Overpaint

Art Crime Thriller - Mystery Thriller - Literary Suspense Every masterpiece hides a secret. Some hide a crime. When renowned art conservator Tim Webb arrives in Venice to authenticate a priceless Renaissance portrait, he discovers something impossible. He painted it. Twenty years earlier, desperate and anonymous, Tim forged the masterpiece now worth millions. Before he can expose the truth, ruthless art broker Arron Griffin forces him into an impossible choice: certify the forgery or lose everything-including the identity Tim has spent years protecting.
As record-breaking floods engulf Venice, hidden archives surface, forgotten ledgers contradict history, and an original masterpiece long believed lost may still exist beneath centuries of deception. With the auction deadline closing in, Tim and archivist Elizabeth Harris embark on a daring reverse-heist-not to steal a painting, but to return the real one before the world's leading experts uncover a fraud capable of shaking the international art market.
Set against the haunting beauty of Venice, Overpaint is a sophisticated art crime thriller blending restoration science, Renaissance history, forgery, museum politics, hidden identities, and psychological suspense into an unforgettable race against time. Perfect for readers who enjoy intelligent mystery thrillers filled with art restoration, historical secrets, museum intrigue, high-stakes deception, and morally complex heroes.