Author: Cari Z.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Genre(s): Mystery/Suspense
Page Count: 195
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5
Read book blurb here
The "Art of Possession" is a smart, quickly-paced adventure pairing two unlikely partners in search of a rare artifact. If you're picturing an Indiana Jones adventure - but one that fulfills Cari Z.'s "sincere desire to see Indiana Jones put back his ill-gotten artifacts, because come on, man" - you're on the right track.
Mal is a disgraced Professor of Ancient History and Museum Studies, formerly of the British Museum, paired with a world-weary former Green Beret working in private security and while they don't exactly match up in terms of skills and experience, they are pretty much perfect for each other. The nice steady slow burn of UST without angsty miscommunications or second-guessing is refreshing, and I love how the first time Alex and Mal (platonically) end up in bed, Alex is nursing a broken nose and Mal reads him to sleep with a history of Britain after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
The writing here is crisp and the plot unfolds
at a brisk pace as Alex and Mal plus Patricia, a kick-ass operative fly from one exotic location to another to hunt down the mysterious woman who cleverly stole the priceless septre. The secondary characters are nicely fleshed out and complex in their own right no matter how little their "page-time" and I would welcome another book or two exploring Alex's background as well as the various operatives and situations introduced in this book.
The final resolution scene is a bit contrived and I figured out the ultimate villain of the piece fairly early on, but all-in-all, this is a fun read with interesting characters and a rather sweet love story and HEA. 4.25 stars for "The Art of Possession."
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