The Art Of Deception

Presenting The Art of Deception (1986) by Nora Roberts, the romantic-suspense classic where love, larceny, and a suspiciously charming smile collide in a gallery with excellent lighting. Published by Silhouette (the imprint that can spot chemistry at fifty paces), ISBN: 9780263876772. This copy comes from Crappy Old Books, where the name is cheeky, the shelves are honest, and the verdict is Condition: Good—as in, “well-kept, lightly swooned over, spine limber but loyal.”

Here the canvas is fraud—art fraud, emotional misdirection, and the delicate brushwork of two people pretending they aren’t wildly interested in each other. Our heroine knows the difference between a master and a masterful fake; our hero may or may not be both. Expect a swirl of forged signatures, late-night revelations, and kisses that feel like someone lifted the alarmed velvet rope around your better judgement. Roberts paints with all her early-career verve: quick banter, moody rooms, a plot that clicks like a locked case, and that signature crescendo where your heart and the security system start beeping in tandem.

What you’ll find inside:

• A gallery of suspects who all have perfect alibis and suspiciously good taste.

• A romance with provenance, equal parts slow burn and rapid heartbeat.

• Deft cons and counter-cons, where every glance could be a tell and every tell could be a come-hither.

• Brushstrokes of danger, just enough to make you read one more chapter (and then four).

About this particular volume: it’s Good, meaning it has been carefully admired, not hard-used; the corners remain respectable, the pages clean, and the binding dependable—ready to endure your gasps, knowing chuckles, and the occasional “oh no he didn’t” whisper. Think of it as a well-framed original: not sealed in museum glass, but displayed lovingly at eye level where it does its best work.

Buy it if you’ve ever:

• Suspected that romance is the most exquisite forgery of all—and the only one worth getting caught by.

• Wanted a caper with lipstick, fingerprints, and a certificate of authenticity that simply reads “Nora Roberts.”

• Believed true love should come with plot twists, preferably in dim lighting and with provenance papers.

Why Silhouette? Because they know exactly how to hang a story so the light catches it just right. Why Crappy Old Books? Because they say the quiet part out loud, and still deliver the goods—like this Good copy, perfectly ready for its next exhibit: your nightstand.

In short: The Art of Deception is a deftly framed affair—romance and intrigue, varnished with wit—arriving in Good condition from Crappy Old Books, where the only thing counterfeit is your resolve to read “just one chapter.”

Keep browsing: See more Romance books Other books by Nora Roberts