Crimson Vault's Echo

The investigation into the death of Alistair Croft is a masterpiece of deception. Found dead inside the hermetically sealed vault of the Crimson Echo gallery, the legendary curator appears to have committed the ultimate "locked-room" suicide. There is no sign of struggle, no forced entry, and no witness-only the heavy scent of lavender and a vault that is physically impossible to breach from the outside.For disgraced detective Marcus Shane, the scene is too perfect. Haunted by insomnia and a fractured past, Shane sees the cracks in the gallery's polished obsidian facade. When he discovers a receipt for a custom frame dated for the day after Croft's death, the suicide narrative begins to unravel.With the help of his estranged wife, a sharp-witted prosecutor named Eleanor, Shane is drawn into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with Julian Thorne-a powerful art patron who doesn't just collect masterpieces; he manufactures them. From forged provenances to weaponized restoration chemicals, Thorne has spent decades curating a multi-million dollar empire of lies.¿¿¿¿¿¿¿To prove a murder occurred in a room no one entered, Shane must navigate a labyrinth of digital archives and hidden secrets. But in the art world, truth is the most dangerous acquisition of all, and Thorne is prepared to ensure that Marcus Shane becomes the final, silent addition to his private collection.Crimson Vault's Echo is an atmospheric noir thriller where the brushstrokes of a killer are hidden in plain sight, and the price of authenticity is paid in blood.

Pages: 134, Paperback, Paul Smith