The Lover's Portrait

Zelda Richardson Mystery #1

by Jennifer S. Alderson

A portrait holds the key to recovering a cache of looted artwork, secreted away during World War II, in this captivating historical art thriller set in the 1940s and present-day Amsterdam.

When a Dutch art dealer hides the stock from his gallery – rather than turn it over to his Nazi blackmailer – he pays with his life, leaving a treasure trove of modern masterpieces buried somewhere in Amsterdam, presumably lost forever. That is, until American art history student Zelda Richardson sticks her nose in.

After studying for a year in the Netherlands, Zelda scores an internship at the prestigious Amsterdam Historical Museum, where she works on an exhibition of paintings and sculptures once stolen by the Nazis, lying unclaimed in Dutch museum depots almost seventy years later.

When two women claim the same painting, the portrait of a young girl entitled Irises, Zelda is tasked with investigating the painting’s history and soon finds evidence that one of the two women must be lying about her past. Before she can figure out which one it is and why, Zelda learns about the Dutch art dealer’s concealed collection. And that Irises is the key to finding it.

Her discoveries make her a target of someone willing to steal – and even kill – to find the missing paintings. As the list of suspects grows, Zelda realizes she has to track down the lost collection and unmask a killer if she wants to survive.

The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery draws on the author’s experiences gained while studying art history in the Netherlands and working for several Dutch museums.

All of the amateur sleuth mysteries in the Zelda Richardson Mystery Series are stand-alone novels and can be read in any order:
The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery
Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery
Marked for Revenge: An Art Heist Thriller

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Art, Thriller, Contemporary, World War II

310 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2016

About the author

Hi! I am an American expat currently living in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, I moved to Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands. When not writing, you can find me in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning my next research trip.

My love of travel, art, and culture inspires my award-winning Zelda Richardson Art Mystery series, Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries.

Connect with me here on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, or my website.

Thanks for stopping by!

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4 stars
I won this book from the author in a contest. My apologies for taking a year to read and review it. Although this is book 2 in the series, they are written as stand alones. I previously read book 1 in the series and you don't need to read it in order to enjoy this one. I actually liked this book more than the first, which had some flaws. This one does not have any flaws.
Zelda Richardson is an art student/applicant trying to get into a Masters program at a Netherlands university in Amsterdam. She becomes a volunteer intern at a museum reading a major exhibition of Dutch artwork stolen/lost in WWII which the museum wants to restore to their rightful owners. There are 2 narratives, present day Amsterdam and WWII Amsterdam. The author does an excellent job of weaving the two together. Zelda's initiative brings forth 2 separate claimants for the same painting. One of the claimants is a fraud who will go to any lengths to get the painting. Since the reader knows who the villain is from the beginning, this is more a thriller than a mystery. Everything comes together for a very satisfying ending.
The American author has provided quite a bit of information on the process of restoring lost/stolen art to the rightful owners and life in occupied Netherlands during WWII. Her bio notes that she lives in Amsterdam and is fluent in Dutch.
One quote: "The provenance is a record of the changes in ownership of an individual painting or sculpture, correct? Zelda asked."

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A swiftly flowing narrative, the beauty and rhythm of Amsterdam, mystery and intrigue surrounding paintings pilfered during the second world war by Nazis, and a charming relationship between the protagonist, Zelda, and her young Dutch tutor, Friederich, make this a wonderfully readable mystery.

It opens with a flashback to 1942, with a man named Arjan trying to stay one step ahead of Nazi Oswald Drechsler by keeping art treasures out of the hands of the Gestapo. These flashbacks are intermittent throughout yet involving, balancing what is occurring in the present with slowly revealed glimpses into the past. Zelda Richardson is a likable protagonist easy for the reader to embrace, because she’s far from perfect, yet resilient. Thanks to Professor Marianne Smit, who has encouraged her, she gets an unpaid internship at the Amsterdam Museum. Her boss Bernice Dijkstra, and the stern curator Huub Konjin enlist her aid in helping with the website tied to the Stolen Objects exhibition. The translations from Dutch to English are a mess. It seems a dream assignment for young Zelda, who views the museum as a kind of Camelot. It is through her eyes that the reader gets a wonderful sense of living in Amsterdam.

Zelda is soon at odds with Huub, however, when two separate claimants step forward to claim one of the paintings even before the exhibit has opened. In the background, Konrad Heider has been searching religiously for his family’s paintings. The difficulty of proving prominence for both Rita Brouwer, and Heider’s client, Karen O’Neil, is a tricky one, however. After a day escorting Rita around Amsterdam, enjoying her company as she shares with Zelda her memories of this part of the world during the war, Zelda is convinced of Rita’s genuineness and becomes her champion. This places her at odds with Huub, who clearly is ready to grant the overbearing Karen rights to the painting. Zelda cannot understand why, or why Karen is spending so much money to claim a relatively worthless painting.

