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Mikky dos Santos #1
Masterpiece
NOT EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE AT A FORTUNE.
BUT SHE’S ONLY ONE TINY BURGLARY AWAY…
Forger Mikky dos Santos leaps onto the London art scene like Mick Jagger as Jumpin’ Jack Flash—landing smack in the middle of the crime genre as a tattooed, amoral, ruthless badass who’ll steal your heart with one hand and lift her neighbor’s Vermeer with the other.
Janet Pywell has created a breathtaking new protagonist in Heavy Metal t-shirts and a virtual bodysuit of shocking tattoos—as exhilarating as a new Lisbeth Salander, only with more and meaner tattoos and an equal amount of attitude, yet underlying it all, a longing for human connection that makes you love her despite her own best efforts.
She’s had a hard life and she’s learned from it—now she wants to move on, and she’s got a plan. When her professor told her she’d never make it as an artist, but she could be a world class forger, she didn’t hesitate—from that moment, it was a life of crime for Mikky dos Santos.
But it’s her soft heart that gets her in trouble. She’s playing the long game, waiting for her neighbor to die so she can steal nice Mrs. Green’s Vermeer, but she’s developed a soft spot for the old lady.
No problem so far—who says you can't be friends with your mark? She’s not even going to touch the painting till Mrs Green’s past caring. But some other art thief gets there first—one who's not about to let a sweet old lady stand in the way. And they’ve unleashed Mikky’s wrath by killing her.
So now it's another long game—one of “who do you trust”? Not her roommate and closest friend. Not Mrs Green’s relatives. Not a certain sinister journalist. And definitely not her uninvited but intriguing new friend, an oddly clingy celebrity who won't go away despite Mikky’s many rebuffs.
Rich glimpses into European cities, a savvy feel for the international art world, an electrifying female sleuth who blasts into your life like the Heavy Metal bands she was raised on, and a stunning twist at the end are just a few of the joys of this refreshing new mystery series.
BUT SHE’S ONLY ONE TINY BURGLARY AWAY…
Forger Mikky dos Santos leaps onto the London art scene like Mick Jagger as Jumpin’ Jack Flash—landing smack in the middle of the crime genre as a tattooed, amoral, ruthless badass who’ll steal your heart with one hand and lift her neighbor’s Vermeer with the other.
Janet Pywell has created a breathtaking new protagonist in Heavy Metal t-shirts and a virtual bodysuit of shocking tattoos—as exhilarating as a new Lisbeth Salander, only with more and meaner tattoos and an equal amount of attitude, yet underlying it all, a longing for human connection that makes you love her despite her own best efforts.
She’s had a hard life and she’s learned from it—now she wants to move on, and she’s got a plan. When her professor told her she’d never make it as an artist, but she could be a world class forger, she didn’t hesitate—from that moment, it was a life of crime for Mikky dos Santos.
But it’s her soft heart that gets her in trouble. She’s playing the long game, waiting for her neighbor to die so she can steal nice Mrs. Green’s Vermeer, but she’s developed a soft spot for the old lady.
No problem so far—who says you can't be friends with your mark? She’s not even going to touch the painting till Mrs Green’s past caring. But some other art thief gets there first—one who's not about to let a sweet old lady stand in the way. And they’ve unleashed Mikky’s wrath by killing her.
So now it's another long game—one of “who do you trust”? Not her roommate and closest friend. Not Mrs Green’s relatives. Not a certain sinister journalist. And definitely not her uninvited but intriguing new friend, an oddly clingy celebrity who won't go away despite Mikky’s many rebuffs.
Rich glimpses into European cities, a savvy feel for the international art world, an electrifying female sleuth who blasts into your life like the Heavy Metal bands she was raised on, and a stunning twist at the end are just a few of the joys of this refreshing new mystery series.
322 pages, ebook
Published February 22, 2016
89 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Janet Pywell
25 books53 followersJanet writes gripping crime thriller novels that will keep you quickly turning the pages. The Mikky dos Santos series are set in different locations throughout Europe while the Ronda George series are set in unusual properties in the UK.
