Connie Mann: The Liar's Treasure

 By Kelly Bridgewater

From the acclaimed author of Beyond Risk and The Crown Conspiracy, hailed as a “wild ride” by Library Journal, comes an action-packed adventure about a mysterious diary and a thrilling, high-stakes treasure hunt.

Camille Abernathy ignored rumors of The Liar’s Treasure and her family’s connection to it . . . until someone put a target on her daughter’s back. Growing up in New Orleans, such tall tales were as common as beignets and gumbo. But when Camille’s teenage daughter, Cass, posts pictures of a centuries-old diary her uncle gave her, she unwittingly attracts dozens of treasure hunting fanatics who are convinced Cass and the diary can lead them to a valuable cache.

To keep her daughter safe, Camille enlists the help of Speranza, a secret society always ready to help women in need. Together, they set out on a globe-trotting journey to find The Liar’s Treasure while also investigating a suspicious death related to Camille’s childhood friend. The deeper they dig, the more they suspect it’s all connected.

Chasing clues from New Orleans to Italy to the Bahamas, Camille and her friends receive unexpected assistance—and unwanted competition—from a handsome treasure hunter from Camille’s past. Then Cass is kidnapped, and finding the treasure truly becomes a matter of life and death.

My Thoughts:

The Liar's Treasure by Connie Mann will take readers for a ride as the Speranza Team hunt for each individual piece to this treasure. I love the non-stop action across Europe, to the Caribbean, and back to America before returning to Florence, Italy. Mann does a good job at keeping the villain's identity a secret, which is a huge plus for me. I love to be taken for surprised when the villain is actually revealed. Mann does include a little bit of romance, but nothing too over the top. A spark of interest that was from the past and moved forward into the current situation that might be explored deeper later. I like the idea of the treasure hunt. I love how the characters were featured in the Crown Conspiracy, and then we get to see another lady tell her story. Mann really does not throw the character's personal faith into the story. There are prayers once in a while when they are in a sticky situation, but nothing over the top. I love the characters and how Mann makes them completely relatable. Overall, The Liar's Treasure is a fascinating team of remarkable women on the hunt to seek justice with treasure. I recommend this book and the first one if readers have not read it yet. 

I received a complimentary copy of The Liar's Treasure by Connie Mann from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Connie Mann: The Crown Conspiracy

By Kelly Bridgewater

She’s a master at spotting a forgery . . . and knowing how to create one. But can she solve a decades-old mystery?

The media spotlight is the last thing art thief and forger Sophie Williams needs. But when one of three long-missing royal portraits turns up in Germany at her best friend’s art gallery, the spotlight is exactly what she gets. Since the tragic deaths of Princess Johanna of Neuhansberg and her two children forty years ago, the whereabouts of these portraits have been unknown . . . and the timing of their reappearance—just days before a new prince’s coronation—reignites questions surrounding the infamous accident.

Then Sophie’s best friend vanishes, and a rumor about hidden treasure connected to the paintings’ surfaces, seemingly confirmed by a cryptic message on the back of the first canvas. Convinced that finding the other two portraits will lead to her friend, Sophie begins a twisty investigation that pits her against other ruthless treasure hunters, a handsome who seems to dog her trail at every turn, and a mysterious group that offers help, wearing an emblem identical to one on the painting.

From Germany’s grand castles and soaring cathedrals through the Alps to the canals of Venice, Sophie must choose her allies carefully if she hopes to find the portraits, rescue her best friend—and perhaps save a throne—before time runs out.

 

My Thoughts:

The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann thrills a non-stop chase with a number of paintings through Europe. This is the first book by Mann that I have ever read, and I was delighted to read all the non-stop action without any romance. I enjoyed how the story kept having the characters run from one place to another. I do enjoy the mystery clues written on the back of the pictures. Suspenseful novels are a great way to pass time as readers flip through the pages. Mann does a wonderful job at having a handful of villains chasing the women who are the heroes of the novels. I enjoy how Mann takes a group of women, some who are nuns, and have them helping chasing and fighting the bad guys. I love the scenery of being in Europe. Since I have never been, it was nice to have the characters running through churches and canals in Venice as they run for their lives. If readers love stories that feature characters that will return in upcoming novels and love plenty of non-stop action, then this is a good book to enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

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