The Muse by Jessie Burton

From Goodreads

A picture hides a thousand words . . .

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery - no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences . . .

Seductive, exhilarating and suspenseful, The Muse is an unforgettable novel about aspiration and identity, love and obsession, authenticity and deception - a masterpiece from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist.       

My thoughts

This is the first book that I've read by Jessie Burton and I gave it an 8/10 or 4 stars. I look forward to reading more by her in due course.

This dual timeframe story tells the history of a picture of two halves.

Love comes in many disguises and like the artists interpretation of a scene or a portrait they're painting, as a reader it's our interpretation of the story that gives us the detail the Author wants us to pick up.

What happens in the past doesn't always stay in the past, as the secrets about the painting and it's provenance are revealed, the reader is taken on a journey of discovery.

Well written this is a great read. In my opinion it would make a great Reading Group read.