Benjamin Franklin and a Case of Artful Murder (Benjamin Franklin Mystery) - Hardcover

Hall, Robert Lee

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312109369 ISBN 13: 9780312109363

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1994

Synopsis

Lord Shenstone has insisted that Cavitty, a local artist, paint a portrait of his wife prominently displaying the famous Shenstone diamond. Lady Shenstone leaves the coveted family heirloom with Cavitty so he can study it for the painting, but when she returns to retrieve it, Cavitty claims that he does not know what has become of it.
Desperate to find the diamond and not let her husband know of its absence, Lady Shenstone turns to Benjamin Franklin, the American investigator working abroad in eighteenth-century London. Franklin delves into the case, coming across many eccentric characters from whom he must discover the truth of the diamond's whereabouts.
The latest in the Ben Franklin series, A Case of Artful Murder is narrated by Franklin's apprentice, Nick Handy. Though Nick is only thirteen years old, his resourcefulness and astute intuition serve Franklin well as they land him a job in Cavitty's studio. There he must remain undercover as he witnesses forgeries, murder, and even a taste of romance.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews

The latest in the Ben Franklin series (Murder at Drury Lane, 1992, etc.) finds the renowned statesman, inventor, and sleuth searching for the lost Shenstone diamond. The gem, which disappeared while being painted onto a portrait of Lady Shenstone, is worth a king's ransom, and the lady is desperate to retrieve it before her husband learns of its absence. To this end, she engages Mr. Franklin, who takes on such cases to relieve the boredom of political life in London. Franklin places his illegitimate son, Nick Handy, in the studio of James Cavitty, the painter, to discover what he can. What Nick discovers is that the artist's household is rife with intrigue--secret lovers, mysterious engravings- -and that any number of people, both in and out of the house, might have taken the precious stone. When Nick finds Cavitty dead among his paintings, Franklin takes over the murder investigation as well. Was Cavitty killed for the Shenstone diamond, or could it have something to do with a destroyed copperplate? Leave it to the man who discovered electricity to find out. A charming little mystery, cleverly plotted with nice 18th-century flavor. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Library Journal

Lady Shenstone sits for her London portrait wearing the fabulous Shenstone diamond, but when she returns to the artist to retrieve the stone, he cannot find it. Fearing her husband's wrath, she calls upon Ben Franklin to locate the diamond. Another quality historical mystery starring Franklin and apprentice Nicky Handy.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0312109369
• ISBN 13: 9780312109363
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264