The Pompadour Necklace: Sophie’s Adventures
Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – London, England
Foiled Plots Press (March 14, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 60 pages

Synopsis

The necklace had once belonged to Madame Pompadour—mistress of the French King Louis XV.

Now it’s gone. Stolen by a clever conman. And it will take every ounce of determination and ingenuity a young woman possesses to recover it.

But can a mere girl from Calais outwit a practiced fraudster?

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Theft in Sleepy Hollow (Sophie’s Adventures)
Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – New York
Foiled Plots Press (November 25, 2023)
Digital Print length ‏ : ‎ 101 pages

Synopsis

In Sleepy Hollow, a Monet is in danger of being spirited away. . .

But undercover art sleuth Sophie Fisher—also known as Jeanne Sophie Poisson—
is on the trail of the brazen art thief.

From a Hudson River Cruise to Cold Spring to a spooky lantern-light tour of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sophie will do what it takes to capture the thief . . .

And prevent him from spiriting away a valuable work of art.

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Guest Post

Undercover on the Hudson: Sophie’s Adventure

Lucky Sophie! She gets to take a river cruise every time she goes on an undercover mission. This time she’s on a Hudson River cruise to Cold Spring. The cruise takes you past the Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse and Sunnyside, Washington Irving’s home. Enjoy a short excerpt from the story. Fans of the Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries will recognize FBI agent Julia Hood:

***

“It’s a Monet that Fairchild’s set his sights on this time,” Uncle Arthur, a middle-aged bear of a man in a tweed waistcoat and gray wool trousers, said to Sophie in a low voice.

“There’s a Monet in Sleepy Hollow?” Sophie’s voice rang out louder than she’d intended.

“You’d be surprised,” Uncle Arthur replied dryly, his brown eyes stern as he gazed down at her. She shouldn’t have raised her voice, his gaze wordlessly admonished her.

Leaning against the railing of the Seastreak catamaran that was ferrying them to Cold Spring, Arthur swiveled his head around, taking in the passengers on the deck. Sophie scanned the crowd on the open-air deck as well. There was no sign of Fairchild.

Was he even on the cruise?

Or had Julia Hood, their FBI contact, been mistaken? She’d met them at the airport the day before, whisking them through Immigration and Customs, and then driving them to their hotel.

“There’s been a slight change of plan as far as your travel to Sleepy Hollow is concerned,” the short, sturdily built FBI agent had told them, as she navigated the busy streets of New York City.

“There has, has there?” Uncle Arthur—also known as Detective Superintendent Ben Norris—had raised one eyebrow quizzically.

“You’re taking the Seastreak Fall Cruise to Cold Spring tomorrow. It sets sail shortly after 9 a.m. Arrives two hours later in Cold Spring. We’ll have a car there to drive you down to Sleepy Hollow.”

“I’m sure Sophie and I will appreciate the sights, Julia, but—”

“You won’t be sightseeing Arthur,” Julia had brusquely interrupted him. “You’ll be keeping an eye on Fairchild. He’s slated to be on that cruise.”

“Any idea why?” Uncle Arthur had asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Nope. We’re hoping you two can find out.”

But they hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Fairchild since they’d boarded the cruise.

Lips compressed, Uncle Arthur swiveled his head back around to gaze out at the Hudson River. It had been named after the English explorer, Henry Hudson, who’d sailed up the river for a considerable length, trying to find a way across the continent to the Pacific Ocean.

“He soon realized it was impossible,” their tour guide, Phyllis, had said with a bright smile. “The river grew narrower the farther up he sailed, the water becoming shallower as well.”

“I just hope we’re not wasting our time here,” Uncle Arthur muttered beside her. “If Julia’s wrong, Fairchild’s already in Sleepy Hollow, busy hatching his nefarious plans while we . . . .” He shook his head, more frustrated than Sophie had ever seen him.

“Tell me more about this Monet you think he’s planning to steal,” she said, hoping to divert his troubled mind.

“Nymphéas en fleur, Water Lilies in Bloom,” Uncle Arthur said. “It was part of the Rockefeller collection.”

“And it made its way to Sleepy Hollow?”

Who in the ghost-obsessed village would’ve wanted—much less appreciated—a French Impressionist painting? It sounded about as tall a tale as the legend of the headless horseman that Washington Irving had made famous. . .

The catamaran glided past a charming yellow mansion with an irregular red-shingled roofline and green shutters.

“Take a look at Sunnyside, folks. Notice the piazza facing the river. Can you imagine Washington Irving sitting there of an evening, drinking in the sights and concocting his stories?”

Uncle Arthur snorted. “Wish we could jump off here. That’s Tarrytown, you know, not far south of our destination.” He glanced at his watch. “We could’ve been there by now, taking care of business . . .”

Sophie was casting about in her mind for something reassuring to say when she noticed a burly coat-wrapped figure emerging onto the deck. Large shades shielded most of the man’s face and a few long blond curls poked out from the thick cap on his head. But there was something unmistakably familiar about the person, nevertheless.

“Arthur”—she nudged him hard in the ribs, ignoring his muffled howl of outraged pain—“is that him? Could it be—?” Round-eyed, she stared at her companion.

“Well, I’ll be!” Uncle Arthur’s mouth gaped. “I have to hand it to our FBI friends. Their information was spot on! That is Nigel Fairchild.”

About the Author

A former journalist, Nupur Tustin is the author of the Joseph Haydn Mysteries set in Austria, the Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries, based on the infamous Gardner Museum theft, and the author of Sophie’s Adventures, about a French James Bond who goes on undercover missions to recover stolen art and artifacts.

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