There are secrets and intrigue here, and when Zelda oversteps her assignment by speaking with a relative related to the search for documentation, it sets in motion unexpected violence, as the past reaches out to the future. Sixty-five paintings, forty-five crates, and war-time homosexuality and blackmail make for intrigue and a touch of danger amidst a colorful backdrop. More and more, as Zelda attempts to be Rita’s champion, she places in jeopardy the Master’s program she so covets so that she can become a curator and work at exhibition design. On the personal front, Zelda’s boyfriend Pietro seems to be using her, and ignoring her, while her pal Friedrich, with whom she has no romantic feelings, is always there to help. He operates quadrocoptors and small drone planes by remote control as a hobby, and this will come into play as Zelda tries to discover what one of the claimants is really up to.

The mystery surrounding the painting, Irises, and its provenance is augmented by the wonderful atmosphere of life in Amsterdam. The heroine and her sidekick are likable and the reader wants them to succeed. The narrative itself is fairly breezy, flowing and unfolding naturally, even within the flashbacks. The last third of the book is quite exciting, with a sprinkling of danger, and a dash of violence. The conclusion to the mystery is very satisfying, suggesting promise of other adventures for Zelda. All in all, this appears to be a very fine mystery series.

If I have a caveat, it is that Zelda did not take the romantic direction I’d hoped for, and where the story-line appeared to be heading. Perhaps with this being a series, the author felt that Zelda being too entangled romantically would smother options in upcoming books, but it would have been charming, in my opinion. It is a very minor quibble, however. The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery by Jennifer S. Alderson is a wonderful read for fans of the genre, and is much more enthralling than its breezy narrative and cerebral subject matter — a museum, works of art — suggests. Highly recommended!

[Pamela Allegretto · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, a good historical novel must comprise fully developed characters, a compelling narrative, and absorbing information about the particular era referenced in the story. “The Lover’s Portrait” by Jennifer S. Alderson fits all these requirements.
The protagonist, Zelda Richardson, is a resilient, gutsy, ethical art history student who just might be in over her head when her search for truth entangles her in a 70-year-old web of stolen paintings, blackmail, and murder.
The author’s exemplary research into art works stolen by the Nazis during World War 2 is evident. However, she does not overdo facts; but rather, she seamlessly weaves the thought-provoking information into her tale.
I highly recommend “The Lover’s Portrait” for artists, art lovers, history buffs, historical novel fans, and anyone else looking for a well-written, enjoyable read.
I have not yet read Ms. Alderson’s first novel, “Down and Out in Kathmandu,” but halfway through “The Lover’s Portrait” I knew I wanted to read more of Ms. Alderson’s work, and so I ordered a copy and am looking forward to the read.

