The Rembrandt Conspiracy

Lost Art Mysteries #2

by Deron R. Hicks

In this standalone companion to The Van Gogh Deception, Art and Camille team up once again to solve a large museum theft, using one of the biggest heists in history to help them solve the case.

Something’s brewing at the National Portrait Gallery Museum in Washington, D.C. twelve-year-old Art is sure of it. But his only proof that a grand heist is about to take place is iced mocha, forty-two steps, and a mysterious woman who appears like clockwork in the museum.

When Art convinces his best friend, Camille, that the heist is real, the two begin a chase through D.C. to uncover a villainous scheme that could be the biggest heist since the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum theft in 1990. With a billion dollars’ worth of paintings on the line, the clock is ticking for Art and Camille to solve the conspiracy.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Art, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Contemporary

272 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2020

About the author

I live in Warm Springs, Georgia with my wife Angela, daughter Meg, and son Parker. I am a proud graduate of the University of Georgia, where I obtained a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting. Having obtained a degree in painting, I took the next logical step in life -- I went to Law school (more specifically, Mercer Law School, which I loved). After years in private practice, I had an idea for a mystery novel that I thought my children would enjoy (and that might teach them a little bit about Shakespeare). That idea turned into THE SECRETS OF SHAKESPEARE"S GRAVE. A second book followed shortly thereafter - TOWER OF THE FIVE ORDERS. And coming in 2017, a new mystery - THE VAN GOGH DECEPTION, published by HMH Books for Children.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two and it was just as good as book one in its own way.

I love the QR codes in the books in this series that allow instant viewing of the artworks in the story. In the last book they all worked for me but in this book some of them took me to a general page and I couldn’t figure how to find the painting in question. Many of them worked though. I think having the codes in the e-book is a brilliant idea.

I hate it when in mysteries characters do stupid things and make stupid choices about what to not do or do. In this case at least the preteen character had more compelling reasons than some adult characters in other mysteries but it wasn’t good enough. Tell your dad, Art. I said over and over and over again, and in more than one part of the story.

I thought it was really brave of the author to connect this fictional story with a real life mystery of the theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum that happened decades ago. I knew about this theft. I’ve read a fair amount about it and I watched a documentary or some sort of unsolved mystery segment about it. It was fun to have it be a part of the story.

https://www.google.com/search?as_q=Th...

I guessed a main culprit fairly early on and I would think that most readers would also, unless they were new to the mystery genre, but that didn’t make reading the story any less fun.

Exciting! Suspenseful! Fun! Sweet! This book and this series is great for boys and for girls ages 9-12 and older readers who enjoy middle grade books, would be good for reluctant readers, and would be perfect for independent readers but also for reading aloud one to one, for families, and for classrooms. Great for kids living in D.C. or who plan to visit Washington D.C.

The kids in danger thing is sometimes a bit too intense for me and might be for younger sensitive readers too but you always know that Art and Camille will be okay. After all, there are more books to come and they are kids and there is no overt violence.

4-1/2 stars

I plan to read the third book.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls)]

DNF at 33% in.

Can we leave political agendas out of middle grade books? Thanks.

Disappointed, but not surprised.

[Marta Demianiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kolejna przyjemna powieść detektywistyczna z Artem i Camille w rolach głównych, a tu mamy jeszcze świetną zmyłkę.

[Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun (my oldest said Framed by James Ponti was better).

[Debra B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I envy today's kids with books like this to read. This old kid enjoys them too!

[Dorothy Schwab · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rembrandt Conspiracy is Deron Hicks’ newest addition to the Lost Art Mystery series. The inclusion of QR codes enhances the National Portrait Museum experience by bringing readers face to face with works of art by Rembrandt, Degas, Vermeer and others. This is a great techie hook for readers of all ages! Art, the son of Dr. Hamilton, protector of the artworks, and new school friend, Camille, are excited to be invited to the Gala celebrating the opening of the Millennium Exhibit, the most important the National Portrait Gallery has ever hosted. On the anniversary of an unsolved theft from thirty years ago, Art has reason to believe a heist worth billions of dollars will occur on the night of the gala. Now to prove his suspicions!
Young readers will be introduced to scientific equipment that protects delicate art, techniques of restoration, and even a lesson on how to curtsy in case one is introduced to the Queen of England! Hone those prediction skills, follow Art’s observations and clues from the back of a scooter, and prepare for an exhilarating, rollicking tour of Washington D.C and the National Portrait Gallery. A Highly recommended “tour”!

