rjmcewan's review
4.0
An interesting read. I enjoyed the details of oil painting (and forgery techniques!). Makes me want to visit the museum.
danchrist's review
4.0
A good read,and well worth a few hours of your time.
The author researched her topic exhaustively, and it shows in the depth of detail she brings into the forging process and Degas' technique. I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the technique of copying a masterpiece, and revisiting yet again how we see what we want to see.
When she strayed off those topics, though, the prose seemed to bog down at places. Describing the main character's reaction to claustrophobic spaces, for instance, the author repeated the same descriptive terms multiple times. Yes, it's a nit, but one that deserves to be picked in a novel as focused on detail as this one.
Nice pace. Solid, believable characters that you almost universally care about, and set believably in Boston with yet more attention to detail.
Read it. Just read it.
The author researched her topic exhaustively, and it shows in the depth of detail she brings into the forging process and Degas' technique. I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the technique of copying a masterpiece, and revisiting yet again how we see what we want to see.
When she strayed off those topics, though, the prose seemed to bog down at places. Describing the main character's reaction to claustrophobic spaces, for instance, the author repeated the same descriptive terms multiple times. Yes, it's a nit, but one that deserves to be picked in a novel as focused on detail as this one.
Nice pace. Solid, believable characters that you almost universally care about, and set believably in Boston with yet more attention to detail.
Read it. Just read it.
sweddy65's review
3.0
This is an excellent mid-semester read. It's well written and engaging. I read far later into the night than I should. (Papers to grade! Courses to prep!) I considered giving in four stars, but I've become chary with stars.
jenjen7824's review
4.0
I enjoyed this mystery from start to finish. Fiction about art is one of my favs, add in some mystery and I'm sold.
jenaugustin17's review
3.0
A tiny bit of a slow start, but half way in I couldn’t put it down. The ending felt right, but also a little unsatisfactory. Overall, the character development was lacking because I didn’t feel very invested with any one character’s outcome.
kketelaar's review
2.0
I really thought I would love this book - a combination of art and mystery - but I was very disappointed. I found the entire story line predictable and the characters rather flat. The information on forgeries and some of the history was interesting, but there were several instances where I felt the author was repeating the same information, as if she was afraid her audience would not be smart enough to catch her point the first time.
mary412's review
3.0
I don't usually like mysteries, but this one was a page-turner. I visited the Isabelle Stewart Gardner museum years ago and remember it as crazy cluttered. When the heists occurred in 1990, I wondered how they knew anything was missing.
joeysgoodboy's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
slhandy45's review
3.0
An entertaining but light read. The material on art forgery is interesting but the plot is a bit too implausible and the characters and relationships a bit too unconvincing, even for this genre. Beach or airplane reading.