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The Talented Miss Farwell
At the end of the 1990s, with the art market finally recovered from its disastrous collapse, Miss Rebecca Farwell has made a killing at Christie’s in New York City, selling a portion of her extraordinary art collection for a rumored 900 percent profit. Dressed in couture YSL, drinking the finest champagne at trendy Balthazar, Reba, as she’s known, is the picture of a wealthy art collector. To some, the elusive Miss Farwell is a shark with outstanding business acumen. To others, she’s a heartless capitalist whose only interest in art is how much she can make.
But a thousand miles from the Big Apple, in the small town of Pierson, Illinois, Miss Farwell is someone else entirely—a quiet single woman known as Becky who still lives in her family’s farmhouse, wears sensible shoes, and works tirelessly as the town’s treasurer and controller.
No one understands the ins and outs of Pierson’s accounts better than Becky; she’s the last one in the office every night, crunching the numbers. Somehow, her neighbors marvel, she always finds a way to get the struggling town just a little more money. What Pierson doesn’t see—and can never discover—is that much of that money is shifted into a separate account that she controls, “borrowed” funds used to finance her art habit. Though she quietly repays Pierson when she can, the business of art is cutthroat and unpredictable.
But as Reba Farwell’s deals get bigger and bigger, Becky Farwell’s debt to Pierson spirals out of control. How long can the talented Miss Farwell continue to pull off her double life?
But a thousand miles from the Big Apple, in the small town of Pierson, Illinois, Miss Farwell is someone else entirely—a quiet single woman known as Becky who still lives in her family’s farmhouse, wears sensible shoes, and works tirelessly as the town’s treasurer and controller.
No one understands the ins and outs of Pierson’s accounts better than Becky; she’s the last one in the office every night, crunching the numbers. Somehow, her neighbors marvel, she always finds a way to get the struggling town just a little more money. What Pierson doesn’t see—and can never discover—is that much of that money is shifted into a separate account that she controls, “borrowed” funds used to finance her art habit. Though she quietly repays Pierson when she can, the business of art is cutthroat and unpredictable.
But as Reba Farwell’s deals get bigger and bigger, Becky Farwell’s debt to Pierson spirals out of control. How long can the talented Miss Farwell continue to pull off her double life?
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2020
767 people are currently reading
18904 people want to read
About the author
Emily Gray Tedrowe
3 books230 followersEmily Gray Tedrowe is the Chicago-based author of the novels The Talented Miss Farwell, Blue Stars, and Commuters. She earned a PhD in English literature from New York University, and a BA from Princeton University. She has received an Illinois Arts Council award as well as fellowships from the Ragdale Foundation, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Sewanee Writers Conference. A frequent book reviewer for USA Today and other publications, Tedrowe also writes essays, interviews, and short stories.
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Find me on Instagram at egtedrowe, where I post pics of what I'm reading
Preorder The Talented Miss Farwell now
Find me on Instagram at egtedrowe, where I post pics of what I'm reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 856 reviews
March 3, 2021
Strangely, the money is the same whether you earn it or scam it. But the thrill is deeply embedded in the scam......
Emily Gray Tedrowe presents quite the feeding frenzy here. Just like blood in the water brings out the sharks, the smell of greenbacks switches on a little widget in the mind of a situation predator. And no matter what you have heard, The Talented Miss Farwell is a well-developed character study of the inner workings of a young woman tempted by fate. When you control the numbers, sinking below zero only reveals many, many more options.
Becky Farwell has been handed the dirty end of the stick over and over again since birth. Birth took place in the tiny town of Pierson, Illinois. Hardly a blip on a map and neither was Becky. Her mother died of cancer when she was very young and her father, Hank, was in arrears with both the mortgage and his farm implement business. He hocked just about everything that they owned. College was out of the question for Becky. But our girl had a tremendous gift for those numbers. And that just adds to this remarkable story.
After graduating high school in 1981, Becky finds a job at the Pierson Town Hall. She's desperate to keep her father and herself above the water line. With hard work and long hours, Becky soon becomes the town's assistant comptroller. She's a wizard with budgets. And that wizardry shines a light on an unaccountable refund check sitting in accounts receivable. Her boss blows it off and tells her to stop asking questions and handle things herself. And from here on out, our Becky does.
An innocent trip to the University of Illinois campus art show, unravels a tight petal inside Becky. She spots an eye-catching piece of art that she is smitten with. Hmmm.....that surplus check would cover the price in a heartbeat. Becky could always slip money of her own back into the town account
eventually. And in that multi-tiered mind of Becky, this will set things ablaze and leave a scorched earth behind.
The Talented Miss Farwell was never meant to have the reader tripping over dead bodies or pushing victims out of highrise buildings. This is the study of the mind of a small town sociopath who started out with one single painting and amassed a fortune in renowned artwork. Events from her childhood may have set the stage, but power and access to it were the impetus to roll the dice. Becky loved her town. She loved her childhood friend, Ingrid. But her love of the game, sucked all the oxygen out of every vein in her life.
"The person who writes the checks is not the same person who deposits the checks. But Becky was."
Tedrowe was inspired by an actual true life situation in another small town in Illinois where a similar crime was committed. A respected town hall comptroller had drained over $53 million from the town accounts over twenty years. True story. Greed eats away at trust. And no one was willing to lift the curtain on that one. People become perplexed over numbers. But they surely recognized that $53 million loss when the damn finally broke.
Milan, Paris, New York, and Chicago. Trips without questions. The human heart and the human mind are programmed to not see evil in "one of their own". Families and marriages falter from the same mistake. Becky scammed from the 1980's to the 2000's. We see it in celebraties and political figures in today's world. The smallest pebble in the road is usually their Achilles' Heel.
Emily Gray Tedrowe presents quite the feeding frenzy here. Just like blood in the water brings out the sharks, the smell of greenbacks switches on a little widget in the mind of a situation predator. And no matter what you have heard, The Talented Miss Farwell is a well-developed character study of the inner workings of a young woman tempted by fate. When you control the numbers, sinking below zero only reveals many, many more options.