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one, but I still enjoyed it and I was surprised by the plot several times. I enjoyed that there were actual consequences for the kid's actions, and they were punished for going off on their own.

2024>> this one has a lot of VERY repetitive sections. If I heard the names of the painting stolen one more time, I was going to scream.

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, this one was pretty boring compared to the first one. Not much happened.

[Stephanie Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Art Hamilton thinks that someone is trying to rob the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC during the Millennium Exhibit which will showcase up to a billion dollars in paintings. While his best friend Camille Sullivan has her doubts. Even though last December they narrowly managed to expose one of the greatest cons in art history, she needs more proof than an iced mocha, forty-two steps and a mysterious woman who appears like clockwork at 4:30 pm to walk through the museum in the same route taking the same amount of steps each time for over a week. Art’s dad Art Sr is the director of the Lunder Conservation Center which is responsible for caring for all the artwork owned by the Smithsonian Institute. So Art wants to get definitive proof of an actual plan to rob the gallery so he doesn’t end up embarrassing his dad in his new job. They end up following the woman afte she leaves the gallery through DC trying to figure out where she going to see if they get a proof about a plan and who is behind the theft and save a billion dollars’ worth of paintings.

This was really fun read and there were QR codes throughout the book that linked to the painting that they were talking about which was a really fun and cool interactive element. This was the second book of the series and while I didn’t read the first one this was still really easy to follow and there was a little recap during the first chapter of the book to get you all caught up. I really liked the mystery and the twist was really good as well and just a really fast and great read.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Childrens Book Group and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I received a digital review copy of THE REMBRANDT CONSPIRACY via Edelweiss Above the Treeline in exchange for an honest review.

Look, I really, really like middle grade mysteries. Especially if it has something to do with a heist or robbery, so this book seemed to tick all those boxes.

A boy/girl duo that’s completely platonic? Check.

Trying to stop a robbery or heist? Check.

Red herrings? Check.

Some historical facts? Check.

Personally, though, I didn’t love this book like I wanted to. I enjoyed it, sure, but I did feel it to be rather boring in parts and overall it was kind of a let down.

(Full disclosure that I did not read the first book, but I wasn’t confused about anything, so it can be read as a standalone.)

I don’t really plan on going back and reading the first one or continuing on with the next ones.

Perfect for fans of Gordon Korman’s SWINDLE series.

Will I be purchasing in December?

Not likely.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from HMH Books for Young Readers through Edelweiss+ and later from NetGalley.
Art and Camille are again at the center of solving a spectacular art heist. This time at the National Portrait Gallery. Some readers may figure out the main thief from early on, but others will track the twists and be surprised in the end. Hicks continues to develop his characters and share their lives and thoughts. Readers will feel like the third member of this team as they track suspicious activities and uncover clues before finding a clever way to stop the theft.
The short chapters format will appeal to a broad spectrum of middle grade readers. The QR codes offer an opportunity to see the artwork being described and allow for further interactions. Hicks offers enough suspense without tipping too far for this age group. Looking forward to the next book based on the ending chapter of this one.

[RaeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a little surprised at the mixed reviews of this book. We fell in love with the characters in The Van Gogh Deception and we loved meeting them again in this sequel. We couldn't wait to see what happened next and really enjoyed both the storyline and learning new art history facts. I think the author does a good job at keeping you on the edge of your seat, guessing what might be next. And it's written in a wholesome way that families can enjoy. We hope the author will continue the storyline with Art and Camille, and the introduction of her absentee father. There are a lot of interesting story lines that could develop and we would love to see what happens next!

[Amita · Rating 4 out of 5]

okaaaayyyy I do have to say that the action was a bigger thing in the first book and so there weren't as many fun/exciting/suspenseful action scenes in this one.

BUUUUT. this book had the incredible, showstopping, "characters have to dress up for fancy event and get into Plot Shenanigans" trope so I am willing to overlook the issue above

[Katie]

Another fantastic book. I absolutely loved this second installment!

