WOW! Great book! Characters, plot, excitement, misdirection, chase scenes! It was all great! It kept me guessing right up to the end! I was shocked at who the villain was!!! Please write more of these. I can’t wait to see what else Art and Camille get up to.

I'd read Deron R. Hicks' The Van Gogh deception back at the start of 2019 and I highly enjoyed it, so I was incredibly excited to start The Rembrandt Conspiracy, the second book in this series. Going into it, I was expecting another fast paced adventure filled with art, friendship and heart and I was definitely not disappointed. While I enjoyed the first book a bit more when it comes to the mystery aspect, this book managed to give us a friendship I thoroughly enjoyed and that made the book so much more enjoyable. I'd like to put this book in the hands of every adventure-loving kid out there, and I'm excited what else this series has in store for us.

A fun and informative mystery for middle grades. The inclusion of codes to actually see the art is a wonderful touch.

I really love middle grade mysteries, especially ones involving art. This book had so many cool elements to intrigue the reader and keep them guessing. It was informative without being too informational, especially with the QR codes which really make this book stand out. The chapters were short which makes for a quick-paced adventure. Well written with fun characters. Would definitely recommend.

The Rembrandt Conspiracy was a lot of fun. Twelve-year-old Art’s convinced that something weird is happening at the National Portrait Gallery in DC, where his dad is a curator, but no one except his new school friend Camille believes him. At the risk of being grounded forever, Art and Camille go undercover to foil the big art heist plan they’re convinced is going to happen on the night of the Millennium Exhibit gala. Along the way, they’ll have to explore art history, brush up on the science of detection, learn about new security technologies, study art restoration, and learn how to curtsy.

It’s pretty clear that things will end up okay for Art and Camille, but the mystery manages to come together in some surprising ways in spite of that. The QR codes in the book — which you can click to view the actual artworks being discussed — are a cool edition (and make this book a totally valid part of your homeschool’s art history curriculum). This is a solidly entertaining middle grades mystery to add to your reading list.

Loved this book. The Rembrandt Conspiracy is chalk full of mystery and adventure. Art and Camille are back again and this time they are on the hunt for an art thief. Something strange is happening at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, as Art’s dad prepares for the Millennium Exhibition, a gala that will feature famous impressionist works from Degas, Rembrandt and Cassatt, Art notices a strange woman. He puts various pieces together and realizes that an art heist maybe in the making. Follow along Camille and Art as they try to find proof and help prevent a massive art theft. Not only is the story intriguing but the author has included QR Codes throughout the book that can be scanned showing the readers the different works of art that are being talked about. I really enjoyed this feature, it gives the reader more information to put with the information they are reading.

Love this series. The QR codes that allow for interaction with the art, artist, and museum is fun. Art and Camille are fun to follow on their adventures

Art and his father are settled in Washington D.C., adapting to life in one place instead of traveling the globe to visit one museum after another. For Art, this means going to school with his friend Camille and for his dad, this means a position at the National Portrait Gallery, which is preparing for a Millennium Gala event that will display famous works of art. Art and Camille spend many of their days after school at the National Portrait Gallery, and Art notices suspicious activity that leads him to believe that a group of thieves are planning a heist comparable to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art theft.

I like the adventure in this book, although it isn't as action-packed as the first Art & Camille book, "The Van Gogh Deception." The QR codes inspire some independent research and have the potential to lead to some amazing virtual field trips to "visit" the places mentioned in the book. The descriptions of Washington D.C. are also very thorough. I look forward to adding this to my school library's collection and to the next Art and Camille adventure.

With a special exhibition coming to the National Portrait Gallery Museum in Washington D.C. tensions are high to keep the artwork, worth billions of dollars, safe. While all sorts of precautions have been taken, twelve-year-old Art is certain that there will be a heist but only has an iced mocha and forty-two steps to show for evidence. After convincing his friend Camille that the artwork is in danger, the two try to solve the mystery before it’s too late. This was a riveting mystery that had many red herrings that kept me guessing on what would happen until the very end of the book. The way the mystery was built up was expertly done; however, the resolution of the story was a bit anticlimactic. While many reviewers are fans of the QR codes in the novel that allow the reader to pull up pictures of the artwork discussed in the book, I felt that having to get my phone out pulled me out of the book. It made it easier to get distracted by my phone. Also, having QR codes in the book assumes that young readers have access to devices with internet and the ability to scan QR codes. While many young readers do have this access, there are a number who do not. I would have preferred for the author to get the copyright to display the images within the text or found another way to guide readers to images of the artwork.