After the Covid pandemic Janet published the first book in the Westbay Romance Series, Someone Else’s Dream — a heart-warming, uplifting, feel-good novel about courage, integrity and friendship.
All the other novels in the series have a resolution at Christmas and will leave you tingling with emotion.
Janet gained an MA in Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast. She has a background in travel and tourism and she writes using her knowledge of foreign places gained from living abroad and travelling extensively.
Janet currently lives on the Kent coast.
Subscribe to her crime newsletter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/janetpy...
Subscribe to her romance newsletter here:
https://www.subscribepage.com/the-wes...
Janet Pywell’s recently published her first non-fiction book: Ten Simple Steps for Writing Your Book. For more details check out her website:
https://janetpywellauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.pywell/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetpywell...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanPywellAuthor
She can also be found on Goodreads, Bookbub and TikTok.
After the Covid pandemic Janet published the first book in the Westbay Romance Series, Someone Else’s Dream — a heart-warming, uplifting, feel-good novel about courage, integrity and friendship.
All the other novels in the series have a resolution at Christmas and will leave you tingling with emotion.
Janet gained an MA in Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast. She has a background in travel and tourism and she writes using her knowledge of foreign places gained from living abroad and travelling extensively.
Janet currently lives on the Kent coast.
Subscribe to her crime newsletter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/janetpy...
Subscribe to her romance newsletter here:
https://www.subscribepage.com/the-wes...
Janet Pywell’s recently published her first non-fiction book: Ten Simple Steps for Writing Your Book. For more details check out her website:
https://janetpywellauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.pywell/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetpywell...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanPywellAuthor
She can also be found on Goodreads, Bookbub and TikTok.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 22, 2018
Unbelievably superb. Mikky is planning the heist of her life. Unfortunately for her it doesn’t go her way. Loved it.
January 3, 2019
I found it quite difficult to know how to rate and review this book, on the one hand it is a cleverly plotted crime story, with some excellent characters and some great twists and turns to the plot and some interesting insights into art and art crime. On the other hand however I found that for me there was too much introspection by the main character, Mikky, and a little too much 'flowery' descriptive prose, which while superbly written, broke up the flow of the story. I found myself getting a bit frustrated because I just wanted to know what was going to happen next, to the extent that although I never 'skim read', I found myself tempted to do just that in a few places.
But, having said that I thought that the way that Mikky's character was brought to life was very clever, and despite her obvious character failings, she was still very likeable, and the reasons for her actions were believable.
So, nearly a five star read, but still a fascinating engaging story which is well worth reading.
I received a copy of this book for signing up to the author's mailing list and have voluntarily reviewed it.
But, having said that I thought that the way that Mikky's character was brought to life was very clever, and despite her obvious character failings, she was still very likeable, and the reasons for her actions were believable.
So, nearly a five star read, but still a fascinating engaging story which is well worth reading.
I received a copy of this book for signing up to the author's mailing list and have voluntarily reviewed it.
February 23, 2018
I recommend reading The Golden Icon first so you follow the characters. This book was good not as suspenseful as Icon for me. However I loved the twist in the story. I really love it when the main character tells off another character. The ending has left me wondering what she decided.
I will Have to continue reading the series to find out.
I will Have to continue reading the series to find out.
July 9, 2019
The book is well written but it’s simply not my cup of tea. There is a constant sense of brooding danger and a feeling of sadness or disappointment from the very beginning. I prefer more upbeat stories.
January 3, 2022
How to Steal a Masterpiece
Interesting premise with art masterpiece at the forefront. Enjoyable mystery to keep you intrigued and guessing what she'll do in the end.
Interesting premise with art masterpiece at the forefront. Enjoyable mystery to keep you intrigued and guessing what she'll do in the end.