This book is a companion sequel to "The Van Gogh Deception" where we still follow Art and Camille on another crazy adventure, this time to stop history repeating itself and prevent a grand art theft from occurring.

As with all of Hicks' books, the writing was well done. It was fast-paced, easy to follow (generally) and immersive. There were some parts where there was noticeable info dumping, but all of that information was relevant at one point or another, I just wish it was a bit more spread out.

The setting was still in Washington DC and just as immersive and fun as before. This time a lot of time was spent at the National Portrait Gallery, but there were some other fun places we got to see as well. This still had the QR code element as well, which I still really enjoyed, but some of the links appeared to either be broken or the website changed or something because it would just lead you to the museum page without the actual painting. It was easy enough to figure out which painting the code would take you to, since it was mentioned in the text, but still slightly annoying. Also I loved the weaving in of historical and current events in. The theft of the Isabella Gardner Museum played a large role and I'm sad and angry that that still hasn't been solved.

The plot was also fun. It was very action packed and twisty and turny and had a lot of really great moments. It's also basically what I mentioned above, but as it's a mystery thriller, there was a lot more to it than that, but I don't want to spoil anyone.

Finally, the characters. Art and Camille are both brilliantly written characters, and I love them both a lot. Their friendship is so good and I just love everything about it. I also love Art's father a lot and Camille's mother. The whole dynamic between the four of them is one of my favorite aspects of these books. The bad guys were also fun and interesting to read about.

Overall, a fantastic read and one I definitely plan to reread in the future.

TW/CW: kidnapping, stalking

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids will LOVE this story. It’s fast paced and super engaging! I love the QR codes that are throughout the book to scan to see the various pieces of art that are in the story. I’m hoping to get my hands on the first book in the series. Even though this was the second one, I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not having read the first one.

[Dilan P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! I loved the suspense and character of Art and Camille. The only thing I wondered in the story was who specifically stole the paintings 30 years ago and now.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit lijkt me een ontzettend leuk boek om voor te lezen in de klas

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with Sterling - we stayed up too late because we couldn’t put this down! It was a true page turner. I love that there was art history through in throughout the book. Now we both want to visit the national portrait gallery in DC and the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in Boston. There are QR codes in the book that connect you to the pieces of art that are being talked about. A cool bonus!!

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good for upper elementary. If you’re choosing between this and the Van Gogh Deception I’d pick the latter. Regarding another reviewer’s claims that there is some kind of political agenda, here is the reference quote from the book, “The museum was filled with portraits of women who had shaped and continued to shape the direction of the United States. Portraits of women such as Rosa Parks, Gertrude Stein, Lena Horne, Billie Jean King, Toni Morrison, Denyce Graves, and Helen Keller filled the museum. There was even a massive portrait of all the women who have served as justices of the United States Supreme Court.” Just in case anybody wants to see the lengths The Gay Agenda™️ will go to in an effort to indoctrinate our kids to be authors, elite athletes, boundary-breaking singers, equality-seekers, or Supreme Court justices. The audacity.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art and Camille are on the case again in this standalone follow-up to The Van Gogh Deception. Can they foil an art heist at the National Portrait Gallery, and maybe even solve a decades-old mystery in the process?

This well-paced novel is a good mixture of mystery and action with entertaining tidbits of art history information sprinkled throughout. Multiple perspectives ratchet up the tension while good twists keep the reader engaged. This was an enjoyable read that I will definitely be recommending to middle grade readers at my library.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read Deron Hicks' first book in this series, The Van Gogh Deception, quite a while ago. I featured it in my very first Holiday Picks series in 2018, and we loved it, and loved Hicks' writing. We then went back and read his Shakespeare Mysteries series, also for MG. But somehow I lost track of the Lost Art Mysteries series, and now there's another book out (published last month!), The Crown Heist, which I still haven't gotten from my library to read quite yet, but I'm betting is just as good.

In any case, we loved this thriller / mystery! We even went to Boston, Massachusetts, for other reasons, but we did make it a point to visit the Museum of Fine Art and had fun counting out the 42 steps mentioned in the book! We even saw the humidity control devices mentioned in the book, specifically in the musical instrument room. I WISH I had taken a picture of them!!! Darn. But they are very real.

