It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd. 'From the bestselling authors of Reese Witherspoon bookclub pick The Club'
About the Author
Ellery Lloyd is the pseudonym for London based husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos.
Collette is a journalist and editor, former content director of ELLE UK and editorial director at Soho House. She has written for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times.
Paul is the author of two previous novels, Welcome to the Working Week and Every Day Is Like Sunday. He is the programme director for English literature with creative writing at the University of Surrey. Follow @ElleryLloyd on X
Some women can’t be painted out of history . . . A story of love and madness, of obsession and revenge. Paris, 1938: Runaway heiress Juliette Willoughby perishes, with her married lover, in an accidental studio fire alongside her Surrealist masterpiece, Self-Portrait as Sphinx.
Cambridge, 1991: Two art history students stumble across proof something sinister was at play in Juliette's death, threatening to expose the long-buried secrets of the artist's aristocratic family.
Dubai, now: An art dealer is accused of the brutal murder of his oldest friend – the last surviving member of the Willoughby dynasty. Three suspicious deaths over the course of a century. Is the key to unlocking them all hidden in Juliette Willoughby’s lost painting?
Review
When Caroline is asked to go through the large collection of a prominent family to look for pieces of the story of a tragic forgotten artist called Juliette Willoughby, she has no idea that will stumble upon a mystery and a cover-up. Perhaps it's also more of push than a stumble. Either way it is a dangerous path to wander, this search for the truth about an elusive painting and talented artist - known only for her tragic and sudden death.
What emerges is a piece of a puzzle that doesn't seem to have a place to fit. Could it be possible that the painting survived the fire. If so, how did it, why and where. Is this a way to show the world the talented art of Juliette Willoughby - a woman with a name and talent that disappeared into obscurity. That in itself is a worthy element of this story, the way hidden figures create a world, but are never given the accolades for their work.
This would make a perfect on-screen extravaganza - a Gosford Park meets Christie with a smidgen of Saltburn. The casting would be a treat. I love the way this author duo brings in a variety of sub-genre styles to create a story within a story, which in itself is carried within a larger frame of a mystery. It's a great read, one that delivers home truths and the complexity of class structures with the element of charm that keeps everyone coming back for more.
As always an incredibly delicate and finely woven plot that keeps the reader riveted until the last page.
Buy The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Macmillan pub date 20 Jun. 2024. Buy at Amazon com.
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