Crisscrossed

Crisscrossed is a suspenseful crime thriller interwoven with elements involving stolen masterpieces, sophisticated art copying techniques (creating high-tech prints indistinguishable from originals), set against the shadowy world of international art crime and the glittering yet perilous world of high society. The story follows multiple intertwined plots involving art dealers, thieves, lovers, and law enforcement, spanning locations from Venice to Santa Barbara and Beverly Hills.  Alongside the crime thriller is a poignant exploration of personal relationships marked by betrayal, love, abandonment, and self-discovery.

Harry Coleman, aka, Mr. Chan, a cunning and ruthless Chinese professional conman, and his violent enforcer involved in murder and intimidation, Nick, nicknamed Ratface, due to his rat-like facial features, are in the process of orchestrating the theft of a valuable painting, worth one and a half million dollars, from the Eastman-Evans Gallery in Beverly Hills.  Alex, their inside man in the gallery, will hide a valuable artwork underneath a less expensive painting which they will buy to get the artwork out of the gallery without being detected.  When they learn of a stash of stolen paintings, hidden away in a Santa Barbara home owned by the Morris’s, they will attempt to steal these, as well.  

Ann Morris, with her lackey husband Phillip, has been stealing paintings for more than a decade and reselling them.  When Phillip is introduced to Mr. Chan and his art reproduction technique, he sees an opportunity to exploit the process to replace Ann’s valuable paintings, steal her stolen artworks, and free himself from her oppressive hold on him. 

Liz Landon, the sales manager at Eastman-Evans Art Gallery on Rodeo Drive, is caught between professionalism and loyalty, and personal turmoil after her relationship with Phillip Morris, a wealthy married man, collapses and she finds herself ejected from his fine lifestyle.  She considers stealing the valuable artwork in order to sustain what she has lost, after she learns of the conman’s plot.  Liz blurs the lines between right and wrong, struggling with her choices, crossing legal and ethical boundaries. She will draw Jack into her skullduggery after he tells her he is an art thief.  Crisscrossed examines the cost of her ambition when she comes to realize selling her soul for some expensive bobbles is not what she wants for herself, but will she be able to turn around the chain of events she has gotten herself into?  

Jack Perrin is an expert art recovery agent, which generally means he steals stolen artwork from the thieves.  When Liz draws him into her plot to steal a painting from the gallery he uses the opportunity to try to protect her from her illicit aspirations and rekindle their relationship as she and Jack search for a genuine connection amid the turmoil.  When Jack and his team learn Chan is behind the planned theft, they execute a sting operation to entrap Chan and Nick to gain revenge for Nick having nearly killed him in a prior confrontation and to pocket potential millions for the return of the stolen paintings at the Morris’s house.    

Peggy Barlow is an artist represented by the gallery.  When her painting is used for getting the valuable artwork out of the gallery, she will be innocently drawn into the intrigue.

Arnie Eastman, brother of one of the gallery partners, schemes to exploit Peggy’s success by copying her art.  He hopes his brother will exchange his work with Peggy’s in order to pocket the sale.  His painting is accidently switched with Peggy’s painting, drawing him into the conspiracy.