Masterpiece - Janet Pywell

I'm delighted to be on the Blog Tour today for #MASTERPIECE

Description

NOT EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE AT A FORTUNE. BUT SHE'S ONLY ONE BURGLARY AWAY…

Photographer, artist and art forger Mikky dos Santos has had a tough life and now she’s about to steal the world’s most famous stolen painting – Vermeer’s The Concert – worth $200 million.

When Mikky’s flatmate is commissioned to paint one of the world’s most famous divas her life begins to spiral into chaos. An evil investigative journalist and a dangerous businessman are on the hunt to uncover Mikky’s darkest secrets and threaten her detailed plans.

The race is on.

This breathtaking protagonist is exhilarating and has attitude, yet underlying it all, a longing for human connection that makes you love her despite her own best efforts to push you away.

There are rich glimpses into European cities, a savvy feel for the international art world and an electrifying female sleuth who blasts into your life with explosive excitement. This thrilling page-turner will shock you with the stunning twist at the end.

Set in London (England), Mallorca (Spain) and Dresden (Germany) – this international crime thriller will leave you on the edge of your seat until the twist at the very end.

You will be instantly hooked!

Review

I do love a strong female lead in a book, and Mikky is certainly that.

When we first meet Mikky she is concerned about an elderly neighbour and quickly scales a fence to break in and get her help. Hardly the actions of an art thief, but we gain a sense of her values. Yet whilst she waits for the glazier Mikky snoops around her neighbours house, looking for what she knows is hanging there somewhere.

Her flatmate Javier is an artist and has been commissioned by a famous Opera Diva to paint her portrait. Mikky somewhat reluctantly accompanies him to Dresden for the initial meeting with the diva. How is this going to fit with Mikky being an art thief I began to wonder.

I have a passing interest in art and the details in the book of art and art forgery were really interesting to read. The painting by Vermeer really was stolen in 1990 too and the author has imagined what could have followed. I loved the cat mouse games Mikky played with her different pursuers and certainly didn't see a couple of the twists coming.

From about 60% into the book until the end was very fast paced and a real page turner. I wanted closure on how this was all going to work out in the end.

I found the character of Mikky likeable and believable. What I think is unusual about the book is the self talk we get from Mikky. At times I felt it wasn't always needed, but it is a slightly different approach to giving a voice to a character.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Random Things Tours for the invite to the tour and to the author for an ecopy of the book to review.

About the Author

Author Janet Pywell's storytelling is as mesmerizing and complex as her characters.

In her international crime thriller series - art forger, artist and photographer Mikky dos Santos is a uniquely lovable female: a tough, tattooed, yet vulnerable heroine who will steal your heart.

Each book is a stand-alone exciting action-adventure novel, set in three uniquely different countries/ locations.

These books are a must-read for devotees of complex female sleuths - an emotional female James Bond.

Janet has a background in travel and tourism and she writes using her knowledge of foreign places gained from living abroad and travelling extensively.

She draws on all her experiences of people and places to create exciting crime thrillers with great characters and all the plot twists and turns any reader could ask for.

Janet honed her writing skills by studying for a Masters degree at Queen's University, Belfast - one of the Russell Group of universities.

Janet researches meticulously and often takes courses in subjects to ensure that her facts are detailed and accurate and it is this attention to detail that makes her novels so readable, authentic and thrilling.