Thanks to netgalley I received this ARC and I am sorry that why haven't I read this books early.
The book is awesome it has all the elements of a fast read. Reader can easily get lost in the story.
The Thief and The Imposter by Kristen Mckenzie is a thriller set in Florence, Italy in the month of November.
As the name suggests there is a Thief and an Imposter but there are several characters around which the story is building.
Helena the art student, Richard the American tourist.Rhonda the wife and Pisani the policeman
All of them started hopeful in Florence but fate already has a plan for them and that is not a pleasant plan.
The story is interesting, chapters are short and gripping, reader want to know more and hard to put down this book.
I would recommend this book to everyone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
#netgalley #kristenmckenzie #squabblingsparrowspress

I thought this story was so interestingly different and unpredictable, though I’m not sure I would class it as a mystery/thriller as it didn’t have the same level of suspense I would associate with the genre. Equally, although it is categorised as historical fiction, I didn’t necessarily feel as if it was set in the 60s. Instead, the descriptions made it feel almost timeless. I found the chapters a little short but loved how the different stories intertwined and though the personification of the river in particular was extremely interesting.

Thriller Set in 1960s Florence

The author was spinning a lot of plates in this one -- a lot of plates. This tale is told from the viewpoint of several characters. The changing viewpoints could be jarring at times, but it kept the story moving. The use of the Arno River as a character was an interesting approach and the devastating flood was a brilliant backdrop. The author’s knowledge of antiquities was apparent and the book was a thrilling page-turner.

I received this Advance Reader Copy of The Forger and the Thief from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant read.
A variety of characters find themselves in Florence in November 1966, for a myriad of different reasons. All of them are hiding some sort of secret.

Each chapter is short, giving you the sense of urgency and desperation each person is experiencing.

The personification of the River was a good idea. It adds to the urgency in the story and brings in another character hiding a secret.

When the pieces started to come together I was in awe - never saw the connections.

One of those books that you can't put down until it is finished and then when its finished you are devastated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

i thought this book was really good and really ctue. it's full of likeable characters and that makes it even more amazing!!

What a challenging read. I felt like a wrung out rag when I finally finished reading it. There are several storylines that intertwine and are worth following to the end. What seemed to be a simple case of a missing wallet and passport turned into something more. A simple cleaner at the museum has a secret life that can’t be imagined and is not revealed until the very end.
Don’t miss this book based on a real event of the flooding of Florence and the loss of life and much irreplaceable artwork. This is the only book I’ve read that a River had a voice. Lol it was quite interesting.
I started reading and then it got stuck in my iPad and I couldn’t get it to reopen sigh.
I received an Arc from NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley.

5 people, an epic flood, fantastic history and some scary villians make an epic mix. Due to end of year busyness I wasn't able to sit and luxuriate in this book like I usually would. The way Kirsten has woven the story and written the characters meant I didn't have to wonder about where I was up to and what the characters were doing. The book stayed with me it was THAT GOOD.

Loved this book from the first page until the last. The characters are both wonderful and hideous, the crimes involved and downright evil in places. The attention to setting is beautifully done and the portrayal of the river clever, while the blending of all the storylines is masterful. No hesitation in recommending this book.

Wow! This book was so interesting! There were so many things that twisted random pieces into a well-placed story!

“FIVE STRANGERS IN FLORENCE, EACH WITH A DANGEROUS SECRET. AND AN APOCALYPTIC FLOOD THREATENING TO REVEAL EVERYTHING.”

And reveal everything it did! The five strangers each have a point of view in the story, but there is one more POV that I found so intriguing! The River. It got to speak to the reader about what it was doing, what it wanted.

The five strangers each give the reader a chance to see what is happening in their lives, alternating chapters from each POV. These people are strangers, and yet their lives begin to intersect in little pieces here and there, then a little more, and more. It created an all-consuming story that I absolutely could not put down!

This flood is absolutely horrific, and the terrors just don’t stop coming as one thing after another happens. The writing was wonderful, drawing the scenes in my mind in a way that made me forget my surroundings and focus solely on the story.

I loved the addition of the River’s perspective. A river is not a character, and yet in this story, it truly was. Reading about the river’s thoughts and anger brought life to the body of water. I loved it!

The story was fascinating. In the beginning, I was intrigued by these separate characters and what they were each doing. Then, as they started to bump into one another, I was sucked into what was going on! There was only one conclusion to one character’s story that I was a bit confused by. There is a paranormal element that didn’t quite fit with the rest of the story. It was still interesting, it just felt like it didn’t flow with the rest of what was happening.

Overall, I thought this was an exciting story that kept me glued to the book. The writing was great, and the storytelling was excellent!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Incredibly well done suspense mystery that left me guessing until the very end. It was fun to be kept guessing and to have to read until the end to solve the mystery. I am ALWAYS up for a good challenge when it comes to figuring out who the guilty party is.

This is a very interesting book that weaves the first person stories of several characters into the time frame of an impending flood in Florence, Italy. At first, one wonders how they could all be connected. But, eventually small hints begin to arise, all leading to the massive flood event. The art world is a key factor in the plot. The character development in this book is excellent and very diverse. It's also interesting that the author includes chapters with the perspective of the river, as if it were also human.