Becky Farwell has been handed the dirty end of the stick over and over again since birth. Birth took place in the tiny town of Pierson, Illinois. Hardly a blip on a map and neither was Becky. Her mother died of cancer when she was very young and her father, Hank, was in arrears with both the mortgage and his farm implement business. He hocked just about everything that they owned. College was out of the question for Becky. But our girl had a tremendous gift for those numbers. And that just adds to this remarkable story.
After graduating high school in 1981, Becky finds a job at the Pierson Town Hall. She's desperate to keep her father and herself above the water line. With hard work and long hours, Becky soon becomes the town's assistant comptroller. She's a wizard with budgets. And that wizardry shines a light on an unaccountable refund check sitting in accounts receivable. Her boss blows it off and tells her to stop asking questions and handle things herself. And from here on out, our Becky does.
An innocent trip to the University of Illinois campus art show, unravels a tight petal inside Becky. She spots an eye-catching piece of art that she is smitten with. Hmmm.....that surplus check would cover the price in a heartbeat. Becky could always slip money of her own back into the town account
eventually. And in that multi-tiered mind of Becky, this will set things ablaze and leave a scorched earth behind.
The Talented Miss Farwell was never meant to have the reader tripping over dead bodies or pushing victims out of highrise buildings. This is the study of the mind of a small town sociopath who started out with one single painting and amassed a fortune in renowned artwork. Events from her childhood may have set the stage, but power and access to it were the impetus to roll the dice. Becky loved her town. She loved her childhood friend, Ingrid. But her love of the game, sucked all the oxygen out of every vein in her life.
"The person who writes the checks is not the same person who deposits the checks. But Becky was."
Tedrowe was inspired by an actual true life situation in another small town in Illinois where a similar crime was committed. A respected town hall comptroller had drained over $53 million from the town accounts over twenty years. True story. Greed eats away at trust. And no one was willing to lift the curtain on that one. People become perplexed over numbers. But they surely recognized that $53 million loss when the damn finally broke.
Milan, Paris, New York, and Chicago. Trips without questions. The human heart and the human mind are programmed to not see evil in "one of their own". Families and marriages falter from the same mistake. Becky scammed from the 1980's to the 2000's. We see it in celebraties and political figures in today's world. The smallest pebble in the road is usually their Achilles' Heel.
November 15, 2020
This book’s premise was better than its execution. Becky Farwell lives two lives. Back in Pierson, Illinois, she’s the town treasurer and controller, managing the books in such a way to skim off increasing amounts of money to fund her art collection. Because in her other life, as Reba, in Chicago and NYC, she’s an art collector, a wheeler and dealer in the art world.
I can’t say this was an exciting book. It plods at times. We see Becky maneuvering herself out of multiple jams brought on by trying to fly higher and higher, a recession, a crash in the art market. But the supposed high drama moments often fell flat.
I continued it at times just to see if she’d eventually be caught. It was shocking to me how much she got away with; the lack of oversight by anyone else. I was even more shocked to learn it’s based on a true story. Tedrowe based the story on a woman who worked in an Illinois town who embezzled $50 million over twenty years; the biggest municipal fraud in American history.
Tedrowe does a good job of painting Becky as a real person. Filled with good intentions, she’s basically addicted to collecting. The thing that hit me the most was how obtuse she is to the harm she’s doing to the town.
The narrator, Allyson Ryan, didn’t help. Her voice was steady, but bland.
I can’t say this was an exciting book. It plods at times. We see Becky maneuvering herself out of multiple jams brought on by trying to fly higher and higher, a recession, a crash in the art market. But the supposed high drama moments often fell flat.
I continued it at times just to see if she’d eventually be caught. It was shocking to me how much she got away with; the lack of oversight by anyone else. I was even more shocked to learn it’s based on a true story. Tedrowe based the story on a woman who worked in an Illinois town who embezzled $50 million over twenty years; the biggest municipal fraud in American history.
Tedrowe does a good job of painting Becky as a real person. Filled with good intentions, she’s basically addicted to collecting. The thing that hit me the most was how obtuse she is to the harm she’s doing to the town.
The narrator, Allyson Ryan, didn’t help. Her voice was steady, but bland.
August 20, 2021
This was a decent read. 😌 Crimes such as these are much quicker to catch now a days, thanks to advancement in technology. It reminded me a bit of “Catch Me if You Can”. 🥸
September 29, 2020
3.75 Art World Embezzling Stars --Now Available!
I must say that I rather enjoyed this one and the complicated character of Becky/Reba Farwell. Due to her struggling family farm equipment business and ailing father, talented math student Becky isn’t able to go to college. Instead she gets a job at the town hall in the accounting office.
As the years go by, Becky is promoted at work and becomes fascinated with the art world. She starts by buying art at local estate sales and later she becomes a big player in the Chicago and New York art scene, buying and selling lots of art. You might wonder just how Becky is financing this love of hers? Well, she’s a master at the town’s books and great at juggling the myriad of accounts that the small town of Pierson has open. She truly does mean to pay it all back someday. If she can just finish collecting a few more things.
As Becky really gets deeper into the art scene, traveling all over the world to meet with collectors and make purchases, the town of Pierson is struggling to make ends meet. Becky really has them all convinced that she is doing all she can to find money for various town projects. I was anxious for the whole book that she would get caught and then I realized that the author has built up my sympathy for Becky when she is clearly stealing the town blind.
I was fascinated to read that this is based on a true story and definitely made me think about how easy it is to get sucked into taking money when you have access to it and no one seems to really be paying close attention. It’s just so tempting to people like Becky or Reba as she’s known in the art world. This was my first read by this author, but I can tell this character will be in my head for a while! And it will make me wonder what’s going on with my city’s money!
Thank you to Harper Collins for the complimentary copy of this one to read through NetGalley.
I must say that I rather enjoyed this one and the complicated character of Becky/Reba Farwell. Due to her struggling family farm equipment business and ailing father, talented math student Becky isn’t able to go to college. Instead she gets a job at the town hall in the accounting office.
