Deceptions
Former Budapest cop Attila Feher would really like to see art expert Helena Marsh again, so he arranges a contract for her to determine whether a painting is a copy of a famous Artemisia Gentileschi canvas or the real thing. A simple appraisal becomes a dangerous assignment when usual eastern European gangsters show up and people start dying and the seething corruption that underlies the lost promise of post-Soviet Hungary swirls to the surface. In a race to get to the truth and to outwit her adversaries, Helena and Attila must solve the mystery of the painting's origins.
Available Copies by Location
Location | |
---|---|
Stamford | Available |
Browse Related Items
Subject |
Art > Fiction. Canadian fiction. Budapest (Hungary) > Fiction. |
Genre |
Thrillers (Fiction) |
- ISBN: 9781770415386
- Physical Description 276 pages ; 22 cm.
- Publisher [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 2021.
Series
Additional Information
Publishers Weekly Review
Deceptions : A Helena Marsh Novel
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
In Porter's exciting sequel to 2017's The Appraisal, art appraiser Helena Marsh attempts to trace the provenance of a painting believed to be the work of 17th-century artist Artemisia Gentileschi. Helena has her own fascinating provenance: she's the daughter of a forger, now dead, who taught her the tricks of his trade, and instilled in her a healthy disdain for authority. Helena's client, Gizella Vaszary, believes her husband is trying to pass an original off as a copy in order to undervalue it in their divorce settlement. Helena meets with Madam Vaszary's lawyer on a Rhine tour boat in Strasbourg, France. Before much information has been exchanged, the lawyer is shot and killed by an archer. Helena jumps from the boat onto the embankment and runs after the assassin. Soon the police are on her trail, which leads into the netherworld of shady eastern European gangsters, corrupt politicians, and collectors who will pay any price to get what they want. The forgery tips alone are worth the price of admission. Porter takes readers on an exhilarating ride. Agent: John Pearce, Westwood Creative Artists (Canada). (Apr.)