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Deceptions: A Helena Marsh Novel
A savvy art world thriller with a strong, independent heroine and the follow-up to The Appraisal , finalist for the 2018 Staunch Prize. Former Budapest cop Attila Feher would really like to see art expert Helena Marsh again, so he arranges a contract for her to determine whether a painting is a copy of a famous Artemisia Gentileschi canvas or the real thing. A simple appraisal becomes a dangerous assignment when usual eastern European gangsters show up and people start dying and the seething corruption that underlies the lost promise of post-Soviet Hungary swirls to the surface. In a race to get to the truth and to outwit her adversaries, Helena and Attila must solve the mystery of the painting’s origins. Richly atmospheric, set in Strasbourg, Budapest, and Paris, this witty, sophisticated novel will satisfy readers of political thrillers by Alan Furst and Philip Kerr. Deceptions is a thinking-person’s thriller, a romp to the last satisfying page.
280 pages, Paperback
Published April 6, 2021
62 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Anna Porter
38 books80 followersAnna (Szigethy) Porter began her Canadian publishing career in 1969 at McClelland & Stewart (M&S) as editorial coordinator, under Jack McClelland’s directorship. Porter eventually rose to become VP and editor-in-chief at M&S. She worked with, among others, Margaret Laurence, Matt Cohen, Al Purdy, Irving Layton, Peter C Newman and Margaret Atwood.
Porter started her publishing company, Key Porter Books, in partnership with Key Publishers' Michael de Pencier in 1982. They published, among others, Allan Fotheringham, Jean Chretien, Joe Clark, Margaret Atwood, Peter Lougheed, Fred Bruemmer and Conrad Black.
Anna Porter is an Officer of the Order of Canada and the recipient of the Order of Ontario.
Anna Porter retired from publishing in April 2005. She is the author of, so far, 12 books.
Porter started her publishing company, Key Porter Books, in partnership with Key Publishers' Michael de Pencier in 1982. They published, among others, Allan Fotheringham, Jean Chretien, Joe Clark, Margaret Atwood, Peter Lougheed, Fred Bruemmer and Conrad Black.
Anna Porter is an Officer of the Order of Canada and the recipient of the Order of Ontario.
Anna Porter retired from publishing in April 2005. She is the author of, so far, 12 books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 28, 2021
Helena Marsh is to appraise a possible original by Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, but her assignment quickly turns into a hunt for more than the bona fides of a work of art. Helena’s friend and past lover, Attila Feher, helps as best he can but it is Helena who chases murderers, cases joints and follows clues.
Set in the European cities of Strasbourg and Budapest, armchair travelers will find much to delight in Deceptions but, just like harried tourists, will not be given much time to linger. Deceptions is a fast-paced mystery where Helena runs on the knife edge between pursuer and pursued. What will she find in the end? The painting is masterfully done but is it a superb fake, an excellent copy or a genuine Artemisia Gentileschi, and how can Helena prove it? Interesting questions, although just as interesting is who would gain from each scenario? And why?
There is no need to have read Anna Porter’s earlier mystery novel in the Helena Marsh series, The Appraisal, to follow the action, with the possible exception of knowing that Gustav, who appears in the first line of chapter 3 in the advance reading copy, is a dog.
I was given an advance reading copy of Deceptions by publisher ECW Press in exchange for posting an honest review online. In summary: this is a highly satisfying mystery guaranteed to give readers’ brain cells a mighty workout. If this is your cup of tea, I have no hesitation in recommending Deceptions as your next read!
Set in the European cities of Strasbourg and Budapest, armchair travelers will find much to delight in Deceptions but, just like harried tourists, will not be given much time to linger. Deceptions is a fast-paced mystery where Helena runs on the knife edge between pursuer and pursued. What will she find in the end? The painting is masterfully done but is it a superb fake, an excellent copy or a genuine Artemisia Gentileschi, and how can Helena prove it? Interesting questions, although just as interesting is who would gain from each scenario? And why?
There is no need to have read Anna Porter’s earlier mystery novel in the Helena Marsh series, The Appraisal, to follow the action, with the possible exception of knowing that Gustav, who appears in the first line of chapter 3 in the advance reading copy, is a dog.
I was given an advance reading copy of Deceptions by publisher ECW Press in exchange for posting an honest review online. In summary: this is a highly satisfying mystery guaranteed to give readers’ brain cells a mighty workout. If this is your cup of tea, I have no hesitation in recommending Deceptions as your next read!
May 23, 2022
The writing was clunky. The mystery was boring. The art history was nice.
March 25, 2023
My fellow art enthusiasts: is anyone troubled by the fact that the painting on the cover of the book is Caravaggio’s Judith and Holofernes and not Artemisia’s version?
March 7, 2021
Deceptions is a sequel but it can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the first volume but had no issues understanding the relationships between the characters. Helena is an art expert called in to authenticate a painting by Artemisia Gentileschi, an artist that I’m embarrassed to say I only knew because of the Maestra trilogy. Helena Marsh reminded me a little of this other character, since she’s a strong woman with talents that only a super spy would normally have (minus the explicit content). Helena has shady relationships with characters that come from the previous volume and which seemed harder to follow. The political intrigue was also too convoluted for me, but I enjoyed the artistic part. Helena’s secretive activities to find out more information about the painting and the people involved in the intrigue were very suspenseful. I also loved her relationship with Attila, a Hungarian ex-cop who helps her throughout the novel. I should warn other readers that reading Deceptions will bring an intense desire to visit Budapest, which is described in such loving detail that it shines.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ECW Press!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ECW Press!
January 8, 2024
boring and not great
February 23, 2021
This is my honest review of Deceptions by Anna Porter, in exchange for a copy, provided by ECW Press.
I think this novel may have been written for someone much cleverer and more worldly than me. I am woefully unschooled about the art world and its underbelly, and not particularly well traveled, armchair or otherwise; and so couldn’t fully appreciate or relate to the nuance of the subject matter or setting. The novel is peppered here and there with exclamations in French and, I think, Russian and/or Hungarian. While some I understood, and some were translated, I found it perplexing and distracting; and, at times, off-putting. But that’s probably just me.
Nevertheless, the story moved well and the plot was interesting with plenty of action. The main characters were well drawn and fun to read about. All of this was enough to keep me happily reading ... right to the end, at which point I expected the mystery and intrigue to collide into a crescendo of enlightenment. While some of it did penetrate this reader’s sometimes dense noggin, I was still left scratching it.
I think this novel may have been written for someone much cleverer and more worldly than me. I am woefully unschooled about the art world and its underbelly, and not particularly well traveled, armchair or otherwise; and so couldn’t fully appreciate or relate to the nuance of the subject matter or setting. The novel is peppered here and there with exclamations in French and, I think, Russian and/or Hungarian. While some I understood, and some were translated, I found it perplexing and distracting; and, at times, off-putting. But that’s probably just me.
Nevertheless, the story moved well and the plot was interesting with plenty of action. The main characters were well drawn and fun to read about. All of this was enough to keep me happily reading ... right to the end, at which point I expected the mystery and intrigue to collide into a crescendo of enlightenment. While some of it did penetrate this reader’s sometimes dense noggin, I was still left scratching it.
March 2, 2021
I had the good fortune to read an advanced copy of Deceptions: A Helena Marsh Novel by Anna Porter. As an art appraiser, I have a unique interest in the life of fellow fictional art appraiser, Helena Marsh. Porter takes the reader on an exciting adventure through art forgery, high-stakes sales and the key role played by provenance.
Yes, it’s fiction but these wild international exploits do happen from time to time. This is what makes working in fine art all the more rewarding while, at the same time, necessitating professional caution and due diligence – for which Marsh portends.
Reading Deceptions also provided me with an opportunity to revisit the work of artist, Artemisia Gentileschi – one of the most arresting artists of the 17th century. Old Master paintings are such a marvel to explore. I’m glad Porter feels the same by presenting another great Old Master painter in the second of the series of Helena Marsh novels. Deceptions is a real escapade!
Yes, it’s fiction but these wild international exploits do happen from time to time. This is what makes working in fine art all the more rewarding while, at the same time, necessitating professional caution and due diligence – for which Marsh portends.
Reading Deceptions also provided me with an opportunity to revisit the work of artist, Artemisia Gentileschi – one of the most arresting artists of the 17th century. Old Master paintings are such a marvel to explore. I’m glad Porter feels the same by presenting another great Old Master painter in the second of the series of Helena Marsh novels. Deceptions is a real escapade!
July 4, 2021
An intriguing art crime novel with excellent setting.
This is the second Helena Marsh novel by Anna Porter, and it reminds me a bit of Chris Pavone’s The ExPats in tone and pacing (which is fine) though I would have preferred that it pace more like his subsequent books.
I class this as art crime rather than art heist, and I wish it had been the later, at least in terms of the way both types of books tend to move. Still, it’s a good story, and the lack of adventurous spirit and dynamism is easily made up for in subtle bit excellent atmosphere, art education, and bits of wry humor.
The role of the art in the story is the best part of the book, since Helena and Attila (while likable enough) are not especially enthralling or dynamic characters. I appreciate Helena’s cool under pressure, but I would love to see her show a bit more personality and some deliberate humor. I kept thinking (and this goes for more than just the protagonist) that for a “light” book, this book really needed to lighten up a bit.
In terms of setting, Porter does exceptional work, true of each city featured in the story as well as the way she effortlessly shifts the story between them. I would love to see a true art heist as the subject of the next book in the series, keeping the academic tone with regard to the art and the rich sense of place, but adding a bit more action to the mix.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This is the second Helena Marsh novel by Anna Porter, and it reminds me a bit of Chris Pavone’s The ExPats in tone and pacing (which is fine) though I would have preferred that it pace more like his subsequent books.
I class this as art crime rather than art heist, and I wish it had been the later, at least in terms of the way both types of books tend to move. Still, it’s a good story, and the lack of adventurous spirit and dynamism is easily made up for in subtle bit excellent atmosphere, art education, and bits of wry humor.
The role of the art in the story is the best part of the book, since Helena and Attila (while likable enough) are not especially enthralling or dynamic characters. I appreciate Helena’s cool under pressure, but I would love to see her show a bit more personality and some deliberate humor. I kept thinking (and this goes for more than just the protagonist) that for a “light” book, this book really needed to lighten up a bit.
In terms of setting, Porter does exceptional work, true of each city featured in the story as well as the way she effortlessly shifts the story between them. I would love to see a true art heist as the subject of the next book in the series, keeping the academic tone with regard to the art and the rich sense of place, but adding a bit more action to the mix.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
July 23, 2023
Man, this was hard to follow! Listened to while driving around Wyoming and Montana over four days. No way I would have made it to the end without Lena. We were both pretty confused by the end. Might have been easier to follow on paper, and without distractions, and if we had read book 1, but I dunno. Once I accepted that I would have no idea what was going on, I had a better time.
The author has a lot of interesting stuff to say about art and Hungary, but she often injects these as characters’ inner dialogue right in the middle of complicated conversations that I was already clinging onto for dear life.
I enjoyed my time with Attila much more than with Helena. Her powers know no bounds and she often succeeded in ways that felt improbable. People would just…tell her things, because reasons? This might have felt more reasonable, but she doesn’t show much of a personality that would have compelled someone to trust her or share.
The reader tackled a LOT of voices and some of them were better than others. The recording also sounded a bit choppy on the editing side.
Started book 1 and I liked it better, but still probably won’t finish since vacation is over.
The author has a lot of interesting stuff to say about art and Hungary, but she often injects these as characters’ inner dialogue right in the middle of complicated conversations that I was already clinging onto for dear life.
I enjoyed my time with Attila much more than with Helena. Her powers know no bounds and she often succeeded in ways that felt improbable. People would just…tell her things, because reasons? This might have felt more reasonable, but she doesn’t show much of a personality that would have compelled someone to trust her or share.
The reader tackled a LOT of voices and some of them were better than others. The recording also sounded a bit choppy on the editing side.
Started book 1 and I liked it better, but still probably won’t finish since vacation is over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2021
This is the second published Helena Marsh boutique crime novel (with an art-centric storyline, focusing on art fraud) and, having also read the first book, now consider myself part of the niche readership. Helena Marsh is an art expert, specializing in authentication of Old World masterpieces, and her assignments are rarely straightforward, especially when they take her to Hungary, a country that is still highly influenced by Soviet values. Helena's sidekick is former Hungarian police officer, Attila Fehér, and a big part of the appeal in this thriller is the unlikely West-meets-East pairing (young martial-arts-savvy Helena could be easily cast as a Bond girl whereas plump, middle-aged, smarter-than-average Attila is more likely to be awarded the part for Yogi Bear). The story is gripping, fast-paced, violent, complex....everything one expects from a crime novel!
December 12, 2021
This is a rare instance in which I would say the "movie" could be better than the book. (I put movie in parentheses because there is no movie in the works). I read this to satisfy a Read Harder 2021 prompt: Read a book with a cover you don't like. I don't hate the cover, it's just...meh. I don't understand why there's a black slash across the front and I don't remember if the book explains it.
I really wanted to like this book but the heroine, Helena Marsh was flat and unrelatable in any way. We follow her all across Strasbourg and Budapest as she tries to solve this crime but I don't understand her raison d'être -her why within the story. Frankly, I was pretty bored with the criminals as well, a bunch of rich, white oligarchs. Maybe bureaucratic villains who works for the government are just..a boring lot?
I really wanted to like this book but the heroine, Helena Marsh was flat and unrelatable in any way. We follow her all across Strasbourg and Budapest as she tries to solve this crime but I don't understand her raison d'être -her why within the story. Frankly, I was pretty bored with the criminals as well, a bunch of rich, white oligarchs. Maybe bureaucratic villains who works for the government are just..a boring lot?
May 8, 2021
The twists and turns of the art world are highlighted in this book. Forgery, over painting, backroom sales for money laundering and how paintings were stolen from owners by the government/military during wartime. Ms. Porter does a great job weaving multiple characters in and out of the intrigue of this novel. There were times the actor reading it sounded monotone and slow. Speeding up the play was helpful. However she shined having to interpret multiple languages used in the script.
This was the first book I read from this author. I love anything to do with art so I may need to look into more of her work.
This was the first book I read from this author. I love anything to do with art so I may need to look into more of her work.
July 14, 2021
Ever since I watched the Thomas Crown Affair, I’ve been obsessed with art heists, and Anna Porter’s new political thriller satiates my thirst, delivering everything one would need to escape from my current reality to a foreign land that promises to spark some much needed excitement. From under the comfort of your cabana, you can let your imagination free, and while you sit back with a cocktail and go along for the ride.
Destination: Budapest.
Because we’ve been cooped up in our own bubble for almost two years now, playing to safe, this book is a much needed thrill of a trip that we ache to take.
Destination: Budapest.
Because we’ve been cooped up in our own bubble for almost two years now, playing to safe, this book is a much needed thrill of a trip that we ache to take.
August 29, 2023
A good mystery about research of a Artemisia Genteleschi painting which was to be sold. Murder, mayhem, deceit...
Good details.
Former Budapest cop Attila Feher would really like to see art expert Helena Marsh again, so he arranges a contract for her to determine whether a painting is a copy of a famous Artemisia Gentileschi canvas or the real thing. A simple appraisal becomes a dangerous assignment when usual eastern European gangsters show up and people start dying and the seething corruption that underlies the lost promise of post-Soviet Hungary swirls to the surface.
Good details.
Former Budapest cop Attila Feher would really like to see art expert Helena Marsh again, so he arranges a contract for her to determine whether a painting is a copy of a famous Artemisia Gentileschi canvas or the real thing. A simple appraisal becomes a dangerous assignment when usual eastern European gangsters show up and people start dying and the seething corruption that underlies the lost promise of post-Soviet Hungary swirls to the surface.
September 12, 2023
When Helena Marsh is asked to evaluate a painting to see if it is indeed by the famous artist Artemisia Gentileschi she believes that she is helping the wife in a divorce situation to get a fair idea of the price of the painting which her husband believes is a copy. The truth is not only much more complicated than that, it is much more dangerous. This book is a complex and exciting mystery that also teaches the reader about art history and the science of verifying the age and provenance of paintings.
September 26, 2024
meh this was fine
there was a lot going on and i didnt care about a lot of it. plus it was kind of hard to follow.
this is the second helena marsh book but it can be read as a standalone, however id probably recommend you skip it haha
things i liked: the cover, art history, the authors obvious love of budapest (the setting)
also, you should look up Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes because i like that version better 👀
there was a lot going on and i didnt care about a lot of it. plus it was kind of hard to follow.
this is the second helena marsh book but it can be read as a standalone, however id probably recommend you skip it haha
things i liked: the cover, art history, the authors obvious love of budapest (the setting)
also, you should look up Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes because i like that version better 👀
December 23, 2024
🤩 I LOVED this book!!! Helena Marsh is the badass art-historian-espionage-master that I didn’t know I needed. I took a chance on this book simply because it was on my library’s “available now” shelf and it was sooo worth it. I devoured it in just a few days.
If you are at all a fan of historical fiction, art history, foreign cultures, crime/mob fiction, or action-packed mysteries, this is your book. I’ll definitely go back and read the first Helena Marsh novel. 😍
If you are at all a fan of historical fiction, art history, foreign cultures, crime/mob fiction, or action-packed mysteries, this is your book. I’ll definitely go back and read the first Helena Marsh novel. 😍
March 31, 2021
In Deceptions: A Helena Marsh Novel, Anna Porter's marvelous heroine Helena Marsh is at it again, plunging helter-skelter into a labyrinth of mystery and mortal danger in the exotic high-stakes world of art, connoisseurship, and appraisals! A must-read thriller that is rich in atmosphere, culture, and action! It had me hooked. I devoured it in a single sitting!
June 8, 2021
I enjoyed this for the art history references. This is an elegant mystery with the cultural cache of art copying and forgery, with the flair of a European setting and with puzzle pieces to try to guess at. My thought is that this will please plenty of readers. For me the characters were not nuanced enough to truly hold my attention.
April 30, 2021
It's a good mystery, fast paced and action packed.
It's the second in a series but it can be read as a stand alone
Entertaining and gripping, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's the second in a series but it can be read as a stand alone
Entertaining and gripping, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
March 12, 2023
If you like mystery novels with a touch of intrigue and atypical locations (Hungary and Strasbourg) you’ll enjoy this one. My problem was that I had the audio version, and what with all the Hungarian and Russian character names, I was pretty confused. I’m still not entirely clear on the solution.
April 6, 2023
Not a bad book, but not as good as the previous one, The Appraisal. The story seemed rushed and the plot was very linear. I was expecting some great twist at the end, and there wasn't. The ending was exactly what the protagonists revealed along the way. It felt like it had to be wrapped up quickly.
September 30, 2024
What I loved: the topic of an art mystery.
What I was not fond of: the convoluted plot and characters....
Or maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it, instead of listening while multi-tasking. That combination just didn't work.
What I was not fond of: the convoluted plot and characters....
Or maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it, instead of listening while multi-tasking. That combination just didn't work.
March 9, 2021
This was a fun art world thriller, set between Strasbourg and Budapest. Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.
Read
June 1, 2021Fascinating... nice to have Artemisia Gentileschi featured in a rollicking good murder mystery
March 9, 2023
This might be easier to follow in print. With the audio I got lost
Read
March 23, 2023DNF
April 25, 2023
I read this book because it was set in Budapest, Strasbourg and Paris - places I’ve been and would love to see again. The story itself was only okay.
dnf
July 4, 2023Dnf @ 86%
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews