, is being more secretive and defiant than normal. Where did her little boy go? What is he up to? Why aren't he and Josh, who was his best friend for many years, no longer hanging out? Can Faith unravel the mysteries without putting herself in danger? I enjoy this series. Faith and her family are very real. Middle school is such a hard time for kids, and the author has really captured some of that frustration for the kids as well as the parents. The mystery is well-crafted and there are plenty of suspects to keep you guessing. I highly recommend this book and complete series.

I enjoyed this book altho, like another reviewer, it took me some time to get into it. I was completely surprised by the murderer. Hadn't thought of that person at all. It was nicely wrapped up for Thanksgiving with some delicious recipes for any occasion.

Faith has a way of stumbling onto bodies. This book is another great one in the series. I can hardly wait until the next one.

Katherine Hall Page weaves another tale of intricate mystery in the world of modern art which includes lots of revenge and deception for her character, Faith Fairchild. Set in the quiet town of Aleford, Massachusetts, Beacon Hill District, the story unfolds to raise the question "What do a forged Romare Bearden, a Jane Doe corpse, and Pepperidge Farm gold fish crackers have in common?" A beautiful dead woman is discovered in Aleford's Ganley Art Museum in a most unusual display. A killer is on the loose and Faith is soon enmeshed in the museum's murky past and present. She believes the dead body and a fake Romare Bearden are related. Patsy, Faith's friend, has loaned an original Romare Bearden painting to the gallery and believes that it may have been switched for a fake. Since Patsy is already on the Board of Trustees at the Ganley museum, Faith would need to be on the inside also. Patsy arranges for Faith to take over the cafe in the gallery, as Faith's catering business has been affected by the declining economy. Using delectable sounding culinary delights throughout the story and additional nuances about classic and contemporary artists, Fairchild keeps you entertained. Life at the museum does not stay calm for long! When the killer strikes again, Faith is in imminent danger and swears she will let the authorities handle the heavy work, but the police are naive and have missed some very obvious clues. And so, she must use her own detective skills to find the thief and expose the killer. Katherine Page Hall keeps you mesmerized until the very end. This is a classic thriller which you cannot put down. Clark Isaacs Reviewer

Unlike earlier titles in the series, the latest Faith Fairchild mystery takes place close to home in Aleford, Massachusetts. Other reviewers have captured the plot; no need to recap that. I especially enjoy this series because the family dynamics are so real. Whether Faith is dealing with Tom's extended family (THE BODY IN THE SNOWDRIFT) or her own past (THE BODY IN THE BIG APPLE), the interplay among characters feels right on. In THE BODY IN THE GALLERY, Faith's relationship with her troubled teenaged son Ben has a great been-there-done-that feel to it. I can think of other series where the protagonist's family is just too perfect, which makes Katherine Hall Page's books such good reads--and I know that somehow Faith, Ben, Tom and the rest will survive Ben's adolescence--even with all of us watching from the sidelines. The issue of bullying is handled from an interesting point of view; so often the victim takes the forefront, but in this case not. Another thought-provoking book in a stellar series.