Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr

I love novels with intelligent, courageous and truth-seeking female protagonists. Jules Roth is a young, talented investigative journalist who talks her way into a job working for the leading investigative reporter, Dan Mansfield. Dan trust Jules instinctively and assigns her to a special project right out of the shoot. Dan has been hired by a famous and wealthy fashion designer (shoes), Ellis Baum, to find a painting ("Woman on Fire") of his mother from the early 1940s, during the peak of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Both the artist (Ernst Engel) and Ellis' mother were killed by the Nazis after the painting was finished. Being the last painting of this famous artist, it's considered extremely valuable. Ellis, of course, doesn't care about the monetary value of the painting. He wants the painting because it's of his mother, who he witnessed being murdered by the Nazi soldiers when he was a young boy. Hitler wanted to destroy certain artwork during his reign, especially impressionist paintings by famous artists. Other valuable artwork he wanted for himself. Others tried to stop this theft and destruction by taking and hiding art from the Nazis.

In every good story with a strong protagonist, there has to be a strong antagonist of course. In this case, it's Margaux de Laurent. Margaux owns several renowned galleries. She is beautiful, intelligent, ruthless and a psychopath. She destroys everything and everyone in her path if they get in her way. She uses seduction (men & women), drugs, threats, whatever it takes to get what she wants. Since Margaux' father (recently deceased) spent the family fortune on drugs and alcohol and "having a good time", Margaux' galleries are struggling financially and she is deep in debt. At one point after the death of Ernst Engel, her grandfather had possession of "Woman on Fire" and Margaux is in possession of the paperwork saying that the painting had been signed over to her grandfather. Margaux decides that she is the rightful owner of this painting and she will stop at nothing to get her hands on it.

Not only is this book incredibly interesting, delving into the art world during Hitler's reign and the aftermath, but it's a fast-paced thriller with several moving parts. This is a gritty story and parts of it were not easy to read. I am still upset by one particular event. All said and done however, the journey was fascinating and the ending was satisfying.

Wendy's Rating: *****