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The Lost Masterpiece
A fascinating art history novel from New York Times bestselling author of The Art Forger, B.A. Shapiro, whose new mystery follows 19th-century Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot and her 21st-century great-great-great granddaughter, who inherits a Nazi-looted Èdouard Manet painting; for fans of Sarah Dunant, Elizabeth Kostova, Robin Oliveira, and Nancy Horan.
Stretching from the late-nineteenth century to the present day, The Lost Masterpiece is wrapped around an enigmatic and powerful painting, Party on the Seine. Stolen by the Nazis. Believed to be destroyed for almost a century. Possibly haunted by the anguished spirit of Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot. Survivor of a flood, an earthquake and a fire when all the other artworks around it were destroyed. What secrets does it hold? What power?
When Tamara Rubin inherits the valuable Party on the Seine, created by the famous ancestor she never knew she had—Edouard Manet—she also inherits a deep history and mystery. As the painting begins to metamorphose into darker and more terrifying versions of itself, Tamara's life is upended. Who was her great-great-great-great-grandmother Berthe Morisot? What wounds, riddles and resentments plagued her, and what lengths will the spirit of Berthe go in order to enact her revenge?
The Lost Masterpiece is story of love, adultery, betrayal, longing, family secrets, and the birth of Impressionism. Set partly in Paris in the late 1800s, the novel explores the life of a female artist when it was completely improper for a woman to paint seriously. Even as Berthe Morisot socialized and shared a studio with Manet, Degas, Renoir, and others, she carried on a passionate affair with Édouard Manet. Shapiro brings Berthe’s world to life, as she traces her work through generations of her descendants and introduces us to a painter as brilliant and original as her male counterparts. Across 150 years of triumphs, struggles, passions, animosities and malevolence, Shapiro does what she always does so she shows us how art can open up our senses and enlarge our world.
Stretching from the late-nineteenth century to the present day, The Lost Masterpiece is wrapped around an enigmatic and powerful painting, Party on the Seine. Stolen by the Nazis. Believed to be destroyed for almost a century. Possibly haunted by the anguished spirit of Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot. Survivor of a flood, an earthquake and a fire when all the other artworks around it were destroyed. What secrets does it hold? What power?
When Tamara Rubin inherits the valuable Party on the Seine, created by the famous ancestor she never knew she had—Edouard Manet—she also inherits a deep history and mystery. As the painting begins to metamorphose into darker and more terrifying versions of itself, Tamara's life is upended. Who was her great-great-great-great-grandmother Berthe Morisot? What wounds, riddles and resentments plagued her, and what lengths will the spirit of Berthe go in order to enact her revenge?
The Lost Masterpiece is story of love, adultery, betrayal, longing, family secrets, and the birth of Impressionism. Set partly in Paris in the late 1800s, the novel explores the life of a female artist when it was completely improper for a woman to paint seriously. Even as Berthe Morisot socialized and shared a studio with Manet, Degas, Renoir, and others, she carried on a passionate affair with Édouard Manet. Shapiro brings Berthe’s world to life, as she traces her work through generations of her descendants and introduces us to a painter as brilliant and original as her male counterparts. Across 150 years of triumphs, struggles, passions, animosities and malevolence, Shapiro does what she always does so she shows us how art can open up our senses and enlarge our world.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published June 17, 2025
226 people are currently reading
4910 people want to read
About the author
B.A. Shapiro
12 books980 followersB.A. Shapiro is the award-wining, NYT bestselling author of THE MURALIST and THE ART FORGER, both stories of art, mystery and history with a bit of romance thrown in.
She's also written five suspense novels -- THE SAFE ROOM, BLIND SPOT, SEE NO EVIL, BLAMELESS and SHATTERED ECHOES -- four screenplays and the nonfiction book, THE BIG SQUEEZE.
In her previous career incarnations, she directed research projects for a residential substance abuse facility, worked as a systems analyst/statistician, headed the Boston office of a software development firm, and served as an adjunct professor teaching sociology at Tufts University and creative writing at Northeastern University.
She began her writing career when she quit her high-pressure job after the birth of her second child. Nervous about what to do next, she said to her mother, "If I'm not playing at being superwoman anymore, I don't know who I am." Her mother answered with the question: "If you had one year to live, how would you want to spend it?" The answer: write a novel and spend more time with her children. And that's exactly what she did. Smart mother.
After writing seven novels and raising her children, she now lives in Boston with her husband Dan and her dog Sagan. And yes, she's working on yet another novel but has no plans to raise any more children.
She's also written five suspense novels -- THE SAFE ROOM, BLIND SPOT, SEE NO EVIL, BLAMELESS and SHATTERED ECHOES -- four screenplays and the nonfiction book, THE BIG SQUEEZE.
In her previous career incarnations, she directed research projects for a residential substance abuse facility, worked as a systems analyst/statistician, headed the Boston office of a software development firm, and served as an adjunct professor teaching sociology at Tufts University and creative writing at Northeastern University.
She began her writing career when she quit her high-pressure job after the birth of her second child. Nervous about what to do next, she said to her mother, "If I'm not playing at being superwoman anymore, I don't know who I am." Her mother answered with the question: "If you had one year to live, how would you want to spend it?" The answer: write a novel and spend more time with her children. And that's exactly what she did. Smart mother.
After writing seven novels and raising her children, she now lives in Boston with her husband Dan and her dog Sagan. And yes, she's working on yet another novel but has no plans to raise any more children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
November 27, 2025
I was first introduced to this author when I stumbled across Metropolis while browsing shelves at the library. I found the plot, characters and premise were unique and her narrative style engaging. Authors who use relatable characters with 'quirks' and understand the value of immersive worlds are the sort I gravitate toward. I had relatively similar experience with The Art Forger since I've always been intrigued by priceless works of art and how they're restored, valued and in this case, forged.