July 15, 2021
True to its name, Masterpiece centers around Vermeer’s The Concert, a 17th century painting that was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Museum in Boston in the nineties (along with twelve other pieces valued at over $500 million) and has still not been recovered. Crafting a fictitious tale around true incidents, Pywell introduces the reader to overt photographer and covert art forger Mikky, who locates the original Vermeer and attempts to steal the stolen painting and replace it with her own forged copy.
The first book in the Mikky dos Santos mystery series set around the art world, Masterpiece is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. The protagonist is almost portrayed as an antagonist, with her ulterior motives and unpleasant demeanour, and Pywell’s artistry lies in making this unlikeable character worth rooting for, as the narrative keeps you glued till the end. From opera music to rock music, discussions about classic painters and famous artworks, art forgery as a profession, and tattoo art and photography, history and culture come together in this masterpiece of literature. The elusive Johannes Vermeer had painted very few works in his lifetime, which make them all the more significant in art history. While Girl with a Pearl Earring has been featured in historical fiction contexts (from the wonderful Tracy Chevalier in her novel of the same name), it was interesting to see The Concert in a contemporary thriller.
Fans of sleuths and heists will love Mikky dos Santos, as she navigates treachery and betrayal while engaging in the same herself to outwit other art thieves and people with sinister motives ruining her plans. Friends, family, neighbours, colleagues – nobody can be trusted when forgery is centre stage. A well-plotted crime caper with a range of characters and locales; I loved Pywell’s balance of research and imagination. An absolutely stunning piece for anyone who loves music, art, culture and history stirred into a riveting mystery.
The first book in the Mikky dos Santos mystery series set around the art world, Masterpiece is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. The protagonist is almost portrayed as an antagonist, with her ulterior motives and unpleasant demeanour, and Pywell’s artistry lies in making this unlikeable character worth rooting for, as the narrative keeps you glued till the end. From opera music to rock music, discussions about classic painters and famous artworks, art forgery as a profession, and tattoo art and photography, history and culture come together in this masterpiece of literature. The elusive Johannes Vermeer had painted very few works in his lifetime, which make them all the more significant in art history. While Girl with a Pearl Earring has been featured in historical fiction contexts (from the wonderful Tracy Chevalier in her novel of the same name), it was interesting to see The Concert in a contemporary thriller.
Fans of sleuths and heists will love Mikky dos Santos, as she navigates treachery and betrayal while engaging in the same herself to outwit other art thieves and people with sinister motives ruining her plans. Friends, family, neighbours, colleagues – nobody can be trusted when forgery is centre stage. A well-plotted crime caper with a range of characters and locales; I loved Pywell’s balance of research and imagination. An absolutely stunning piece for anyone who loves music, art, culture and history stirred into a riveting mystery.
July 19, 2021
I do love a strong female lead in a book, and Mikky is certainly that.
When we first meet Mikky she is concerned about an elderly neighbour and quickly scales a fence to break in and get her help. Hardly the actions of an art thief, but we gain a sense of her values. Yet whilst she waits for the glazier Mikky snoops around her neighbours house, looking for what she knows is hanging there somewhere.
Her flatmate Javier is an artist and has been commissioned by a famous Opera Diva to paint her portrait. Mikky somewhat reluctantly accompanies him to Dresden for the initial meeting with the diva. How is this going to fit with Mikky being an art thief I began to wonder.
I have a passing interest in art and the details in the book of art and art forgery were really interesting to read. The painting by Vermeer really was stolen in 1990 too and the author has imagined what could have followed. I loved the cat mouse games Mikky played with her different pursuers and certainly didn't see a couple of the twists coming.
From about 60% into the book until the end was very fast paced and a real page turner. I wanted closure on how this was all going to work out in the end.
I found the character of Mikky likeable and believable. What I think is unusual about the book is the self talk we get from Mikky. At times I felt it wasn't always needed, but it is a slightly different approach to giving a voice to a character.