[Olga Miret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-paced mystery that takes us back to a fascinating and tragic historical era Thanks to Rosie’s Book Review Team and to the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book that I voluntarily chose to review. (If you are a writer and are interested in getting first-class reviews do check here).
I love art but cannot claim to be a connoisseur and I’ve never been to Amsterdam (well, I stopped at the airport to change planes once but that was that) but I can reassure you neither of those things prevented me from enjoying this solid mystery set within the world of big art museums and exhibitions, with a background story that would comfortably fit into the genre of historical fiction.
The story is written in the third person but from several characters’ point of view, although it is easy to follow and there is no head-hopping as each chapter, some longer and some shorter, is told from only one character’s point of view. There are two time frames. Some chapters are set in 1942 and tell the story of an art dealer from Amsterdam who is being blackmailed by one of the Nazi occupiers due to his homosexuality. In 2015, Zelda, the intrepid protagonist, is trying very hard to get into a Master’s Programme that will qualify her to work in museums and agrees to help with some very basic editing tasks for an exhibition of art objects confiscated by the Nazis that has been organised in an attempt at locating the rightful owners of the paintings. Readers get also a good insight into the thoughts and motivations of other characters (the evil nephew of the original Nazi blackmailer, Rita, the owner of one of the portraits in the exhibition, Huub, the curator of the exhibition…), although we mostly follow Zelda and her adventures. Although this is book 2 in the series, I have not read the first one and had no problem getting into the story. Zelda at times reflects upon how she got here and we learn that she moved from working with computers to a stay in Nepal teaching English and finally Amsterdam. In effect, I felt the novel was better at offering factual information about her than developing her character psychologically. I was not sure of her age but at times she seemed very naïve for somebody who has travelled extensively and has held important jobs, not only with the mystery side of things but also with her personal life, but she has the heart in the right place, and I appreciated the lack of romance in the story.
The different points of view and time changes help keep the suspense going, as we have access to more information than Zelda, but this can sometimes make matters more confusing (as we are not privy to everybody’s thoughts and there are a few red herrings thrown in for good measure). The author is also good at keeping us guessing and suspecting all kinds of double-crossings (perhaps I have been reading too many mystery books and thrillers but I didn’t trust anyone and was on the lookout for more twists than there were).
The setting of Amsterdam, both in the present and in the 1940s is very well depicted and, at least for me, the wish to go there increased as I read. I really enjoyed the description of the process of documentation and how to search for the provenance of artworks (the author explains her own background and its relevance to the subject [very] in an endnote that also offers ample bibliography)  that is sufficiently detailed without getting boring, and the background theme of the fate of art and the persecution of Jews, homosexuals and other minorities in occupied Europe is brought to life in the memories described by several of the characters and also the fictionalised entries of the art merchant. It is not difficult to see how a book about the research of actual works of art could be gripping too, and the fictionalisation and the mystery elements make it attractive to even more readers.
This is a gentle mystery, with no excessive or graphic violence, with an amateur sleuth who sometimes is far too daring and impulsive (although otherwise there would not be much of a story), with a great background and sufficient red herrings and clues to keep the suspense going. I suspect most readers will guess some aspects of the solution, but perhaps not the full details, and even if they do, the rest of the elements of the story make the reading worthwhile.
A good and solid book, an interesting intrigue that combines present and past, set in a wonderful Amsterdam and the art world, with likeable and intriguing characters,  but not heavy on the psychological aspects or too demanding.
 

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read The Lover's Portrait, I was entranced from the beginning. Art stolen from the Jewish owners during World War II has fascinated me so much. The story comes alive when reading about the art owner and the Gallery owner. There are so many unusual facets to this story. Subjects that I had never read about unfolded allowing me to see another side of the war and the people that were punished in inhumane ways for being who they are.

Each chapter held my interest and kept me wanting to know more. Zelda is a great main character. She has lived a different life before and is finding her passion in an unexpected place in an unexpected career. The vivid descriptions of Amsterdam and the history really brought this story to life. The intrigue and personal history of the families brought in a personal element. Each mysterious clue opened so many doors, it kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

My mind is whirling at the possibilities that events like this actually happened and treasures and historic works of art are hidden away, waiting for discovery. I enjoyed the reading group questions in the back, it allowed me to take a closer look at what I had read and what I had felt and learned throughout the book.

If you love history, a detailed mystery, and a lovely heroine, then you will love The Lover's Portrait.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written mystery about stolen Nazi artwork. Alderson constructs a credible tale, that could have been ripped from current headlines of a young art student, Zelda Richardson thrust into a uncomfortable position working with a hostile colleague on a project attempting to reunite artwork with original owners. When two women claim ownership of the same painting, she finds herself thrust into danger and intrigue as she tries to unravel the tangled past. Informative and fast paced, this is an interesting read written by an author who clearly knows her subject. Three dimensional and well developed characters with the added bonus of the Dutch location. I look forward to seeing what Zelda will tackle next in her art world journey.

[Lucia Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun and exciting read! The mystery itself was compelling and made me want to keep reading (I read it in one day, because I couldn’t put it down). The location and time period were the icing on the cake. The story not only takes the reader to the Amsterdam of today, but also of the past, during the time of WW II. Featuring the stolen and lost art during the German occupation of the Netherlands, it tells about what was happening in Amsterdam during that period, without it turning into a history lesson. I had the impression the author must have invested a great deal of time researching the era and the city. Having been in Amsterdam, one of my favorite cities, I felt the descriptions in the book were very accurate, bringing back great memories.

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great art history mystery!!! This was such an interesting book about artwork lost during WWII being located and reunited with survivors and their families. Zelda was an incredibly dogged amateur investigator. Even though she did go a bit overboard and get herself into trouble at times she was determined as hell to find out what really happened. I admire that in a character. I loved Fredrick her compliant guy friend too. He was such a good sport. The whole process of reuniting paintings with their original owners seemed so tedious yet satisfying. The story about the painting Irises was just fascinating. It was heartbreaking, beautiful and tragic.
There were parts of the book that were a bit drawn out like the museum meetings themselves and some of Zelda’s internal thoughts but nothing too extreme.
This audiobook was well produced. The parts of all the Dutch characters were really well done as were those of all the other characters. Each one easy to understand while still being distinct.
I’m excited to listen to the next book in the series. I look forward to seeing what else Zelda gets herself involved in.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review first appeared on our blog, where the author offers top tips for a visit to Amsterdam:
http://www.tripfiction.com/art-myster...

