Artifacts

by Natalie Lemle

Successful trusts and estates attorney Lena Connolly is asked by a colleague to assist on a the Italian government claims an artifact was looted and sold to a museum illegally and is seeking repatriation. The object in question is a cup made of dichroic glass, which would have been rare even in Ancient Rome, let alone thousands of years later.

Lena has done everything she can to put the study abroad summer she spent on an archaeological dig in the Italian Alps behind her. Her dreams of being an archaeologist shattered when her mentor Cyrille disappeared and her enigmatic boyfriend Giamma went dark, but with this new case, the past comes roaring back.

Told in alternating timelines, Artifacts follows young Lena as she falls in love with both archaeology and Giamma on the streets of Torino while her adult self pieces together what truly happened on the dig, now a fully restored Roman villa with World Heritage status. The dichroic cup, Lena discovers, may have been taken from the very site she helped unearth.

Powerful and exuberant, Natalie Lemle’s Artifacts brings readers behind the museum glass and asks questions about cultural heritage and the historical preservation of our shared sense of humanity.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 19, 2026

About the author

Natalie Lemle studied classics and art history at Tufts University and earned an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College. She is the founder of art_works, an art advisory connecting contemporary artists with global companies, and previously worked in corporate relations at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She serves on the boards of the ICA/Boston and the Associates of the Boston Public Library. Artifacts is her first novel.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was entering college, there were two things I’d always wanted—either become a writer or an archeologist. Unfortunately, the college (now a university) I attended did not offer a degree in archaeology. Also unfortunately, my self-esteem was so low that I was terrified if I majored in something writing-related, I would find out I couldn’t write (this despite the fact I had been writing stories since I was a child and had even published a newspaper article). I ended up with degrees in Geology and German. But my first job out of college was as a staff writer for a daily newspaper AND I have had the opportunity to work on numerous archeological digs since then.

So, the fact that this book had to deal with archaeology was a huge draw. Plus an archaeological dig in Italy’s Alps involving an ancient villa probably once owned by Melania the Younger (If I remember correctly. She is the Melania who moved to her villa and eventually tried to sell off all her property and slaves in order to give the money to the poor. She and her grandmother, Melania the Elder were early Christians involved with the desert monks and St. Augustine among others.

In other words—lots of draws for me. This is Lemle’s first novel and I truly enjoyed it. Yes, there is a lot of technical info, but that added to my enjoyment. I liked the alternating timelines—Lena’s memories of the dig at the villa which she worked at while attending Columbia and Lena currently working on a case in which Italy wants a looted artifact returned.

In addition, there is romance as well as suspense built around the involvement of ’Ndragheta, the Calabrian crime syndicate.

[Andy Krahling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This frustrated me, because all the elements for an enjoyable experience were there -- interesting idea, great locations, intrigue galore. Unfortunately, for me, nothing came together. I always felt two steps behind. Whether it was my lack of mythological knowledge, my ignorance of Roman history or my lack of understanding of museum and archaeological matters, I never really had a grasp on the story, and the author didn't lead me in the right direction so I could catch up. There was always a presupposition of background expertise which I didn't have, and the author didn't give me.

By the end, I was ready to be finished. Actually, I reached that point much earlier than the end...

Oh well.

I liked the cover.

Would I read more from the author? Probably not.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.