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摘要
Haarlem, Holland, seventeenth-century:The city's chief magistrate commissions a family portrait from Dutch master painter Johannes Miereveld. But when the artist sees the magistrate's daughter, Amalia, an illicit love affair begins. Miereveld creates a captivating masterpiece, The Chrysalis--a stunning portrait of the Virgin Mary, full of Catholic symbols, that outrages his Protestant patron and signals the death of his career. New York, present day: Mara Coyne is one high-profile case away from making partner at her powerful Manhattan law firm, and now the client that is sure to seal the deal has fallen into her lap. The prestigious Beazley's auction house is about to sell a lost masterwork, The Chrysalis, in an auction that is destined to become legendary. Standing in the way, however, is the shocking accusation that the painting belongs not to Beazley's client but to Hilda Baum, the daughter of a Dutch collector who lost his paintings--and his life--to the Nazis. The case brings an unexpected surprise when Mara discovers that Beazley's in-house attorney is Michael Roarke, a man for whom she once had an intense attraction. But the same skills that make her a brilliant litigator also make Mara suspicious, and she begins to believe that Hilda's tragic family story might be more than just heartbreaking--it might be true. And the man she's come to love might not be who she thought he was at all. Spanning centuries and continents, The Chrysalis is a brilliant, intelligent, fast-paced thriller that melds art and history into a provocative work of fiction. From the underground Catholicism in seventeenth-century Holland to the unspeakable crimes of the Nazis and the repercussions that reverberate to this day throughout the art world, Heather Terrell has created a fascinating story that will entrance readers to the very last page.
评论 (4)
出版社周刊评论
A luminous portrait by a fictitious artist is at the heart of Terrell?s disappointing debut thriller. The painting actively links three separate story lines, presented in alternating chapters. A 17th-century Dutch artist creates a painting as a tribute to his lover and his Catholic faith; in 194?s Amsterdam, Erich Baum is shipping his precious artwork to France for safekeeping; a present-day Manhattan attorney defends an auction house against claims by a Dutch woman that the Nazis stole the painting from her family. It?s a promising plot structure, but that promise is buried under repetitious explanations of the legal issues, inept pacing and awkward dialogue. Former litigator Terrell earnestly wants to focus on questions of morality and betrayal across three centuries, but her artless writing frustrates those ambitions. (May) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
《书目》(Booklist)书评
Attorney Mara Coyne's firm is hired by the venerable art-auction-house Beazley's to defend the ownership of The Chrysalis, a seventeenth-century Dutch painting by Johannes Miereveld. The owner, who purchased the painting through Beazley's, is ready to sell, but Hilda Baum, whose parents died in the Holocaust, says the Nazis stole the painting from her family, and she wants it back. Working with Beazley's employee Michael Roarke, a former college classmate, Mara prepares the case, certain a positive outcome will guarantee her a partnership in her prestigious law firm. Then, when Mara finds some irregularities in Beazley's way of doing business, she works to unravel the truth--perhaps at the expense of her career. Jumping between present-day New York City and Holland, both in the seventeenth century and during World War II, the story starts slowly but builds in intensity to an exciting climax. Rich details about the art-auction business and case law are woven throughout this fascinating debut. --Sue O'Brien Copyright 2007 Booklist
Kirkus评论
Beautiful lawyer, tricked into defending Nazi loot, seeks to undo past wrongs. Mara Coyne is up for a partnership if she can win one for a major client. Before it can make a lucrative sale, ritzy auction house Beazley's needs legal defense to prove that a 16th-century masterpiece, The Chrysalis, wasn't stolen by the Nazis in 1943. As an added incentive, Mara finds that her contact at the auction house is the dashing Michael, an old college crush. Having spent too many years burning the midnight oil for the Manhattan law firm, she's easy prey, and she and Michael begin a secret affair while she works with Beazley's formidable expert, Lillian, to prove the painting's flawless provenance. But two intersecting storylines--one introducing the painting's secretly Catholic creator who worked in staunchly Calvinist Holland, the other recreating the wartime Jewish owners--foreshadow Mara's ultimate discovery that documents have been forged and her newfound love is compromised. Teaming up with the elderly, elegant Lillian, who was also deceived by love 60 years before, she jets to London to uncover the truth. Like the painting, Terrell's debut is full of lovely detail, from the descriptions of the Dutch landscape to the '40s fashions of the wealthy Baum family. A theme of hidden faith and passion runs solidly throughout this slim thriller. The painter, Johannes Miereveld, pours his secret faith into the painting, which also reveals a forbidden love affair. The Baums, labeled Jews by the Nazis, had thought themselves Catholic. And Mara finds herself recalling her beloved Irish Catholic grandmother as she learns about betrayal and finds her moral core. But the plot is thinner than new varnish. The author telegraphs Michael's duplicity from the start and the resolution is too quickly tied up through brief or off-stage meetings, and a final letter that seeks to weave all the historical strands together. Sleek historical mystery glides by on detail, but lacks plot depth. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
《图书馆杂志》(Library Journal )书评
Lawyer Terrell's first novel is a gem of suspense. Mara Coyne, gunning for partnership with a prestigious law firm, is assigned a case involving art stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Her firm is representing the auction house that arranged for the sale of a painting called The Chrysalis after the war; the daughter of the previous owner is seeking to regain her family's stolen art. Coyne is thrilled to tackle such an important case but surprised to meet the client, Michael Roarke, an old college acquaintance. While drawn into a romance with him, Coyne puts together an airtight case in favor of her client. Intertwined with the present-day tale are scenes set in World War II Netherlands as the family tries to escape to Italy with its art, and in the 17th century, as the life of fictional Dutch master Johannes Miereveld and his creation of The Chrysalis unfold against a backdrop of class and religious struggles. When Coyne accidentally discovers her work may have been tainted, she has to make tough decisions. An entertaining read; recommended.-Beth Lindsay, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.