The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. Random House in association with Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. Adult nonfiction.

    Most of us who admire paintings go to museums to enjoy and study them. Master thief Stephane Breitwieser stole over two hundred works of art over ten years and displayed them in secret rooms where he could admire them. With his girl friend as a lookout, he took more and more chances until he was finally caught. 

     The author cultivated a long relationship with Breitwieser in order to learn first hand just how the thefts took place and more about the motivation of the man. He had grown up with money, but by 1997, he and his mother were living on government aid.  Finkel has put together a fascinating book not only about this one thief, but that also touches on other art crimes.  There are no color photographs of the art, but some black-and-white ones are included. A timeline would have been helpful, but it is probably impossible to have a list of all the items he stole. Between his former girl friend, his mother, and other people, many stories about Breitwieser, arrested in 2019, have yet to be told. 

 

 The Heiress: A Novel by Rachel Hawkins. St. Martin's Press, 2023. Adult fiction. Mystery.

     Camden and his wife, Jules, live and work in Colorado until they must go to North Carolina to face Cam's family and the mysteries of his family. Cam was adopted by Ruby McTavish, a four times married heiress who is notorious for her wealth, her mansion, Ashby House, and for the time she disappeared for a year when she was four years old. The child was found living with the Darnell family, assumed to be Ruby, and returned to the McTavishes. 

      Fast forward again, Ruby has been dead for ten years. Cam has inherited everything, but wants nothing to do with it. His aunt and cousins are living in Ashby House. In letters from Ruby, fake articles from Southern Living, newspapers, hiking guides, and such, readers learn more about the history of the family and the area near Biltmore. Nothing is as it seems and the author manages to put together a twisty tale of people who really do not know each other. Questions abound. Who really is Cam? Why does Jules know so much? Are the cousins for them or against them? Did Ruby actually earn the nickname "Mrs. Killmore?"  Why does everyone in this book swear so much? Hollywood will certainly come calling to make a movie! 

The Berry Pickers: A Novel by Amanda Peters

 

 The Berry Pickers: A Novel by Amanda Peters. Catapult, 2023.

   In 1962, a Mi'kmaq family arrives in Maine on their annual stay to pick blueberries. Ruthie, age four, and her brother, Joe, age six, spend days in the sun. When Ruthie disappears, no one can find her and the family never gets over the tragedy. Joe, especially, misses his sister and, as an old man, still thinks of her.

   Alternating chapters tell of a brown skinned little girl named Norma who grows up an only child in a wealthy family. She has disturbing dreams and knows there is a mystery in her family. As the narrative continues, Norma is grown and the pieces of the puzzle are finally put into place.

   Beautifully written, this debut novel unspools slowly and with care. The descriptions of the places are lovely. While readers may suspect what happened, the way the story is written is realistic and the characters move forward in their lives, always remembering the past, and searching for answers. 

Hello, Beautiful: A Novel by Ann Napolitano

 

 Beautiful: A Novel by Ann Napolitano. The Dial Press, 2023. Adult fiction.

   The four Padavano sisters often compare themselves to the sisters in Little Women. Their lives in America are very different from those of the book characters though. Julia, the oldest, could run an army and finds her husband, William, at college. Sylvie is quieter and a reader. Twins Cecelia, an artist, and Emeline, a caretaker of both young and old, are very different, too. The  novel is so well written that it is a pleasure to follow the girls and they grow up. Just as you think you know where the author is going, unexpected detours find the characters. Sit back and enjoy this journey! 

The Madstone: A Novel by Elizabeth Crook

The Madstone: A Novel by Elizabeth Crook. Little, Brown and Company, 2023. 279 pages. Historical fiction. Adult.

   Told in the form of a letter written by Benjamin Shreve in November, 1868, in Comfort, Texas, this historical fiction will delight readers of Lonesome Dove and other Western fans. Benjamin, a wood worker, becomes involved with passengers on a stranded stagecoach after it is robbed by bandits. Dickie, or Richard Dean Bell, has a purse with a treasure. Pregnant Bell Banes and her four-year-old son, Tot, are trying to get to New Orleans. Benjamin goes on a harrowing journey to help these people and finds himself. Boerne and Comfort are the main settings, but join these travelers as they embark on an epic adventure and face danger.

Where the Light Falls: A Novel of the French Revolution by Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki

 

  

Where the Light Falls: A Novel of the French Revolution by Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki. The Dial Press, 2017. Adult historical fiction.

          The intertwining stories of Jean Luc, a young lawyer, and his wife Marie who move to Paris hoping to help in the Revolution that will determine the future of their country. The king and queen are dead and Napoleon is just coming to power. Andre, a former nobleman and now soldier and his brother, Remy, fight for France. Sophie, a young widow, tries to escape her powerful and corrupt uncle and to be with Andre. Action is brisk with lots of fighting and intrigue. While readers may know where the actual history goes, it is fun to follow these characters as their lives interact during the turbulent times.  

The Queen's Fortune by Allison Pataki

 

 The Queen's Fortune: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire. Ballantine Books, 2020. Adult historical fiction.

With the new movie about Napoleon out in late 2023, readers may enjoy brushing up on French history. This historical fiction is really the story of his early love, Desiree Clary. When the younger man goes to seek his fortune in Paris, she waits patiently for him. But, Fate has other things in mind for them both and it all makes a terrific story.  Descriptions of the places and people are stunning. Well researched and including a short list of fiction and  nonfiction titles for further reading, this novel allows readers to transport themselves to a time that turned the world on its head.