When we first meet Mikky she is concerned about an elderly neighbour and quickly scales a fence to break in and get her help. Hardly the actions of an art thief, but we gain a sense of her values. Yet whilst she waits for the glazier Mikky snoops around her neighbours house, looking for what she knows is hanging there somewhere.
Her flatmate Javier is an artist and has been commissioned by a famous Opera Diva to paint her portrait. Mikky somewhat reluctantly accompanies him to Dresden for the initial meeting with the diva. How is this going to fit with Mikky being an art thief I began to wonder.
I have a passing interest in art and the details in the book of art and art forgery were really interesting to read. The painting by Vermeer really was stolen in 1990 too and the author has imagined what could have followed. I loved the cat mouse games Mikky played with her different pursuers and certainly didn't see a couple of the twists coming.
From about 60% into the book until the end was very fast paced and a real page turner. I wanted closure on how this was all going to work out in the end.
I found the character of Mikky likeable and believable. What I think is unusual about the book is the self talk we get from Mikky. At times I felt it wasn't always needed, but it is a slightly different approach to giving a voice to a character.
October 6, 2019
The story is fantastic. I read it just after finishing Golden Icon, and loved that it picked up just where the first one left off.
I hope the edition I was reading was not the final one. It needs serious proofing.
The story of the painting, and the questions of original vis-a-vis copy, and the intrigue of who is really the owner of which, and the even more intriguing questions of who is related to who and how - and are they really who they claim to be - were dealt with wonderfully. The very sloppy editing and occaisional misuse of words were nowhere near as infuriatingly distracting as the misuse (abuse!) of the punctuation. [All those commas where they shouldn't be could easily be removed to a blank sheet and produce a lovely paisley pattern.]
I hope the edition I was reading was not the final one. It needs serious proofing.
The story of the painting, and the questions of original vis-a-vis copy, and the intrigue of who is really the owner of which, and the even more intriguing questions of who is related to who and how - and are they really who they claim to be - were dealt with wonderfully. The very sloppy editing and occaisional misuse of words were nowhere near as infuriatingly distracting as the misuse (abuse!) of the punctuation. [All those commas where they shouldn't be could easily be removed to a blank sheet and produce a lovely paisley pattern.]
Read
March 3, 2021I'm very excited about this book. It's the first book in my Mikky dos Santos thrillers:
NOT EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE AT A FORTUNE. BUT SHE'S ONLY ONE BURGLARY AWAY…
Photographer, artist and art forger Mikky dos Santos has had a tough life and now she’s about to steal the world’s most famous stolen painting – Vermeer’s The Concert – worth $200 million.
When Mikky’s flatmate is commissioned to paint one of the world’s most famous divas her life begins to spiral into chaos. An evil investigative journalist and a dangerous businessman are on the hunt to uncover Mikky’s darkest secrets and threaten her detailed plans.
NOT EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE AT A FORTUNE. BUT SHE'S ONLY ONE BURGLARY AWAY…
Photographer, artist and art forger Mikky dos Santos has had a tough life and now she’s about to steal the world’s most famous stolen painting – Vermeer’s The Concert – worth $200 million.
When Mikky’s flatmate is commissioned to paint one of the world’s most famous divas her life begins to spiral into chaos. An evil investigative journalist and a dangerous businessman are on the hunt to uncover Mikky’s darkest secrets and threaten her detailed plans.
February 21, 2019
Recommended to me by my daughter as it is written by one of her uni tutors.
A very different type of crime story to what I usually read but I really enjoyed the story and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. I also enjoyed learning more about the art world and the lengths that people go to steal famous paintings etc. The writing style is more of a Dan Brown than a M J Arlidge.
The characters were all very intriguing in their own way - I imagined Mikky (the main character) to be like Jane Doe from Blindspot with all her religious tattoos.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series soon.
A very different type of crime story to what I usually read but I really enjoyed the story and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. I also enjoyed learning more about the art world and the lengths that people go to steal famous paintings etc. The writing style is more of a Dan Brown than a M J Arlidge.
