I try to give a book 5 chapters or 50 pages to pull me in. Otherwise, I know that I probably won’t enjoy the rest of it. I liked the premise of this book but I think it started a little too slowly and I’ve put it down for now.

Set in 1970’s London, Lily works for the Tate Gallery, assisting her boss and mentor, Diana, to put together exhibitions. During the reception for a Picasso exhibition, Lily notices something off with one of the works and blurts out that it’s a forgery. As an investigation begins, Lily is being framed as the forger. Lily’s life has been filled with self doubt and guilt, as she hides her true self from her family and friends. Lily’s back story explains how she gave her boss, Diana, so much control over her clothing, taste in art, leading her away from discovering herself. Recommended particularly for art lovers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay transports readers to the posh world of fine art in 1970s London. I really liked this woman-centric story featuring the works of Pablo Picasso; it includes history, mystery, intrigue, family drama, and a bit of romance. The audiobook is masterfully narrated by Fiona Hardingham as Lily and Saskia Maarleveld as Diana.

Katherine Reay creates a strong sense of time and place thanks to her extensive research. The plot begins a bit slowly, but from the moment I audibly gasped, I was all in. (Don’t read the publisher’s blurb as it gives away too much). I wasn’t always sure who trust which draws me fully into a novel.

I enjoyed reading this soon after The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis as both center around prestigious museums in the 1970s and a young woman as assistant/protégé to a woman older than her. Although the plots are very different, they are in conversation with each other, especially about the role of women at the time.

Thank you to Harper Muse, Blackstone Publishing, and Uplit Reads for the review copies of this captivating novel.

I really enjoyed reading this thoughtful book. It moves along with a good pace while including beautiful details of the time period and glamorous setting. It would be great for a book club. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Set in the glittering, cutthroat art world of 1970s London, The English Masterpiece follows Lily, a rising assistant at the Tate Museum of Modern Art, as she helps curate a landmark Picasso exhibit after his passing. When she publicly declares one of the paintings a forgery, the glamorous opening turns into a scandal. As suspicion spreads across Europe's elite art circles, Lily’s mentor and career idol Diana Gilden faces ruin. With reputations, careers, and legal consequences on the line, Lily races to uncover the truth behind the painting. This historical fiction is perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Ariel Lawhon.

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)!

If you are an art lover who trends toward historical fiction and mystery reads, this is a great choice for you! The English Masterpiece had a handful of characters to focus on and a captivating story of museum curators, young artists and forged and famous works.

Lily's instinct that a painting in their newly minted Picasso exhibit at the Tate is a forgery creates a manhunt amongst staff, sellers, artists, local police and insurance collectors. The story is incredibly interesting and moves right along, as the pieces of the mystery bend throughout the novel. The author's note offers tremendous insight into the 1970s art world, forgeries, stolen artwork and more, so it's worth a glance!

Also, the audiobook is extremely well done! Saskia Maarleveld and Fiona Hardingham do such an amazing job of bringing these characters and story to life - it is definitely worth a listen! 

Thank you to UpLit Reads, Harper Muse, Katherine, NetGalley and Hoopla for the gifted copies of this book!

I really, really enjoyed this book and I had so much fun reading it. The English Masterpiece was unlike anything I’ve read before and it completely destroyed my expectations. It took me until around 25% of the book to really get into the book, but from that point on I was hooked. Reay creates the perfect blend of art history, mystery and drama and this book ticked all the boxes for me. I thought the book would follow more of a typical mystery storyline but I loved that the author revealed personal struggles of the characters and explored several complex relationships.
I was really able to connect and relate to Lily and the expectations and burdens she carried from an incident many years earlier. I loved getting to know Diana as more an more layers were revealed about her as the book progressed.

This was my first time reading a book by Katherine Reay, and I absolutely love her writing style. She is able to write such detailed descriptions and create a perfect picture in my mind. I also loved how she truly embodied the characters and their perspective by adding little details that only an artistic person would be able to notice.

I liked the overall plot. The mystery was intriguing enough that I just wanted to keep reading. However, I thought Lily’s sister was so incredibly harsh and out of line and the romance felt so lackluster even being just a small side plot.

Thank you to UpLit Reads and Harper Muse for the free book and to LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This was so fascinating. It's historical fiction (1970s) meets mystery centered around two women working at the Tate Museum in London. I love learning about art history and museums, so I would have been all in just for that. But the mystery took it to a whole other level. There were so many twists and turns around whether a Picasso was actually a forgery and if so, how it came to be part of an exhibit at the Tate.

I especially appreciated the look at class dynamics. There are so many additional themes around power, patriarchy, family, and more that are also touched on. This book kept me engaged and guessing the whole time I read it. And then when I put it down, I thought about the deeper meanings as much as the mystery.

This is one of those books that I want to re-read and re-examine knowing how everything sorted out. I highly recommend it.

The English Masterpiece is centered around the fascinating world of art in such a great time period, the 1970s.

