Published June 20th, 2024 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Mystery
Welcome to my review for this compelling thriller. Thank you Chloe at Pan Macmillan sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
‘Intoxicating, enthralling, compelling’ Harriet Tyce
‘Bold and ambitious and consuming from start to finish’ Louise Candlish
A stunning, intricately plotted and clever mystery’ Claire Douglas
‘Think The Secret History meets Saltburn’ Holly Watt
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Some women can’t be erased from history . . .
A story of love and madness, of obsession and revenge.
Paris, 1938: Runaway heiress Juliette Willoughby perishes, with her married lover, in an accidental studio fire alongside her Surrealist masterpiece, Self-Portrait as Sphinx.
Cambridge, 1991: Two art history students stumble across proof something sinister was at play in Juliette’s death, threatening to expose the long-buried secrets of the artist’s aristocratic family.
Dubai, now: An art dealer is accused of the brutal murder of his oldest friend – the last surviving member of the Willoughby dynasty.
Three suspicious deaths over the course of a century.
Is the key to unlocking them all hidden in Juliette Willoughby’s lost painting?
From the author of The Club, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is Ellery Lloyd’s compulsive multiple – timeline mystery – a story of love and madness, of obsession and revenge.
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MY REVIEW:
Glamorous, bold, ambitious and intelligent, The Final Act of Juliette Willougby is a captivating story of love, madness, scandal, revenge, and justice.
Juliette Willoughby is famous in the art world for her surrealist masterpiece, Self Portrait as Sphinx. The heiress fled her ancestral home to live in Paris with her married lover and the pair were tragically killed in an accidental studio fire in 1938. Her portrait was also destroyed. 53 years later two art history students at Cambridge discover proof that her death may not have been accidental after all. A discovery that could be disastrous for her aristocratic family as it threatens to expose their long-buried secrets. In the present day, an art dealer in Dubai is accused of murdering his oldest friend who just happened to be the last surviving member of the Willoughby dynasty. Could Juliette’s lost painting hold the key to unlocking these mysteries?
This was one of our SquadPod featured books last month and I was even more excited to read it after watching Vik’s Instagram Live with the authors. I’ve also seen many other bloggers sing Ellery Lloyd’s praises, but I’m ashamed to say that despite owning all of their books, this was my first time reading one of them. The hype is real my friends and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. Skillfully written, cleverly plotted, intricately woven and filled with twists and red herrings I was on the edge of my seat trying to unravel this complex mystery. A vast array of compelling characters drew me into their world as the story moved seamlessly between timelines and narrators. I was hooked and only solved the puzzle moments before the big reveal and the surprising but satisfying conclusion.
Heart-stopping, immersive, and gripping, The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is a riveting thriller and a must-read for fans of the genre.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Collette Lyons is a journalist and editor, the former content director of Elle (UK) and editorial director at Soho House. She has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and the Sunday Times.
Paul Vlitos is the author of two previous novels, Welcome to the Working Week and Every Day is Like Sunday. He is the program director for English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Surrey.
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BUY THE BOOK:
Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
Emma's Biblio Treasures 