As the years go by, Becky is promoted at work and becomes fascinated with the art world. She starts by buying art at local estate sales and later she becomes a big player in the Chicago and New York art scene, buying and selling lots of art. You might wonder just how Becky is financing this love of hers? Well, she’s a master at the town’s books and great at juggling the myriad of accounts that the small town of Pierson has open. She truly does mean to pay it all back someday. If she can just finish collecting a few more things.
As Becky really gets deeper into the art scene, traveling all over the world to meet with collectors and make purchases, the town of Pierson is struggling to make ends meet. Becky really has them all convinced that she is doing all she can to find money for various town projects. I was anxious for the whole book that she would get caught and then I realized that the author has built up my sympathy for Becky when she is clearly stealing the town blind.
I was fascinated to read that this is based on a true story and definitely made me think about how easy it is to get sucked into taking money when you have access to it and no one seems to really be paying close attention. It’s just so tempting to people like Becky or Reba as she’s known in the art world. This was my first read by this author, but I can tell this character will be in my head for a while! And it will make me wonder what’s going on with my city’s money!
Thank you to Harper Collins for the complimentary copy of this one to read through NetGalley.
October 1, 2020
Giveaway Win!
I'm BORED!
There are levels to these things and if you're gonna compare a book to The Talented Mr Ripley and Catch Me If You Can than you better be on that level. The Talented Miss Farwell was not.
Becky Farwell is a loner who has recently lost her father. She doesn't have many friends and she's rather directionless. Until one day she sees a painting that just must have. She buys it and soon finds herself obsessed with acquiring more more pricey art pieces. But Becky has a problem, she can't afford her art collection. Good thing she's in charge of her small towns finances. Becky begins a years long embezzlement scheme to feed her hunger for art. How long can her double life pay off?
This book was boring. If you love reading about accounting then this book is for you. Maybe I just expected too much. I just thought there would be some action and suspense but nope! I kept waiting for this book to get interesting and I'm still waiting.
I just don't think you should compare a book to Patricia Highsmith if the book isn't on her level.
No Rec.
I'm BORED!
There are levels to these things and if you're gonna compare a book to The Talented Mr Ripley and Catch Me If You Can than you better be on that level. The Talented Miss Farwell was not.
Becky Farwell is a loner who has recently lost her father. She doesn't have many friends and she's rather directionless. Until one day she sees a painting that just must have. She buys it and soon finds herself obsessed with acquiring more more pricey art pieces. But Becky has a problem, she can't afford her art collection. Good thing she's in charge of her small towns finances. Becky begins a years long embezzlement scheme to feed her hunger for art. How long can her double life pay off?
This book was boring. If you love reading about accounting then this book is for you. Maybe I just expected too much. I just thought there would be some action and suspense but nope! I kept waiting for this book to get interesting and I'm still waiting.
I just don't think you should compare a book to Patricia Highsmith if the book isn't on her level.
No Rec.
January 11, 2021
I can think of two reasons someone would want to write this book, which is based on a real person and real events.
1. The author is interested in exploring how someone could choose to perpetrate a years-long embezzlement scheme against a municipality while watching the town deteriorate and its citizens do without. Certainly a lot could be made of this by a talented author with a true interest in the question.
2. The author is anxious to capitalize on a recently revealed scandal before any other books, fiction or non-fiction, were published about it.
Unfortunately I think the latter is the case. Tedrowe's writing is pedestrian, the characters are not well developed, and at times it read more like a screenplay than a book. (See #2 above.)
Regardless of all that, I did enjoy the discussion in the group read for the book. I just can't give it much of a recommendation.
1. The author is interested in exploring how someone could choose to perpetrate a years-long embezzlement scheme against a municipality while watching the town deteriorate and its citizens do without. Certainly a lot could be made of this by a talented author with a true interest in the question.
2. The author is anxious to capitalize on a recently revealed scandal before any other books, fiction or non-fiction, were published about it.
Unfortunately I think the latter is the case. Tedrowe's writing is pedestrian, the characters are not well developed, and at times it read more like a screenplay than a book. (See #2 above.)
Regardless of all that, I did enjoy the discussion in the group read for the book. I just can't give it much of a recommendation.
October 10, 2020
From helping to run her father’s company when she was a child, Becky progressed to being a major art trader. Her art purchases were financed by embezzling millions of dollars from a small Illinois town where she was a trusted government employee. The title of this book is obviously supposed to make you think of “The Talented Mr. Ripley”. Do not be fooled by that. Ripley was an intriguing and charismatic sociopath. Becky is a charisma-free thief. It was not at all convincing that she could charm (and claw) her way through the high end art market, all while maintaining her small town life. I never rooted for her and just kept reading to see if she would get caught. The book does have a lot of details on how to embezzle funds, in case you’re interested.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
July 16, 2020
A whirlwind adventure of a book. I lived in New York myself in the 90s and like the talented protagonist of two names, was drawn to Soho and the art scene. Somewhat terrifyingly, it was not hard for me to understand how a bored girl from a small town might somehow fall into a second identity as a thief and glamorous patron of the art world. You’d think you could never understand how an understated girl from a small town could embezzle this amount of money. But the author does a wonderful job of showing exactly how this happened, in a frighteningly seductive way,
Though this book draws an obvious comparison to the Talented Mr. Ripley, it sometimes reminded me a little more of the first part of Psycho - only what if Marion Crane went back and forth between her office job and the glamorous escape she had tried to make, which was a success.
I found this book to be a whole lot of delicious fun and was surprised to learn it is based on a true story - which I am now inclined to research. If you have any interest in art, crime, or both, you will be sucked into this book..
Thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley and the Talented Emily Grey Tedrowe for the advanced copy of this lovely book which I savored like a fine piece of art.
Though this book draws an obvious comparison to the Talented Mr. Ripley, it sometimes reminded me a little more of the first part of Psycho - only what if Marion Crane went back and forth between her office job and the glamorous escape she had tried to make, which was a success.
I found this book to be a whole lot of delicious fun and was surprised to learn it is based on a true story - which I am now inclined to research. If you have any interest in art, crime, or both, you will be sucked into this book..
Thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley and the Talented Emily Grey Tedrowe for the advanced copy of this lovely book which I savored like a fine piece of art.
July 16, 2023
Becky Farwell is our protagonist. (*Actually based on a true person - more about this later.)
We first see her as a high-school math prodigy living in Pierson, Illinois, with her widowed father. Her dad is in failing health. A dealer in agricultural cars, he has lost the business edge. Becky steps in and turns the faltering dealership around.
Still, this being a small-town fable, events soon veer toward heroic self-sacrifice. Becky passes on college to tend to her Dad, settling for an entry-level bookkeeper job in her hometown government.
She is gifted with talent, drive and ambition. She thrives in her administrative role, discovering caches of unused funds – many long forgotten – that the town can put to good use. And thus her reputation blossoms. “Becky always finds a way” becomes her personal brand. Eventually she becomes city controller.
But there is a hitch to this perfect story. Becky isn’t as perfect as she appears.
She has a double life.
And this double-life is the core of this intriguing, fast-paced story.
And this is where the problem lies in the storytelling. It sometimes strains credulity. There are flaws in its’ telling. And I don’t want to expose them here, because that would be spoiler territory.
Still…
It is an interesting read, and the question permeates…
How long will Becky succeed at her ruse? 3.5 stars.
*In the author's notes she does make mention that she had discovered a true story about a Rita Crundwell in the national news in 2012 from a small town in Illinois who worked as a government employee and had embezzled nearly $54 million over twenty years. This was an inspiration for her protagonist character.
(And even as I share this...this information isn't totally giving away spoilers for this fiction story...)
We first see her as a high-school math prodigy living in Pierson, Illinois, with her widowed father. Her dad is in failing health. A dealer in agricultural cars, he has lost the business edge. Becky steps in and turns the faltering dealership around.
Still, this being a small-town fable, events soon veer toward heroic self-sacrifice. Becky passes on college to tend to her Dad, settling for an entry-level bookkeeper job in her hometown government.
She is gifted with talent, drive and ambition. She thrives in her administrative role, discovering caches of unused funds – many long forgotten – that the town can put to good use. And thus her reputation blossoms. “Becky always finds a way” becomes her personal brand. Eventually she becomes city controller.
But there is a hitch to this perfect story. Becky isn’t as perfect as she appears.
She has a double life.
And this double-life is the core of this intriguing, fast-paced story.
And this is where the problem lies in the storytelling. It sometimes strains credulity. There are flaws in its’ telling. And I don’t want to expose them here, because that would be spoiler territory.
Still…
It is an interesting read, and the question permeates…
How long will Becky succeed at her ruse? 3.5 stars.
*In the author's notes she does make mention that she had discovered a true story about a Rita Crundwell in the national news in 2012 from a small town in Illinois who worked as a government employee and had embezzled nearly $54 million over twenty years. This was an inspiration for her protagonist character.
(And even as I share this...this information isn't totally giving away spoilers for this fiction story...)
June 29, 2020
This title already has many long reviews here, some that give away the whole plot, so I won't repeat what has already been said. My favorite part of the story was the beginning chapters when Becky Farwell is a smart, hard working teenager who takes care of her father and runs his business. In a way, this is a feminist tale: a boy in the same situation wouldn't run into the obstacles that kept Miss Farwell feeling lonely and desperate for a little fun and excitement.
I'm picky about endings and this story has a great ending. Miss Farwell is talented and hardworking, so where ever she ends up, she's going to do well.
I'm picky about endings and this story has a great ending. Miss Farwell is talented and hardworking, so where ever she ends up, she's going to do well.
November 5, 2020
I loved The Talented Miss Farwell as a portrait of what drives a person to do "bad things" (here, it's embezzling in order to buy and sell art as that is Miss Farwell's (aka Becky and aka "Reba" in the art world) passion. She's moved by art but more than that, she's relentless in her pursuit of buying and then selling it, and ends up embezzling millions from Pierson, the small Midwestern town she lives in and where she's the beloved chief financial manager.
While The Talented Miss Farwell is good with its astute portrayal of Becky as a ruthless person who is almost as enamored of her position in Pierson, of being someone who loves and helps the town, even as she is driving it into bankruptcy all in the name of buying and selling all the art (and expensive art, and lifestyle outside of Pierson that comes with it) it is outstanding in its portrayal of small town bureaucracy from the late 80s to the big economic crash of 2008.
I know, how can bureaucracy be interesting?! But it is in The Talented Miss Farwell, and it's what made me love this novel so much. Emily Gray Tedrowe absolutely floored me with her very accurate (and surprisingly witty) account of how small towns can operate on outdated means, be reluctant to change (Becky's early panic at the introduction of the internet and especially email, is both awesome and very funny), and be ripe for the plucking, should someone dig into the labyrinth of accounts created and later abandoned but never closed, leaving space for someone, say a very numbers oriented (and very obsessed with owning art) person, to take those accounts and start moving money in and out of them for decades. (Yes, decades!)
I also really liked how Becky was, in her own way, like viewing a great work of art--you get a sense of who she is based on how you interpret what you see (or in this case, read)--and so every reader will come away with their own interpretation. Some people will think Becky is weird, some awful, some fascinating, etc. I *loved* that! Like art, everyone sees Becky in their own way.
So, come for the portrait of a woman who reflects what you bring to the novel and stay for the outstanding portrayal of life in a small town and how one woman "loved" it into decay.
While The Talented Miss Farwell is good with its astute portrayal of Becky as a ruthless person who is almost as enamored of her position in Pierson, of being someone who loves and helps the town, even as she is driving it into bankruptcy all in the name of buying and selling all the art (and expensive art, and lifestyle outside of Pierson that comes with it) it is outstanding in its portrayal of small town bureaucracy from the late 80s to the big economic crash of 2008.