The story opens in the present where we meet Tamara who works for startup that's developing ground breaking cures. She's contacted by an organization that hunts for heirs of masterpieces stolen by the Nazi's. It turns out her great great great great grandmother had a unique relationship with Eduardo Manet, the well known Impressionist and one of his most famous pieces had been discovered in the Nazi collection, its provenance tied to her grandparents. The story toggles back and forth between the late 1800s when Manet, Degas and other artists collaborated. During that era artists carefully chose models to create masterpieces. When Manet is introduced to Tamara's ancestor whose mother wants him as mentor, an adulterous romance blossoms
The author moves from the establishment of the 'new' art genre to the romance between Manet and his model and remains there for countless chapters. When it toggles back to the present, we learn how Tamara gets romantically involved with an attorney who'd been retained to deal with the Manet family's claim as rightful owners.
In other words, the title is a complete misnomer; and while there are elements associated with the mystery and artist, the story is romantic at heart. As a result, the appeal wore thin and I decided against finishing it. Reading the Acknowledgement page, the author thanks several people saying it might never have seen the light of day without them. It seemed obvious she had little confidence it would be of interest and I couldn't agree more. Writing is art and individual tastes vary.
The story opens in the present where we meet Tamara who works for startup that's developing ground breaking cures. She's contacted by an organization that hunts for heirs of masterpieces stolen by the Nazi's. It turns out her great great great great grandmother had a unique relationship with Eduardo Manet, the well known Impressionist and one of his most famous pieces had been discovered in the Nazi collection, its provenance tied to her grandparents. The story toggles back and forth between the late 1800s when Manet, Degas and other artists collaborated. During that era artists carefully chose models to create masterpieces. When Manet is introduced to Tamara's ancestor whose mother wants him as mentor, an adulterous romance blossoms
The author moves from the establishment of the 'new' art genre to the romance between Manet and his model and remains there for countless chapters. When it toggles back to the present, we learn how Tamara gets romantically involved with an attorney who'd been retained to deal with the Manet family's claim as rightful owners.
In other words, the title is a complete misnomer; and while there are elements associated with the mystery and artist, the story is romantic at heart. As a result, the appeal wore thin and I decided against finishing it. Reading the Acknowledgement page, the author thanks several people saying it might never have seen the light of day without them. It seemed obvious she had little confidence it would be of interest and I couldn't agree more. Writing is art and individual tastes vary.
June 11, 2025
Based on the blurb, this sounded really intriguing but the execution fell short for me.
I enjoyed the writing within this book but I struggled with one of the main characters, Tamara, and her choices. I also generally did not like this character's personality.
The art history chapters of this book were much better than the present day chapters with Tamara, but I still found the story to be a bit slow and it wasn't too gripping for me. When I read this blurb, I was really hoping for a similar experience to The Goldfinch.
In my opinion, the supernatural aspect felt out of place within this story. What I did enjoy was reading about the artists. Their characters seemed to match up with what I've learned about their real life counterparts. The personalities felt fitting.
Overall, I don't think this was a bad book by any means but I also felt that it struggled to come together in a way that I personally would've liked it to.
Thank you to Algonquin Books and The Future of Agency for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed the writing within this book but I struggled with one of the main characters, Tamara, and her choices. I also generally did not like this character's personality.
The art history chapters of this book were much better than the present day chapters with Tamara, but I still found the story to be a bit slow and it wasn't too gripping for me. When I read this blurb, I was really hoping for a similar experience to The Goldfinch.
In my opinion, the supernatural aspect felt out of place within this story. What I did enjoy was reading about the artists. Their characters seemed to match up with what I've learned about their real life counterparts. The personalities felt fitting.
Overall, I don't think this was a bad book by any means but I also felt that it struggled to come together in a way that I personally would've liked it to.
Thank you to Algonquin Books and The Future of Agency for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
March 20, 2025
Quite a disapointment. The plot was intriguing and (moderately) well constructed, and the parts in the past with Berthe and her daughter Aimée were very cleverly put, but the main character in the present, Tamara, was absolutely dreadful.
March 13, 2025
This is a solid 3 star book for me. That may seem tepid for a book I finished, learned from, and liked well enough, but there were a few things that irked me enough I nearly stopped reading about one-third of the way in.
The book revolves around the fictional painting Party on the Seine, allegedly painted by Edouard Manet. We move in time from the present, when a scientist/business executive named Tamara learns she is the sole heir to the painting and takes possession of it—and it takes possession of her; the 19th century at the dawn of the Impressionist movement and the rise of Manet and the underappreciated painter Berthe Morisot; and the 20th century, as the painting is loved by Morisot’s daughter and granddaughter before being stolen by the Nazis.
This could have been brilliant. I’ve read and liked other books by Shapiro. I kept my smart phone at hand so I could look at the paintings and read more about the painters and the artistic movement they launched. As a bonus, I read this book two weeks after returning from Paris and seeing live some of the paintings talked about in the book.
But the author made some choices I just didn’t respect, hence the tepid 3 stars.
First, Tamara is supposed to be a brilliant woman with a Harvard degree but she acts giddy and insipid, a lot. Ick.
I liked the portrayals of Morisot and Manet and there’s a likelihood they are reasonably accurate. There is a strong chance the two had an affair, though they never had a child together. But the characters of Manet’s wife and brother are stereotypical justifications for infidelity and based on what I’ve read, offensively inaccurate.
But here’s the real knock against the book—Morisot’s haunting of the painting and all the paranormal activity surrounding it is absurd. I like magic realism as much as the next reader, I’ll suspend disbelief, but these editorial choices felt like crutches for an author who didn’t know how to accomplish what she wanted with her story so she went with spectacle.
Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the providing an ARC e-book in exchange for my honest review.
