Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Circles of Confusion | 1999 | April Henry | Buy |
| 2 | Square in the Face | 2000 | April Henry | Buy |
| 3 | Heart-Shaped Box | 2001 | April Henry | Buy |
| 4 | Buried Diamonds | 2003 | April Henry | Buy |
Claire Montrose works in art authentication in Portland, Oregon, and has a habit of landing in the middle of criminal cases. The series is lighter in tone than April Henry’s later YA thrillers, with a cosy mystery sensibility and a protagonist who uses her knowledge of art and antiques to make sense of situations that a police detective might miss.
The four books in the series appeared between 1999 and 2003. Circles of Confusion opens with Claire inheriting a painting that may or may not be a genuine Vermeer, which brings her into contact with forgery and murder. Subsequent books send her into similarly specific milieus: a fertility clinic, an antiques fair, a diamond mine. The plots are self-contained and can be read independently, though the character relationships carry through.
After Buried Diamonds in 2003, Henry shifted her focus to young adult fiction and did not write another Claire Montrose book. Readers who enjoy the series should start at the beginning to get the most from the recurring cast.