A compelling premise and plot, Reay is too caught you in describing the minutiae of her characters' lives. When she describes every step a character takes, for example, it slow the narrative down and leaves at least the reader impatient and annoyed. The concept is excellent, the execution, weak; and the narration, for that matter, lacklustre. There's not much personality to the characters' voicing.

The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay was a book I was really looking forward to reading! I’ve been a Reay fan for years and have read many of her books starting back when, and I’ve enjoyed her growth over the years. I really liked her historical fiction, but I missed the novels of old. When I heard about this one I was hoping she would bring the skills she learned researching the historical fiction back to fiction with a side of romance. This book with the mystery element was better than I dreamed about! She brought everything she has learned to this story and it was a really delightful book that kept me on my toes.
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I read this in a multi-format style going from the text on the page to the audiobook as I went about my day and it worked really well. When I had to put down my book down, the story could keep going! This was narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Saskia Maarleveld. Saskia is one of my favorites!
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You can read what this book is about elsewhere, here I will tell you I was really invested in the story, the crime and trying to figure out who was guilty and what would happen. The dialogue was solid and I felt like I really knew the characters!
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Thank you @NetGalley and @HarperMuse and @HarperMuseAudio for the ARC and ALC given in exchange for my unbiased opinion. I gave this book 4.5 stars.

🖼️ Plot Snapshot
Set in 1970s London, The English Masterpiece follows Lily, a rising assistant at the Tate Modern. Her dream of curating a Picasso exhibit collapses into chaos after she publicly declares one of the paintings a forgery. Her bold claim sets off a scandal that threatens careers, reputations, and the fragile trust within the art world. As the mystery deepens, Lily and those around her must confront ambition, betrayal, and the true cost of integrity.

✍️ Writing Style Vibe
Reay delivers sleek, atmospheric prose that is equal parts polished and urgent. Alternating dual POVs enrich the emotional depth, blending art‑world detail, mystery, and personal growth into a crisp, immersive narrative.

❤️ Highlights
* Dual Perspectives: The alternating POVs of Lily and Diana (women from different generations) add richness to the narrative. Their journeys through ambition, legacy, and personal sacrifice unfold with emotional depth.
* Stellar Narration: The audiobook narrators elevated the story, bringing subtle nuance to each character.
* Art, Ethics, and Identity: As Lily shifts from outsider to art sleuth, the story dives into the ethical complications of art restoration and forgery with gripping realism.
* Immersive Setting: Reay masterfully recreates the smoky, political glamour of 1970s London’s art world, layering in post-war tension, gallery intrigue, and historical depth.
* Themes That Resonate: The novel explores questions of identity, ambition, and truth, probing what we hide, what we protect, and what we are willing to lose to belong.
* Balanced Tension: With threads of mystery, romance, class conflict, and moral complexity, the story maintains a steady, satisfying pace. The Christie-style unraveling keeps the stakes high and human.

💭 My Thoughts
This novel offered a fascinating look at both the brilliance and the murkiness of the art world. One accusation of forgery can unravel careers, reputations, and trust.

Once the investigation kicked off, the plot became truly gripping. Themes like envy, impostor syndrome, and the hunger for recognition surfaced in compelling, often uncomfortable ways. One character in particular left me frustrated by their selfishness, but I’ll leave that spoiler-free.

The ending delivered a sense of justice and emotional resolution. Reay’s writing is vivid and cinematic. I could practically hear champagne glasses clinking and smell the oil paint on canvas. While the romance remains subtle, it never detracts from Lily’s evolution. A polished, satisfying read.

🤔 What Fell Flat
A few secondary storylines..especially minor characters felt underdeveloped by the resolution. The interpersonal fallout settles quickly at the end, which leaves me wishing for a bit more nuance in the wrap-up.


