Review: The London Forgery by Heidi Eljarbo
I'm delighted to share my review of The London Forgery, the first novel in a fabulous new dual-timeline mystery series by award-winning author, Heidi Eljarbo.
The London Forgery is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Have a look at all the fascinating posts and learn more about Gainsborough's famous painting of Mr and Mrs Andrews here!
The London Forgery
A Fabiola Bennett Mystery, #Book 1
Heidi Eljarbo
I was delighted to hear about this new series, which is loosely linked to Heidi Eljarbo's other art theft series – the Soli Hansen Mysteries.
As it is, Soli is Fabiola's famous mother, and this link adds to a personal dilemma straight away. People praise her mother, but Fabiola has to make a name for herself from scratch, without being compared to the incomparable Soli. I found this an interesting premise to start with.
In The London Forgery, in 1973, Fabiola (who lives in Oslo) is called to the National Gallery in London – not for the first time, as we learn in the early pages. Management and staff are already familiar with Fabiola's work as an art specialist, so it doesn't feel like the beginning of something new. On the contrary, it gives the novel a sense of familiarity right from the beginning. I like that.
The director of the gallery has received a mysterious note that suggests he take a closer look at one of their most famous paintings – that of Mr and Mrs Andrews by Thomas Gainsborough. Fabiola has often regarded the painting, and never found anything amiss, so she sets off to check it out. When she – more by chance – discovers a tiny irregularity of a brushstroke, she is shocked. The painting she and so many others have admired for so long is a forgery. A brilliant one, but still fake.
Meanwhile, we go back in time to meet the painter, Thomas Gainsborough, and his delightful wife. When an acquaintance, Mr Andrews, gives him a commission to paint himself and his new wife – surrounded by the very land they own (clearly designed to show off, in Gainsborough's mind), he sets out to the task, even though he'd rather prefer to paint landscapes. But, alas, the money is in portraits.
This gives us a fictional insight into Gainsborough's working practice, and his mind as he works on his commission. A clever idea by the author, I thought. It gives the painting a sense of authenticity.
Meanwhile, in 1973, Director Wilson tasks her with investigating, and she is paired up by a rather snobby Chief Inspector with young Detective Inspector Cary Green, who she knows well. So, together with their friend Pippa, who works in a bookshop, they start their investigations.
Soon, they follow several leads, one of which takes them to a Manor House in the Kent countryside, which, following the sudden death of its owner (a lord with no living close relatives), is being held while the courts determine what to do with it. Could the dead man have had something to do with the disappearance of the original painting? And does the house hide a secret? Find out in the book!
I really liked Fabiola. She is a young woman who knows what she wants to do. Having grown up in the art world, she delights in sharing her knowledge of paintings and arts – whether to a group of schoolchildren or anyone else who may be interested. This makes her immensely approachable and likeable.
She is also a young widow, who hasn't quite got over the death of her husband, Iver, two years later. So whilst we hope for a bit of romance with Cary the copper, the portrayal of her memories and hesitation is realistic and emotional, at times. I'm looking forward to watching the development here...
Cary is clever and efficient. He knows his boss is a snob who will take any praise for solving the case, but it doesn't stop him from doing his best. Pippa, their friend, is on the hunt for a man, but none of her many boyfriends have measured up yet. I wonder what the author has in store for her. She's a delightful character.
The narrative is easy to follow, and although there were a couple of minor editorial hiccups, they didn't throw me out of the gripping, fast-paced plot. The story flows at a nice pace, and the book is just the right length for a mystery.
As I expected, Ms Eljarbo's knowledge of arts and paintings, combined with her impeccable research, make this a story to relish. Anyone interested in the world of arts will enjoy discovering little tidbits as the plot unfolds.
The London Forgery is an engaging, vivid novel that takes you on the hunt for a famous painting that was lifted at some unknown point. I thought the deductions of the team were clever and realistic, and their actions and behaviour matches well that of the 1970s.
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Blurb:
1973. Art historian Fabiola Bennett sees herself as a prudently observant deer who becomes a daring and even mischievous lioness if the situation calls for it. And that’s exactly what’s required when greedy criminals steal, forge, and tamper with treasured artwork. When the crooks add murder to their list of crimes, the chaos is complete.
A mysterious note is delivered anonymously at the door of the National Gallery in London, and the director immediately calls Fabiola’s office in Oslo and pleads with her to come without delay. The message is confusing, but it seems one of her favorite eighteenth-century portraits is in trouble.
Fabiola hops on the first plane and meets up with her vibrant side-kick Pippa Yates and the ever-loyal Detective Inspector Cary Green from New Scotland Yard. But she is not naïve enough to think untangling the purpose and meaning of the mysterious note will be as simple as a walk in Hyde Park. These things never are.
1750. Newly married Robert and Frances Andrews, members of the landed gentry of Suffolk, England, hire young and talented Thomas Gainsborough to paint their wedding portrait. Their desire is a lovely conversation piece showing their wealth and class, an artwork to remember them by for generations to come.
Little do they know the gifted artist portrays their personalities exactly how he perceives them, and the artistic symbolism is not as flattering as they’d hoped for. Even the looming clouds in the distance promise a troublesome future.
This is the first book in a new dual timeline series by Heidi Eljarbo—an intriguing spin-off from the much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries.
Fans of Lucinda Riley, Rhys Bowen, Kathleen McGurl, Kate Morton, and Katherine Neville will love this cozy historical art mystery, which takes the readers back to the nostalgia of the groovy seventies and the classical Georgian era of the eighteenth century.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
International Buy Link
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About the Author:
Heidi Eljarbo
Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.
Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.
Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
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