The latest mystery novel by Ellery Lloyd is chock full of entertainment, told during three time periods, in three places and from three points of view.

1938, Paris - Juliette Willoughby is a runaway heiress/surrealist artist who dies suspiciously in a fire in Paris alongside her famous married lover. Her masterpiece, Self Portrait as Sphinx, is thought to be among everything destroyed.

1991, Cambridge University – Caroline and Patrick meet as art history students working on dissertations on the Surrealist movement. Caroline’s subject is Juliette. Caroline finds Juliette’s journal in a research library and realizes there’s a mystery to be solved. Self Portrait as Sphinx seems to hold terrible secrets that the Willoughby family wants to remain hidden.

Present, Dubai – Patrick, now an art dealer, in possession of Self Portrait as Sphinx, has been arrested for the murder of his oldest friend.

While I found this book to be slow starting, once it picked up, it was amazing to see how the author wove all of the stories and characters together. There were things I was able to guess but, even so, there were multiple surprises.

I found the main characters to be likeable, the plots intricate and believable and the ending satisfying.

Definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little unsure going in...A tale in 3 periods - 1938/1991/current - and the POV of the two protagonists. I was sure I was going to get lost somewhere. Somehow, the authors managed to make it all flow in a way that was easy to follow and very enjoyable to read. Without much knowledge of art, or frankly much interest, I also wondered how involved I would get with the story, but I found myself very ready to go back to it. I enjoyed this much more than the last I read by this duo. Kudos.

I was looking for a mystery for the weekend and this was perfect. Surrealist and Egyptian art, 1930s Paris, a college secret society, and rich people drama all drew me in. A multi-narrative story told primarily in the 1990s (and then the present) by two art students and in the past by the title character Juliette, an heiress-artist, the plot flies as the two students solve an intricate puzzle of what happened to Juliette’s masterpiece? While the mystery is complex with many twists and turns and murders to solve, I like when I can look back as I’m reading, see the pieces, and try to figure out the next clue like I could here. This is a more about a smart, quick paced plot book than one with serious character development or dialogue, but I did still find myself wishing that Juliette and her painting were real. All in all a fun time and I appreciated the women’s history nod towards the end. I would love to watch this as a movie or limited series. Happy I got read to this advanced copy through NetGalley/Harper.

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is a richly written and enthralling mystery with intelligent twists and turns to keep the reader engaged throughout.

Told during different timelines and points of view, it is clear nothing is as it seems in this story. When Caroline and Patrick, two Cambridge art history students, start researching Juliette Willoughby's masterpiece Self-Portrait as Sphinx, they begin to unravel the complicated mystery that surrounds the artist-turned-heiress, her lover, and her art - all of which were presumed lost in a tragic fire in 1938.  Caroline finding the masterpiece fully intact after 50 years (and where that ends up leading) is just the start of many twists to follow. The more Caroline and Patrick learn about Juliette and her art, the more it overtakes their lives.  

The husband and wife writing team known as Ellery Lloyd delivers a strong story to follow their bestseller The Club. While The Club was a fun read, there is something more compelling about the mystery in The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby. Part old-school mystery, part art heist, and part romance, it delivers on several fronts, with the one downside being the story runs out of steam a bit at the end. In fairness, there was a lot to wrap up, and the reader isn't left with any lingering questions.

This would be a great option for a book club or even consideration for a movie adaptation.