Firmly set in Amsterdam, this enjoyable mystery explores the darker world of misappropriated and stolen art works during World War II.

Zelda Richardson, an American, is applying to do a Master’s programme in Amsterdam and therefore must not jeopardise her future by ill-considered actions. But she is a head strong young woman who is doing an internship at the Amsterdam Museum, where they are putting the finishing touches to the exhibition “Stolen Objects: Unclaimed Paintings and Sculptures in Dutch Museum Depots” due to open in a month’s time. All items in the exhibition – well over a 1000 – were taken from Dutch citizens during the Nazi occupation of the city. Publicity, it is hoped, will reunite some of the works of art with their rightful owners, but provenance – proof of ownership – is the key.

Details are already up on the Homepage and it is the painting “Irises” by Wederstein, rather an obscure piece to garner so much attention. The first claimant is Rita Brouwer but hot on her heels is the second claimant Karen O’Neil. Zelda, as the adult Nancy Drew, is on a mission to find out who the genuine claimant is and who the imposter. Things certainly get tense as she delves deeper into the stories of each claimant, and certainly her instinct tells her which woman has a genuine case. But she needs hard evidence. If Karen’s claim is not water-tight what is it that is driving her?

Flashback to the war years and the assumed owner at the time has been asked to store other works of art from the prying Nazi eyes. But he soon finds himself being blackmailed for reasons that become apparent…

A good insight, via fiction, into the dark world of stolen artefacts, well researched and written with a good pace.

Setting is delightful. Zelda herself is trying to get her tongue round the Dutch language, and there are smatterings of the language to add authenticity. She spends time with her friend Friedrich at the Vondelpark and Museumplein, takes a trip out to Urk, and observes the unusual presence of parakeets, which if you have been to Amsterdam may well strike a chord – they are certainly an unanticipated sight in a northern European city. There are many more passing references for a bit of literary wanderlust to enjoy throughout the book. She has captured the very Dutch nature of the city and clearly knows it well.

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Art History student Zelda Richardson loves her life in Amsterdam, but entrance into the Master’s course in Museum Studies depends on her performance as an intern at the Amsterdam Historical Museum. She is asked to work on an online project to restore 1500 paintings stolen by the Nazis during World War Two to their rightful owners or descendants but she is not welcomed onto the project by the stiff, unfriendly Huub Konijn, senior curator at the Jewish Historical Museum, who designed the website.

But not content with her editing role, Zelda uses her previous web design experience to brighten up the front page, with her own choice of paintings, in an animation. Despite Huub’s criticism, one of these paintings, Irises, triggers a claimant almost instantly. Rita Brouwer, a large, jolly American woman claims it was painted for her elderly sister, but as Zelda begins to warm to this lady, another claimant turns up. Karen O’Neil is an unpleasant socialite, accompanied by her German lawyer, Konrad Heider. She has paperwork listing the painting in the Gallery of her grandfather, Arjan van Heemsvliet.

In parallel with events in 2015, we read about how many valuable paintings belonging to Dutch Jews were hidden in 1942 by Arjan and his friend, picture framer, Philip Verbeet who was Rita’s father. But both men disappeared and the location of the paintings is still unknown. We know more than Zelda about whom she should trust but part of the mystery is concealed until the end and Zelda’s impetuous, proactive investigation leads her into danger and thrilling action.

The novel gives a detailed account of the large quantity of art that was stolen and how rightful ownership is carefully researched, which of necessity slows down the first part of the story, but there is also a compelling mystery which makes the rest of book a real page turner. Zelda is a determined young woman who stumbles into predicaments because of her desire to reveal the truth and the other characters also have convincing motives and characteristics. A great read.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has all the ingredients needed for a great mystery/thriller: history, intrigue, conspiracy, heartbreak, action and suspense. It may sound contrived or mundane to say that a book is a "page-turner" and that one "couldn't put it down", but it really is true of 'The Lover's Portait'. Set in Amsterdam, t's a well-designed, fabulous historical puzzle, solved decades later by someone who has no intention of becoming a detective; rather, it is through her dogged commitment to the truth that she uncovers the answers. The author has woven together a number of compelling plot lines to construct her own work of art. It is free of gratuitous violence and sex, making it suitable for Young Adult audiences as well as older readers.

