Quint and Clay Art Crimes Art Crimes Box Set
Murder, Mystery, MM Romance
JMS Books
Feb 3, 2024
Kindle
605
Amazon
The Element Case: Can Clay, an artist, and Quint, a homicide detective, determine who is murdering the subjects of Clay's Element paintings? As they search for the killer, they're attracted to each other, but it can't become more if the killer eliminates Clay.
It Takes an Artist: When Trev is framed for murder, he needs the help of his new friend Doctor Zack Kendall and Detective Hawk to catch the villains. Can Trev and Zack's mutual attraction survive attempts to take them out of the picture ... permanently?
It Takes a Forger: Despite their instant antipathy, Lou Hernandez and Rory Kinley must work together to stop an art forger. They eventually learn to trust each other, but will their growing attachment survive what's to come -- or be destroyed in the process?
It Takes an Archaeologist: Much against his better judgment, Gideon has agreed to help archaeologist Cole Newell find the looters of a dig Cole worked. In the process, Cole forces Gideon to face what happened in his past that made him unwilling to have any kind of personal life. When he does, will Gideon finally be able to find love again?
It Takes a Photographer: While taking photos of Clay and Quint and their newly adopted son, Olivia captures what appears to be a murder. Is it really what it seems? Lou and Quint decide to investigate, with the help of Rory and Gideon Monahan.
Review By Gloria Lakritz
Review Chair for The Paranormal Romance Guild
Loving mysteries as I do since Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, I choose my mystery authors slowly. Once I find a good one I can keep reading every book they have ever written. Finding Edward Kendrick was about six months ago when one of his books came to me thru an Amazon message. The rest is history.
This M/M romance box set includes five interconnected stories of crimes in the art world. Contains these stories: The Element Case, It Takes an Artist, It Takes a Forger, It Takes an Archeologist, It takes a Photographer. Six Hundred pages, Five great mysteries interwoven in the same town, with the author feeding related characters in. Mr. Kendrick you had me at Page one.
The Element Case:
Clay Richardson and Quinton Hawk meet one of the bars Clay haunts, as he sits in the shadows sketching people he finds interesting. He certainly is not a people person as Detective Quint Hawk learns as he tries to make conversation with him. Finally getting Clay’s attention he asks who posed for a painting he had done for his Element series called Element of Woe. Clay said he was in the park and quietly sketched the young man there. Finding out the young man was murdered with Quint seeing a picture in his gallery resembling the young man had brought Quint to ask.
It was a month or so when Quint visited the gallery again looking for Clay. Clay had wondered if the killer of the young man had been caught. Quint said that’s why he was back:, Two men had been killed in the same way. He saw Clay’s newest Element painting had been in the newspaper touting his gallery show and one of the young men was in the painting was one that was murdered. He then showed Clay the other young man and Clay brought him into the back and pulled out another Element painting, Element of Frustration that was the other young man.
Now they will work together…..Read the rest…….Its wonderful!
It Takes an Artist-
Trev Eldridge opens his eyes not knowing where he is. His shoulder is bandaged, a nurse comes in and introduces Detective Quinton Hawk. Finding out his room mate was killed in the break in, the gun lying in between the two with only Trev’s finger prints on them could make this an open and closed case. The attending Dr. Kendall slowly is taking a personal interest in Trev and his predicament. Learning Trev just moved here 3 months ago, saying at his friends house. Working as a waiter while he looks to get into the art world . Trev is a kinetic sculptor ( we all learn what that is together ) With Quint proving Trev is not the killer, and the Doc’s Zack’s friendship and Quint’s attachment to an Art Gallery….and Lou undercover Take a ride and follow the evidence trail that our author puts us thru to solving the murder…. Great story
It Takes a Forger
After al the people were all sorted in the second book we begin Book #3 learning a meeting was held across town. Officer Lou Hernandez meets with Gideon Monahan and he has an offer for Lou. Gideon has his own company, is stinking wealthy. He works recovering stolen art and he admits to having Trev’s friend working undercover for him when he was killed and loves the work Lou did in helping Hawk get the killers.
Gideon has already talked to Lou’s boss Lt. Harber that if Lou chose he could work in the police department and for Gideon on his own time. Lou accepts s long s it doesn’t stop his becoming detective. Gideon explains how hard it is to know if a painting you buy is the original. I was totally invested in this story as well as hearing an art appraiser can be guilty of more than just the numbers, they can have a forger on payroll and have their forger copy the original and give the forgery back with the certificate of authentication.
The first case is Nathaniel Herriot, Gideon has the two meet at dinner. The meeting is tough as Lou and Rory Kinley cannot seem to get along……Nathaniel ‘Nate’ for short is suspect in the death of rich business man. The sting will be set . Rory knows as much about Nate as Gideon does and will partner with Lou.
With money the sting is set to open a new gallery in town,(and that takes MONEY) Gideon has it. Lou will be the new art dealer in town, with Rory as his right hand man a new Collector in town. The wealthy who wish to stop these forgers will be glad to help o stop these people. so we go thru the buy a building in the right area, fix it up, and get paintings to draw in Nate. Again the relationship that got on to a bad beginning is better than expected for the two dueling young men.
Our family has grown Quint and Clay, Trev and his Doc, Lou and Rory, Gideon is still free, but not for long.
It Takes an Archeologist,
I know this review is long but my heart says write on and we have just been to the wedding of Lou and Rory….. Contentious meeting makes strong love they say…… Gideon was leaving town from their dinner and was called and has changed plans and agreed to help an archaeologist Dr. Colten Newell. Mr. Newell is looking to find the looters of a dig Cole worked. Native American Artifacts are fair game and are not in the forefront of getting much attention.
Gideon felt he was the only person who could help Cole with the little experience he has in the field. . Plus he was feeling sad at the group here each had been finding their person and he was feeling alone. The Dr came with a bowl brought in to his galley in town. It was distinctive as he remembered it being unearthed at the site that was robbed. They had determined one of 5 men could have been responsible for the theft. Now a gentleman came in with this bowl that he said he found in his grandma’s attic and wanted to have it appraised. They decided waiting for the man to return the next day Gideon might play bad cop and see if they could get him to tell the truth
Waiting for the man, Oscar Ellis, Gideon was surprised when Detective Quinton Hawk walked in looking for Dr Newell.. Quint found Newell’s business card in Owen Elliot’s wallet. Yep whatever the mans name was he was dead…… Here we go…..another very interesting Art mystery.
It takes a Photographer.
Art takes many forms and Photography is certainly one. This was the shortest story but again a great mystery. While taking photos of Clay and Quint and their newly adopted son, Jamie. Photographer Olivia who works at Rory and Lou’s art gallery part time captures what appears to be a murder.
Is it really what it seems? Beyond the 2 men and the baby in the picture out their window. across the street is what looks like a man strangling a woman. Lou and Quint decide to investigate, with the help of Rory and Gideon, The fearsome foursome is on it and the clues are mounting and the Sting is on……
Saying goodbye to the gang was hard!