We were also intrigued by the Isabella Gardner Museum theft and visited the museum, taking pictures of the stolen artwork there.

Twelve year olds Art and Camille are back doing what they do best -- thwarting art theives' elaborate plans and saving priceless pieces of artwork from disappearing.

When the same woman shows up at the same place, days in a row, and makes the extact same number of steps from one point to another inside the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, Art knows, instinctively, a heist is in the planning.

But his father just started a new job as the person responsible for making sure nothing in the museum damages the portraits -- including the environment, the air, temperature, you name it. His father is busy installing new environmental sensors all over the museum, and Art can't say anything to embarass his dad. That might get him fired.

So Art is determined to gather actual hard proof before taking his suspicions to his father. At first, he tries to do this without his bf Camille, but she's pretty good at figuring out what's up and confronts him. If there's a mystery to unravel, she wants in.

I won't reveal what the two do to expose the plot, but I will say it's linked to a real art heist that took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990, in which thieves dressed as police officers stole 13 pieces of art in 81 minutes. There really still are empty spots in place of the stolen artwork and the case has never been solved.

This book is also unique in that as the characters discuss each new piece of artwork there's a QR code next to it readers can scan and see the artwork and bit about it from various collections. It added to the fun of reading!

A super-fun read, moves at break-neck speed, and is sure to inspire. It's a perfect holiday gift!

Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?

Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/

[Klaudia Janek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Twelve-year-old Art Hamilton and Camille Sullivan are back in this 2nd book of the Lost Art Mystery series. Art’s father is the director of the Lunder Conservation Center, which is responsible for the artwork at the Smithsonian. Art and his dad used to travel all over the world because of his job. In the first book, they had decided to permanently reside in DC because of the job at the Smithsonian. Art and Camille are about to get involved in their second art heist mystery. Art things that someone is planning to rob the National Portrait Gallery during the Millennium Exhibit at which priceless paintings will be displayed and the Queen of England will be in town. There is a woman who Art noticed at the museum that gets an iced mocha, takes forty-two steps and appears like clockwork at 4:30 pm to walk through the museum in the same route taking the same amount of steps each time. Art finds this very suspicious and when he finally lets Camille know what is going on, they have to try to find proof that something bad is going to happen. It’s up to them to solve the mystery in time.

Straight Talk for Librarians: I really love these books because they are a good mystery for middle-grade readers. It’s fun and suspenseful, but not too scary. I also love the QR codes woven into the chapters so that readers can look at the actual artwork being described in the story. The QR codes mostly go to museum sites that house the original artwork. I think it would be a good book and a good series for art teachers to recommend. I also think that it would be a good read for kids (and adults) who are planning a visit to Washington DC and the Smithsonian to read some fun background. The books comes with a floor plan of the Smithsonian. As a librarian, I think this would be a good book to go on a mystery display, an art heist theme or a Washington DC theme display. I think it also has a wide appeal to boys and girls because of the characters in the book, maybe some reluctant readers and some hardcore mystery readers. I think any adult middle-grade readers would also enjoy this book (I did!) This is a great purchase for a school library.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored The Van Gogh Deception. I was not, however, expecting it to be a series. The plot of the first is such that it does not lend itself to multiple books. So naturally Hicks got very creative in this one, creating a new art theft that might be afoot while retaining the same core characters we got to know so well in VGD. Nice. Great. Well, except for the part where this book has a gargantuan case of Second Book Syndrome and really doesn't elaborate subplots other than "ah yes art crime" and "trust your friends even when they're being slightly stupid".
But the real trouble is that this sort of thing has been done before, and better too. Art mysteries are everywhere in this demographic, and The Rembrandt Conspiracy reminded me of the Framed trilogy in particular. Parent in an art museum career. Budding young male protagonist with a talent for solving impossible crimes. Spunky female sidekick who hasn't met at least one of her biological parents before. The similarities just keep going, but I wouldn't go as far to say that this book plagarized. It is clearly its own universe, just with the same cliches that have been done time and time again in this genre. I do think that authors need to realize that art crime mysteries aren't especially unique in middle school fiction anymore. If this budding series is going to go anywhere, it needs to bring something new to the table that hasn't been done to death.
I'm still invested in this little world Deron Hicks has built, and I'm going to keep up with these characters mostly because I saw the seeds of some subplots (try saying that three times fast) that interested me. I'm hoping the next one is better and bothers to step out of its confort zone a little, and that this will be known as the low point in whatever next books Hicks has planned for this pocket world.

