I’ve been drawn towards art-related stories lately, and I am loving them! This was a fantastic thriller mixing historical WWII art history into a present-day action-packed story of murder, secrets, and mystery.
Woman on Fire tells the story through the perspective of multiple characters, giving insight into so many different aspects of the story. I really enjoyed each view, and I loved the way they were put together. Jules is the main character, and she’s an investigative reporter, or trying to be. She lands a job does some undercover work to find a missing painting that was stolen by the Nazi’s during WWII. This job turns into a game of cat and mouse as people are murdered and the stakes keep getting higher and higher for Jules.
This story was full of action, and I didn’t want to put it down! I enjoyed the fast-paced timeline, and I thought the plot was great. My only downfall from this story is that there was some sexy time, and it just felt so out of place for me. I’m not against that…we all know I enjoy books featuring some steamy moments, but in a thriller, it just didn’t fall into place for me.
Overall, this was a great story, and one that I highly recommend for readers that enjoy thrillers!
Where to Find This Book:
From the author of the award-winning Fugitive Colors and The Unbreakables, a gripping tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece–forcing the ultimate showdown between passion and possession, lovers and liars, history and truth.
After talking her way into a job with Dan Mansfield, the leading investigative reporter in Chicago, rising young journalist Jules Roth is given an unusual–and very secret–assignment. Dan needs her to locate a painting stolen by the Nazis more than 75 years earlier: legendary Expressionist artist Ernst Engel’s most famous work, Woman on Fire. World-renowned shoe designer Ellis Baum wants this portrait of a beautiful, mysterious woman for deeply personal reasons, and has enlisted Dan’s help to find it. But Jules doesn’t have much time; the famous designer is dying.
Meanwhile, in Europe, provocative and powerful Margaux de Laurent also searches for the painting. Heir to her art collector family’s millions, Margaux is a cunning gallerist who gets everything she wants. The only thing standing in her way is Jules. Yet the passionate and determined Jules has unexpected resources of her own, including Adam Baum, Ellis’s grandson. A recovering addict and brilliant artist in his own right, Adam was once in Margaux’s clutches. He knows how ruthless she is, and he’ll do anything to help Jules locate the painting before Margaux gets to it first.
A thrilling tale of secrets, love, and sacrifice that illuminates the destructive cruelty of war and greed and the triumphant power of beauty and love, Woman on Fire tells the story of a remarkable woman and an exquisite work of art that burns bright, moving through hands, hearts, and history.
Just the Facts:
Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Harper
Pub Date: March 1, 2022
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
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