The book revolves around the fictional painting Party on the Seine, allegedly painted by Edouard Manet. We move in time from the present, when a scientist/business executive named Tamara learns she is the sole heir to the painting and takes possession of it—and it takes possession of her; the 19th century at the dawn of the Impressionist movement and the rise of Manet and the underappreciated painter Berthe Morisot; and the 20th century, as the painting is loved by Morisot’s daughter and granddaughter before being stolen by the Nazis.
This could have been brilliant. I’ve read and liked other books by Shapiro. I kept my smart phone at hand so I could look at the paintings and read more about the painters and the artistic movement they launched. As a bonus, I read this book two weeks after returning from Paris and seeing live some of the paintings talked about in the book.
But the author made some choices I just didn’t respect, hence the tepid 3 stars.
First, Tamara is supposed to be a brilliant woman with a Harvard degree but she acts giddy and insipid, a lot. Ick.
I liked the portrayals of Morisot and Manet and there’s a likelihood they are reasonably accurate. There is a strong chance the two had an affair, though they never had a child together. But the characters of Manet’s wife and brother are stereotypical justifications for infidelity and based on what I’ve read, offensively inaccurate.
But here’s the real knock against the book—Morisot’s haunting of the painting and all the paranormal activity surrounding it is absurd. I like magic realism as much as the next reader, I’ll suspend disbelief, but these editorial choices felt like crutches for an author who didn’t know how to accomplish what she wanted with her story so she went with spectacle.
Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the providing an ARC e-book in exchange for my honest review.
June 13, 2025
I have read other books by B. A. Shapiro and enjoyed them - she has a real feel for portraying unique angles of the art world. So, I was eagerly looking forward to this book, but unfortunately I left it with mixed feelings. The story concerns an American woman who learns that she is a direct descendant of the Impressionist painter Edouard Manet and has inherited one of his paintings. When another descendant of Manet’s challenges her for rightful ownership, and when the painting starts to lead her to Manet’s contemporary Berthe Morisot, she decides to pursue the painting’s provenance to prove it belongs to her.
This might have been a fascinating story were it not for two elements. First, the author chose to fictionalize key elements of Morisot’s life, including the number and names of Morisot’s children, birth and death dates, and the names of paintings. Yes, I know that historical fiction takes liberties (and I do understand making up the name of a painting at the center of the story in order to protect the owners of real works), but I don’t understand some of the choices the author made, which seemed to take liberties with the facts only in order to justify the story she wanted to tell. If you have to do this, why not make up completely fictional characters? In fact, I notice that the publisher has classified this as sci-fi, thriller and women’s fiction, not even historical fiction.
The second problem has to do with the character of Tamara, who inherits the painting. The author has chosen to include a supernatural element which initially seems harmless but as the story progresses, becomes more and more unbelievable. Yes, supernatural elements can be used with great success, but this plot line was simply not believable, and, like the fictionalization discussed above, seems included only because the protagonist would not be able to prove her heritage without it. It doesn’t help that the author portrays Tamara as unstable, flaky, and a regular user of gummies.
I wish I could recommend this book more heartily, because I love Berthe Morisot’s and Edouard Manet’s work, and I agree that Morisot has gotten short shrift in art history. But when a book like this comes out, I always worry (hopefully needlessly) that people who don’t know much about art will assume the elements of the story are true, which does a disservice to the artists being depicted.
Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This might have been a fascinating story were it not for two elements. First, the author chose to fictionalize key elements of Morisot’s life, including the number and names of Morisot’s children, birth and death dates, and the names of paintings. Yes, I know that historical fiction takes liberties (and I do understand making up the name of a painting at the center of the story in order to protect the owners of real works), but I don’t understand some of the choices the author made, which seemed to take liberties with the facts only in order to justify the story she wanted to tell. If you have to do this, why not make up completely fictional characters? In fact, I notice that the publisher has classified this as sci-fi, thriller and women’s fiction, not even historical fiction.
The second problem has to do with the character of Tamara, who inherits the painting. The author has chosen to include a supernatural element which initially seems harmless but as the story progresses, becomes more and more unbelievable. Yes, supernatural elements can be used with great success, but this plot line was simply not believable, and, like the fictionalization discussed above, seems included only because the protagonist would not be able to prove her heritage without it. It doesn’t help that the author portrays Tamara as unstable, flaky, and a regular user of gummies.
I wish I could recommend this book more heartily, because I love Berthe Morisot’s and Edouard Manet’s work, and I agree that Morisot has gotten short shrift in art history. But when a book like this comes out, I always worry (hopefully needlessly) that people who don’t know much about art will assume the elements of the story are true, which does a disservice to the artists being depicted.
Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 17, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book, especially the historical chapters about the group of 19th century French painters who eventually became the Impressionists. The present-day sections of the book were interesting, but more fanciful. I found myself doing a lot of research of works of art mentioned in the book as I read. Overall, it was a good read and contains a sneaky little reference to the author’s book The Art Forger.
November 16, 2025
Historical fiction with a little magical realism sprinkled in. The historical story involves Bertha Morisot and Edouard Manet, who painted together and may have been lovers too, and one special painting Morisot painted but was later attributed to Edouard. The author nicely evokes Paris in the late 1800’s and early 1920’s. The modern timeline involves a somewhat irritating descendant of Bertha Morisot who attempts to reclaim the special painting. As usual, I enjoyed the historical timeline more than the modern timeline, and I found that the modern history story dragged on too long, but overall it was an entertaining read.
September 2, 2025
I had a major problem with the twist of this book. I guessed very early on that Tamara's painting was actually by Morisot and had been misattributed to Manet. There's no way this would happen. These two artists have different styles.
Another mistake was when Tamara looked at the Louvre website and said Olympia and Luncheon on the Grass were in that collection. Wrong. They are in the Musee d'orsay.