TL;DR - The Framed Trilogy wore it better, and this one needs to improve if it wants to make its mark on the genre.

3 stars for a painless book that made a nice showing.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genres: Mystery - Middle Grade - Art - Adventure - Fiction - Childrens - Contemporary - Juvenile
Dates read: 9/12/23-22/12/23 - 14 days
Published: Dec 1, 2020
Amount of pages: 272
Word Count: 51,164
Format: Audiobook
Pace: Fast
Perspective: Third person

I think I liked the first book in the series more than this one only because the plot felt more higher stakes and there was just more added mystery on it with Art having amnesia?

Setting:
Again, this book was set in Washington D.C., in the US of A. I liked how this book had a consistent location but it would of been cool if it was in a different location too, like Paris maybe?

Writing:
I enjoy listening to these books through audiobook because it makes me feel like I’m watching a movie. I think it’s because this book is relatively easy to follow as it is for a younger audience.

Plot:
Something’s brewing at the National Portrait Gallery Museum in Washington, D.C. twelve-year-old Art is sure of it. But his only proof that a grand heist is about to take place is iced mocha, forty-two steps, and a mysterious woman who appears like clockwork in the museum.
When Art convinces his best friend, Camille, that the heist is real, the two begin a thrilling chase through D.C. to uncover a villainous scheme that could be the biggest heist since the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum theft in 1990. With a billion dollars’ worth of paintings on the line, the clock is ticking for Art and Camille to solve the conspiracy.

Vibe:
I LOVE the concept of an art heist, its just so cool because it has all those connections to history and culture, which that too I love. And who doesn’t love a good heist? I want to read a book where the main characters are stealing the art, not saving it. Six of Crows but art version?

Media that remind me of this book:
This series will always remind me of The Da Vinci Code. Always.

What did this book teach me?
For this being a kids book, I think they are highly educational about the art world and all the facts that come with it, so it’s interesting in that perspective.

Overall Rating: 3/5
Quality of writing: 3/5
Ease of reading: 5/5
Plot Development: 5/5
Book Cover: 3/5
Characters: 3/5

Characters:

Art - We didn’t get to see Art shine as much in this book, apart from him being mysterious and very observant. Like very observant. But with that came with second-guessing too.

Camille - I felt in this book we got to see more of Camille which was good because in the first book, she was regarded more as a childish chatterbox, but in this book, she was smart and resourceful, showing her maturity. She is a smart kid, and I’m sure happy she is.

I think Art and Camille compliment each other very much, through their strengths and weaknesses.

[Elsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problems here are in the incidentals and likely far more troublesome to me than to the intended audience.

The main character, up to this point, has been (very well) educated by visiting museums and historical sites around the world; this book makes a big deal about his father "settling down" so he can go to "a real school."

Please.

Surely we're past the point of believing that a classroom is the best venue for learning. Taken in conjunction with some other factors - the kids are punished by making them write book reports on unsuitably mature books (ULYSSES? Really?), the impulsive but charming deuteragonist is shown to be ostracized at school - it's unclear what the author had in mind about education. Is group schooling terribly important or a dull, isolating time suck? Is education expansive and enriching, or is it limiting and punitive? He clearly hasn't thought this through.

I understand why the plot requires a huge-deal event, but bringing in the Queen of England feels contrived.

Like the previous book, the quantity and specificity of pop-culture references is intrusive.

The "resolution" happens so early in the book that it's inevitable that there will be another twist. This may not be noticeable to the tween audience.

On the plus side, the way the author rolls the Gardiner heist onto the story is clever. It fits very well with the previous book. The author has resisted the urge to start a romance between the main characters or between their respective parents. The kids have enough freedom of movement to act without setting off the "where are your parents?!" alarms--which is not easy in a modern urban setting!

So this one landed firmly in the "it's fine" category.

[Alex Herder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series that I've read as a bedtime story with my kids, and overall I think it's a good one. It's exciting without being too exciting, there's a ton of interesting art history information in here, and yet somehow the thing I'm having trouble deciding is: Did I like it?