The characters were all very intriguing in their own way - I imagined Mikky (the main character) to be like Jane Doe from Blindspot with all her religious tattoos.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series soon.
February 8, 2020
Mallorca reveals a masterpiece!
WELCOME to Mallorca! Agonizing suspense, thrilling killer action and the most incredible reading to end of book 1, Masterpiece. Reading up to that is just as entertaining when Josephine meets Mikky. The setting, fabulous Europe, places you’d love to go to. The characters, you have to love and the story, a sought after masterpiece in the art world, plus so much more. Cliches, cannot put it down, definitely for real and keep pages turning, more like pages flying, to enjoy Janet Pywell’s excellent goodread!
I am thoroughly into this series and must read on to see what Ms. Pywell creates for Josephine and Mikky dos Santos next.
WELCOME to Mallorca! Agonizing suspense, thrilling killer action and the most incredible reading to end of book 1, Masterpiece. Reading up to that is just as entertaining when Josephine meets Mikky. The setting, fabulous Europe, places you’d love to go to. The characters, you have to love and the story, a sought after masterpiece in the art world, plus so much more. Cliches, cannot put it down, definitely for real and keep pages turning, more like pages flying, to enjoy Janet Pywell’s excellent goodread!
I am thoroughly into this series and must read on to see what Ms. Pywell creates for Josephine and Mikky dos Santos next.
February 11, 2019
One of the Best Crime/Mystery Series
Highly Recommend this book & this Series👍👍👌👌 Relatable Characters that are also complex & very human. There are enough plot twists to keep you turning the pages without stopping. The author has a great talent for describing the locales & setting the seens ....it's as if you care right there with the characters. Can't wait to get into book 2 in the series 😀😀
Highly Recommend this book & this Series👍👍👌👌 Relatable Characters that are also complex & very human. There are enough plot twists to keep you turning the pages without stopping. The author has a great talent for describing the locales & setting the seens ....it's as if you care right there with the characters. Can't wait to get into book 2 in the series 😀😀
November 30, 2018
Not what I expected. A painter & photographer steals a painting worth millions and begins a long journey trying to convince everyone that she didn’t steal it and that it was a fake. Engaging cast of characters with an interesting story line. All in all it was a decent read but it didn’t hold my interest as I had hoped.
December 15, 2018
She was planning on the heist of her life but things change when she an opera diva appears. A journalist wants to find the diva secrets out and in turn this puts her into danger. How much danger will she be in? Will her secrets come out? See if they will
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 13, 2019
Good story
This was the first book I read from the author and I enjoyed reading it .
The characters were well put together and made for a believable story .
Will eventually buy the 2nd book after I get through the other books I have downloaded to my Kindle!
I think the story will be worth the reads .
This was the first book I read from the author and I enjoyed reading it .
The characters were well put together and made for a believable story .
Will eventually buy the 2nd book after I get through the other books I have downloaded to my Kindle!
I think the story will be worth the reads .
April 23, 2018
I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
September 16, 2019
Art and history
In this book there are discussions about art. Some I needs to find out about. Honesty ,does it exist? Friends and family or wealth, which is more important.?
In this book there are discussions about art. Some I needs to find out about. Honesty ,does it exist? Friends and family or wealth, which is more important.?
March 22, 2019
The book was well written, engaging and action filled. Interesting characters and “take” on the genre. I will read others in this series.
March 29, 2021
The start of a great adventure series. I love the main character. Not everyone has a storybook life. This unlikely heroine rises above. I love the historical and art theme to the series.
November 4, 2021
Mikky is a very good art forger, isn’t she??? But she has more secrets than Carter has Liver Pills!!! I enjoyed the story – especially the ending – and recommend the book.
