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Jennifer S. Alderson
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The Vermeer Deception: An Art Mystery (Zelda Richardson Mystery Series Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Jennifer S. Alderson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 578 ratings
An art historian finds – then loses – a portrait by Johannes Vermeer in this thrilling art mystery set in Munich, Heidelberg, and Amsterdam.

When Zelda Richardson investigates a new lead about a missing portrait by Johannes Vermeer, no one expects her to actually find the painting in a retired art dealer’s home in Munich, Germany. Not her parents visiting from America; her boss, private detective Vincent de Graaf; or the rightful owner of the Nazi-looted artwork.

However, Zelda’s jubilation turns to horror when she arrives to pick up the portrait and finds the art dealer dead and several frames smoldering in his fireplace. Was the Vermeer a fake and its ‘discovery’ a cruel joke played on a Nazi victim? The Munich police, Zelda’s family, and Vincent certainly think so.

Yet the art dealer’s best friend believes he was murdered and the real Vermeer stolen by an underground network of art looters, one established during World War II and still active today. The problem is, no one believes him – except Zelda.
She soon finds herself in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with immoral art collectors, corrupt dealers, and an all-to-real killer who wants her to stop searching. Can Zelda uncover the truth about the Vermeer before she is painted out of the picture permanently?

The Vermeer Deception is Book 4 in the Zelda Richardson Mystery Series. The novels in this series can be read in any order.


PLEASE NOTE: This is a revised edition of the originally published novel. (updated May 2022)
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  1. Book 4 of 4
    Zelda Richardson Mystery Series
  2. Print length
    194 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    April 4, 2020
  6. File size
    4.2 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 4 books in this series.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip. Jennifer's love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her standalone stories.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B082R5XZQC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Traveling Life Press
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 4, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 194 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 4 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Zelda Richardson Mystery Series
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 578 ratings

About the author

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Jennifer S. Alderson

Jennifer S. Alderson

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Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, grew up in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she lived in Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands.

Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels.

When not writing, she can be found perusing a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
578 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this mystery book's plot, with one review highlighting its interesting mix of crime and history. Moreover, the book receives positive feedback for its readability and character development. Additionally, customers appreciate the mystery content, with one review specifically mentioning the intriguing missing artworks plot.

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PlotReadabilityMystery contentCharacter development
18 customers mention "Plot"14 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, describing it as a fun mystery with intriguing elements of crime and history.

"I enjoyed this book. It has interesting characters and the story is intriguing. It is part of a series but can be read alone...." Read more

"...The story would appear to have it all — mystery, intrigue, victory over the Nazis, and romance involving a young researcher working for a Dutch art..." Read more

"Well written, medium paced story and interesting subject. I didcenjoy it and look forward to reading more in this series." Read more

"...There were some interesting plot twists and subplots. I did not find Vincent to be very believable for a PI...." Read more

11 customers mention "Readability"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a good read, with one customer noting it is an easy read.

"I enjoyed this book. It has interesting characters and the story is intriguing. It is part of a series but can be read alone...." Read more

"The Vermeer Deception is another great read by Jennifer S. Alderson...." Read more

"Well written, medium paced story and interesting subject. I didcenjoy it and look forward to reading more in this series." Read more

"...For someone like me who knows Amsterdam well, it was a fun read." Read more

6 customers mention "Mystery content"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery elements of the book, with one customer highlighting the intriguing missing artworks plot, while another appreciates the exciting story about art theft.

"...Sure, I got a great lead and in fact have a good chance to retrieve the painting, but I promised Mom and Dad I’d take them to the beer garden.”..." Read more

"...anyone who enjoys a spunky main character who also has an interesting art mystery to solve." Read more

"...Enjoy the trip to uncover the missing art!" Read more

"...An exciting book about art theft, murder, and crime. I really enjoyed it! Highly recommended!" Read more

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that the characters are interesting and complex.

"I enjoyed this book. It has interesting characters and the story is intriguing. It is part of a series but can be read alone...." Read more

"I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a spunky main character who also has an interesting art mystery to solve." Read more

"An interesting novel with fun characters, but it ends rather abruptly leaving some loose ends in the fictional finish of the story." Read more

"...amazing and creative plot, and believable, to go with an interesting group of characters making this hard to put down" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Vermeer Deception
    Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book. It has interesting characters and the story is intriguing. It is part of a series but can be read alone. Even though it's only 177 pages, the author does a good job of getting you invested into the characters and storyline. I rarely give a book a 5-star rating , it has to be one I would highly recommend others to read and one I enjoyed very much.
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  • Robbie Cheadle
    4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing missing artworks mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The Vermeer Deception is another great read by Jennifer S. Alderson. Zelda is working for private investigator, Vincent de Graaf, who specialises in the recovery of missing artworks. Vincent has opened an additional office in Croatia and the new business is not taking off as quickly or as successfully as he had hoped. His frequent travelling is also putting stress and strain on his marriage.

    Zelda is finding her job with Vincent less engaging than she had expected and is considering looking for another position in an art museum. In order to keep her occupied, Vincent assigns her a query about a missing Vermeer which is thought to have been looted by the Nazi's. Zelda is due to go on holiday with her parents, who have come out form the USA, and Jacob, her boyfriend. She should put her Vermeer investigation on hold until the end of the two week holiday, but she can't resist a little bit of probing which results in her being pulled into the mysterious death of a well know art dealer and a ring of Nazi looted artworks traders called the Network.

    Zelda's preoccupation with her investigation causes her a lot of grief from her parents and Jacob. I didn't like Jacob's sulky and childish behavior in this book and really went off him as a character. I though his attitude towards Zelda and her aspirations and career were rather shameful and I wanted her to get rid of him. I much prefer the character of her friend, Fredrick. This aspect of the book did impact on my enjoyment of the story because I found myself so irritated with Jacob.

    Zelda's character ran true to form in all aspects, except for her relationship with Jacob. She is independent and high spirited and this is what I most admire about her and one of my chief pleasures in reading this series. I love her spunk and determination. It is a pity her choices in men are so poor. Of course, that is my personal opinion, other readers may not be remotely disturbed by this aspect of the story.

    The author's understanding of art and excellent research come to the for once more in this book and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the various artworks and the mystery surrounding the dealers and the Network. The author explains where her inspiration for this story came from at the end of this book and that was also very interesting and added value to my enjoyment of this story.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Book Lover
    3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea. Poor execution
    Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    If you were intrigued by The Girl with the Pearl Earring, you might be tempted to read this art mystery about tracking down a missing Vermeer painting, long ago seized by the Nazis from its Jewish owners. The story reveals a network of art dealers who have held on to a number of valuable collections which their families had rescued and saved from the Nazis, but which they are now secretly holding for their own greedy purposes.
    The story would appear to have it all — mystery, intrigue, victory over the Nazis, and romance involving a young researcher working for a Dutch art private investigator. Unfortunately, the writing is so pedestrian that it is a real slog to get through. The choice of details to include and omit really reduce the reading pleasure. Maybe a good editor could have helped.
    This is part of a series of art mysteries. I won’t be reading any more.
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  • ann
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Well written, medium paced story and interesting subject. I didcenjoy it and look forward to reading more in this series.
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  • J Y.
    4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting mix of crime and history
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Zelda Richardson has a hard time following orders. She decides to pursue the case of a missing painting when the retired art dealer she was meeting with turns up dead of an apparent suicide. Her boss, private detective Vincent de Graaf sees no reason to doubt the cause of death. Zelda’s parents have flown to Europe and want her to leave the case alone and spend holiday time with them. Only her boyfriend, Jacob, is supportive of her quest to find the Nazi-looted painting.

    Overall, the book is a good crime novel. There were some interesting plot twists and subplots. I did not find Vincent to be very believable for a PI. He seemed more set on avoiding the case than pursuing it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Adele
    5.0 out of 5 stars Makes You Wonder
    Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The topic of this story wasn’t something I ever thought about, but now I can’t stop thinking about it. For some reason I knew the Monument Men had recovered artwork, but had no idea so much more was still to be reclaimed. Thank you Jennifer for making me aware of such an horrific injustice. Too bad there isn’t an amnesty program for artwork like they have for guns. Guess I need to start at book 1 of this series!
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  • Cathy G. Cole
    2.0 out of 5 stars Annoying characters
    Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I love art and art history. When I came across The Vermeer Deception, I couldn't resist reading it. "Art history mysteries" are one of my favorite subgenres of the mystery world. (Iain Pears' Jonathan Argyll mysteries like The Bernini Bust are wonderful.) However, I found Jennifer Alderson's book to be mostly annoying.

    The one thing I did enjoy about the book was the information I gleaned about the men Hitler sent out to loot Europe of its art treasures. That was good. Unfortunately, that was the only thing. By the fourth book in a series, the doubts about a person's abilities should be dying out. Not here. No one-- not even her boss-- thought she knew what she was doing. Personally, I'd ask Vincent the boss that, if she's so inept, why is she still on the payroll? The other characters, like Zelda's mother and boyfriend, were also infuriating, and finding errors such as arms that were flaying instead of flailing didn't help.

    The ending, which isn't tied up in a neat little bow, didn't bother me. What bothered me the most were the characterizations and a rather amateurish writing style. Needless to say, I'll be looking for art history mysteries elsewhere.
    19 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Heart pounding action
    Reviewed in Australia on August 22, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    An art detective and his assistant are only the trail of stolen artworks. A lot of these works were stolen during and following Nazi arrested families in the second world war. A group of unscrupulous art collectors, The Network, are still trading works stolen by their parents and grandparents all those years ago. The story brings out the horrendous details of these criminals who hold a vicious sway over the art marketing of forged and/or valuable masterpieces. Riveting action throughout with many innocent lives lost to the Network.
    Report
  • Megame
    4.0 out of 5 stars Vermeer
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I haven't read J S Alderson books but enjoyed this one it was different and I liked it because it didnt repeat things very good read
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  • S. Watkins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling and Fast Paced
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book very murch. It was fast paced and gripping. You were drawn into the story and wanted Zelda to succeed. There were plenty of twists and turns in this story to keep you guessing right up until the end. The historical detail was also very accurate and well researched. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
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  • Ken M
    3.0 out of 5 stars Rather slow although well researched
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    We all know that the Nazis looted many art works and some are still missing, but this is a rather tedious fictionalised account of a secret collection and a missing Vermeer painting. Slow paced and I deleted it when finished.
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  • sam1213
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
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