In attendance is Jonathan Wilder, a noted artist who specializes in painting birds. Lovely Lorelei Merriwell, divorcee and his significant other, accompanies him. She owns an antique gallery where he lives and has become an integral part of his life.

The party host is Brian Ravener, a Bostonian who by virtue of his electronic genius was able to retire early as a millionaire and now occupies his days as an art collector. Ariel McKenzie, a self-professed Southern Belle who has retired from the “Cotillion Circuit” to become a capitalist, owns the gallery hosting his party.

Invited guests include fabulously wealthy collectors, and other artists are among the art glitterati. And of course where there is art, there are critics. Among them is Abel Lasher who tries to live up to his name by “spewing his venom” through his self funded magazine Art Now.

The purpose of the party is to provide a platform for two announcements by Brian. One is the announcement of his engagement to Ariel, and the second and more far reaching is his unveiling of a quartet of Audubon prints that had never been seen before.

Since the subjects are western birds, and it was thought that Audubon had never reached the Pacific Ocean, their discovery causes quite a stir. And it becomes even more exciting when Lasher publicly and loudly proclaims them to be fake. Brian loses it, ejects Lasher from the gallery and in the process publicly threatens to kill him.

Prophetically, Lasher is strangled and thrown overboard on the ferry returning to the mainland that night. The partygoers were aboard, of course, and the police target Brian as his killer. Calling an old debt of Jon’s, Brian seeks his help in trying to prove his innocence. Since Brian had once saved his life, Jon intends to do what he can to solve the murder. It is disturbing to Jon that the inconsistencies in Brian’s story are large, many and critical.

The first curve in this ever-twisting tale comes when Jon realizes the Audubons are indeed fake. Never scientifically authenticated, Brian relied upon the word of the broker of the prints.

If you pay attention to the foreshadowing you can see a lot of this book coming. As Jon continues to investigate, he uncovers more and more reasons for people to do away with Lasher, but subsequent deaths continue to blur the picture. Parts of this story seem to be just a bit too quirky and cute, but even so it is a fun quick read, especially if you number birds among your many interests.

--Thea Davis