The Varnished Lie

A masterpiece declared destroyed returns to the museum where Elena Marlowe's mother died in disgrace.

Hidden beneath its varnish is her mother's mark, proof the official story was a lie. Before Elena can expose it, a curator is murdered and armed men close in. Her only way out is Adrian Cross, a notorious art thief and master forger who was there the night of the fire.

Adrian knows the painting conceals a registry linking stolen art, powerful collectors, and respected institutions. He also carries secrets that could shatter the fragile trust building between them.

Hunted from New York museums to Italian monasteries and a deadly private auction, Elena and Adrian must uncover the truth before it is erased again. But the closer they get, the harder it becomes to separate evidence from desire, and love from another beautifully constructed lie.

The Varnished Lie is Book One in The Gilded Crimes series, a steamy romantic suspense featuring an art conservator, a morally gray thief, forced proximity, dangerous secrets, and a hard-won happy ending.