The story moves at a great pace, keeping the reader fully engaged in Zelda's quest for the truth. The characters are well-developed and very believable. Zelda, as the main protagonist, is flawed and realistic, while the antagonist is both intelligent and cold-hearted, and is therefore very easy to dislike. This is paralleled in the 'historical' characters in the story: the protagonists are likeable and genuine, both oppressed for different reasons, while the author has very effectively characterised their NAZI antagonist as cruel and vindictive through his own motivations and actions without resorting to any typecasting or cliche. Throughout the novel, the author succeeds in using the natural empathy of the reader to drive their interest and engagement in the characters and plot without the reader being aware of any such positioning.

As the novel draws to a close, Anderson pulls the various story lines together into a neat and satisfying conclusion, albeit tinged with sadness and regret.

5 stars for 'The Lover's Portrait'.

Read it. You're sure to enjoy this fantastic book.

[Jane Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise for The Lovers Portrait along with the title was intriguing, and the story was very enjoyable.

The historical element of just how many works of art were lost or stolen during the second world war, was skillfully researched and portrayed. Ms. Alderson sets the scene perfectly for an intriguing tale of hope, fear, and dangerous liaisons. The story is set in Amsterdam, and when Zelda an art history student, begins unraveling conflicting claims on a recovered painting, danger lurks in unlikely places. As she delves deeper, she must consider who to trust, and then, whose story to believe if she is to return the painting to its rightful owner. When she attempts to uncover the whereabouts of other lost artwork, she finds herself in the middle of a dangerous charade.

Ms. Alderson takes her reader on a fast paced journey amidst blackmail, murder and mystery, which all add to this captivating tale.

[Anne Janzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lover's Portrait ticks all of the boxes for a good mystery read: interesting subject, unusual setting, and compelling mystery. The bonus, with this book, is the historical grounding. The story could almost be torn from current headlines, dealing with issues of disputed ownership for artwork that changed hands during periods of Nazi occupation. Alderson deftly intermingles the two mysteries, one contemporary and one in the past, while immersing the reader in an Amsterdam peopled with interesting characters.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lover’s Portrait is an intriguing art mystery with interwoven flashbacks that reveal just enough to propel the narrative forward without giving away the ending. The writing flows without hiccup and I can only imagine the countless hours of research required to lend the story authenticity. I’d certainly read more from this author.

[Robbie Cheadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this novel as an audio book and I absolutely loved it. Ms Alderson’s descriptions of beautiful Amsterdam and the lovely artworks detailed in the book are superb and were an interesting background for this very exciting thriller. The book is largely set in the present time but flips back to the past intermittently. I thought the movement between the time periods was well done and really added to the intensity of the book.

The plot revolves around a piece of art, called Irises, that is featured in a display, by Museum Amsterdam, aimed at restoring unclaimed artworks, misappropriated during WWII, to their rightful owners. This relatively unimportant artwork by an unknown artist is quickly claimed by two Americans of very different backgrounds and personalities. Zelda, a young student, who has been engaged as an intern at the museum to assist with translating the description of the artworks on display from Dutch into English, soon becomes embroiled in the stand-off between the two claimants and the search to find more information relating to the piece in order to settle the claim. Zelda quickly starts to realize that there is more to these two claims, and this piece of art, than meets the eye. I found the detail around the process involved in claiming lost artwork very interesting. I have never thought about this before. The gradual unfurling of the story and the role of Irises in the plot was cleverly done.

The book provides a lot of interesting information about the impact of WWII on the city of Amsterdam and it population and gives insight into the fate of both the Jewish and the homosexual inhabitants of the city at that time.

I thought the characters in the book were well developed and I really related to Zelda and her affinity to an American claimant who lost her father and family home during WWII. I understood Zelda’s interest in the old woman and her desire to help her claim her family’s heirloom. I also understood her immediate dislike of the arrogant and spoilt second claimant. Zelda’s character is hot headed and rash and she does some very impetuous things but I liked that and didn’t think it was impossible or totally unbelievable.

Which one of the two claimants is genuine and what secret does Irises hold?

[Jennifer S. Alderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite [posted on November 21, 2016 here: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...

The Lover’s Portrait by Jennifer S. Alderson is the second novel in The Adventures of Zelda Richardson series. Zelda just earned her way into an internship working at a museum exhibit showcasing stolen objects from WWII in hopes that the rightful families will claim them. It’s a dream come true. That is until Zelda finds out she’s meant to read and revise a website that has grammatical errors. Her luck changes when a woman named Rita shows up to claim a painting labeled Irises with a heartbreaking story of her father sending his family into hiding while he tried to find money, and hide his artwork from the Nazis. It seems like a set plan when another woman shows up, claiming to be the rightful descendant of the painting’s owner. Zelda has a natural habit of not quitting until she finds the truth, but will her curiosity lead her to a murderer?