The writing is superb and completely immersive. It's engaging until the very end. Katherine Reay is truly a wonderful writer, she is remarkable in her craft.

The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay

As a reader it is always challenging to step out of The Comfort Zone. My knowledge of art ended in college, a few decades ago. But I do know what I like, and once I like something I usually follow it for quite some time.

I started following Katharine Reay when she wrote one of my favorite books of all time, Lizzie and Jane. It was a retelling of another of my all-time favorites, Pride and Prejudice. But this retelling firmly established the Bennett sisters into modern times through in-depth character establishment and heart. That heart followed through all of Reay’s works.

I never thought I would enjoy a novel about art forgeries. I have seen The Thomas Crowne Affair remake (and may see the re-remake currently in development) and found it entertaining enough. But a whole novel? Sounds a bit…well…dry.

But using that same sense of strong characterization, Reay gives us a tale of cat and mouse that held my interest from beginning to end. Lily and Diana are easily compared but their contrast is far more interesting. Lily lacks self confidence where Diana exudes it. But looks can often be deceiving, and this is the main theme of the novel.

Lily is the clear protagonist, as we see her family origin and foundation as well as her hopes and dreams for the future. I understand where the author was going, but I found Diana by far the more intriguing character. I felt there was so much more backstory I wanted and just didn’t get. It is my main criticism of the novel.

Part of the challenge in showcasing a world most find unfamiliar is the amount of research necessary. I had absolutely no interest in Picasso prior to this, but by looking at the discussed paintings as the novel progressed, I developed at least an appreciation for the genius. I also discovered an artist I didn’t know at all and discovered I quite liked his work. Similar to many contemporary novels having an accompanying playlist, seeing the art certainly helped understand the novel.

I know that this is not Reay’s first attempt into full historical fiction. I have missed several of her books recently just due to my expanding TBR. But based on my full enjoyment of this novel, I will certainly be moving The Berlin Letters and A Shadow in Moscow up on my list. 4.25 stars!

3 predictable stars

Set in 1970s London, The English Masterpiece follows two young women who work at the Tate Museum. The plot revolves around their lives and families, whether a painting is a forgery and who created it. Will one of them go to jail?

Having enjoyed the last two books by Katherine Reay, I was delighted to receive an ARC of The English Masterpiece. This book features two shallow and sometimes whiny female characters that did not engage me as much as Reay’s other historical fiction works. The author related many facts about art and creating it. A squabble with the sisters became tiresome and then a bit sappy. The dialog seemed written to move the plot along, not as an integral part of the story. Instead of the reader becoming involved with emotions, the book ‘examines feelings - often. The pacing felt slow to me. I guessed the main plot points and the light romance did not set off any sparks.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic slow burn art forgery mystery with a hint of romance! I loved The English Masterpiece. Katherine Reay delivers a captivating cat & mouse game set in the glamorous 1970’s London art scene filled with wonderful themes of finding courage to express yourself, overcoming the past, & letting go of control.

As the assistant to the Tate’s Modern Collections keeper, Lily finally feels she’s arrived when asked to help plan an exhibit honoring the recently deceased Pablo Picasso. Everything is going well until she notices something off about one of his paintings. In the midst of the gallery with reporters nearby, she utters three life changing words “it’s a forgery.” From this point on, Lily’s world’s turned upside down. She desperately needs this job with a disabled mother & father struggling with PTSD to support. But, can she prove what she’s saying is true? And, when she’s accused of being the forger, can she prove her innocence?

After years of hard work, Lily’s mentor, Diana achieved the unimaginable; she’s become the first female keeper of the Tate’s Modern Collections. This commemoration of Picasso’s works was supposed to be her crowning achievement, featuring a newly discovered work of the artist. Lily’s accusation’s thrown the art world in chaos & threatens her own position at the Tate, especially when Carter, an insurance investigator from New York comes to investigate the painting.

I listened to the audiobook version & was completely captivated by the narrators & story. They both did a fabulous job bringing Lily & Diana to life & all the secondary characters.

This superb, intricate mystery kept me on the edge of my seat as Lily tries desperately to clear her name. I thoroughly enjoyed Lily’s & Carter’s relationship which frequently puts them at odds with each other. I also enjoyed Lily’s family. Lily struggles with an incident from her childhood which still haunts her. I enjoyed seeing her finally come to terms with what happened & realizing she can’t control everything. The real forger is extremely crafty & the ending was brilliantly executed.

The setting was absolutely amazing. I loved the locations especially the scene in Ian Fleming’s bar. I also loved the cameo from Pierce Brosnan.

Highly recommend to historical fiction fans! I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided. 4.5-5 stars!

Katherine Reay has become a favorite of mine for historical fiction! The English Masterpiece takes place in 1970's London in the art world. This book was fast-paced and so fun! It all starts when our main character, Lily, declares a painting in the much anticipated exhibit to honor Picasso to be a forgery! That leads to a huge mystery to be solved - if it really is a fake, then who was the one who painted it?