⭐ Final Rating
4 🌟 Keep and re-read worthy


🎯 Perfect For Fans Of:
* Historical intrigue, art-world suspense, and character-driven drama.
* Fans of Kate Quinn or Ariel Lawhon will find themselves lost in this well‑crafted tale of art, identity, and redemption.
* Redemption arcs and class dynamics
* Clean, emotional romance with high personal stakes

I really wanted to like this, and bear in mind this book was out of my preferred genre. I enjoyed the two main women and how pieces came together but I found the villain a little too mustache twirly to rate the book higher than 3 stars.

I enjoyed this book, part historical fiction and part mystery of how the fake Picasso made its way into the exhibit.

I loved Reay's previous two books (like in the top 20 of the year loved), but this one started off slow and without the same level of excitement and intrigue. I DNF'ed around 1/3 into the book because I just was struggling to stay engaged. Definitely will still be back for whatever is next!

Probably would be a good fit for lovers of slow-burn intellectual thrillers, art history buffs, and the 1970s. A mix of family and professional drama seemed to run throughout!

Set in 1970s London after the death of Pablo Picasso, The English Masterpiece is a layered historical thriller that delves into the high-stakes world of modern art. The story alternates between Diana Gilden, head of Modern Collections at the Tate Gallery, and her ambitious assistant Lily. To take advantage of the recent death of Picasso and to advance their careers, Diana organizes a memorial exhibition in Picasso’s honor—only for the unveiling to be upended when Lily discovers a painting may be a forgery. Reay skillfully blends mystery and historical fiction, exploring authenticity not only in art but also in identity and relationships. Her depiction of the London art scene is rich and authoritative, filled with fascinating details about gallery life, art authentication, and the insurance world, all delivered without bogging down the narrative. The science behind forgery detection—canvas dating, pigment analysis—adds depth without becoming didactic. Reay’s thorough research and evident passion for art shine throughout, lending both credibility and texture to the story.
Though a few subplots resolve a bit abruptly, the novel more than delivers: a glamorous setting, high personal stakes, and characters with secrets that threaten to undo them. As one woman fights to prove her innocence, the mystery builds toward a tense and satisfying climax.
With literary polish and page-turning suspense, The English Masterpiece confirms Reay as a standout voice in historical fiction. The Harper Muse audiobook was skillfully read by Fiona Hardingham and Saskia Maarleveld who successfully brought these characters to life. Although I personally did not care for how Conor, the American detective was portrayed it was a minor flaw in an otherwise excellent performance.

The English Masterpiece
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A beautiful written book that kept me wanting more & couldn't put it down. A novel that is pure breathtaking full of details & a cool story about art. The Audio was soooo good!
Thank you NetGalley!

3.5 NetGalley ARC

I've always been interested in art crime, so I was very interested in this book. Lily just started her dream job as Assistant Keeper at the Tate Modern. On the opening night of a new Picasso exhibit, Lily bursts out that a piece in the exhibit is a forgery. This is problematic for many reasons: it will negatively impact the reputation of the Tate and her boss Diana, it will also decrease the value of the work, angering the owner. With her job on the line, Lily plays a cat and mouse game with the forger.

I liked that this book dealt with forgery instead of art theft. An astounding amount of modern, post war and contemporary art is fake. For the piece in question forgers use the Holocaust to fudge the provenance. I also liked that Lily herself is an artist, otherwise her ability to recognize a forgery would be very far fetched.

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.

Could not get into this so I sadly decided to DNF it, the writing was good and narrator was great and all I just personally couldn't get into it enough.

I liked the art angle and the mystery that was playing out. I also enjoyed how we got to hear the story from two different POVs; this really lead to increased drama surrounding the copies.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse Audiobooks | Harper Muse and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Diana Gilden, the keeper at Tate's Modern Collections, is holding a Picasso exhibit after his passing with the help of her assistant, Lily. Everything started off as expected, except when Lily makes it to the exhibition, she looks at a Picasso and realises (quite loudly) that 'It's a forgery.' A chain of events is then set into motion, which will uncover and unravel years' worth of secrets and heal a few wounds in the process.

