The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay is a fantastic story about the possible forgery of a famous Picasso painting in 1970s London.
We meet Lily, the assistant to Diana, who runs a Collections Gallery. Picasso has recently passed away so they create a collection by bringing in Picasso art to display. This is where Lily thinks she can see one of the paintings as a forgery.
This story had me captivated from the start. I loved the characters in this novel.
I really didn't know much about Picasso's work and was intrigued. I found myself looking him up online so I could see his paintings.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and received an advanced complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When Picasso dies in 1973, Diana Gilden, Keeper of Modern Collections at the Tate Gallery asks for her assistant Lily’s help in planning a memorial exhibition that will secure both of their places in the art world.

Their success seems inevitable until Lily unexpectedly ruins the exhibition opening by declaring one of the paintings to be a forgery.

As the police and insurance inspectors work to investigate the claim, readers begin to realize that both women are living carefully curated lives, lives they convince themselves will bring them happiness, even if it demands they sacrifice embracing their true selves.

Katherine Reay does a superb job of keeping readers guessing about the authenticity of the painting while layering in connections to so many other conflicts. She touches on the Nazi’s theft of hundreds of thousands of paintings during WWII. She explores the difficulties of being women trying to establish themselves in a male-dominated field. And she highlights the complicated nature of families where trauma, guilt, and desperation for acceptance can all get in the way of love and connection.

This was my first time experiencing Reay’s work, and I’m eager to read more. Thanks to Harper Muse and Netgalley for providing me with a complimentary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE is a thoroughly enjoyable novel to sink yourself into. Lily and Diana are terrific POV protagonists, and the differences between their lifestyles are immediately noticeable. I had a little bit of a hard time believing Lily's outburst, which serves as the inciting incident, but I suspended my disbelief and was able to immerse myself into the story. The 1970s art world in London is vividly conveyed, and the mystery surrounding the alleged forgery kept me turning the pages. The resolution is completely satisfying. This is another winner from Katherine Reay. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and women's fiction. You don't need an interest in art to enjoy the novel, but readers who do have such an interest will find much of interest here.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.