Another mistake was when Tamara looked at the Louvre website and said Olympia and Luncheon on the Grass were in that collection. Wrong. They are in the Musee d'orsay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2025
Tamara is shocked to learn that she has inherited a gorgeous masterpiece by Manet, it had been taken from her family by the Nazis and so she didn’t even know about its existence. Now that it is in her home, she is mesmerized by the beauty and depth of the painting. Berthe Morisot, one of the original impressionists who has been forgotten by history, tells her story in the other timeline of this book. Tamara’s life has been upended by the receipt of the painting, and learns more about Berthe and her family while she fights the Manet Foundation and her distant cousin, to keep it.
This reminded me of a French version of Anita De Monte Laughs Last - a extremely talented female artist who is overshadowed by her male contemporaries and the man she loves (and it has some of the same magical realism that I loved from Anita). Always a fan of historical fiction and art, I really enjoyed reading about all the famous impressionists that Berthe interacted with (Degas, Manet, Monet etc.). Tamara’s story was no less interesting to me because it had a dabbling of magical realism that did not seem out there in the context of the novel. This was a great read, informative and entertaining.
This reminded me of a French version of Anita De Monte Laughs Last - a extremely talented female artist who is overshadowed by her male contemporaries and the man she loves (and it has some of the same magical realism that I loved from Anita). Always a fan of historical fiction and art, I really enjoyed reading about all the famous impressionists that Berthe interacted with (Degas, Manet, Monet etc.). Tamara’s story was no less interesting to me because it had a dabbling of magical realism that did not seem out there in the context of the novel. This was a great read, informative and entertaining.
August 10, 2025
I have read several B.A. Shapiro novels and truly enjoy her writing style. I also find the artistic elements in her stories so interesting. So when I heard about The Lost Masterpiece, I was in.
The Lost Masterpiece is told in a split time line between the 19th century Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot and her 21st century great-great-great granddaughter who inherits a Nazi looted masterpiece by Edouard Manet. Being a fan of Impressionism, I enjoyed the fictional portrayal of all the major players in the movement and learning more about how that style of painting became popular. I had never realized how groundbreaking the art was in that time and the struggle the artists faced. Also learning about how difficult it was in particular for female artists and the restrictions placed on the type of subject matter they could paint was astonishing to me.
I was not as drawn in to the present day narrative with Tamara but it didn't really detract from the overall novel, as I was so enthralled with the subject matter as a whole. I was googling all of the masterpieces mentioned so I could admire the work and I think that helped bring the story to life for me as well.
I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Lost Masterpiece is told in a split time line between the 19th century Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot and her 21st century great-great-great granddaughter who inherits a Nazi looted masterpiece by Edouard Manet. Being a fan of Impressionism, I enjoyed the fictional portrayal of all the major players in the movement and learning more about how that style of painting became popular. I had never realized how groundbreaking the art was in that time and the struggle the artists faced. Also learning about how difficult it was in particular for female artists and the restrictions placed on the type of subject matter they could paint was astonishing to me.
I was not as drawn in to the present day narrative with Tamara but it didn't really detract from the overall novel, as I was so enthralled with the subject matter as a whole. I was googling all of the masterpieces mentioned so I could admire the work and I think that helped bring the story to life for me as well.
I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2025
Tamara gets a call from an agency working to restore art stolen by the Nazis to the rightful owners. She is now the owner of a painting by Manet. Tamara, who knew little of her family’s history, learns she is related to Berthe Morisot, a female impressionist painter. She has the painting delivered to her apartment. It entrances her, and she feels a strange and eerie connection to the image of Morisot in the painting. This leads us into another story line about Morisot and Manet, their love and the creation of the painting. Meanwhile, Tamara is fighting off a challenge by Manet’s heirs for ownership of the painting. In building her case she grows closer to Morisot and the secret of the painting.
I did make a trip to the Met to see works by Morisot and Manet after reading this.
I did make a trip to the Met to see works by Morisot and Manet after reading this.
July 13, 2025
DNF - finally gave up at page 106. I normally like B.A. Shapiro’s but had to force myself to read this one.
September 27, 2025
Have you ever noticed that we are surrounded by sweatshirts and bumper stickers commanding us to “Believe”? I’m not sure whether this refers to Santa Claus, a higher power, or folks with fragile self-esteem who need encouragement.
But a reader will need to follow this order to accept the outcome of this book. One needs especially to “not look behind the curtain“ or think too much about how a diary with questionable provenance and procurement would hold up legally in a court of law.
Shapiro is also somewhat fast and loose with a number of dates, names, and other facts, as is her right as a novelist. Some of these discrepancies/decisions are addressed in her author’s note, although I wonder about the motivation for some of these choices: e.g., why does she need to change Morisot’s actual daughter’s name from Julie to Isabeau?
Nonetheless, the narrative is enjoyable and even educational in achieving its main purpose: to give Berthe Morisot her due in the history of Impressionism.
What does Shapiro get right? The story of the scandal around and rejection of early French Impressionist art during exhibitions of the 1870s. And the struggle for Morisot to paint, choose her own content, and exhibit publicly given all the restrictions and inhibitions for women artists (especially if married) during that time period.
Also intriguingly developed is the subplot of an adulterous affair between Morisot and Edouard Manet (her colleague and brother-in-law). In the factual art world this longtime speculation has never been substantially proved.
This book motivated me to look up images of Morisot’s art and facts about her life. As a fan of her art for many decades, I loved exploring her personal history and the milieu in which she lived and worked via this book, even while taking it all in with a grain of salt.
But a reader will need to follow this order to accept the outcome of this book. One needs especially to “not look behind the curtain“ or think too much about how a diary with questionable provenance and procurement would hold up legally in a court of law.
Shapiro is also somewhat fast and loose with a number of dates, names, and other facts, as is her right as a novelist. Some of these discrepancies/decisions are addressed in her author’s note, although I wonder about the motivation for some of these choices: e.g., why does she need to change Morisot’s actual daughter’s name from Julie to Isabeau?
