Not just her job, even her relationships are predictable. Her mother calls daily to talk about television soap opera characters. Her boyfriend Evan, an insurance adjuster, sees every actuarial statistic relating to personal injuries or natural disasters as a personal threat and insists Claire take them as seriously as he does. Thankfully, her life is about to change for the better, and the ensuing escapades lead her on a daring and captivating new course.

Claire's adventures begin when she inherits her Aunt Cady's estate. She remembers her aunt as a colorless, nondescript spinster and is not surprised to learn that her inheritance is only a cramped trailer stuffed full of junk. When Claire unearths an old, shabby suitcase, she is amazed to find a silver bracelet with blue stones, her aunt's old diary, pamphlets written in German – one covered with a swastika – a square death's head ring, and a small, exquisite painting.

Evan scoffs at Claire's interest in the painting, telling her nothing her aunt owned could possibly be valuable. Claire's roommate, Charlie, a charming, elderly lady who had owned a genuine Rembrandt before being incarcerated in a concentration camp during WWII, disagrees and suggests a professional appraisal. The local antiques dealer counsels Claire to take the painting to one of the reputable auction houses in New York. Claire immediately makes plane reservations, arranges for a vacation, and sets in place a course of action that will irrevocably alter her life.

Claire begins researching her aunt's life in order to discover the painting's provenance and is surprised at what she uncovers. Her aunt had been a WAC serving in Munich near the end of WWII, and Claire conjectures the painting is one of the many pieces of art the Nazi's looted and confiscated during the war. Her speculations seemed warranted when she finds herself followed and her room searched. Her life becomes exhilarating almost overnight, full of danger, handsome new men, and possible wealth.

Claire is amiable, persevering, and bright enough to recognize new opportunities, and she has the courage to change her own destiny by taking risks, using her brain, and following her heart. She once thought she knew her "place" in the scheme of things and comes to the realization that life isn't always in focus, but is frequently marked with "circles of confusion" or blurred edges like her painting. Her character grows throughout the book, becoming multifaceted and more engaging.

Ms. Henry has designed a worthy plot, then added some unusual twists and turns. In the beginning, despite Claire's skill at guessing vanity plates, she is somewhat slow at detecting. As the story progresses, she is able to fabricate some innovative tricks of her own. Admirably, Ms. Henry provides exactly the right amount of technical and background information, without writing a textbook full of extraneous details. She even creates an amusing game for her readers by including a number of unusual vanity plates to solve throughout the book – thankfully adding an answer key in the back.

Circles of Confusion supplies abundant entertainment and tremendous potential for the continuing Claire Montrose mystery series.

--Monica Pope