Woman on Fire
By Lisa Barr
After completing journalism school, Jules Roth schemes her way into the newspaper offices of Dan Mansfield, renowned investigative reporter. Dan is impressed with Jules’ gumption and gives her a chance to assist with a private matter he is researching for his close friend, designer Ellis Baum. They set off in search of a painting the Nazis stole almost 80 years ago when Ellis was just a boy. The painting features his mother, who perished by their filthy hands. “Woman on Fire” by Ernst Engel is the only picture of her in existence, and Ellis must have it before he leaves this world. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones desperately seeking to obtain this painting. Margaux de Laurent is a beautiful and wealthy gallerist whose grandfather hid and rescued artwork during the war. From her powerful position, it is a race to find this painting recently stolen from a Nazi heir that had been in hiding for many years. This fast-paced thriller takes readers from Chicago to the hills of France and Germany. Leaving no stone unturned, this small group slowly uncovers the mysterious and dangerous trail that leads them to the truth. Filled with suspense and romance, “Woman on Fire” will keep readers guessing until the very end.
The Masterpiece
By Fiona Davis
There is no place like Grand Central Station. Its majestic beauty shines through the crowds as people travel through the greatest city on earth. Clara Darden is a young artist struggling to make her way in 1928 as a teacher at the Grand Central School of Art. She is a talented illustrator fighting for her rightful place in a man’s world. After finally attaining success, Clara is busy juggling work, a handsome boyfriend, and helping her fellow artists despite the looming Depression. When tragedy strikes, she vanishes and is never seen again. Fifty years later, Virginia is taunted by her chauvinistic husband, who left her in a lurch with little money and much regret. As a homemaker for most of her adult life, Virginia scrambles to find a job and accepts a position at the information booth in Grand Central Station. Even though the terminal is no longer glamorous, Virginia is mesmerized by its history. As she begins to envision a brighter future, Virginia stumbles upon a painting hidden in a section of the terminal abandoned long ago. The unsigned painting greatly resembles one that is currently up for auction. With Virginia’s burgeoning confidence and new station friends, she is determined to solve this enthralling mystery.
Fake
By Erica Katz
Emma Caan is a copyist, not a forger – there is a difference. She professionally copies masterpieces for clients and signs the back. She fools no one except herself, as she sadly hasn’t created her own original work in years. Since graduating from Yale, Emma’s confidence has disappeared. To support herself, she works for a company that copies art for the most reputable museums and collectors in the world. A repeat client, billionaire Russian oligarch Leonard Sobetsky, would like to meet his copyist. Emma is instructed to call him Lenny and is quickly manipulated by an offer she can’t refuse: a chance to leave her tedious job and difficult boss to work for the most prestigious gallery in New York City. On the side, she will copy paintings only for Lenny and will live rent free in his magnificent temperature controlled studio. As Emma is swept into Lenny’s extravagant lifestyle of private jets, art shows in Hong Kong, drug dealers and glamorous dinner parties, she begins to question the very hand that feeds her. With her nightmares keeping her awake, Emma spends countless evenings trying to puzzle out what her peculiar new boss is up to. Her carefully crafted career begins to crumble as the truth hides behind the pretty pictures.
