The Art of Love and Lies

A free-spirited artist teams up with a no-nonsense detective to capture a thief who has stolen a priceless Michaelangelo painting.

Manchester, England, 1857

Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families.

When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in England opens in Manchester, Rosanna is excited to visit. She meets the handsome Inspector Martin Harrison, who is head of security, and is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and portrait-worthy good looks. The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art, and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.

But when they discover the theft of some of the paintings—and all the evidence points to Rosanna—she must convince Inspector Harrison she is innocent and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.

It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection—Michaelangelo’s The Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Inspector Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to paint their own happily ever after.

My Review:

published in 2023

I listened to the audible edition of ‘The Art of Love and Lies’ narrated by the exceptional Justine Eyre. She is one of my favourite voice performers and elevated my enjoyment of this story so much. The way she conveys flirty banter highlights all the fun and excitement of a blossoming romance. She’s able to convey all the emotion and tension and even provides distinctive voices/demeanors to every single character. Such a brilliant narrator.

Now on to the story. It’s the first in a series about three sisters who excel in the arts at a time when women weren’t supposed to. Luckily they have encouraging parents who provide their daughters with the same tutoring a son would have. But what is an accomplished lady supposed to do with all that finely honed talent?

Well, Roseanna sets out to make a career from her painting. Unfortunately, she trusts the wrong man and…well, you need to read the story to find out how that goes. I could totally see where things were heading from the very first scene but I enjoyed the bookish angst that kept me on edge, waiting for Roseanna to figure things out too.

When she crosses paths with Inspector Martin Harrison at an art exhibit things really get interesting – in both the romance and the mystery. This was a fun, quick read, well listen for me. Sweet romance and a bit of a suspense towards the end.