Nonetheless, the narrative is enjoyable and even educational in achieving its main purpose: to give Berthe Morisot her due in the history of Impressionism.
What does Shapiro get right? The story of the scandal around and rejection of early French Impressionist art during exhibitions of the 1870s. And the struggle for Morisot to paint, choose her own content, and exhibit publicly given all the restrictions and inhibitions for women artists (especially if married) during that time period.
Also intriguingly developed is the subplot of an adulterous affair between Morisot and Edouard Manet (her colleague and brother-in-law). In the factual art world this longtime speculation has never been substantially proved.
This book motivated me to look up images of Morisot’s art and facts about her life. As a fan of her art for many decades, I loved exploring her personal history and the milieu in which she lived and worked via this book, even while taking it all in with a grain of salt.
June 17, 2025
{3.5 stars}
Thanks to Algonquin Books and The Future of Agency for the gifted copy. All opinions below are my own.
I love BA Shapiro's Metropolis so I was excited to try another book by this author. This is quite a different story though. Based somewhat in reality, it is about a Manet painting that was stolen by the Nazi's. A woman is contacted to reunite her with this art that she didn't even know was destined to be hers. She had no idea that her family had been impacted by the war. But quickly that claim is challenged and she starts fighting for a painting she never even knew she wanted. We get alternating chapters with her ancestors including the one who painted with Manet and we learn how the family became associated with the painting.
I liked the idea of this one more than the execution. It was very slow. Too much talk about painting and social mores. I enjoyed the present timeline but that was maybe only 20% of the overall book. It was missing some of the quippy, quirkiness that I loved about Metropolis. Plus a main plot point is an ongoing infidelity which was I didn't enjoy reading and it made it hard to root for the person you're supposed to root for. If you like art though, this would definitely be a lovely story for you to sink your teeth into.
Thanks to Algonquin Books and The Future of Agency for the gifted copy. All opinions below are my own.
I love BA Shapiro's Metropolis so I was excited to try another book by this author. This is quite a different story though. Based somewhat in reality, it is about a Manet painting that was stolen by the Nazi's. A woman is contacted to reunite her with this art that she didn't even know was destined to be hers. She had no idea that her family had been impacted by the war. But quickly that claim is challenged and she starts fighting for a painting she never even knew she wanted. We get alternating chapters with her ancestors including the one who painted with Manet and we learn how the family became associated with the painting.
I liked the idea of this one more than the execution. It was very slow. Too much talk about painting and social mores. I enjoyed the present timeline but that was maybe only 20% of the overall book. It was missing some of the quippy, quirkiness that I loved about Metropolis. Plus a main plot point is an ongoing infidelity which was I didn't enjoy reading and it made it hard to root for the person you're supposed to root for. If you like art though, this would definitely be a lovely story for you to sink your teeth into.
July 23, 2025
Shapiro’s ability to integrate details of creating, appreciating, and deconstructing the art of the painter, in this case the nascent Impressionists, enlivens every book she has written as she demonstrates her deep research and respect and admiration for those who create with oils, pastels, and charcoal. This strength plus her URN (Unreliable Narrator) Tamara, a flawed and highly conflicted contemporary CH who narrates much of this novel rotating with the 3rd person voices of a cast of females from the painter Berthe Morisot and her fictional daughter Aimée and granddaughter Colette from 1868 until WWII, sometimes using diaries. Versions of other real Impressionists of that period in Paris are captured superbly from Degas, Monet, Pissaro, Sisley, and more prominently, Édouard Manet. In the Author’s Notes at the back of the book, Shapiro informs the reader who is based in reality and who is purely fictional and even the made-up CHs are bursting with life as she renders the details of everyday Parisian artistic life through their social, studio, and domestic lives through the décor, the fashion, the cuisine, and the mores of those times. The streets of Paris and the other places in France add to the historic detail, as well as Tamara’s Boston apartment, her workplace, and that urban environment. But it is the art—one painting in particular that becomes its own CH overarching the two time periods. There are a lot of CHs in this novel and lawyers Jonathan and Wyatt are interesting foils for each other, as Tamara investigates her ancestry, goes on a monumental search for a painting’s provenance, and deconstructs her own psyche. Themes of Jewish WWII reparation, female agency, social and economic class issues, FDA drug trials, misogyny, and legal greed play their part in this multi-layered novel. The parallel of Berthe and Tamara’s realities are both driving comparisons and contrasts as the importance of family, following one’s gut, and taking chances (even rash ones) also play their part in the plotting. I do think this novel is at least 100 pages longer than it needs to be (better editing?), and even though the historical details were initially beguiling they started to become repetitive and unnecessary as the historic diurnal minutiae became a burden for me. Some of the Plot points (Tamara’s choices) also are problematic and I question if some of them would fly in reality. Shapiro includes a bibliography in her Author's Notes. RED FLAGS: Nazi horrors; Misogyny. Readalikes: If you have never read Shapiro’s The Art Forger (There is a shout-out to the main CH of Forger in Masterpiece)—this is a must read for anyone who enjoys art, Boston, good CHs, and really good plotting. Others may be Jonathan Santlofer, some of Daniel Silva’s art-centered novels, Magdalena Zyzak’s The Lady Waiting, and perhaps, Bernard Morrow’s forgery thrillers.
September 28, 2025
I really, really liked this. It had it's low moments, I skimmed through some less than positive reviews. I loved the magical realism aspect and I liked the ending. Unique and well thought out.
April 4, 2025
The Lost Masterpiece is a semi-historical fiction book in that it involves a bunch of real Impressionist artists, but most of the story that they are placed in is completely made up. The book switches back and forth in time from Berthe Morisot's perspective when the referenced lost masterpiece was painted and present day when her fictional relative inherits the painting. There's also some sort of supernatural element to the story. The book was ok, but it's probably my least favorite of B.A. Shapiro's books.
