Saint's Gate

July 25, 2011
This novel of suspense from Neggers (Cold River) uneasily combines Maine artists, Irish saints, Viking artifacts, convent life, and the FBI. Puzzled by a mysterious painting that may hold clues to the whereabouts of an original Rembrandt, art conservationist Sister Joan Mary Fabriani invites FBI special agent Emma Sharpe, a former novice at the Sisters of the Joyful Heart convent, to the tiny religious order on the Maine coast to investigate. When Sister Joan is murdered and the painting disappears, Emma draws on her family's background in art investigation to find the cause. The search leads her to Ireland, where her grandfather, the founder of Sharpe Fine Art Recovery, is attacked. Colin Donovan, an FBI undercover agent with local roots, is put on the case as well, and sexual sparks soon fly. Neggers shows her skill in the feisty couple's romantic skirmishes, but the charm of their byplay can't compensate for the far-fetched backstory, chunks of unnecessary filler, and predictable denouement.