The Paris Portrait ~ Review

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Paris Portrait by Heidi Eljarbo, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

The Paris Portrait
A Fabiola Bennett Mystery #3
By Heidi Eljarbo

Fabiola Bennett and her good friends Pippa and Cary travel by car to her brother's home just outside Paris. There Fabiola's brother, Eivind shows her an old cookbook he recently bought at an auction. Fabiola, being who she is, is intrigued and stays up late into the night studying the book and makes a discovery. The cookbook is much more than a cookbook and it is a clue to a potential find of historical significance if it can be proven.

The Paris Portrait is a split-time story told in from two different perspectives. Fabiola's portion of the story is set in 1973. Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun's portion is set in 1789 and in the midst of the beginnings of the French Revolution.

Élisabeth is a court portraitist and as such she has become close to France's queen, Marie Antoinette. We are taken into the luxurious and extravagant life of the Versailles court. A court unconnected to the poor people who are growing frustrated with the excesses that are in stark contrast to their daily struggles. Élisabeth's talent finds her caught in the middle. She can see the truth of life outside of court and must walk a careful line in-between if she hopes to survive what she sees coming. Her life and that of her daughter depend on it.

This is the third book the Fabiola Bennett Mystery series, a book which can be read and enjoyed without first reading the previous books. I love how both portions are historical and that the "current day" mystery is played out in the distant past. I also love seeing the "mystery" being solved by Fabiola and her friends without the use of the technology we are so used to today - no cellphones, no computers, no GPS. No this is a day of maps, travel for research, and footwork. This is an excellent read and highly recommended as an escape from the familiar.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

   

 

About the Book

Title: The Paris Portrait
Series: A Fabiola Bennett Mystery #3
Author: Heidi Eljarbo
Publisher: Independently published
Release Date: November 12, 2024
Genre: Historical Mystery, Dual Timeline, Fiction

Fabiola stumbles upon a clue that indicates a royal portrait went missing almost two hundred years ago. Is this true, or is there substance to the rumor?  

Paris, France, 1973. 
After an enjoyable but dusty road trip, Fabiola and her friends, Pippa and Cary, arrive in a small village on the outskirts of Paris to spend a few days with Fabiola’s brother Eivind and his family. 

On their first evening there, Eivind shows Fabiola an ancient recipe book he bought at an auction. The book is filled with old writing, and he asks Fabiola to decipher the pages. After the others have gone to bed, she spends hours reading and is gripped by the last pages that have nothing to do with recipes for baked goods and stews. Certain the author was a famous portrait artist at the time of the French Revolution, Fabiola and her friends set out on a treacherous investigation, dodging murderers and thieves to learn the truth.  

Versailles, France, 1789.
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun— portraitist and close friend of the extravagant queen of France, Marie Antoinette—has already painted thirty portraits of the queen. Her contemporaries compare her to the old Dutch masters, calling her one of the greatest portrait painters of her time. 

But outside on the streets, Paris is becoming more perilous with every day that passes. Madame Le Brun would be a fool to think the rumors of a revolution will pass, and aristocratic life will continue as before. 

Amid the turmoil, she paints one final portrait of Marie Antoinette, knowing well her association with the queen could cause her to be arrested or executed. As chaos and riots in Paris turn to violence, Madame Le Brun flees with her young daughter, hoping her royal friend and the portrait will be safe.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

More Books in This Series

 

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About the Author

Heidi Eljarbo grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history. 

Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter. 

 Heidi’s favorites are her family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

Connect with Heidi by visiting heidieljarbo.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon giftcard + a paperback of one Fabiola Bennett Mystery of your choice!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 12, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 19, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder ~ Review

An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder
Countess of Harleigh Mystery #7
By Dianne Freeman 

An invitation to investigate the death of Paul Ducass, finds George and Frances heading to Paris. The police ruled it an unfortunate accident, but George's Aunt Julia is convinced it was foul play. Before the wedded duo can find the answers Lady Julia falls to her own unfortunate accident. Oh dear, a fine to-do these two sleuths find themselves in. 

With a plethora of potential suspects what are they to do? Why investigate of course. And investigating is what they do best. But along the way to discovering the truth they uncover more than one secret that can and will change everything. 

This was an interesting read and the author did an excellent job protecting her villain until the end. There several interesting elements that are so well concealed  that once they it sends the investigation into new territory with new potential suspects. 

