The Body in the Gallery

by: Katherine Hall Page

Published by: William Morrow

Reviewed by Leslie Granier

The Body in the Gallery is the latest in a series of mystery novels featuring Faith Fairchild.

Suspicious events are occurring at the Ganley Museum. After expressing her concerns, Patsy Avery, president of the museum’s board of trustees, convinces Faith to expand her catering business by taking over the museum’s floundering cafeteria, thus allowing Faith to snoop around while also observing the employees for any suspicious behavior. After coming in early one morning, Faith finds a body inside of a controversial art display. After the body is identified, there seems to be no evidence of a person by that name ever having existed. Faith teams up with the police force to determine who the victim really is and what circumstances led to her murder.

The plot is exciting and will appeal to mystery lovers. The author allows the reader to piece together the information and provides a long list of possible suspects. Perhaps reading some of the earlier books in the series may shed some light on to why a caterer is so involved in police work. Her actions of removing evidence from a crime scene and withholding other information from the police resulted in a mere slap on the wrist. Such actions are normally considered illegal.

The author has created a strong and independent heroine in Faith Fairchild you can readily relate to. The difficulties of balancing a career and a family were portrayed realistically. Faith’s husband essentially blamed her for their twelve-year-old son’s problems because she was not a stay-at-home mom. I enjoyed seeing Faith discover what her true role in life should be and watching her move toward it.

The Body in the Gallery will entertain and challenge you to assemble the facts in order to reach the proper conclusion. The story moves at a good pace and provides interesting background information on how museums are operated. Also included are a few recipes Faith’s catering company prepared (although some of them look to be a little beyond my limited cooking skills).

Armchair Interviews says: Another fun cozy mystery that’s a good read.

Author’s Web site: http://www.Katherine-Hall-page.org