An Uncluttered Palette

''If your palette is cluttered, your painting will reflect that clutter.'' Rayna Hunt introduces her students to the world of oil painting with these words, but they apply to more than her art. After an accident destroyed her hand and she began the long journey to recover her skill, she avoided clutter in her paintings and her life. Her quiet, safe world is disrupted when an anonymous call to the police draws her into a case of forgery and art theft. Her students, a diverse group of ages and personalities, take more than a casual interest in the investigation. They, along with museum director and previous romantic interest, Paul Lingstrum, and a Chicago police detective recovering from her own loss, work to prove Rayna's innocence and solve the crime. (Previously titled Monet's Palette)