August 3, 2025
I don’t expect exact fidelity to the facts in historical fiction, but this novel takes historical inaccuracy to the extreme. That said, the flashback chapters work much better than the contemporary ones. The supernatural aspect, though, is beyond silly and does the story no favors.
September 19, 2025
This one fell short compared to The Art Forger, although I did learn a lot about Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot.
August 3, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this historical novel. Not being familiar with impressionism, I spent a lot of time on Wikipedia looking at the masterpieces mentioned in this most interesting book. Shapiro is a master at building suspense and making characters alive. I'm so glad I read it.
August 3, 2025
What a wonderful book! I loved the characters, the plot, and how it all unfolded. Highly recommend this book!
July 25, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I am not typically a fan of dual timelines but this one is definitely the exception. I highly recommend.
November 7, 2025
This is a tale told in two different timelines, with two different sets of characters. Part One centers on Tamara Rubin, a thirty-nine-year-old Boston biotech exec who is suddenly contacted by Jonathan Stein, a lawyer with something called the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. As first she dismisses the organization as spam, or worse, but when Stein persists and finally gets in touch with her, she is stunned to learn that she is the sole heir to a large painting by French artist Edouard Manet, Party on the Seine, a work that was stolen by the Nazis in 1940 and thought to have been destroyed. A masterwork, its value is in the tens of millions of dollars. The painting is delivered to her, and she hangs it in her exclusive apartment, but there's a catch: the Edouard Manet Foundation in Paris has learned of her inheritance and begins taking action to force legal possession of the painting to them. Part Two begins with Berthe Morisot in 1868, then her daughter Aimee in 1892, and then Aimee's daughter Colette in 1928. Berthe Morisot was an artist herself and often painted and displayed with Manet and the rest of the Parisian Impressionists. And as the novel progresses there is strong evidence that she, not Manet, actually painted Party on the Seine. Which begins quite a family struggle, since Berthe and Edouard were lovers for years, even after she married his brother, and Aimee was allegedly Edouard's illegitimate daughter. The chapters are interspersed around each other, so this has you unraveling a very good mystery through time. There's a supernatural element to The Lost Masterpiece as well, which makes for interesting reading indeed!
June 24, 2025
Impressionism comes to life in this gripping, twisting, dual-timeline tale of family intrigue centered around artists Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, giants of the French art world.
✨ Book Review: THE LOST MASTERPIECE by B.A. Shapiro ✨
An extremely valuable Impressionist painting by Édouard Manet that was once thought lost is found, leading to the unraveling of a long-buried mystery. Told through dual timelines and narratives mostly by modern-day descendant Tamara Rubin and Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot, the story weaves together a fight for the painting today and the history of Impressionism and the dramas of that time. And, the dramas are juicy!
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of intrigue! Shapiro expertly paced the two timelines and wove in historical details of the Impressionist art movement, making the drama of the past accessible to modern readers, even if we don’t know much or anything about the art movement or Paris of the late 1800s. Highly recommend to anyone interested in art historical fiction or drama.
Read THE LOST MASTERPIECE for
✌️ Dual timeline and multiple-POV narratives
🤫 Family secrets and rivalries
🖼️ Impressionist artist insights
✡️ WWII Jewish reparations
⌛️ Twists, turns, and race to the finish
🔮 A touch of the supernatural
♥️ Closed-door romance
😘 Thank you to AlgonquinBooks and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC and to TheFuture_Of Agency for finding me and sending a gifted physical copy of the book. So, so grateful! All opinions are my own.
✨ Book Review: THE LOST MASTERPIECE by B.A. Shapiro ✨
An extremely valuable Impressionist painting by Édouard Manet that was once thought lost is found, leading to the unraveling of a long-buried mystery. Told through dual timelines and narratives mostly by modern-day descendant Tamara Rubin and Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot, the story weaves together a fight for the painting today and the history of Impressionism and the dramas of that time. And, the dramas are juicy!
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of intrigue! Shapiro expertly paced the two timelines and wove in historical details of the Impressionist art movement, making the drama of the past accessible to modern readers, even if we don’t know much or anything about the art movement or Paris of the late 1800s. Highly recommend to anyone interested in art historical fiction or drama.
Read THE LOST MASTERPIECE for
✌️ Dual timeline and multiple-POV narratives
🤫 Family secrets and rivalries
🖼️ Impressionist artist insights
✡️ WWII Jewish reparations
⌛️ Twists, turns, and race to the finish
🔮 A touch of the supernatural
♥️ Closed-door romance
😘 Thank you to AlgonquinBooks and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC and to TheFuture_Of Agency for finding me and sending a gifted physical copy of the book. So, so grateful! All opinions are my own.
July 4, 2025
A very interesting read, the restrictions placed on women painters...