I know, how can bureaucracy be interesting?! But it is in The Talented Miss Farwell, and it's what made me love this novel so much. Emily Gray Tedrowe absolutely floored me with her very accurate (and surprisingly witty) account of how small towns can operate on outdated means, be reluctant to change (Becky's early panic at the introduction of the internet and especially email, is both awesome and very funny), and be ripe for the plucking, should someone dig into the labyrinth of accounts created and later abandoned but never closed, leaving space for someone, say a very numbers oriented (and very obsessed with owning art) person, to take those accounts and start moving money in and out of them for decades. (Yes, decades!)
I also really liked how Becky was, in her own way, like viewing a great work of art--you get a sense of who she is based on how you interpret what you see (or in this case, read)--and so every reader will come away with their own interpretation. Some people will think Becky is weird, some awful, some fascinating, etc. I *loved* that! Like art, everyone sees Becky in their own way.
So, come for the portrait of a woman who reflects what you bring to the novel and stay for the outstanding portrayal of life in a small town and how one woman "loved" it into decay.
December 6, 2020
So I didn't know going into it that The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe was based on a true story, once I did though that completely enhanced the story for me. I mean, who would think anyone (especially a woman *gasp*) would be able to pull off such a large crime and get away with it for so long? But be aware this is a book that you are going to want to read if you are looking for a very informative slow burn. Fast-paced this is not, but I found it fascinating to see the life this author created for Miss Farwell. The life Becky led as Reba dropped me into the New York art scene, while her life as Becky had a very small town feel about it. I loved the two sides of her and found myself glued to the pages wondering what she would do next.
I listened to the audio and I feel like that is a great way to go. Allyson Ryan narrates, and I think with how slow the book is, it was very helpful to have someone as talented as her voicing it. I know some people said it was boring, but I didn't find that to be the case at all and I think audio helps a ton with slower reads. It is a fairly short audio at under 10 hours, and I was a little sad when it was over. The end was nothing too crazy, and some might say this book was predictable, but I was really into it and just let the story take me away.
I actually found myself feeling sorry for Becky, although I'm not sure why, and her character really resonated with me. Her obsession with art fascinated me, and I loved the parts where she becomes Reba. I don't know very much about art, but I love reading about it which made the book even more enjoyable for me. Call it what you will, but for me The Talented Miss Farwell is about obsession and one woman's need to feel powerful.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
I listened to the audio and I feel like that is a great way to go. Allyson Ryan narrates, and I think with how slow the book is, it was very helpful to have someone as talented as her voicing it. I know some people said it was boring, but I didn't find that to be the case at all and I think audio helps a ton with slower reads. It is a fairly short audio at under 10 hours, and I was a little sad when it was over. The end was nothing too crazy, and some might say this book was predictable, but I was really into it and just let the story take me away.
I actually found myself feeling sorry for Becky, although I'm not sure why, and her character really resonated with me. Her obsession with art fascinated me, and I loved the parts where she becomes Reba. I don't know very much about art, but I love reading about it which made the book even more enjoyable for me. Call it what you will, but for me The Talented Miss Farwell is about obsession and one woman's need to feel powerful.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
September 17, 2020
How often have you read a book about a character you couldn't bring yourself to like? How often, after reaching that conclusion have you been unable to drop the book anyway?
The Talented Miss Farwell has no redeeming qualities. She is greedy, self-centered, selfish and an accomplished liar. She has a thing for fine art. She buys it.
She lives two very different lives to maintain her art habit.
I hope you don't like The Talented Miss Farwell.
But, I bet you will read to the very last page to see how she turns out.
I received an ARC of this book free from William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.
The Talented Miss Farwell has no redeeming qualities. She is greedy, self-centered, selfish and an accomplished liar. She has a thing for fine art. She buys it.
She lives two very different lives to maintain her art habit.
I hope you don't like The Talented Miss Farwell.
But, I bet you will read to the very last page to see how she turns out.
I received an ARC of this book free from William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2021
2.5 stars
This book had so much more promise than what was actually delivered. I loved the idea of the dual life and money fraud all embedded in the world of art. However, what we got was a fairly ho-hum story that basically just “talked” at you, stating “facts” and very methodically stating details. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen and nothing was ever delivered.
I am actually quite surprised that I even finished this book because the bottom line is that I found this truly boring. At first I was pulled into the story and maybe that is why I kept going because I wanted to see what happened.
This book was likened to The Talented Mr. Ripley and Catch Me if You Can but it literally had none of the excitement or chase that either of those stories had. It was simply “Becky skimmed $60,000 out of this account so that she could buy this painting”, “when she sells this painting, she will be able to put back $5,000 into the city of Pierson so that they can have their prom, complete with a DJ and fireworks”. “Becky was the big winner at this auction and she is now hobnobbing with the who’s who of the art world in NYC. She is savoring the attention”.
I have seen some good reviews out there, so maybe if you didn’t have the same kind of expectations that I did going in, you might enjoy this book.
Thank you to Harper Collins for my copy of this book via Edelweiss
This book had so much more promise than what was actually delivered. I loved the idea of the dual life and money fraud all embedded in the world of art. However, what we got was a fairly ho-hum story that basically just “talked” at you, stating “facts” and very methodically stating details. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen and nothing was ever delivered.
I am actually quite surprised that I even finished this book because the bottom line is that I found this truly boring. At first I was pulled into the story and maybe that is why I kept going because I wanted to see what happened.
This book was likened to The Talented Mr. Ripley and Catch Me if You Can but it literally had none of the excitement or chase that either of those stories had. It was simply “Becky skimmed $60,000 out of this account so that she could buy this painting”, “when she sells this painting, she will be able to put back $5,000 into the city of Pierson so that they can have their prom, complete with a DJ and fireworks”. “Becky was the big winner at this auction and she is now hobnobbing with the who’s who of the art world in NYC. She is savoring the attention”.
I have seen some good reviews out there, so maybe if you didn’t have the same kind of expectations that I did going in, you might enjoy this book.
Thank you to Harper Collins for my copy of this book via Edelweiss
September 29, 2020
Becky Farwell was brilliant in math and made money during high school tutoring friends either for money, clothes, or shoes.
Her life wasn't easy, though. Her mother had died, and she was left taking care of her ill father so she felt she couldn't go to college.