The English Masterpiece was a treat in the sense that I went into the book thinking it was going to be a cozy mystery where we are only going to be concerned about how a Picasso can be a forgery and how the hell it ended up in a Tate's exhibit - thereby saving Lily's job. Imagine my surprise when the book dealt with a lot of issues, including grief, guilt, shame, manipulation, narcissistic partners, cost of living, Nazis, Irish hate, and a lot of other things. Not to mention a sweet romantic subplot that lingered. The ending was very satisfying. A very clever thriller with a touch of class, glam, and a hell of a lot of art.

⭐️ 4.25- Enjoyable and full of art culture!

While reading this book I kept having flashbacks to my art appreciation college class from years ago. Names like Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Margret Keane are sprinkled throughout this novel. All leading me to google search images of the various works that are mentioned. If you enjoy art, this book will be right up your alley.

Also be prepared to enjoy London during the early 70s and the mystery surrounding a Picasso forgery!

Note: The audio for this book is chef kiss 🤌
And now I want to watch “How To Steal a Million” with Audrey Hepburn.

⚠️Content Consideration:
•Spice Level: Simple Kisses
•Profanity: None

Katherine Reay is brilliant! This was absolutely stunning. I was hooked from page one. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were complex with growth and development. This is definitely one I'll read again! The narration was superb. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Thank you to UpLit Reads and Harper Muse for the free book and to Harper Audio 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 narration was superbly done by Saskia Maarleveld (one of my all-time favorites, especially for all things historical) and Fiona Hardingham.

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
Sigh. I really wish I’d enjoyed this one more. I loved Reay’s The Berlin Letters and I’m always here for a good art heist so hopes were high. However, had it not been for those two previous points mentioned, I likely wouldn’t have finished this one. I was bored at times and I felt like the character’s reactions to situations were dramatic and over the top. I did listen to this and was not a fan of the narrator (too dramatic and I often struggle with females doing male voices), so maybe that was part of the problem for me? Anyway, for as prolific as Reay is, this didn’t feel like a seasoned author wrote it (pacing a bit off, characters lacked depth). This reminded me some of The Stollen Queen by Fiona Davis, however I enjoyed that one more. After this one, I’m craving a quality, sink-your-teeth-in literary fiction. Any suggestions?

The English Masterpiece takes place in 1970s London following Lily, an employee of a London art gallery, whose life changes with one simple sentence. She causes chaos and an unstoppable series of events that change her life forever. It also follows her boss, Diana, in the aftermath of that day. This is a very fast-paced novel deeply and cleverly rooted in its time. It's the first novel I've read set in the 1970s that feels like it cannot be set in any other time period. This is due to the looming effects of WWII and the damage it had done to the art world. I also loved the characters, especially Lily. This is a fast-paced read. This book was very close to being a five-star read for me, but it had one glaring plot hole for me that kept me from giving it the full five stars. unfortunately, I cannot divulge the plot hole without spoiling pretty much the entire novel. Despite this I think this was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend.

Thank You to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

Reading this was a case of "ooh pretty cover and a chance to read other genres!" so I went in largely blind, and I ended up thoroughly enjoying the story. It's marketed as a thriller, but it's not a fast-paced adrenaline-filled story. Instead, it's the story of two women facing different (but similar) situations and what they're willing to do (or not do) to get what they want. Honestly, I thought the character work was fabulous, especially with Diana's POV. Lily and her family annoyed me through the roof for a while, but they grew on me in the end and I found myself rooting for their success. I also really enjoyed the post-WWII setting. I've read a decent amount of literature set during WWII, but I've not seen as much focused on the aftermath, and it was interesting learning about the effect that WWII had on the art world as I followed Diana and Lily's stories. If you like historical fiction, character-driven stories, and painting, then this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!