Mass Market Paperbound, 416 pages
Published by Signet Book
From the publisher:
A controversial masterpiece resurfaces in Budapest. A ballerina's headless corpse is found beneath the boardwalk at Brighton Beach. And New York's Russian mafia is about to collide with the equally ruthless art world...
Maddy Blume, an ambitious young art buyer for a Manhattan hedge fund, is desperate to find a priceless painting by Marcel Duchamp, one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. A gruesome cold case thrusts the FBI into a search for the same painting, with its enigmatic image of a headless nude. And an insidious secret society is intent on reclaiming the painting for reasons of its own-and by any means necessary.
Disappearing and reappearing artwork, Russian mafiyeh, a dead ballerina, art hedge fund, international crime investigator and secret societies are all involved in and around the sale of Etant Donné, a very controversial painting by Marcel DuChamp, a twentieth century painter who was himself a bit of a mystery. For a debut novel the author sure managed to keep all these balls in the air while providing one heck of an intriguing and exciting story.
Any reader could safely assume that members of the Russian Mafiyeh would be brutal thugs but you'd think people in the art world would be sociable, kind types. No so here as some of these characters are anything but. Ruthless is one description that comes to mind. Their passion for art and the art world knows no boundaries; theft, murder, betrayal and backstabbing are the order of the day. No one is what they seem on the surface. Be prepared for a monumental twist at the end. For thriller or conspiracy fans, this should be high on your list. 4****
Alec Nevala-Lee is a Goodreads author and he can also be found here.
Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by NAL Signet in exchange for my honest
opinion.
Thanks for Nal Signet's generosity,two copie of the book are available for giveaway. Open to US only with the deadline to enter being March 6th at 5 PM (est).
To enter please leave your e mail address in a comment. If no e mail address, I will assume you do not want to be part of the giveaway.
Bonus entries are as follows:
+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me how you follow and under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Leave me a link, please.
If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with Win The Icon Thief in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com
I love thrillers but keeping a scorecard for names may beyond my ability right now! I just started Bleak House and can't believe how many characters there are!! Yikes! Still it does sound cool and I love that it has an awesome twist at the end...makes the scorecard worth it!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fascinating dip into the art world's underbelly. I am always interested in literary journeys into world's that I don't know or understand. Looks like the author did a great job juggling a complicated plot.
ReplyDeletejgbeads(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds like a complicated but intriguing book. The art world backdrop sounds interesting. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletemtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
-Network Blogs follower
Sounds like one you can't read when you're sleepy and getting ready for bed.
ReplyDeletehad me at headless corpse!
ReplyDeletecaitemaire@hotmail.com
I am captivated with this enthralling novel. many thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThis does sound like a really complex book, and most stories nowadays seem to hinge on 2 main plot thrusts, so to introduce a third seems very ambitious! This was a great review, and I enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteSounds like it'll be interesting if I can keep everything straight in my head.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon.net
I love a good thriller and have been known to keep a character diagram handy - often - especially when the names are foreign to me. Sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeletekpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
+4 I follow on Networked blogs as Karen Purbaugh Barnett.
ReplyDeletekpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
This sounds good! I'm also just starting Bleak House for a read along like one of the above commenters so the other books that I'm reading at the same time are going to have to be a little less brain intensive.
ReplyDeleteThanks for another great giveaway! I'm looking forward to reading this one ... whether I win it or not. :)
ReplyDelete+4 I follow w networked blogs.
ericandsarita at gmail dot com
Sounds like a fascinating book, though I'm always a bit hesitant to read anythign with the Russian mob in it. No need to enter me, just wanted to say wonderful review.
ReplyDeleteI love thrillers and this one sounds really good! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDelete+4 for following on Networked blogs- Carol Mintz
+3 https://twitter.com/#!/CarolAnnM/status/176726465948295169
mittens0831 at aol dot com