Reads like fan-fiction. Like, 'Nordic Noir' mixed with Dan Brown. Or maybe 'videogame cutscene' is a good analog. Only made it around 40 pages. ( )

Boring, slow paced. ( )

An interesting book with a few twists. Some of the historic details were a bit tedious and the dialogue often unnatural. A creative book that seems to be well researched and structured. ( )

A story of art theft that turns out to be connected to lore about the secret society of Rosicrucians. Though this is by a former XF fan writer whose style is much, much, much better than Dan Brown’s, the comparisons to The Da Vinci Code are obvious and not unwarranted in terms of basic plot. But again, Nevala-Lee is a better writer, and the conspiracy aspects are just part of a broader and more persuasive story about Russian and Georgian organized crime intersecting with the business of art. Not my usual thing, but I couldn’t stop reading once I started. ( )

Complex, intriguing read with a myriad of characters within a 3 plotline structure. I definitely had to keep my wits about me with this one; I needed a score card to keep all the players straight in my own head.

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.. ( )