June 15, 2025
***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review
This is a dual-timeline book about a circle of famous painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris, centering on the anguished Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot. One timeline details the life of Berthe Morisot, the one woman in their midst who never got the recognition she deserved. The second timeline takes place in present day, when Morisot’s great-great-great-great granddaughter, Tamara Rubin receives a phone call letting her know she has inherited Édouard Manet’s Party on the Seine, a painting that completely upends her life. As Tamara tries to research the painting, she discovers a long-hidden family history replete with unanswered questions:
Although the painting "Party On the Seine "that Tamara inherits is not an actual Morisot painting, all of the other paintings discussed in the book, as well as the relationships and friendships, were real. The book was a bit of a slow burn, so it took me a little while to really get into the story, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't have a lot of knowledge about artists and their works, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
This is a dual-timeline book about a circle of famous painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris, centering on the anguished Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot. One timeline details the life of Berthe Morisot, the one woman in their midst who never got the recognition she deserved. The second timeline takes place in present day, when Morisot’s great-great-great-great granddaughter, Tamara Rubin receives a phone call letting her know she has inherited Édouard Manet’s Party on the Seine, a painting that completely upends her life. As Tamara tries to research the painting, she discovers a long-hidden family history replete with unanswered questions:
Although the painting "Party On the Seine "that Tamara inherits is not an actual Morisot painting, all of the other paintings discussed in the book, as well as the relationships and friendships, were real. The book was a bit of a slow burn, so it took me a little while to really get into the story, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't have a lot of knowledge about artists and their works, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
October 12, 2025
A long time ago, I read this author’s “The Art Forger” and loved every minute of it! This book, also about art , just became another favorite of mine too! Both of them take place in Boston, where I’ve spent a lot of time, so it brings back many good memories for me. Also, both of these books are historical fiction, based on things in history with some additions and subtractions to make for a good read. The Art Forger was about a famous art heist at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum in Boston, and this one is about recovered art that was stolen by the Germans from families in France during WWII and given back to their closest ancestor. There’s lots more to this story but I wouldn’t want to spoil it for the readers of this wonderful story by Barbara Shapiro. Needless to say, Barbara Shapiro is a writer who is imaginative and her writing pulls you in to a story that you may think is not really exciting, but has you turning the pages wondering what will happen next.
Honestly, I was never bored for a moment in this 400 + page book! Don’t forget to read the author’s note at the end for a clarification on what was historical and what she changed to make it into this great novel.
Honestly, I was never bored for a moment in this 400 + page book! Don’t forget to read the author’s note at the end for a clarification on what was historical and what she changed to make it into this great novel.
August 18, 2025
I regret that this book was disappointing. While the concept had potential, the author’s execution was flawed. There were so many incomprehensible aspects to the story line. For example, housing an original multi million dollar Manet in a condo, having the characters in the painting move and wink, dating your lawyer and most outrageously visiting a Paris apartment building basement only to find a 200 year old diary in a barrel. Too far fetch for me.
June 17, 2025
Some things can be both outlandish and true
Tamara Rubin is smart and a rational thinker and she is absolutely not the type of person to fall for a phone scam, which is exactly what she thinks a man claiming to be Jonathan Stein of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany is trying to pull. Although she is nominally Jewish all the members of both sides of her family left Europe before World War II, so it simply isn't possible that he's on the level. He is, however, persistent, and when she eventually meets with him she discovers that her mother's family, the Bernheims, about whom she knows little were the owners of a famed painting by Édouard Manet called Party on the Seine, one of his most acclaimed paintings which was taken from them by the Nazis and never seen again. Until, that is, it was recently found and the Conference set to work finding the descendant(s) of Colette and Samuel Bernheim who would be the legal heir(s)...namely, Tamara, as her parents are both dead and were the only children of only children. Suddenly, Tamara is the owner of an Impressionist masterpiece valued at many millions of dollars and discovers that she is the descendant of Berthe Morisot, the only female member of the bande of artists who would become known as the Impressionists, an accomplished (though undervalued) artist in her own right and the sister-in-law of Manet. Berthe in fact is the primary figure in the painting, one that will beguile Tamara once it comes into her possession and for which she soon must risk everything if she wants to keep it when the well-funded and influential Édouard Manet Foundation,(in the person of Damien Manet) claims that the painting belongs to them and demands that she turn it over. The life of Berthe unfolds alongside Tamara's tale; she is a woman as talented as (if not more so than) the men with whom she paints and who (unlike them) is limited in what subjects she is allowed to paint and possibly even whether she will be allowed to continue to paint if she marries as her mother insists she must do. She also is attracted to the charming but married philanderer Manet, a relationship which could ruin her reputation and that of her family were it to be made public. She is determined to fulfill her artistic promise even as her affair with Manet explodes, and even though society is as opposed to her career as it is to the Impressionist movement.
The Lost Masterpiece is really two novels in one, the first a thriller set in the world of art as a long-missing and valuable painting reappears and possession of it becomes a pitched battle between a scientifically minded executive who wants to maintain ownership as much because of its connection to her family (a history about which she had known next to nothing) as its monetary value and the man who considers himself the steward of the full Manet oeuvre who will do whatever he must do...threaten Tamara, tempt her with money, ruin her career....to claim the painting for himself and the Foundation he runs which honors his ancestor. Tamara is scrappy, stubborn, and is at a bit of a loss to reconcile her orderly, scientific mind with the feelings of attachment she develops for the painting (and the hints of a supernatural element to it). The other novel contained within the cover is historical fiction detailing the life of Berthe Morisot, her family, her talent, her love life, and her legacy, as well as her circle of friends whose names even the non-artistic amongst us know (Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, etc). The characters, particularly Tamara and her ancestor Berthe, are wonderfully developed, and the backdrops for their stories (particularly France in the later half of the nineteenth century) are richly drawn and full of detail. With an interesting premise thrown in this novel has all the elements of a fascinating read, but I must admit that while I can enjoy novels with a hint of the supernatural to them I didn't enjoy that element in this particular instance. It didn't seem to mesh with the rest of the book for me, I would have preferred perhaps more legal or investigative details to flesh out the story. Still, I found myself fully immersed in the story from cover to cover, and thoroughly enjoyed learning about Berthe and the challenges she faced as well as about the different facets of the art world explored. Readers of Nancy Horan, Sara de Vos and Sarah Dunant should give this a try, and anyone who has enjoyed author B. A. Shapiro's previous novels will find much to like as well. Many thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for allowing me access to this mix of art, history and mystery in exchange for my honest review.
