Sophie in Portland

""I'm afraid this place won't satisfy you, Sophie. You'll become restless and want to go off again. You've lived in Paris, for heaven's sake How can this place, sweet though it is, keep you here?""

Nothing is quite what it seems in Amelia Augustin's delightful new novel, "Sophie in Portland."

A gentle satire brimming with lighthearted adventure, this impressive debut follows fifty-six-year-old Sophie as she adjusts to her new life as a retiree in Portland, Oregon.

Having left behind her glamorous life as a schoolteacher in Paris (along with her mysterious lover, Luc-Henri), the last thing Sophie expects is to get caught up in an art world mystery.

But that's just what happens when she and her sister discover a myriad of strange occurrences. From neighbors breaking into her condo and a shadowy figure stalking her to the discovery of an underground tunnel leading to the Laurence Art Gallery and the sudden appearance of a stolen artwork in her bathroom, Sophie must unravel the mysteries before it's too late.

Readers are sure to fall in love with this superbly crafted novel that delicately weaves romance, mystery, and the finer things in life into an intriguing tapestry.