The Art Forger

The Art Forger

Author: B.A. Shapiro
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Lydia

 B.A. Shapiro’s latest novel, The Art Forger, is a modern day mystery full of the usual mystery genre standbys: shady art dealers, priceless antiquities, beautiful women, and lies, deceit, trickery, and treachery. This book is equal parts intriguing and informational, and Shapiro is a master storyteller who expertly weaves and unravels three different storylines that deal with both the present-day and the past.

The most prominent plotline explores Claire Roth’s present-day career as a starving artist after a nasty scandal that nearly destroyed her career. She shines as a broken and bitter woman with a vengeance who is willing to do anything to reclaim her reputation in the harsh and fast-paced art world. She makes a deal to forge a priceless painting and this deal with the devil quickly spirals out of control. The second plotline unfolds Claire’s scandal which took place three years before, and in the last plotline the reader is able to read the diary of a woman connected to the priceless painting Claire is copying.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly, as it was a fun, fast read that managed to contain a good mystery at its core. At times the book became a bit too heavy with unnecessary plot details, and some readers might find the extensive explanations of painting and forging techniques tedious to read. However, in the end, The Art Forger still shines as a hidden gem of a book.