THE PAINT: A Novel of Art, Science, and Deception

by Dimitry Shabsis

THE PAINT
A Novel of Art, Science, and Deception

Things aren't always what they seem to be. Sometimes the forger escapes. Sometimes love wins. Sometimes the perfect crime is to disappear completely and find peace in anonymity. This is the story of a man who wanted to be Rembrandt and became himself instead.

With a narrative that spirals through deception and desire, this is a story built on secrets — where every truth hides another lie. Each twist reshapes what the reader believes, leading to a conclusion as inevitable as it is unpredictable.

For fans of The Da Vinci Code and The Goldfinch, Dimitry Shabsis’ debut novel is a spellbinding thriller about truth, beauty, and the price of perfection.

197 pages, Hardcover

Published November 10, 2025

About the author

Dimitry Shabsis is a novelist and storyteller whose work explores the dark elegance of human ambition and the art of deception. Writing within the worlds of thriller and crime fiction, he examines the fragile boundaries between truth and illusion, creativity and corruption, loyalty and betrayal. His stories are defined by psychological depth and moral tension, revealing how the pursuit of beauty, power, or meaning can so easily descend into obsession.

Influenced by classic noir sensibilities and modern psychological realism, Dimitry's work often questions how far people will go to create—or protect—their own version of reality. Through layered plots and elegant prose, he invites readers to look closely at the human condition, where motives are never simple and redemption is rarely complete.

A lifelong observer of character and contradiction, Dimitry believes that writing is both discovery and disguise. He approaches each story as a space where imagination and truth intersect—sometimes harmoniously, often destructively. Living surrounded by his words and his work, he continues to explore the stories that refuse to let him go, shaping worlds that mirror the beauty and danger of our own.

Reviews

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't want to be unnecessarily harsh, but this was hard to finish. Characters who know more than they should, bad dialogue, rushed plot developments, feigned character development that felt forced, and that which should have been taken seriously but felt silly (underground art criminal network?).

(I received this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.)

[Sarah Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a shorter read but really intriguing and pulled me in right away and didn’t let go until the end. I anticipated the ending to be different but actually think I like it better this way.