This book is the seventh the Countess of Harpsichord series but it can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone title. The story is easy to follow, and the characters are well developed. Get ready for an engaging 20th century who-dun-it, and a disturbing number of ruined outfits. Solving murders can be just a tad dirty. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. 

About the Book:

Filled with Victorian-era intrigue for readers of Rhys Bowen, Deanna Raybourn, Tasha Alexander, and Julia Seales, Dianne Freeman’s Agatha Award-winning series takes a delightful jaunt to the City of Light as Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, encounters a murder scene at the Paris Exposition.

Frances and her husband, George, have two points of interest in Paris. One is an impromptu holiday to visit the Paris Exposition. The other is personal. George’s Aunt Julia has requested her nephew’s help in looking into the suspicious death of renowned artist Paul Ducasse. Though Julia is not entirely forthcoming about her reasons, she is clearly a woman mourning a lost love.

At the exposition, swarming with tourists, tragedy casts a pall on the festivities. A footbridge collapses. Julia is among the casualties. However, she was not just another fateful victim. Julia was stabbed to death amid the chaos. With an official investigation at a standstill, George and Frances realize that to solve the case they must dig into Julia’s life—as well as Paul’s—and question everything and everyone in Julia’s coterie of artists and secrets.

They have no shortage of suspects. There is Paul’s inscrutable widow, Gabrielle. Paul’s art dealer and manager, Lucien. Julia’s friend Martine, a sculptress with a jealous streak. And art jurist, Monsieur Beaufoy. The investigation takes a turn when it’s revealed that George has inherited control of Julia’s estate—and another of her secrets. While George investigates, Frances safeguards their new legacy, and is drawn further into danger by a killer determined to keep the past buried.

AUTHOR BIO

Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Agatha and Lefty Award winning Countess of Harleigh Mysteries, a two-time finalist for the Macavity’s Sue Feder Memorial Award, and a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband now split their time between Michigan and Arizona. 

Visit her at DiFreeman

Trouble in Assisi ~ Review

Trouble in Assisi
A Fabiola Bennett Mystery #2
by Heidi Eljarbo

He says it's a miracle, but Fabiola Bennett isn't so sure. But how did the painting suddenly appear in the locked basilica's bell tower? And who is the painter of this masterpiece? Fabiola is going to find the answers she seeks. But learning the truth may come with a price. Is she willing to pay it? (Que maniacal laughter. No, not really. But it adds drama, right?) 

 

The mystery revolves around the painting - who painted it, where did it come from, what happened to it, and who is the subject of the painting? 

Now I haven't read this author's work before, so I went into this book without any expectations and have to admit with the first page I knew I was in for a reading treat. And that was before the duel-time portion was even revealed. I love a back-and-forth between timelines as slowly questions are presented and then the answers are revealed. I'll admit I wanted to see the painting that Fabiola was shown in the bell tower. The bits of description were just that bits, like cookie crumbs, you know there's something more and you (the royal you meaning me) want the whole thing. 

 

This was a enjoyable read. I liked that the mystery surrounding the painting wasn't easily solved and even better that it wasn't obvious who had taken it. This was a clean mystery, in other words no graphic violence, foul language, etc. I now need to read the first book in the series, though it isn't necessary to fully enjoy this book. 

 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Assisi, 1973

On art historian Fabiola Bennett’s first day in Assisi, a local gentleman takes her aside to ask for advice about a painting that has wondrously appeared in the basilica’s bell tower.

So much for enjoying relaxing days filled with dining on pasta and gelato.

Soon, Fabiola and her besties, Pippa and Cary, are thrown into a shrouded mystery and caught up in a whirlwind of intrigue, theft, lies, and attempted murder, all of which overshadows the postcard-like charm of the small, historic town.

Rome, 1511

Life is going well for Teodoro Nicoletti. Since he was a young man in Florence, he has worked and learned alongside the most-favored artist Raphael.

When Pope Julius II commissions Raphael to paint several frescos in the reception rooms of the Vatican Palace, Teodoro follows his master to Rome and discovers firsthand the admiration and rivalry between Raphael and two other reigning artists: Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

But the prickliest thorn in Teodoro’s side is his beloved Elisabetta’s father. The old man is determined to keep his youngest daughter from becoming Teodoro’s wife.