Jennifer S. Alderson delivers a mystery novel not quite like most. It has a headstrong sleuth type character in Zelda, but the story is character driven, not plot driven. The mystery of the painting is reminiscent of old mystery novels from before the 1950s, fitting since Alderson features flashbacks to the 1940s, probably some of my favorite scenes. She weaves the scenes with Arjan and Philip through the novel to answer questions as Zelda discovers the truth. Being able to see the fear Arjan went through allowed for a sentimental touch to the mystery. It’s not about stolen paintings, but about lives that were stolen. The flashbacks added depth to the plot that brought all the threads together to a wonderful conclusion. The Lover’s Portrait is a well-written mystery with engaging characters and a lot of heart. The perfect novel for those who love art and mysteries!

***Because this reviewer is not on Goodreads, Readers's Favorite recommends authors (in this case me) post their review here and link back to it. So that's what I've done!

[S.K. Wee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story that delves into some of the history of Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. The story revolves around Zelda who is trying to get into a Master’s program in Art history by working as an intern at a museum. Though she believed she would play an important role in the museum’s quest to locate owners of lost or stolen art, she is firmly set into the background of the project. Showing initiative by redesigning the Museum’s website, she makes mistake after mistake and plays a pivotal role in unearthing a devious plot for art theft set into motion over a half century earlier.
The author did an excellent job of making both the art world and the streets of Amsterdam come alive for me. I felt a lot of the pain and betrayal of those bygone years and would have even wanted more of that history. Great storyline and highly recommended.

[Jennifer S. Alderson]

This amateur sleuth mystery describes the plight of homosexuals and Jewish artists in Europe during World War Two, as well as the complexities inherent to the restitution of artwork stolen by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s. This period of European history was relatively unknown to me before I moved to the Netherlands to study Art History and Museum Studies. Writing this story gave me a chance to process all I’ve learned about the incredibly complex era, and an excuse to further investigate those aspects that intrigued me the most. I truly hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it!

[Diane Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

An American college student, Zelda Richardson, is doing a graduate internship at a Museum in Amsterdam. Zelda’s simple college life turns into a nightmare when Zelda gets too involved in her internship assignment. This story takes place in current Amsterdam and flashes back to Nazi occupation Amsterdam.

Artwork was stolen by Nazi’s or hidden from Nazi’s. Finding this artwork and getting it back to their rightful owners is not an easy process. Unsavory people laying claim to found art work makes it even harder. Some people will stop at nothing to get ahold of artwork.

Zelda gets herself in way over her head. Fast paced mystery. The characters are well developed. I haven't read the first book in this series. No need to. This is a stand alone story. I will be reading the first book of The Adventures of Zelda Richardson now.

[Harriet Steel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilled at securing an internship at the prestigious Amsterdam Museum, art history student and amateur sleuth, Zelda Richardson, is disappointed when she finds that her role in an important exhibition aimed at reuniting owners with paintings looted by the Nazis in World War II looks like being a minor one. That state of affairs doesn't last long though and she's soon in the thick of the action in this pacey art mystery that kept me up reading until the small hours. Zelda is an engaging heroine and the other characters are well drawn. The historical context of the war and the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands gives the novel a darker side but a very interesting one. Amsterdam is powerfully evoked in peace and in war. Highly recommended.

[Daniella Bernett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vibrant, authentic depiction of Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. Jennifer Alderson does a magnificent job of bringing the past to life as she weaves an intriguing mystery full of suspense.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a cosy mystery, with its backdrop of Nazi blackmail and murder in Second World War Amsterdam, but the naivete of the main character is usually charming (sometimes she is just daft!). Young Zelda, the innocent abroad, gives us insights into the fine art end of the museum world, and the investigations that have to take place to link a looted painting with its original owners, while she solves a nasty little mystery which leads to murder in the present, too. The setting is clearly dear to the author though it is not overplayed, and the plot rolls along with energy. Very enjoyable.