What she did do was help her father with his failing business and work as the town's treasurer.
She does some shady things with the town's money because she had developed a love and obsession for art, and you know art is expensive.
We follow Becky from her high school days to her days as an art connoisseur which got her into terrible debt to the town as she skimmed money from the treasurer’s office accounts into a personal account.
I actually liked her even though she was doing things not on the up and up. Becky was a determined woman when it came to her art and what she wanted.
THE TALENTED MISS FARWELL is an enjoyable read simply because you can't believe what she is doing.
The writing is fresh and pulls you in. A wonderful book for a debut.
Art aficionados and any reader who just needs something different will find this book enjoyable. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Her life wasn't easy, though. Her mother had died, and she was left taking care of her ill father so she felt she couldn't go to college.
What she did do was help her father with his failing business and work as the town's treasurer.
She does some shady things with the town's money because she had developed a love and obsession for art, and you know art is expensive.
We follow Becky from her high school days to her days as an art connoisseur which got her into terrible debt to the town as she skimmed money from the treasurer’s office accounts into a personal account.
I actually liked her even though she was doing things not on the up and up. Becky was a determined woman when it came to her art and what she wanted.
THE TALENTED MISS FARWELL is an enjoyable read simply because you can't believe what she is doing.
The writing is fresh and pulls you in. A wonderful book for a debut.
Art aficionados and any reader who just needs something different will find this book enjoyable. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2020
If you lived with Becky Farwell in the town of Pearson, Illinois, you would think she really loves her community. After all, she is the local girl who stayed after high school and became an indispensable figure in local government. But what they don't know is that in the art world, Reba Farwell has come up through the ranks and is internationally known. What we know is that Becky has been laundering city money, taxes paid by her friends and fellow citizens, to purchase art and resell it. She has become a master at leveraging art and embezzling money. This fascinating tale resonates with small-town dwellers and art lovers alike. It is a story of obsession and deception that I really enjoyed listening to on audio.
Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2020
A great read. I couldn't put it down. Rebecca Farwell is a brilliant high school student who decides to skip college after graduation to stay home and care for her sickly father. One of her teachers sees such an intelligent young lady and offers to get her into college, but Rebecca can't stand to leave her father alone. During in school she does other student's math homework for them in exchange for money or other articles. She is really a wiz at any kind of math. After graduation she goes to work as the town treasurer and controller. She begins to buy art using funds from from the town's money, creating a big mess she can't seem to recover from. A sad and shocking finish.
June 28, 2020
I received this book through Goodreads giveaways.
The idea and concept of the book were good and that is why I wanted to read it but I did not enjoy reading it. As stated the idea for the story was good and I did want to know what was going to happen but there was no depth to anything. Everything felt like a layout/outline to what the book should of been. There was no character depth or details in the story. It felt like when a new chapter started it took 3 or 4 paragraphs to understand what the author was talking/referring about/to. There was a lot of reliance from the author on the reader to remember what exactly happened in any given year in order to understand what the characters were referring too, such as elections, or news stories.
The characters were just there, other than maybe 3 characters all other name mentions were really just that names without a real connection to the Becky or the story. There is no background or emotion in any of the characters, even the main character. Her personality and thoughts did not go jive. She was very selfish and at times did have the ability to show emotion so it makes you wonder if she is supposed to be a psychopath of some sort but there was no depth to the devious side. I did for a minute believe Becky cared about the town or Ingrid because her patterns and ability to have a true conversation would of changed in the 30/40 years. The author tried to make it seem as though she cared for the town but she let them crumble into deep debit without a real care. It seemed like she was going to consistently pay more back but then the next chapter or paragraph describes how she is flying all of over the world. There just wasn't enough described for the characters to really get attached and involved in their lives.
The idea and concept of the book were good and that is why I wanted to read it but I did not enjoy reading it. As stated the idea for the story was good and I did want to know what was going to happen but there was no depth to anything. Everything felt like a layout/outline to what the book should of been. There was no character depth or details in the story. It felt like when a new chapter started it took 3 or 4 paragraphs to understand what the author was talking/referring about/to. There was a lot of reliance from the author on the reader to remember what exactly happened in any given year in order to understand what the characters were referring too, such as elections, or news stories.
The characters were just there, other than maybe 3 characters all other name mentions were really just that names without a real connection to the Becky or the story. There is no background or emotion in any of the characters, even the main character. Her personality and thoughts did not go jive. She was very selfish and at times did have the ability to show emotion so it makes you wonder if she is supposed to be a psychopath of some sort but there was no depth to the devious side. I did for a minute believe Becky cared about the town or Ingrid because her patterns and ability to have a true conversation would of changed in the 30/40 years. The author tried to make it seem as though she cared for the town but she let them crumble into deep debit without a real care. It seemed like she was going to consistently pay more back but then the next chapter or paragraph describes how she is flying all of over the world. There just wasn't enough described for the characters to really get attached and involved in their lives.
May 21, 2020
Becky Farwell grows up a lot through the course of The Talented Miss Farwell. Starting with her childhood, where she becomes an accounting whiz in order to save her family business and moves on to work for the town hall in her small town of Illinois. At some point, Miss Farwell begins to lead a “double life”, one of money and prestige as a well known art collector. She uses money that isn’t hers to fund her art collection and yet at other times, she’ll sell portions to do good deeds for those around her in her “other life”.
I found this book hard to gauge. It’s told in timeline format from youth to Becky’s mid 40’s. As much as we learned about Becky, I still felt like we didn’t get a great grasp of the character—even at the end. We knew her motives, but not truly what drove her. I felt unsettled by the book itself.
I found this book hard to gauge. It’s told in timeline format from youth to Becky’s mid 40’s. As much as we learned about Becky, I still felt like we didn’t get a great grasp of the character—even at the end. We knew her motives, but not truly what drove her. I felt unsettled by the book itself.
dnf
February 8, 2022This is a historical suspense mystery. I have to say I really loved the beginning, but when the book started to be all about Art and the Art World I just could not make myself care. I did end up DNFing this book after reading 40% of the book because I was just making myself read it when I really did not want to pick it up. I just felt the characters where just ok and I did not love the storyline. I did win an ARC of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway, but this review is my own feelings about the book.