In this sequel to "The Van Gogh Deception," middle-schoolers Art and Camille foil an art theft at the National Portrait Museum. Once again, QR codes linked to websites about the art are scattered throughout, though they did not work well in the e-book format. (I think they were too small and pixelated for my app to read.) The information about art and previous art thefts was very engaging and will likely inspire readers to want to learn more.

The Rembrandt Conspiracy is Deron Hicks’ newest addition to the Lost Art Mystery series. The inclusion of QR codes enhances the National Portrait Museum experience by bringing readers face to face with works of art by Rembrandt, Degas, Vermeer and others. This is a great techie hook for readers of all ages! Art, the son of Dr. Hamilton, protector of the artworks, and new school friend, Camille, are excited to be invited to the Gala celebrating the opening of the Millennium Exhibit, the most important the National Portrait Gallery has ever hosted. On the anniversary of an unsolved theft from thirty years ago, Art has reason to believe a heist worth billions of dollars will occur on the night of the gala. Now to prove his suspicions!
Young readers will be introduced to scientific equipment that protects delicate art, techniques of restoration, and even a lesson on how to curtsy in case one is introduced to the Queen of England! Hone those prediction skills, follow Art’s observations and clues from the back of a scooter, and prepare for an exhilarating, rollicking tour of Washington D.C and the National Portrait Gallery. A Highly recommended “tour”!

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The concept and plot are intriguing. An art theft mystery with a sprinkling of art history and appreciation set in Washington DC is a fabulous idea for a kid's chapter book. I also appreciated that the two main characters were male and female with nontraditional families. However, the dialogue was forced at times, many scenes were unnecessarily extended with repetition and wordiness, and some of the plot twists were more exciting than the ending, which was a big let down. I had some trouble with the interactive QR codes (another great idea!), but that might have been because I was reading an ebook on my laptop and I couldn't get the codes to scan properly into my phone. For kids who will read mysteries of any kind, and are looking for something new and different, this will be a good choice for them. Unfortunately, it wasn't a mystery for me.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars = Good+

Fun art-based mystery with ties to a real-life heist. Nice continuation of the story started in The Van Gogh Deception. Art is brilliant and Camille is clever and bold. They make a great team. My review copy didn't do well with the QR codes, but I love this feature that will take readers to photos of the art being referenced. It's such a creative feature. It will be perfect in print copies! The epilogue launches a new thread that could make for an interesting third book in the series.

There are a lot of moving pieces here- this is a complex and “thinky” book for strong readers who crave a good puzzle.

Twelve-year-old Art Hamilton thinks that someone is trying to rob the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC during the Millennium Exhibit which will showcase up to a billion dollars in paintings. While his best friend Camille Sullivan has her doubts. Even though last December they narrowly managed to expose one of the greatest cons in art history, she needs more proof than an iced mocha, forty-two steps and a mysterious woman who appears like clockwork at 4:30 pm to walk through the museum in the same route taking the same amount of steps each time for over a week. Art’s dad Art Sr is the director of the Lunder Conservation Center which is responsible for caring for all the artwork owned by the Smithsonian Institute. So Art wants to get definitive proof of an actual plan to rob the gallery so he doesn’t end up embarrassing his dad in his new job. They end up following the woman afte she leaves the gallery through DC trying to figure out where she going to see if they get a proof about a plan and who is behind the theft and save a billion dollars’ worth of paintings.

This was really fun read and there were QR codes throughout the book that linked to the painting that they were talking about which was a really fun and cool interactive element. This was the second book of the series and while I didn’t read the first one this was still really easy to follow and there was a little recap during the first chapter of the book to get you all caught up. I really liked the mystery and the twist was really good as well and just a really fast and great read.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Childrens Book Group and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

I received an electronic ARC from HMH Books for Young Readers through NetGalley.
Art and Camille are again at the center of solving a spectacular art heist. This time at the National Portrait Gallery. Some readers may figure out the main thief from early on, but others will track the twists and be surprised in the end. Hicks continues to develop his characters and share their lives and thoughts. Readers will feel like the third member of this team as they track suspicious activities and uncover clues before finding a clever way to stop the theft.
The short chapters format will appeal to a broad spectrum of middle grade readers. The QR codes offer an opportunity to see the artwork being described and allow for further interactions. Hicks offers enough suspense without tipping too far for this age group. Looking forward to the next book based on the ending chapter of this one.

Art and Camille are on the case again in this standalone follow-up to The Van Gogh Deception. Can they foil an art heist at the National Portrait Gallery, and maybe even solve a decades-old mystery in the process?

This well-paced novel is a good mixture of mystery and action with entertaining tidbits of art history information sprinkled throughout. Multiple perspectives ratchet up the tension while good twists keep the reader engaged. This was an enjoyable read that I will definitely be recommending to middle grade readers at my library.