[FangirlNation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zelda, an expatriate from America in Amsterdam, desperately wants to get into a graduate program in museum design in The Lover’s Portrait by Jennifer S. Alderson. However, Zelda’s background gives her a low chance of getting into the program until her adviser recommends her as an intern for an exhibit on stolen Nazi art meant to help reunite looted art with its true owners. Helping the exhibition copy edit its website is not exactly her idea of a great internship, but she gets excited when a woman comes forward to claim a relatively cheap painting called Irises. Rita explains that the painting was named after her oldest sister while painted by the sister’s first love. But being a Jew, he got sent away to a concentration camp and Iris became a hunted woman, so Rita’s father sent his wife and daughters to America. His last letter to the family indicated that he had found a hiding place for his priceless art and had paid the rent on their home for the next five years. Then they never heard from him again. In joy, Rita is thrilled to be reunited with the portrait of his sister last seen over 70 years ago.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally unputdownable.

Oh my goodness, what an amazing read.
It contains everything I love in a book; World War II history, mystery, murder, secrets and lies, deception and greed.
Basically this magnificent story set in Amsterdam, centres around lost and stolen art works during World War II, and its recovery. The dual timeline between present day and WW2 leaves plenty of hints which all come together in the end.
So brilliantly written and researched, this book had me hooked from beginning to end.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Barb Taub · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Write what you know.” Like most vintage advice, there is a kernel of truth to that, especially if you interpret it as “take what you’ve experienced and use it to inform and color what you write”. Jennifer S. Alderson is certainly one writer who takes that advice to heart. Like her character Zelda, she was working as a website developer in Seattle, Washington, when the travel bug hit. After several international stops, she ended up in the Netherlands, pursuing a graduate program and internship in exhibition design and collection research.

In book two of this series, Alderson’s fictional doppelganger, Zelda, is counting on her internship at the Amsterdam Museum to ensure her admission to the prestigious graduate degree program in Museum Studies. But Zelda is disappointed to discover that she’s really only expected to work as a copyeditor, proofing english translations of the catalog copy. Museum curators and staff have been working for years to prepare for an exhibit of unclaimed art works recovered after Nazi occupation in World War II.

Interleaved with Zelda’s contemporary research are chapters set in 1942. In them, the history of the missing artworks unfolds against a backdrop of war, blackmail, the holocaust, and homophobia.

When Zelda offers to apply her web development skills to enhance the museum’s dreadful online site meant to showcase each work of art, her efforts are mocked and rebuffed by exhibition curator Huub Konijn. But before the new website can be taken down, they get their first hit. An elderly American, Rita Brouwer, whose family had fled Nazi-occupied Amsterdam when she was a child, came forward to claim Irises, one of the lesser-known works.

The museum administrators are delighted, and quick to publicize their first success. All that turns to dismay when another claimant to Irises emerges. Curator Huub is sure the new claim is valid, but Zelda is convinced that the picture belongs with Rita and her elderly sisters. As Zelda and her young friend/admirer Friedrich dig deeper, the stakes go from lies and greed to murder.

There were so many things to like about this book. The premise—Nazi-looted artworks hidden for decades—is both timely and terrific, and the settings were well-drawn and believable. Nazi atrocities against both Jews and homosexuals are well-documented. And we’ve all heard about families who’ve spent years trying to recover property looted by the Nazis, as well as the dramatic discovery of more than 1200 works in the apartment of reclusive German art dealer Cornelius Gurlitt. Plus, as a thriller, the novel’s pacing unfolds perfectly, slowly at first and then racing to its dark climax.

For me, though, there were a few problems with the book. I can wish for tighter editing for the various typos and edit fails (including the instance where Huub calls someone “Renee”). I can wish that better research/editing could have caught things like the reference to a non-Jew as one of hundreds of guests at a bar mitzvah party, even though such an event would have been more likely to be a family-oriented dinner feast in the days preceding more recent American-style extravaganzas. Or that while there is a definite point made to one character wearing a wig, we never really find out why.

Some things were probably just artistic license taken in order to make a point, such as the unlikely conversation between an art history graduate student and a museum curator where they discuss the meaning of “provenance”—something that should surely have come up on the first day of her first art history class. Or the way that the Nisqually earthquake was moved forward in time…and relocated from Olympia to Seattle.

But my real disappointment with The Lover’s Portrait is with the main characters, especially Zelda. We know that she’s an intrepid woman who has traveled the world. Trying to avoid spoilers, I have to say that she comes across as immature and surprisingly gullible, especially in her romantic relationships. Despite what I would have seen as opportunities for character development and growth, I can’t point to times where Zelda has changed or matured in any way. And—while trying to avoid spoilers here— I can also say that the other “romantic” relationship between the villain and his accomplice is even less believable.

In addition, virulent opposition of curator Huub to giving Irises to its original owner and his almost fawning acceptance of the second claim is vaguely attributed to his own family’s suffering during the war. While the plight of the Netherlands Jews is well documented—of the over 140,000 Jews living in the Netherlands at the beginning of the war, less than 27% survived the holocaust, and those who did almost invariably returned to find their property confiscated and possessions gone—that simply doesn’t explain why he would prefer one claimant over another.

