A review by mckenzie22
The Van Gogh Deception by Deron R. Hicks

5.0

This was a fantastic mystery! Deron R. Hicks crafts a suspenseful, intricate, amazing story that I couldn't put down. Told from different third person points of view, the story follows a boy and a girl, named Camille, around Washington D.C. as they are chased by mysterious people for reasons they don't know. The boy has amnesia and has no idea who he is. They outsmart the people and try to get closer to solving the mystery of why the people are after them in the first place, and who the boy is. Clues are dropped throughout the book and everything comes together at the end to form a stunning and spectacular story. I loved everything about it, and the author certainly knows his stuff about artists and their paintings. It was very informational, but very entertaining at the same time. Hicks does a wonderful job with the characters. He makes it clear that small things can have a huge impact, that sometimes even in the worst situation, logic and intelligence will prevail, and that love and friendship are very important. There are two things I still have questions about, and would appreciate answers to, if you have them ***SPOILERS AHEAD***- number one, what was the piece of paper Camille had? Was it just information Art had given her on where to be and when to be there, and who to bring with her? And number two, if Palmer and his men were so highly trained and everything, why did they choose a painting with a watermark on the back to paint over? Wouldn't they have checked everything out to form an absolutely perfect, flawless copy? I may not have read it and understood it correctly, but it seems to me like they could have picked a different painting that didn't have any distinct marks. Anyway, I am looking forward to reading the rest of Deron R. Hicks' books. If you are looking for a great mystery to read, I recommend this book!