January 25, 2021
3.5 stars
dnf
August 31, 2020Thank you to goodreads for the giveaway! I won a copy and was so excited to read this - a female con artist? I was looking forward to a book version of "American Greed". I couldn't get through this. Between the details on embezzlement and the art world, I was so bored. If you are interested in forensic accounting, art history, or art shows, you may enjoy this but if you're just looking for a fun, exciting thriller, maybe skip it.
December 4, 2020
One of the most addictive books I’ve read all year.
The talented Miss Farwell reads like a mix of an uber-complex heist/financial scam novel blended with a love letter (well, perhaps a love/hate letter) to the art world of the 1980s.
For me, this was the ultimate page-turner of 2020. I found myself staying up well past bedtime to read and sneaking in a chapter anytime I had 10 minutes to spare.
Becky is a fascinating protagonist, a tragically flawed heroine of sorts. Or is she an anti-hero?
One of the most interesting parts of the book is how we as readers ultimately assess Becky’s character. She was a liar, a thief, and at times, a pretty terrible person. But she was also exceptionally smart, hard working, and generous to those she loved, including the town she was essentially robbing.
The complex plan Becky concocts to divert city funds in order to finance her budding career as an art dealer and collector is riveting. Watching the tangled plot unfold as Becky gets better and better at what she does is captivating. Equally enthralling is watching the whole thing slowly unravel.
Though paced like a romp, this is sharp, smart story. The ending made me sad, but it’s also the only way this particular story could have concluded.
Love, love, loved this book.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The talented Miss Farwell reads like a mix of an uber-complex heist/financial scam novel blended with a love letter (well, perhaps a love/hate letter) to the art world of the 1980s.
For me, this was the ultimate page-turner of 2020. I found myself staying up well past bedtime to read and sneaking in a chapter anytime I had 10 minutes to spare.
Becky is a fascinating protagonist, a tragically flawed heroine of sorts. Or is she an anti-hero?
One of the most interesting parts of the book is how we as readers ultimately assess Becky’s character. She was a liar, a thief, and at times, a pretty terrible person. But she was also exceptionally smart, hard working, and generous to those she loved, including the town she was essentially robbing.
The complex plan Becky concocts to divert city funds in order to finance her budding career as an art dealer and collector is riveting. Watching the tangled plot unfold as Becky gets better and better at what she does is captivating. Equally enthralling is watching the whole thing slowly unravel.
Though paced like a romp, this is sharp, smart story. The ending made me sad, but it’s also the only way this particular story could have concluded.
Love, love, loved this book.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
August 14, 2020
As I began this book and met this smart young woman, Becky, as she is finishing up high school, wow. She is brilliant when it comes to math, and has been helping, or earning money, doing math papers all of her HS years, and she has taken over the management, or financial part of her father's business, so as much as she may want, college for this brilliant girl is not on the plate.
She begins her career with her local town, and again with her brilliant mind, she flourishes and advances, has she found her niche.
We follow this shy young woman as she blossoms and spreads her wings, and we cringe as she uses her gifts in a way to aid her obsession.
We wonder how long she can keep up what she is doing? Will her health give, or will her deeds be found out?
There is another world out there, and we are going deep into the bowels of it with Reba, and in the end, was it worth it?
I received this book through Edelweiss and the Publisher Custom House. and was not required to give a positive review.
She begins her career with her local town, and again with her brilliant mind, she flourishes and advances, has she found her niche.
We follow this shy young woman as she blossoms and spreads her wings, and we cringe as she uses her gifts in a way to aid her obsession.
We wonder how long she can keep up what she is doing? Will her health give, or will her deeds be found out?
There is another world out there, and we are going deep into the bowels of it with Reba, and in the end, was it worth it?
I received this book through Edelweiss and the Publisher Custom House. and was not required to give a positive review.
September 21, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for this eBook advanced reader’s copy.
I enjoyed this novel about Becky/Reba Farwell and the double lives she was leading. It was uncomfortable watching her descent into obsession and madness, and even to read the physical manifestations/ramifications of that obsession. I applaud the author for her research and ability to follow this character over such a long span in history, starting in the 1980s, with topics from local town finances, to art, to US and world history. I greatly enjoyed the shout out to feminism towards the end (I don’t want to give away any spoilers).
Overall, I liked the book and will recommend to friends. 4/5 stars.
I enjoyed this novel about Becky/Reba Farwell and the double lives she was leading. It was uncomfortable watching her descent into obsession and madness, and even to read the physical manifestations/ramifications of that obsession. I applaud the author for her research and ability to follow this character over such a long span in history, starting in the 1980s, with topics from local town finances, to art, to US and world history. I greatly enjoyed the shout out to feminism towards the end (I don’t want to give away any spoilers).
Overall, I liked the book and will recommend to friends. 4/5 stars.
February 17, 2021
As the finance officer of her town, Miss Farwell steals from the taxpayers in her community to fund a lavish double life as an art collector. And she’s not a very nice art collector either. She betrays a young couple she is mentoring and buys art she told them not to. She takes advantage of an art friend by buying a piece from her at a fire-sale price. Her stealing from the town also results in disqualification from a grant opportunity that would have helped her best friend’s son, who has special needs.
She is proficient at art dealing, so I kept wanting her to quit her day job and quit the stealing, and make her livelihood on art. But she doesn’t. We never really learn why she misbehaves the way she does.
Neither a mystery nor a thriller, this novel lacks momentum because there is never a single major heist to work up toward, and Farwell is never really on the run from authorities. There are a couple close shaves at work, but not enough to create suspense. Directionless. Bordering on pointless.
She is proficient at art dealing, so I kept wanting her to quit her day job and quit the stealing, and make her livelihood on art. But she doesn’t. We never really learn why she misbehaves the way she does.
Neither a mystery nor a thriller, this novel lacks momentum because there is never a single major heist to work up toward, and Farwell is never really on the run from authorities. There are a couple close shaves at work, but not enough to create suspense. Directionless. Bordering on pointless.
