The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne This is the fifth in the Verlaque & Bonnet series, and I love the covers. I've only read Death in the Vines in the series, but I have to admit that I liked it better than this one.
There is a murder, a missing painting that might be a Cezanne, a mystery about who the woman in the painting is (definitely not Madame Cezanne), and a lot about Aix-en-Provence, Cezanne's home town.
I usually love novels about art, but for some reason I wasn't convinced by the way the story alternated between the portion concerning Cezanne in Aix and the contemporary setting.
If you are a Francophile, you will appreciate the way the author handles the setting and the characters in her contemporary Aix-en-Provence, although it might be a good idea to begin at the beginning to get a handle on all of the characters.
The following link is to an interesting article about Longworth and her Verlaque & Bonnet novels on NPR: Mystery Writer Weaves Intricate Puzzles in Sleepy French Town .
Read in September; scheduled for October 2
NetGalley/Penguin Group
Mystery. Sept. 10, 2015. Print length: 320 pages.
Too bad this particular mystery wasn't as good as you hoped; I love mysteries about lost paintings and art... when they're done really well. Have you ever read any of Kelly Jones' novels? She usually has art in her stories...the few I've read I've liked. But I haven't read them all.
ReplyDeleteI usually like mysteries about lost paintings and art, too, but there was something about the Cezanne portion of the story that didn't feel right to me. Yet there was interesting information about Cezanne's personality and his relationships with other painters that was intriguing. I'd read about his wife before, but not about his broken friendship with Emile Zola. I will read more in the series, though, because I really liked Death in the Vines.
DeleteThe artwork on the cover is great. That's too bad this one didn't work out for you but do you think you'll continue with the series? I'm assuming there will be more of course.
ReplyDeleteIf they are offered on NetGalley, I'll read them! I really like the setting of Aix-en-Provence and the interaction among the characters.
DeleteI like the cover; and I like stories about missing art or antiques. It's a pity that part of the story isn't what you've expected. Hopefully the next book will be better.
ReplyDeleteThe covers for this series are all quite nice! The artist has done a great job on all of them!
Delete