The Crown Heist (The Lost Art Mysteries)

by Deron R Hicks

In another "suspenseful mystery romp with art appreciation" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Art and Camille head to London to find her estranged father, and soon find themselves embroiled in a heist involving a long-dead monarch.  Packed with fascinating facts about real places and pieces of art, this fast-paced thriller is perfect for fans of the Spy School and Mr. Limoncello's Library series and Dan Brown.

No matter how dangerous his adventures have been, Art has always been able to count on his best friend, Camille. Now that Camille is meeting her estranged father, Art wants to be there for her—which means going to London.  

But Camille's history professor father, renowned for expertise in British legend, is missing. When they visit his apartment, Art and Camille find a long-missing object that suggests the professor could be in trouble and solving a mystery related to London's history. 

Follow Art and Camille as they visit the Tower of London, National Portrait Gallery, and ride the "tube" in hopes of uncovering the truth before it's too late.

• ISBN10: 0358396069
• ISBN13: 9780358396062
• Publish Date: 15 December 2021 (first published 16 November 2021)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 2 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Clarion Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Crown Heist is the third Lost Art Mystery for middle grade readers by Deron Hicks. Released 16th Nov 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on their Clarion imprint, it's 303 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well told action-filled art and history mystery for middle grade readers. The story reminded me in some ways of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler with a dash of Archibald Finch and a pinch of Dan Brown's Langdon mysteries (although both the kids in The Crown Heist strike me as a lot more intelligent and well organized than Langdon ever did).

The previous books were set in Washington DC, and this installment sees them traveling to London and soon involved in a dangerous centuries old mystery. The story contains QR code links throughout which lead to museums and historical buildings throughout London with background historical information for keen readers. It's a cool feature.

Although the mystery is self contained in this volume, I recommend reading the series books in order to get the necessary backstory.

Four stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition and home use.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.