July 2, 2020
Several years ago I read an unexpected delightful book called Maestra about a little sociopath who uses the art world as a cover for her various misdeeds. Maestra was completely trashy, and full of sex and murder, and intrigue. It ended up a fun book to read. When I was offered an ARC of this book by the publisher, I thought, "Why not?" hoping for another fun book about wheelings and dealings in the world of art and embezzlement.
Unfortunately, this book was no Maestra. Those who don't like to read of murder and sex might like this book more because it doesn't have these things, but without them this was a very boring book. Becky (or Reba, depending on where she is in the story) is a smart girl who's stuck in Pierson, a small town, mostly because she cannot afford to leave. She finds a job as an accountant for the small town, and one day stumbles across her eye for good art. In order to afford her habit, she juggles accounts for Pierson to give her a little extra money. Her plan is to sell art for a profit, replace money for the town, and use the extra to buy more art.
Despite this juicy premise, and the title that references Patricia Highsmith, this book is pretty dull. It's not terrible, but there is no character that stands out in any way. Everyone is just nice. Nice and ordinary. Becky is simply a nice person who is trying to do her best for everyone: her father, her friend, her boss, and herself. It sounds weird, but there is no conflict. Even the times that there seemed to be something nail-biting happening, there was just . . . nothing. Just Becky, buying art she can't afford, spending money she doesn't have, planning to sell everything for the biggest sale ever. There's a little bit of a "one last big job-- the payout that will mean I can quit forever" vibe, but it's so quiet, and dull that it just makes the story move at a trickle.
Despite it being just a bland book, it does read fast. It's not bad, not the worst book I've read, but it is a book I will forget about by the end of the month. I won't even remember to tell my library patrons to read it.
Unfortunately, this book was no Maestra. Those who don't like to read of murder and sex might like this book more because it doesn't have these things, but without them this was a very boring book. Becky (or Reba, depending on where she is in the story) is a smart girl who's stuck in Pierson, a small town, mostly because she cannot afford to leave. She finds a job as an accountant for the small town, and one day stumbles across her eye for good art. In order to afford her habit, she juggles accounts for Pierson to give her a little extra money. Her plan is to sell art for a profit, replace money for the town, and use the extra to buy more art.
Despite this juicy premise, and the title that references Patricia Highsmith, this book is pretty dull. It's not terrible, but there is no character that stands out in any way. Everyone is just nice. Nice and ordinary. Becky is simply a nice person who is trying to do her best for everyone: her father, her friend, her boss, and herself. It sounds weird, but there is no conflict. Even the times that there seemed to be something nail-biting happening, there was just . . . nothing. Just Becky, buying art she can't afford, spending money she doesn't have, planning to sell everything for the biggest sale ever. There's a little bit of a "one last big job-- the payout that will mean I can quit forever" vibe, but it's so quiet, and dull that it just makes the story move at a trickle.
Despite it being just a bland book, it does read fast. It's not bad, not the worst book I've read, but it is a book I will forget about by the end of the month. I won't even remember to tell my library patrons to read it.
November 20, 2020
QUICK TAKE: I don’t know about you, but #TheTalentedMrRipley is one of my favorite movies, as I’m a huge fan of stories about people with secret identities and ulterior motives climbing the high-society ladder. So when my friends at @customhousebooks asked if I would be interested in #TheTalentedMissFarwell by @egtedrowe (love a talented stranger!), a book about a small town con woman who takes advantage of her position in municipal government to launch herself into the wealthy and cosmopolitan art scene, well…consider me an auction item at Sotheby’s, because I.was.SOLD (I should probably stop reviewing books after having a glass of wine).
The book is so twisty and fun and escapist and I flew through it in an afternoon. The eponymous Miss Farwell is a fabulously complex and complicated con woman with a heart of gold; she spends most of the book balancing her love for her community with her obsession for art that you don’t know whether to root for her success or demise. I think fans of #ABeautifulCrime and #CatchMeIfYouCan and the Hugh Jackman HBO movie #BadEducation will really dig this one (it’s actually based on a true story!).
The book is so twisty and fun and escapist and I flew through it in an afternoon. The eponymous Miss Farwell is a fabulously complex and complicated con woman with a heart of gold; she spends most of the book balancing her love for her community with her obsession for art that you don’t know whether to root for her success or demise. I think fans of #ABeautifulCrime and #CatchMeIfYouCan and the Hugh Jackman HBO movie #BadEducation will really dig this one (it’s actually based on a true story!).
October 15, 2020
I am at page 95 and I cannot force myself to read further.
I did not find Miss Farwell in the least bit talented. Miss Farwell was not fleshed out to my satisfaction and certainly not to the point where I felt I knew her. I did not understand her motivations.
OK, so, to begin, she appears to be some kind of mathematical genius. This leads to her suddenly being mesmerized by a painting out of the blue, having had zero interest in art previously, to the point where she embezzles money from her work place to buy the painting. Not convincing.
In the first chapter I thought she was pregnant – was she or wasn’t she? Anyway, who cares??? Definitely not me.
I did not find Miss Farwell in the least bit talented. Miss Farwell was not fleshed out to my satisfaction and certainly not to the point where I felt I knew her. I did not understand her motivations.
OK, so, to begin, she appears to be some kind of mathematical genius. This leads to her suddenly being mesmerized by a painting out of the blue, having had zero interest in art previously, to the point where she embezzles money from her work place to buy the painting. Not convincing.
In the first chapter I thought she was pregnant – was she or wasn’t she? Anyway, who cares??? Definitely not me.
December 7, 2020
Won off Instagram giveaway via the publisher:)
Intriguing enough to keep going till the end but 0verall just an "okay" read. Becky was well done but lacked the charisma I expected from a character who has done what she did.
Side note: I kept picturing Isla Fisher as Becky in my head.
Intriguing enough to keep going till the end but 0verall just an "okay" read. Becky was well done but lacked the charisma I expected from a character who has done what she did.
Side note: I kept picturing Isla Fisher as Becky in my head.
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