With Regret

By Margaret Eleanor Leigh

What if that Van Gogh hanging on the gallery wall is really a forgery?

Art historian Charlotte James is trying to put the past behind her, as well she might. That criminal conviction isn’t anything to be proud of. So when a dodgy dealer called Evans comes tapping on her door, saying he’s got some ‘bits and pieces’ that no doubt fell off the back of a museum van, her immediate instinct is to walk away. But Charlotte really isn't in a position to be fussy about clients. Her art consultancy business is circling the plughole, and lately she’s been reduced to cataloguing teapots. So she ignores the voice of reason and good sense and steps into Evans’ world.

Evans has somehow got his hands on a drawing that appears to be a genuine Van Gogh. There’s only one problem. The original is hanging on the walls of the Museum of Modern Art in Cardiff. Or is it?

Thus begins an investigation that will take Charlotte back to World War II, a time when London’s major art collections were evacuated to the countryside to avoid the Blitz. It was also a time that afforded someone the perfect opportunity for a little light forgery. In uncovering the crimes of the past, Charlotte must also confront the villains of the present, and this includes Evans. Assistance takes the form of her grumbling, reluctant accomplice, Gareth, and a bit like Sherlock Holmes and Watson, they’ve got their own unique chemistry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Margaret Eleanor Leigh
• Release date: Jun 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311044440

Margaret Eleanor Leigh

Margaret Eleanor Leigh is a writer without roots. Born and raised in apartheid South Africa, she’s lived in Wales, New Zealand, England, Greece and Scotland. Now she’s back in Wales, the land of her fathers. Her working past is just as colourful: she’s been a journalist, a bureaucrat, a university tutor, a bookseller, and a proof-reader. This unsettled and chaotic life has its drawbacks. The only place she can honestly call home is the seat in front of her computer. But it also has its advantages: giving her a rich seam of experiences to mine—an invaluable resource for any writer. Margaret has recently published a variety of books which were written over a period of several years. There are three crime novels, a self-deprecating travelogue, and most recently, a quartet of children's books. "Animals of the Valley" consists of Frog Dog Summer, Bird King Spring and Animal Ark Autumn (all already released) with Magic Fish Winter following soon. The books are aimed at 7-10 year-olds, and are chapter books, best suited for reading aloud. Each story is self-contained, but they do all share a common setting, and some common characters. Something a little magical happens in each story, but they are all nevertheless firmly grounded in real life, the life of a tiny village in a Welsh valley.