A gorgeously evocative and unputdownable page turner, Karen Swan’s newest release weaves the mystery of a rediscovered painting (hidden in the backing of a nationally significant masterpiece) with a deliciously intense romance between two layered and richly detailed characters whose lives (and chemistry!) kept me completely in thrall. 

I confess this is actually the first Karen Swan novel I’ve ever read, and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t pick up her books sooner!  

We follow protagonist Darcy, an art history student currently finishing off her PhD in Copenhagen. Having just broke up with her cheating boyfriend and facing the Christmas period on her own, her loved up housemate, Freja, signs her up to an exclusive dating app and gets Darcy to agree to three dates.

The first of which is smoulderingly arrogant lawyer, Max, and their attraction is instantaneous m. But when the discovery of a new painting attached to the renowned Johan Trier’s most famous work, Darcy is hired to help identify the subject. Which complicates things as Max works for the organisation whose archives she must access. 

Realising they’ll be working closely in hopes of solving this mystery, they mutually agree to give up on dating. But feelings aren’t soo easy to repress, especially for Darcy —until she discovers Max may just have ulterior motives…

With such well fleshed out characters and an intriguing, art based mystery to solve— I was thoroughly hooked! 

The depth and emotion that Swan infuses in both Darcy and Max was phenomenal, I was utterly immersed in their story and the scorching chemistry they shared. So much so, I was literally cheering them on the very moment they first made eye contact! 

But it wasn’t just Darcy and Max’s complicated feelings for one another that won me over. As a huge art lover (who also loves a good mystery) I was soo intrigued by the painting and the information that Darcy slowly managed to dig up. 

The drama and plot twists were almost Agatha Christie-esque in scope, though the emotional and rather heartbreaking story that takes shape really highlighted the human lives involved and did kinda  have me sobbing a little bit.

I know if I say any more I’ll probably spoil the whole plot, so I’ll just say if you love an emotionally evocative narrative and multifaceted characters with complicated love lives— then you definitely have to consider picking this up, it’s absolutely BRILLIANT! 

Also, a huge thank you to Chloe Davies and Pan Macmillan for the finished copy (and my stop on the blog tour.)