The storytelling and unwinding of this story was masterful and I definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves history and art!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was a fun listen with some minor flaws. I loved the era and the setting—1970s London art world. But the plotting of the story didn’t work as well as it could have—the beginning was slow and I almost abandoned it. But I’m glad I hung on because it had a few unexpected twists. The main plot worked well but I didn’t quite get the conflict with Lily’s family. That storyline distracted from the overall story in my opinion. I had a digital copy as well as audiobook and I preferred the audiobook. Both narrators had wonderful accents and created a charming listening experience.

I have never given Katherine Reay less than 5 stars and The English Masterpiece brings that streak to 4 books. I’m not sure anyone does historical fiction better than Reay. The characters? Beautifully developed. The setting? Perfect. The plot? A moment for the plot… spectacular. The pace? Unputdownable. Do yourself a favor and dive in to this one asap.

I am always entranced and enchanted by Katherine Reay's writing, and this book was no exception. I could not put it down and devoured it in two days. Her characters and settings always come alive and become so real to me! I also always have to sit with my thoughts for a few days after finishing her books before I can really put my thoughts into a review. I have given up on expecting any actual spiritual content from these books that are published as Christian fiction, so I won't comment further on that - it is what it is. While I really enjoyed the plot of this book and the varied perspectives we got it from, I had a really hard time relating to the main character. I really did not understand why she did the things she did. I felt like she just kept making dumb decisions for no good reason. I also struggled to understand why people reacted to her the way they did, especially in her family. She would say things and then her sister or mother would react in ways that baffled me. They kept saying that she wasn't revealing her true self to them, but that was really not evident to me as the reader and so I felt I just kept being told it rather than shown it, which I didn't particularly like. Those things were minor in the grand scheme of the story though - it's an excellent clean read that will hold your attention and stay with you for a long time!

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

Art scandal and a race to find the real criminal art forger are on full view in this historical thriller set in 1970s London.

An art scandal of epic, Picasso-size proportions is at the center of this historical thriller that pits Lily against her boss, Diana, the head curator at the Tate Modern in 1970s London. Themes of true identity versus the masks we present to the world are also woven throughout the book, both about art and the main characters. The heart of the story though is the race to find who copied a world-famous Picasso and how they successfully passed it off as real. Lily is setup as the scapegoat but determined to prove herself innocent.

🕵🏻 My Take: The dual-POV insights from Lily and her boss, Diana, and the theme of identity gave this interesting depth, but some of the introspection, self discoveries, and familial relations culminated in too tidy a resolution to feel real for me. Still, I loved the setting and this was a solid read, even if not fully believable.

Read THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE for
🖼️ Art world scandal
✌️ Dual POV-narratives
🕵🏻 Identity themes
💅🏼 Female-driven story
🏛️ 1970s London
🎨 Race to find the art forger


Thanks to Harper Muse Books and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Muse and Harper Muse Audiobooks for a copy provided for an honest review.

This is my fifth novel by this author and while not my favorite, before I knew it, I had fallen in love with the characters. Not to mention that I kept reminiscing about a favorite movie while reading, then found out in the author’s note that she was inspired by the 1999 version of The Thomas Crown Affair. I primarily listened to the audiobook which was expertly narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Saskia Maarleveld, a personal favorite of mine.

The story follows Lily in first person and Diana in third in 1973 London. Lily works at an art gallery as Diana’s assistant where they are planning a Picasso exhibit. At the opening in front of large crowd, Lily discovers that one of the paintings is a forgery and inadvertently announces it to everyone putting her job and her boss’s job in jeopardy. Things quickly escalate leaving a bewildered Lily filled with uncertainty about how to explain what she knows, not to mention suspicious when an insurance investigator uncovers her own connections to the art.

I’ll admit that I was quite frustrated with Lily at times, with her withholding information and hiding her history with art, but as the book progressed, the characters grew on me so much that my frustrations with Lily’s actions, or inactions, were quickly replaced with curiosity about the characters and what was going on with the paintings. I found the story entertaining and fun and by the end had favorite characters that made me sorry to see the book end.

Recommended to historical fiction and art lovers.

Overall I quite liked this one! I think it needed a thorough slimming down or fleshing out, but the core of the story was very fun to follow. This feels like a Kate Quinn-lite adventure, complete with Nazi complications. If historical fiction is your thing (and it’s mine!), it’s worth a read.

A few notes:
- The art forgery mystery was really interesting to follow, but I lost interest in the overly complex framing resolution for the last 15% or so.
- The background characters were both somehow too complex and also too shallow — I think alluding to deeper stories without giving so many details would’ve been fine.
- Frankly, too many characters for such an intimate story.
- Unnecessary love story!
- The protagonist feels too young to be 27 but also put forward as an innocent young ingenue.

Katherine Reay has such a gift! I can’t even imagine the research that went into this book. Wonderfully done! I always learn a lot from her books including this one. I’m so glad I was able to listen to the audio — brilliantly done! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.