I enjoyed being immersed in the art and culture of Florence At times, the narrative is very graphic. My biggest disappointment was in the ending, which arrived abruptly and was not to my liking. In fact, I'm still wondering what happened to one of the characters, as if there was an oversight.

In a nostalgic setting, the author weaves a tale which is reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express but much, much darker. I love these ensemble style books where the cast of characters is so strong you can’t point to any single one as the main protagonist. Don’t be fooled by the almost romantic context of Europe in the 1960s - this book will keep you awake at night!

An engaging historical mystery that takes readers deep into a cataclysmic coming together of several characters during an approaching flood in Florence in the 1960s. McKenzie does a particularly good job with the setting and the feel for Italy of the times. There's plenty of misogyny on show, which may put some readers off, and there aren't a whole host of likable characters, but there's plenty to hold interest and keep the pages turning.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

This was an enjoyable thriller that is set in Florence in 1966. The author has created well-developed characters with interesting back stories. She has beautifully woven their stories together to create an excellent read.

I would like to thank Kirsten McKenzie, BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I picked The Forger and the Thief while browsing my next book to read on NetGalley and I must say I'm very happy with my choice. I would describe this book as upmarket as the writing is slow at times, but it more than compensates with the beautiful language and the keen observations the writer makes that really transport you into the story.

Here's why this is a standout book for me:

- It wasn't predictable - It's really hard nowadays to find a thriller where you can't guess the ending half-way through. This author isn't afraid to kill its darlings (and their enemies too)! Also, it didn't have one bad guy that had to be caught, but it had many bad characters (and even the so-called good characters had a bad side to them).

- The river as a character - I really loved that the river had her own say and was a powerful voice at that. Some descriptions in these chapters left me speechless at how well they were executed "When the tree barreled into the boat, flinging [character name removed] overboard, The River wrapped her watery arms around his failing body. She caressed him, and cooled him, carrying him like a mother, safe in her flow. Like all children, he tried fighting with her, bucking against her rules and discipline, pushing himself to the surface, stealing a breath, fighting against her embrace, begging for release."

- There were unexpected notes of humor - the book isn't funny per se, but the authored skillfully broke tension in some parts of the book by adding some comical descriptions such as "with a hangover larger than the trash problem in Rome" or "He tapped a croissant - as solid as the marble statue of David. All around the room, Richard noted other guests picking at their croissants with the grim determination seen on climbers clinging to the icy sides of Mount Everest".

- The characters were well developed - each character had their own motivations, fears and ambitions. The author showed them as real human beings as many had a good and a bad side to them. They weren't necessarily likable, but I was able to empathize with their pain and that made them compelling. I also enjoyed that the author revealed their secrets in layer, bringing our attention to the same scene or moment in the past of that character, but each time revealing yet another secret. I felt like I was putting together multiple puzzles at the same time as I was progressing through the story.

-There were elements of magical realism - I'm not sure if this is just my interpretation of the events, but there were parts where an artist can inflict pain to its models by simply painting them on canvas. This was both surreal but also believable when reading the book.

The only thing I would say perhaps I would likes less of (however much I actually enjoyed it) were the descriptions of the devastation brought on by the river. This is really well executed, but I felt like the book can do with a bit less of that because there were passages where I'd skimmed over just because they sounded very similar to what I read a few pages earlier. That being said, the story did pace itself and the river came on (and affected the characters) gradually, getting worse as the story progressed.

This is an excellent read for anyone who likes thrillers with a more literary flavor. However, if you're after something fast-paced and full of surprises on every page then this might not be a book for you.

Having so many separate story lines to invest in initially is quite a task but then add in the wordy and extremely descriptive nature of the characters, their stories and the setting and of course Venice itself then you’d be forgiven for struggling to get through but it is worth it. A clever story with a beautifully disastrous backdrop but certainly would’ve been more enjoyable with less words.

This book was a wonderful experience. I love books which follow multiple characters and eventually, they weave all into one coherent story. The book did an awesome job in story telling and keeping people interested in reading. I devoured that book because I was so amazed by it. My favourite "character* if you can really call her that is the river. It was a unique and lovely experience and I enjoyed reading her chapters most. However, there was Leo, the artist who captured my interest as well, so I am going to keep my eyes open for that meeting the author promised us at the end. (I need to get my hands on that book, no matter what I have to do...)
The only issue I had was the title. Yes, both the thief and the forger are characters in this book but the book has much more main characters than just those two.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC!

The clever introduction with each character had me wondering just how is this all connected and what purpose did each person play. The phycological backgrounds were on a slow drip throughout the story making for some very confronting and complex personalities. If you love trying to guess ahead and the author keeps moving the goalposts then this is for you. All this over stolen and forged paintings leads one on a merry chase.
An exciting story with a plot that has you guessing all the way to the finish.
The interspersed river story is a story in itself making such an impact it will have the reader hanging on for dear life. is an amazing piece of writing, take a bow, Kirsten McKenzie.
An independent review thanks to NetGalley / Squabbling Sparrows Press

Did not finish. I was looking forward to finding out more about the flooding of Florence, Italy - the setting for this book - but after several chapters, I still wasn't connecting with any of the numerous characters introduced and was struggling to follow any cohesive storyline.