Today’s team review is from Sandra. She blogs here https://www.firthproof.co.uk/index.php/book-reviews
Sandra has been reading Lost Children by Willa Bergman
Lost Children is the story of the search for a historically important painting that disappeared from a French chateau many years before. The first section of the book is fairly slow as the author sets the scene and introduces us to the main character, Elle, who works for a well-known auction house in London. In her role as private buyer, she enjoys privileged access to works of art hidden away in private collections that she would never normally see.
The Private Sales department is restructured, to make it more profitable, and Elle is put in charge, much to her surprise and delight. A new client asks her to find Portrait of the Lost Child by Albert Polignac; she tries to put him off, but he is insistent. Judging by her extreme reaction, Elle obviously knows a lot more about this painting than she is letting on.
Lost Children is told entirely from Elle’s point of view, and we gradually learn the history of the painting, and why it went missing, as well as her own backstory. She is an obviously troubled character, ill at ease most of the time, and always seems to be looking over her shoulder. Elle travels to New York in pursuit of the painting, realises she is not the only one on its trail, and has to use her wits to get the better of her ruthless adversaries. The pace picks up as she rushes to meet the deadline she has been given before it is too late.
Many years ago I studied art history so Lost Children was of obvious interest to me. It is well written and thoroughly researched, and I enjoyed the insights into the world of art sales and auction houses, such as how you determine the monetary value of a piece of art. Split between London, New York and a chateau in the French countryside, this unusual thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until you get to the very last page.
A celebrated painting, the Portrait of the Lost Child, has been missing for over a decade. Eloise Witcham is commissioned to find it, but if she does she will have to confront a past she thought long behind her and face up to the dark fears that still haunt her dreams.
A stylish, intelligent, contemporary thriller set in the secretive world of high end art.
AmazonUK | AmazonUS available from May 11th 2021
Rosie Amber 