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Title details for The Chrysalis by Heather Terrell - Available

The Chrysalis

A Novel

by Heather Terrell
ebook
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Haarlem, Holland, seventeenth-century: The city’s chief magistrate commissions a family portrait from Dutch master painter Johannes Miereveld. But when the artist sees the magistrate’s daughter, Amalia, an illicit love affair begins. Miereveld creates a captivating masterpiece, The Chrysalis–a stunning portrait of the Virgin Mary, full of Catholic symbols, that outrages his Protestant patron and signals the death of his career.
New York, present day: Mara Coyne is one high-profile case away from making partner at her powerful Manhattan law firm, and now the client that is sure to seal the deal has fallen into her lap. The prestigious Beazley’s auction house is about to sell a lost masterwork, The Chrysalis, in an auction that is destined to become legendary. Standing in the way, however, is the shocking accusation that the painting belongs not to Beazley’s client but to Hilda Baum, the daughter of a Dutch collector who lost his paintings–and his life–to the Nazis.
The case brings an unexpected surprise when Mara discovers that Beazley’s in-house attorney is Michael Roarke, a man for whom she once had an intense attraction. But the same skills that make her a brilliant litigator also make Mara suspicious, and she begins to believe that Hilda’s tragic family story might be more than just heartbreaking–it might be true. And the man she’s come to love might not be who she thought he was at all.
Spanning centuries and continents, The Chrysalis is a brilliant, intelligent, fast-paced thriller that melds art and history into a provocative work of fiction. From the underground Catholicism in seventeenth-century Holland to the unspeakable crimes of the Nazis and the repercussions that reverberate to this day throughout the art world, Heather Terrell has created a fascinating story that will entrance readers to the very last page.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    May 15, 2007

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780345500298

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780345500298
      • File size: 388 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 30, 2007
      A luminous portrait by a fictitious artist is at the heart of Terrell's disappointing debut thriller. The painting actively links three separate story lines, presented in alternating chapters. A 17th-century Dutch artist creates a painting as a tribute to his lover and his Catholic faith; in 194's Amsterdam, Erich Baum is shipping his precious artwork to France for safekeeping; a present-day Manhattan attorney defends an auction house against claims by a Dutch woman that the Nazis stole the painting from her family. It's a promising plot structure, but that promise is buried under repetitious explanations of the legal issues, inept pacing and awkward dialogue. Former litigator Terrell earnestly wants to focus on questions of morality and betrayal across three centuries, but her artless writing frustrates those ambitions.

    • Library Journal

      April 1, 2007
      Lawyer Terrell's first novel is a gem of suspense. Mara Coyne, gunning for partnership with a prestigious law firm, is assigned a case involving art stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Her firm is representing the auction house that arranged for the sale of a painting called "The Chrysalis" after the war; the daughter of the previous owner is seeking to regain her family's stolen art. Coyne is thrilled to tackle such an important case but surprised to meet the client, Michael Roarke, an old college acquaintance. While drawn into a romance with him, Coyne puts together an airtight case in favor of her client. Intertwined with the present-day tale are scenes set in World War II Netherlands as the family tries to escape to Italy with its art, and in the 17th century, as the life of fictional Dutch master Johannes Miereveld and his creation of "The Chrysalis" unfold against a backdrop of class and religious struggles. When Coyne accidentally discovers her work may have been tainted, she has to make tough decisions. An entertaining read; recommended.Beth Lindsay, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

      Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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