August 13, 2023
What a fascinating and intriguing story. On the surface it appears to be about a young woman who is an artist who has chosen to be a professional photographer. Her life is interesting and seems to be fulfilling. She lives with a long-time friend and seems to have a great relationship with him. But the story changes when this woman, Mikky, discovers that her neighbor, an elderly woman who lives alone, has a priceless painting hanging on her living room wall. This gets Mikky's mind going on a plan to use that painting as a way to her freedom.
You see, Mikky has led a tragic and difficult life, with parents who never seemed to love her and all but abandoned her when she was a young girl. The story spends a lot of time exploring Mikky's feelings of hatred for her parents and resentment for the life that they gave her. She yearns for a new life, and now she seems to have a way of seeing that wish fulfilled. Complications, however, develop when the old woman next door decides she needs to get her son and his family to come live with her. It turns out he is a no good loser whose only interest in his mother is to get hold of his inheritance, namely the priceless painting.
Complicated relationships develop between Mikky and her neighbors, as well as with a famous opera singer who her roommate has been commissioned to paint a portrait for. She wants to meet Mikky and get closer to both of them. Over time this becomes suffocating for Mikky, who has been accustomed to being on her own all her life, and she begins to push people away from her. Then things become even more intense when she learns that this woman has hired a private investigator to find out more about her and a nosey reporter keeps badgering her, too. One thing leads to another. The old woman dies unexpectedly under strange circumstance and the Masterpiece goes missing.
I am probably telling too much in this review, but the story is so complex and I have barely touched on some of the more important parts. There is so much to read and enjoy, although some of the violent parts are disturbing. The reader needs to have faith that the author will bring everything to a good conclusion. And in the end there is almost a happily ever after conclusion after so much has been revealed about Mikky and her true history and relationships.
You see, Mikky has led a tragic and difficult life, with parents who never seemed to love her and all but abandoned her when she was a young girl. The story spends a lot of time exploring Mikky's feelings of hatred for her parents and resentment for the life that they gave her. She yearns for a new life, and now she seems to have a way of seeing that wish fulfilled. Complications, however, develop when the old woman next door decides she needs to get her son and his family to come live with her. It turns out he is a no good loser whose only interest in his mother is to get hold of his inheritance, namely the priceless painting.
Complicated relationships develop between Mikky and her neighbors, as well as with a famous opera singer who her roommate has been commissioned to paint a portrait for. She wants to meet Mikky and get closer to both of them. Over time this becomes suffocating for Mikky, who has been accustomed to being on her own all her life, and she begins to push people away from her. Then things become even more intense when she learns that this woman has hired a private investigator to find out more about her and a nosey reporter keeps badgering her, too. One thing leads to another. The old woman dies unexpectedly under strange circumstance and the Masterpiece goes missing.
I am probably telling too much in this review, but the story is so complex and I have barely touched on some of the more important parts. There is so much to read and enjoy, although some of the violent parts are disturbing. The reader needs to have faith that the author will bring everything to a good conclusion. And in the end there is almost a happily ever after conclusion after so much has been revealed about Mikky and her true history and relationships.
July 20, 2021
I like the concept of the book but not sure if the execution has been the most effective. I have to say it got a lot better as you got into it however I felt that for a large portion some of the characters seemed to lack essence, I feel like they were not introduced very well in the beginning and were hurriedly integrated into the story eg Javier and Mrs Greene and Oscar. There was also not a lot of character development overall but especially with these characters. I have also noticed when Mikky is in her place of work it is never really introduced as to where she is or what she is doing and who is with her - they just kind of randomly are dropped into the dialogue and are in a conversation with Mikky without enough context as to why they are relevant. I was never sure on the type of relationship that Mikky and Javier had, if they were friends or romanticly intertwined, this needed to be clear towards the beginning. Overall the character of Mikky really annoyed me, not sure of the extent to which that this was intended but she came across as selfish and rude and there was a point where I really did not care about what happened to her. I gave this book 3 stars because I did enjoy the overall plot. Being an art student myself there was a lot to relate to and appreciate where it came to talking about specific paintings and references, the atmosphere that Pywell was able to create oozed of experience and the offbeat nuances that are often associated with students in the creative industries. I really do think that others might enjoy this book as the story is really fascinating, will be interesting to see how the characters develop in the next book.