The premise of the series is a cool one: Two kids - the brainiac outcast and the street smart "regular" kid - work together to solve mysteries in the art world! And for the most part, Hicks follows through on the promise of the set up. The characters are relatable, though that goes more for the kids than the adults, and he does a great job of bringing readers into the venues and their surrounding neighborhoods. Both novels are set in DC and I know the settings well, so this comes from first-hand experience.

My problem, however, is with the author's writing style. Hicks' writing is thorough. He goes into detail - a lot of detail - about everything. When it comes to information about the art or the museums, I enjoy it, but he uses the same exhaustive level of explanation for mundane things like hailing a cab or how a drone works. I'm sure he's writing with a school audience in mind, but his need to explain everything just sucks the pace out of the story.

If you've got 1st - 3rd grade readers who are interested in art or even just like to follow a thrilling caper, this is a good read. It's not my top recommendation, but if you're the kind of person who's comfortable skipping ahead a sentence or two every now and then, this is good fun.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art is adjusting to being more settled and his dad taking on a role at the National Portrait Gallery. The Gallery is getting ready for a grand event that even the Queen of England is scheduled to attend. Camille is miffed because she thinks Art has been ditching her for new friends, but when she trails him one day she manages to get him to confess that he has been studying an odd regular visitor to the Gallery. He thinks this woman is planning an art heist, but he doesn't feel like he has enough evidence to convince anyone else. Camille decides to help art get evidence, or some really famous old masters could disappear forever and Art's dad's job could be on the line.

Deron R. Hicks has once again put together a mystery that keeps you guessing, and has Camille and Art on plenty of exciting adventures. I figured out what was going on before Art and Camille, but I'm not sure middle grade readers would and I can't think of any other middle grade mystery quite like this one's plot. Fun, exciting, a little unique, and you learn a little art history and true art crime history along the way. The book has QR codes embedded in the text so that readers can view the famous art pieces being talked about as they go. Highly recommended to middle grade mystery fans.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. It is implied that some people are plotting violence against some others, but no one is hurt.

[Hope Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art and his father are settled in Washington D.C., adapting to life in one place instead of traveling the globe to visit one museum after another. For Art, this means going to school with his friend Camille and for his dad, this means a position at the National Portrait Gallery, which is preparing for a Millennium Gala event that will display famous works of art. Art and Camille spend many of their days after school at the National Portrait Gallery, and Art notices suspicious activity that leads him to believe that a group of thieves are planning a heist comparable to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art theft.

I like the adventure in this book, although it isn't as action-packed as the first Art & Camille book, "The Van Gogh Deception." The QR codes inspire some independent research and have the potential to lead to some amazing virtual field trips to "visit" the places mentioned in the book. The descriptions of Washington D.C. are also very thorough. I look forward to adding this to my school library's collection and to the next Art and Camille adventure.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book The Rembrandt Conspiracy is about two kids, Camille and Art who think someone is going to rob an art museum. I rate this book a 5/5 because the plot was really well structured. I was interested in the book and would read more than what I usually planned to read often. The plot was interesting and was described well, so that you knew what was happening and made sense the whole time. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, it was well structured and I would read it again.
Suspense was built well into this book by having a set time/day that they thought the heist was going to happen in. It let there be time to build up small details that would be necessary for the climax of the story. Details like how nobody believed them, or how they were suspicious of the person who had a pattern walking around the museum everyday. Having a time set allowed details like that to happen to contribute to the plot later on in the story. That’s why I like how they were guessing a certain day the heist was gonna happen helped suspense build up in the story.

[Katheryne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The concept and plot are intriguing. An art theft mystery with a sprinkling of art history and appreciation set in Washington DC is a fabulous idea for a kid's chapter book. I also appreciated that the two main characters were male and female with nontraditional families. However, the dialogue was forced at times, many scenes were unnecessarily extended with repetition and wordiness, and some of the plot twists were more exciting than the ending, which was a big let down. I had some trouble with the interactive QR codes (another great idea!), but that might have been because I was reading an ebook on my laptop and I couldn't get the codes to scan properly into my phone. For kids who will read mysteries of any kind, and are looking for something new and different, this will be a good choice for them. Unfortunately, it wasn't a mystery for me.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own.