Having said all that, I come back to the fact that this is a well-told story over all, with significant research, great settings, and good pacing. Author Jennifer S. Alderson can definitely write, and I’d look forward to reading her future books.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alderson has done an excellent job putting together a captivating mystery involving a search for missing art from Nazi occupied WWII era Amsterdam. The story slides back and forth between current day and the 1940's to explain events as they happened, giving back story and laying out clues. I like that in a story when it's done well - and it is here. Ms. Alderson uses Amsterdam as her backdrop and Art History as part of the primary subject matter in the book, both topics on which she is well versed. She has a compelling narrative and a likeable heroine. Historical novels are my go to genre and I love a good mystery too so this was right up my alley. I will have to say that the narration by Ms Purdom of Rita Brouwer and Karen O Neil - 2 women who were supposed to be of mature years and left the Netherlands when they were small girls - were narrated with horrible twangy American accents. It was incredibly annoying. Accents aside, the book was a good listen and worth your time. I very much enjoyed it. *I was given a review copy in return for my honest review*

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story so much I am giving it 4.5 stars.

I was completely hooked within the first 10 minutes of listening to the audiobook and just knew this was going to be a good story. It did not disappoint.
I loved how it moved between the present and the past to give us the perfect story. I also enjoyed the fact that it was set in Amsterdam in stead of the usual setting of USA or the UK like most books. The way this author described the city and it's museums were so vivid that I have even placed it on my travel bucket list!

The characters were so well developed, it feels like I knew them all personally. The only reason I am not giving this book 5 stars is because, Zelda, the main character, behaved so stupidly in a couple of situations. It wasn't anything major, and I do not want to give away spoilers, but it was just something that made me want to climb into the book and slap Zelda with it in frustration. I guess this is one of those backhanded compliments, because if I didn't like this book so much, it wouldn't have bugged me this much :)

The narrator did a great job on this book even though her "voice" for Karen O’Neil, grated on my ears a bit, but then again we were supposed to dislike Karen anyway.

I cannot wait to read more from this author and really hope she will carry on writing more books.

[Scott Stavrou · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine and fascinating read for lovers of art, history, mysteries and well-written books.
This intricate and well-woven tapestry of a novel seamlessly weaves together threads of the dark days of occupied WWII Amsterdam and Nazi plunder of precious artworks with the modern-day heroine’s attempts to discover discover the missing masterpieces and dig into the provenance of the lost plundered artworks and her quest to help ascertain rightful ownership and restitution.

Alderson deftly manages to weave together the dark and foreboding days of WWII Amsterdam and the Nazi atrocities with the contemporary struggle to help rewrite the many wrongs of this period. She achieves this artfully, combining in-depth historical research with well-crafted contemporary characters and strong and gripping narrative.

This book will especially appeal to admirers of Daniel Sivla and Iain Pears' art history mysteries but also to readers who love gripping stories with a strong and evocative setting.

[Phyllis Entis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The manager of the Stolen Arts exhibition gets more than she bargained for when two different women lay claim to the same painting. Who is the rightful owner of Irises? Is it Rita Brouwer, whose photographic evidence and emotional response on setting eyes on the painting engages the sympathy of intern Zelda Richardson? Or is it Karen O’Neil, attorney at her side, whose extensive documentation strongly supports her claim? When the head curator of the exhibition appears to favor O’Neil, Zelda decides to take matters into her own hands.

The premise of this novel - the return of works of art stolen by the Nazis to the families of the rightful owners - resonated with me, and I very much wanted to love The Lover’s Portrait. And there is much to love. Jennifer Alderson has done her homework. Her description of the requirements for determining provenance of artwork, her tour through the Van Gogh Museum, and the settings of her Amsterdam scenes all are testament to the thoroughness of her research.

While I enjoyed Alderson’s plot and her characters, I was jarred by some of her choices of words. For example, I had difficulty imagining Project Manager Bernice Dijkstra sniggering during the course of an argument with the exhibition curator. Characters tended to ‘mumble’ frequently and inappropriately. Also, I was distracted by the occasional grammatical error, such as the use of “who’s” as a possessive. Some might view this as nitpicking, but the frequency of these occurrences was enough to jolt me out of the story from time to time.

Overall, I would describe The Lover’s Portrait as an engaging mystery and an enjoyable read.

[Nelleke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book because for 2 days (while reading it) I was transported to my home town Amsterdam. I am a Mokumer at heart!!