Rising young journalist Jules Roth is given a secret assignment by her mentor: to locate a painting stolen by the Nazis more than 75 years earlier. World-renowned shoe designer Ellis Baum wants this portrait of a beautiful, mysterious woman for deeply personal reasons before his fast-approaching death. Meanwhile, in Europe, provocative and powerful art collector Margaux de Laurent also wants the painting.
A thrilling page-turner that delivers everything from coded messages and secret knocks, to generational wounds and captivating characters. The story dives deep into the cruelties of war, the corruption of the ever-complicated art world, and the wicked ways of the powerful elite. But it also delivers a message of hope, drawing the story full circle to focus on the timeless power of beauty and love, two forces that can outlive even the darkest situations.
Barr sketches a colorful backstory for her cunning gallerist villain. Alongside a few well-placed emotional breadcrumbs, the psychopathic Margaux de Laurent is the inverse of Jules. The book veers into bodice-ripper territory with a few sexually explicit scenes ... Woman on Fire is an exciting and entertaining novel. An excellent easy read at the beach or on travel adventures of your own.