Tamara Rubin is smart and a rational thinker and she is absolutely not the type of person to fall for a phone scam, which is exactly what she thinks a man claiming to be Jonathan Stein of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany is trying to pull. Although she is nominally Jewish all the members of both sides of her family left Europe before World War II, so it simply isn't possible that he's on the level. He is, however, persistent, and when she eventually meets with him she discovers that her mother's family, the Bernheims, about whom she knows little were the owners of a famed painting by Édouard Manet called Party on the Seine, one of his most acclaimed paintings which was taken from them by the Nazis and never seen again. Until, that is, it was recently found and the Conference set to work finding the descendant(s) of Colette and Samuel Bernheim who would be the legal heir(s)...namely, Tamara, as her parents are both dead and were the only children of only children. Suddenly, Tamara is the owner of an Impressionist masterpiece valued at many millions of dollars and discovers that she is the descendant of Berthe Morisot, the only female member of the bande of artists who would become known as the Impressionists, an accomplished (though undervalued) artist in her own right and the sister-in-law of Manet. Berthe in fact is the primary figure in the painting, one that will beguile Tamara once it comes into her possession and for which she soon must risk everything if she wants to keep it when the well-funded and influential Édouard Manet Foundation,(in the person of Damien Manet) claims that the painting belongs to them and demands that she turn it over. The life of Berthe unfolds alongside Tamara's tale; she is a woman as talented as (if not more so than) the men with whom she paints and who (unlike them) is limited in what subjects she is allowed to paint and possibly even whether she will be allowed to continue to paint if she marries as her mother insists she must do. She also is attracted to the charming but married philanderer Manet, a relationship which could ruin her reputation and that of her family were it to be made public. She is determined to fulfill her artistic promise even as her affair with Manet explodes, and even though society is as opposed to her career as it is to the Impressionist movement.
The Lost Masterpiece is really two novels in one, the first a thriller set in the world of art as a long-missing and valuable painting reappears and possession of it becomes a pitched battle between a scientifically minded executive who wants to maintain ownership as much because of its connection to her family (a history about which she had known next to nothing) as its monetary value and the man who considers himself the steward of the full Manet oeuvre who will do whatever he must do...threaten Tamara, tempt her with money, ruin her career....to claim the painting for himself and the Foundation he runs which honors his ancestor. Tamara is scrappy, stubborn, and is at a bit of a loss to reconcile her orderly, scientific mind with the feelings of attachment she develops for the painting (and the hints of a supernatural element to it). The other novel contained within the cover is historical fiction detailing the life of Berthe Morisot, her family, her talent, her love life, and her legacy, as well as her circle of friends whose names even the non-artistic amongst us know (Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, etc). The characters, particularly Tamara and her ancestor Berthe, are wonderfully developed, and the backdrops for their stories (particularly France in the later half of the nineteenth century) are richly drawn and full of detail. With an interesting premise thrown in this novel has all the elements of a fascinating read, but I must admit that while I can enjoy novels with a hint of the supernatural to them I didn't enjoy that element in this particular instance. It didn't seem to mesh with the rest of the book for me, I would have preferred perhaps more legal or investigative details to flesh out the story. Still, I found myself fully immersed in the story from cover to cover, and thoroughly enjoyed learning about Berthe and the challenges she faced as well as about the different facets of the art world explored. Readers of Nancy Horan, Sara de Vos and Sarah Dunant should give this a try, and anyone who has enjoyed author B. A. Shapiro's previous novels will find much to like as well. Many thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for allowing me access to this mix of art, history and mystery in exchange for my honest review.
June 17, 2025
The Lost Masterpiece is worth reading for what it tells us about the complicated creative and emotional life of Berthe Morisot. The sections of the book that place us in late-19th century Paris, among the Impressionists, of whom Berthe Morisot was the only woman—are great. We learn a lot about Morisot and benefit from Shapiro’s empathy in showing Morisot’s struggles to gain respect from her fellow artists, the complex feelings she has to manage dealing with her mother, her strong bond with her sister, and most of all her dangerous, long-lasting love affair with Edouard Manet. Shapiro is very good at tracing the exhilarating ups and excruciating downs of this relationship. Indeed she is very good at bringing to life all the people in this part of the book, the famous and the fictitious ones she invents to help move this part along.
Shapiro also is good at bringing to life the wholly fictitious characters who populate the novel’s present-day part. This part runs in parallel with the part featuring Morisot.
I could have done without this part. The two parallel stories are connected by the discovery of the “lost masterpiece” and the battle over its rightful ownership. The narrator and protagonist in this part of the book is Tamara Rubin. She is not an artist. She works in biotech, managing new products through the FDA approval process and into the market. Perhaps the author gave her this background as a way of reminding us that you do not have to be a humanist to appreciate great art.
Tamara becomes so obsessed with possessing this “lost masterpiece,” that I found myself disliking her and, by extension, disliking anyone who wants to possess great art and not share it with the world. But maybe this is another message Shapiro intended us to get from this book.
I give Shapiro huge credit for the clever ways she links the parallel stories in this novel—even managing to make the present-day part suspenseful. I also admire her skill in describing emotional and physical intimacy. I just wish she had found a way to make her present-day characters as interesting as the ones we know from history.
Thank you Algonquin Books for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Shapiro also is good at bringing to life the wholly fictitious characters who populate the novel’s present-day part. This part runs in parallel with the part featuring Morisot.
I could have done without this part. The two parallel stories are connected by the discovery of the “lost masterpiece” and the battle over its rightful ownership. The narrator and protagonist in this part of the book is Tamara Rubin. She is not an artist. She works in biotech, managing new products through the FDA approval process and into the market. Perhaps the author gave her this background as a way of reminding us that you do not have to be a humanist to appreciate great art.
Tamara becomes so obsessed with possessing this “lost masterpiece,” that I found myself disliking her and, by extension, disliking anyone who wants to possess great art and not share it with the world. But maybe this is another message Shapiro intended us to get from this book.
I give Shapiro huge credit for the clever ways she links the parallel stories in this novel—even managing to make the present-day part suspenseful. I also admire her skill in describing emotional and physical intimacy. I just wish she had found a way to make her present-day characters as interesting as the ones we know from history.
Thank you Algonquin Books for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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