rituals of the dead: an artifact mystery

When Fiction is Perceived as Fact: Rituals of the Dead

March 17, 2019 Jennifer S. Alderson

My latest novel, Rituals of the Dead, came to be because I wanted to write a mystery about an Asmat bis pole. Considering the Asmat live in the Indonesian province of Papua, the setting for my historical mystery was easily decided. The premise was simple: my protagonist – an art history student in present-day Amsterdam – would investigate an event that took place in Papua, before the Dutch government ceded their control to the newly-formed nation of Indonesia in 1963….

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Celebrate Spring with Travel By Book (again)

May 20, 2018 Jennifer S. Alderson

Celebrate Spring with Travel By Book! Spring is finally here, which means school holidays and summer vacations are right around the corner! Whether you are already packing your bags or are still trying to decide where to go, let Travel By Book inspire you. Featured in this post are mysteries, thrillers, romantic comedies, historical fiction, and romance novels set in Papua, the Netherlands, Italy, England, Hawaii, Corsica, Bulgaria, Greenland, Prague, Budapest, India, Canada, Israel, and Jordan. They are written by…

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Travel By Book May Promo Jennifer S. Alderson blog Anne Allen, EJ Bauer, Caron Albright, M A Clarke Scott, Daisy James, Ruchira Khanna, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, Imogen Matthews, Marjory McGinn, Yvonne Payne, Scott Stavrou

Celebrate Spring with Travel By Book

May 1, 2018 Jennifer S. Alderson

Celebrate Spring with Travel By Book! Spring is finally here, which means school holidays and summer vacations are right around the corner! Whether you are already packing your bags or are still trying to decide where to go, let Travel By Book inspire you. Featured in this post are mysteries, thrillers, romantic comedies, historical fiction, and romance novels set in Papua New Guinea, the Netherlands, England, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, St. Lucia, India, Greece, and Italy. They are written by…

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What is a Bis Pole and Why Were They Desired by Collectors?

March 14, 2018 Jennifer S. Alderson

The exhibition central to my latest novel, Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery, is based on an actual exhibition of Asmat art entitled Bis Poles: Sculptures from the Rain Forest. I can imagine most readers are now thinking – what the heck is a bis pole? Ancestor Objects Carved to Honor the Dead These ancestor objects – akin to Native American totem poles – are created to honor the recently departed during a ‘bis’ ceremony. A bis…

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Bisj pole, bis pole, Asmat, Papua, Dutch New Guinea, Rituals of the Dead, Artifact Mystery, Art Crime, Smuggling, Jennifer S. Alderson

Bis Poles in Rotterdam – excerpt from Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery

March 14, 2018 Jennifer S. Alderson

In this excerpt of my new novel, Rituals of the Dead, Zelda sees a bis pole for the first time. She’s not as impressed as you might think. Find out why: Chapter Three Once the pole rested on the gurney, the assistants slid the canvas strips out from under it and stepped back, allowing the room to view it in all its glory. Zelda couldn’t help but wonder if it was the ugliest thing she’d ever seen. She’d grown up…

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Jennifer S. Alderson Rituals of the Dead An Artifact Mystery, goodreads review, 5 star review

First official review of Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery!

March 10, 2018 Jennifer S. Alderson

I am thrilled to see the first official review of Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery on Goodreads! “History comes alive in this story as Zelda photographs the diary, unearthing a story of murder, greed, missionaries and artifacts. It is not a book one puts down easily. The characters are carefully crafted, engaging you from page one. Alderson takes you from past to present and back again seamlessly as you follow events Zelda has yet to unravel…” THANK YOU, early…

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Rituals of the Dead An Artifact Mystery art theft crime Papua New Guinea Amsterdam Netherlands

Relevant History: the Colonial Origins of Ethnographic Museums and Rituals of the Dead

February 21, 2018 Jennifer S. Alderson

[UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED – THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!] Since Christmas, I have been busy editing Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery. I am thrilled to see the end is truly near! On April 6 my next novel will be released as paperback and eBook on Kobo, iBooks, Barnes & Noble NOOK, Smashwords and Amazon. The Colonial origins of many ethnographic museums inspired much of the story. You can read more about it on Suzanne Adair’s Relevant…

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The Lover's Portrait: An Art Mystery in Amsterdam amateur sleuth art theft crime WWII

Amsterdam: the Perfect Setting for an Art Mystery

February 16, 2018 Jennifer S. Alderson

Amsterdam is the perfect setting for an art-related mystery, especially one in which the looting of artwork by the Nazis during World War Two plays a central role. My second novel, The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery, is about an American art history student who finds clues to the whereabouts of a collection of masterpieces hidden somewhere in Amsterdam, secreted away in 1942 by a homosexual art dealer who’d rather die than turn his collection over to his Nazi blackmailer. I can…

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Jennifer S. Alderson Lucia N. Davis blog Asmat Bis Poles artifact mystery

Asmat Bis Poles, Rituals of the Dead, and an Interview with Arjan van Heemsvliet

January 27, 2018 Jennifer S. Alderson

I am pleased to share a new interview and article with you! Jennifer S. Alderson Interviews Arjan Van Heemsvliet from The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery The art dealer in The Lover’s Portrait, Arjan van Heemsvliet was an unwilling guest on the History Imagined website this week. You can read more about his upbringing and daily life during the Second World War, here. “It is an honor to interview preeminent art dealer Arjan van Heemsvliet today. Since the publication of The…

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