March 25, 2020
Story about a young woman who plans to steal a very valuable painting (The Concert, by Johannes Vermeer, magnificent picture btw) from her neighbour, in London. Her planning and waiting for the best moment to seize the opportunity takes time, and in the meantime we learn about her descent. I think there was even more reading about her childhood in Spain and her parents (with a surprise) than there was about the heist. This non-story dragged a little.
Writing style is good, description and development of characters good, even when the main character may not be likeable. I only wanted to learn a bit more about Javier, and Roy is a cliché.
It is a standalone, not necessary to have read the prequel but it would help to place certain characters.
To me, the prequel, Golden Icon, was better. More movement, I mean more changement of situations, more story. And, same complaint : a lot of typos (in my epub version), admitted, mostly minor ones. So, I give three coloured stars but with some hesitation. Maybe the sequel, Book of Hours, will be better again.
Writing style is good, description and development of characters good, even when the main character may not be likeable. I only wanted to learn a bit more about Javier, and Roy is a cliché.
It is a standalone, not necessary to have read the prequel but it would help to place certain characters.
To me, the prequel, Golden Icon, was better. More movement, I mean more changement of situations, more story. And, same complaint : a lot of typos (in my epub version), admitted, mostly minor ones. So, I give three coloured stars but with some hesitation. Maybe the sequel, Book of Hours, will be better again.
October 22, 2022
This is a review for both audio and ebook. Masterpiece by Janet Pywell and narrated by Ink Arnadine. Ink Arnadine is perfect for narrating this fast-pace international mystery. Her use of different inflections for each character is done so well and I love how her narration speeds up as the tale get more intense, her cadence perfect. Masterpiece is the beginning of the Mikky dos Santos Thrillers which follows a master art forger, Mikky. Book 1 set the backdrop for this thrilling series, set in the international art world of buyers, sellers and thieves. Janet does a great job filling us in on Mikky's childhood, which plays an important part in her books. Mikky's relationship with her mother is touchy but this also lends itself to the tough no non-sense personality creating the morally grey person I love to cheer for, Mikky. Get ready for a roller-coaster ride with Mikky as she tries to figure-out her life in the world of art forgery.
November 24, 2018
I voluntarily reviewed Masterpiece by Janet Pywall after receiving a free copy from the author and Voracious Readers only.
I read this book after reading Golden Icon also by Janet Pywell, I was interested in reading this book after the other which I enjoyed and I was not disappointed.
It was great to see more developments in the characters and their lives. With the twist and turns in this story and the surprise ending I would say this book was exciting and I enjoyed the adventure immensely! I would recommend it .
April 6, 2021
This book would have been much better if the main character had been more likable/relatable. She seemed selfish, self-absorbed, and amoral in terms of her relationships with others. I love complex characters with issues, but with any character, there has to be something that you can empathize or connect with. I just couldn't find that at all. The topic—art forgery— is a great one, but this book missed the mark in my opinion
February 10, 2019
Another wonderful book by this author. It is a great story with lots of life's lessons. I love how the author describes everything and makes you feel what she is saying. I loved the plot and the characters. I learned more about the characters in this book. It is a great series in which I will be reading more of.
April 29, 2023
I loved this book. There’s such a duality in Mikky’s character. She’s a thief shes an artist she’s flawed she’s suffered she’s cheated she’s lied but you can’t help but like this tattooed girl. This book ends up connecting with the Golden Icon and it deepens the story. Can’t wait to read book 3.
Yes, I recommend this book and this series.
Yes, I recommend this book and this series.
August 30, 2021
The book was really well written and a very good mystery and the characters were complex and interesting… but I hated each and every one of them. They were all fairly vile. And that made it hard for me to enjoy the book.
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March 4, 2020Pretty Entertaining. I will read more in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews