I got this book thinking it was an art heist story, one of my favorite genres. I enjoyed it, although I didn’t expect the fantasy aspect. Dani Poissant, a superb artist, manipulated into becoming an art forger and accomplice to her mother, Maria, a world-famous art thief, both of whom have magical abilities. Maria can persuade people to do her bidding; Dani can imbue her forgeries with qualities that make them seem genuine. At a vulnerable age, Dani is manipulated by the FBI into turning her mother in, resulting in her mother’s imprisonment. Ten years later, Dani is approached by the villainous Archer, her mother’s former lover, who tries to manipulate her into stealing a painting he wants, one held in Fort Knox type private gallery. The ticking clock: Dani has one week to accomplish this goal. Archer promises that Dani will be brought into the fold of her family again—if she succeeds.
There are recurrent themes of childhood neglect and emotional abuse. Dani is thrown out of her community and must exist on her own at a relatively young age. Although the cover has a lot in common with current covers of contemporary romances, this is not a romance. There are hints of a potential romance with Brad, the young man who inherited the gallery, as well as with Elliott, a young man Dani thought would run away with her after the debacle with Maria, but who he fails to show up at their rendezvous. Neither of these guys get enough interaction with Dani to make their romance potential believable. Also, Dani’s “found family” wasn’t quite believable either.
Overall, a fun read. Not sure the magical elements did much other than serving as shortcut to the real work of staging an art heist. I would definitely like to read a book in which The Curator takes top billing.
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The Frame-Up (Del Rey, February 13, 2024) is available through:
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