Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the audiobook.
Set in the 1970s with women in the field of art was what caught my attention about the book.
" What exactly you see?" Diana's question that haunted Lily also made me question what exactly do I see in paintings.
The story had potential but the tension & the drama of the story lost its charm at some point. It felt like those historical stories in streaming platforms with a bit of mystery, feminism, romance, drama and everything that it lacked in quality.

“… in Art as in life, success lies in holding nothing back.”

This was a trip down memory lane for me and brought back fond memories of my time spent as an expat in London: Eaton Square, St. Martin’s School of Art, and the Tate Museum (where my young family rang in 2000 along the banks of the Thames).

In quintessential Reay style, we are immediately dropped into the 1970s London Art scene! Pablo Picasso has just died and Diana Gilden, the Tate Modern Museum Collections keeper, hastily puts together a special exhibition of his works. On opening night Diana’s assistant Lily blurts out, “It’s a forgery”, setting the story of intrigue, greed and corruption into motion.

This is Lily’s story and as we discover her background, we find her motivation to stay true to herself as she tries to avoid taking the fall for the rich and powerful players in the industry. The supporting cast of Lily’s friends and family added some levity to the seemingly insurmountable road blocks.

A single timeline historical fiction novel was unique, and I found the exception refreshing and enjoyable. I am a self proclaimed lover of London, art stories and the seventies so Ms. Reay’s latest felt like it was written for me! Narration by Fiona Hardingham and Saskia Maarleveld was icing on the cake.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Muse Audio for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

It’s a beautiful book, sweetly narrated with a good story. I understand more about the art world and will read other books covering the subjects of creations, displays and the underworld of forgery. Interesting.

I really hate to give such terrible feedback, but honestly, this book was a mess from the get-go and I wanted to give up reading it so many times. The premise sounded great, but the whole story was so ridiculously executed, and the characters were unbelievable and unlikable.

This book was delicious. It hit my love of history, had a compelling dual POV with female leads, tapped into mystery, and was filled with lush artwork. I usually listen at a slightly faster pace, and I slowed down to relish in Reay's voice and storytelling. The narration was also superb, giving me a new standard. Usually, I'm conscious of the narrator. However, Fiona Hardingham and Saskia Maarleveld did such a seamless job with the narration, that I'd forgotten I was listening to an audio book. I'd become completely immersed in the story.

Thank you to Harper Muse for sharing this book with me. It was a pure joy to listen to. I'll be tracking Reay's previous and future books. And I'll be listening to this one again, just for fun.

I loved this book. A young impressionable girl gets a job in an art house and upon her first big show, she discovers what she thinks is a forgery. This proves to be a huge brouhaha because the New York Times was there to review the show. Lily feels her job is on the brink. Her boss is furious with her. The mystery that ensues proves to be a great story. Is it a forgery? If so, who did it? Why is Lily being treated as if she purposefully reported a forgery with no proof? I would recommend this book. Thanks for NetGalley for the arc.

I loved this book set in 1970s London at the Tate in London centered around a forged work of Picasso. Lily herself is a talented artist and calling out the forgery does not sit well with her boss, Diana, and the mystery just unfolds from there. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful piece of historical fiction set in the London art world of the 1970s. This story pits a young and scrappy assistant at the Tate, Lily, against her boss Diana, the first woman keeper at the Tate. The novel has a wonderful sense of place and a tightly-plotted mystery, and Lily has a pretty significant character arc to traverse. Fiona Hardingham and Saskia Maarleveld do a good job with the audiobook narration, except for a somewhat cringey American accent for one of the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for an audio review copy.

Wow! Lily, our lovely MC, is so complex and real. She is the real deal and Katherine Reay is too. Being my first KR book, I was so happy to find myself drawn into this story of life and art—which is not something I am normally drawn to. I mean, I like art, but it’s something different for me to read about.

I was completely surprised by the twists in this story, too. It was so fun to read because I just couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, putting puzzles together, subtle romance, art in general, or London. I listened to the audiobook and it was performed beautifully. As an American who often speaks in a British accent, I love listening to British accents. It makes me so happy.

Please eead this tell me if you like it. And thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks Harper Muse Audio and Netgalley for a copy of this book! This is a GREAT book. I listened to it in parts of two days. The story is engaging and Reay does a wonderful job of developing Diana and Lily’s characters. Diana Gilden is the keeper of the Tate Modern Collection. Lily is her assistant. The year is 1973 and Pablo Picasso has just died. Diana and Lily decide to do an intimate show of his works. This will certainly help with funding which is badly needed in view of the rising costs, not only in London, but worldwide. People aren’t being as generous as they once were. During the show, Lily sees a Picasso sketch and declares it a fake. In full hearing of donors, Diana, and the press. What follows is a great story of Lily’s life, not only at home but in general. Diana is married to an older man, who is she really? How could a forgery get into the exhibit? Add a dashing policeman turned art investigator from NYC and you have one of the most engaging novels of the summer. This would be suitable for a book club but would do equally well in your beach bag. I will be reading more by this author. Get this and thank me later!

Another great book by Katherine Reay! This follows Lily, assistant to Diana who is the keeper of Modern Collections at the Tate in London 1970's. After Picasso dies, they are in charge of building an exhibit on his works. During the exhibit, Lily notices that one piece looks like a fake and mindless says so. What follows is an in-depth investigation into the painting and the people behind the fraud. In the middle of the chaos in the art world conducting her own investigation is Lily. She must figure out the truth behind the painting as her job and freedom are at risk. After a bit of a slow start, I quickly fell into the mystery of the painting. It was an absolutely thrilling read and I was pulled right along, hoping for Lily to figure it out. This is another can't miss from Katherine Reay!

*4..5 stars*

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the ARC of this book.

As someone obsessed with stories featuring art crimes and forgeries, I was beyond excited when I got to read this early - and Reay didn’t disappoint.

The characters are complex and intriguing to get to know, and I didn't expect how invested I would get in their storylines when I first started reading. The more of Diana and Heinrich’s relationship that got revealed gave such a fascinating dynamic. Lily's storyline especially was riveting, as her growth was written in a way that felt so natural that at times I forgot I was reading fiction.
While the characters and the plot were written in a stunning prose, my favourite thing about the story was how beautifully Reay wrote about art. I paint every day, and love going to see art exhibits, and I found myself formulating my thoughts on art a little differently after I started reading this story.

The only "negative" thoughts I can find on the story, is how slow paced it was in the first 40-50% of the book - however, pushing through it was definitely worth it because I was thoroughly hooked for the second half.
Regardless, The English Masterpiece is a statement in itself as to how well Reay makes characters come to life, and the stunning historical setting she delivers.

Wow! I was sucked into this book set in the 1970s art world in London! It was truly a journey with twists and turns and healing from the past, and trying to discover who you are. I was completely invested and loved it all. I read and listened to the audiobook of this one. The narrator was fantastic. I was completely lost in the story while listening to her.

Whether you're an art aficionado or not, this one will have you turning the pages quickly to reveal all of the past and history of these characters and pieces of art. Stunning, mysterious, insightful, healing, beautiful, intriguing and much more!

Lily is a very intricate character and I loved how the layers of her character was slowly peeled back. Her heart is so sweet but troubled and she doesn't allow herself to fully achieve her dream because of something from her past. I loved her goodness and her torn loyalty to what was right, what she thought was her dream and protecting the people around her.

Things get a little crazy when she's at an exhibit she helped plan and she looks at a piece of art and says out loud, "It's a forgery!" This sends her life on a spiraling trajectory of lots of unknown. Her job. Her family. Her boss. Her dream. Her friends. Her heart. All of these having changing dynamics that feel like they are spinning out of control and she doesn't know how to hold it all together.

I love reading Katherine Reay's books. Every one of them has pulled me in and had me thinking deeply about life and relationships and finding joy. Her writing style is full of life and hope! And she's great at writing suspense! Get ready for an intriguing read that you won't want to set down until you have discovered all the ins and outs of the story and characters' lives!

Content: Some moments of mild peril.

I received a copy from the publisher, Harper Muse and Harper Muse Audiobooks, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading and Listening!!!

A blend of art, intrigue, and high-stakes deception, The English Masterpiece is a captivating journey through the glittering yet cutthroat world of 1970s London art scene. Katherine Reay delivers a fast-paced, elegantly layered mystery that kept me hooked from the first page. Lily is a compelling protagonist—curious, brave, and unafraid to challenge the system in pursuit of the truth. The dual narration by Fiona Hardingham and Saskia Maarleveld brings the tension and glamour to life brilliantly. A must-read (and must-listen!) for fans of historical thrillers and art world scandals.

Thank you Katherine Reay, Harper Muse Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#theenglishmasterpiece #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

We learn lots of details about the art world museum, where class, gender, ambition, and status all play a role.

At a remarkable exhibit honoring Picasso's recent death, a junior assistant at the London Tate Gallery blurts out her opinion that a work is a forgery. The Times runs a scathing article, and the ramifications are potentially enormous for multiple people. There are lots of secrets and a little romance in this fun, page turning "masterpiece."

With two different voices reading the parts of the two main women characters, this book made me want to keep listening to hear how the story unfolded. This is historical fiction set in the later part of the 20th century but in England so I definitely learned more about how that country was still recovering after WWII.

With the setting of the Tate Gallery, and the topic of forgery, I really became immersed in a totally different world for a number of days while listening. Really good novel by an author I had not read before!

I would highly recommend The English Masterpiece to anyone with an interest in art history, art fraud, or high-stakes heists. This novel is a compelling blend of European art history, postwar intrigue, and classic thriller, set against the moody and refined backdrop of 1970s London in the wake of Picasso's death.

The story centers on Diana, a seasoned curator at the Tate Museum, and her assistant Lily, a quiet underdog who unexpectedly becomes the novel’s moral compass and driving force. As the museum prepares a prestigious Picasso memorial exhibition, Lily begins to sense that something is off. What starts as a subtle discrepancy in the exhibit spirals into a tangled web of deception, secrets, and accusations. Someone is being framed—but who, and why?

Katherine Reay’s writing is engaging and well-paced, with a narrative that keeps you guessing until the end. Lily, in particular, is a standout character—intelligent, observant, and easy to root for. The supporting characters are also thoughtfully crafted, adding richness and texture to the storyline.

The novel succeeds in marrying the elegance of art history with the suspense of a mystery. It delivers just enough twists and atmosphere to keep you invested, even if some plot points rely on familiar underdog tropes. My only critique—and the reason for the four-star rating—is that the ending felt somewhat rushed. After such a layered buildup, the resolution wrapped up too quickly and left me wanting a bit more depth in the final chapters.

Still, The English Masterpiece is a smart, enjoyable read that I’d easily recommend to fans of historical thrillers, museum dramas, and those fascinated by the murky underworld of art forgery.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing an advance reader’s copy (audio version) of The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay in exchange for an honest review.

It's 1973, and Lilly has a wonderful job at the Tate Museum. Her supervisor, Diana, is one of the most powerful women in the art world, and Lilly hopes this can help her create art of her own someday. Then Pablo Picasso dies, and Lilly and Diana put together a wonderful exhibition. Lilly is truly on her way until she opens her mouth before one of the paintings and declares it a forgery.

Now, the world is watching the Tate, Diana, and Lilly closely, and someone will stop at nothing to keep their secrets.

This was a fast-paced historical mystery with a fascinating look at the post-WWII art world, and it contained fantastic characters. I can't recommend it enough.

An assistant curator at the Tate realizes a painting is a forgery and blurts it out at an opening event. The press goes wild, her boss is in fear for her job, and the assistant is suddenly framed as the forger! She has 24 hours to clear her name before the investigator for the insurance company turns her in after she thwarts Scotland Yard's attempts to take her into custody.

This was such a fun, entertaining book, but with wonderful secondary stories about family and responsibility. The format has the POV switching between Lily and Diana every chapter or two. This can be a little irritating at first because Lily is clearly our FMC and Diana isn't likeable, but things even out a little bit as you get to see why Diana is the way she is through her chapters.

I thought the inclusion of Pierce Brosnan was just a nod to The Thomas Crown Affair, but the author notes that he was studying across the street from one of the locations in the book at the time this story is set. How funny!

One note: I got this as an ALC (Advanced Listener Copy) and I found the male voice of Lily's narrator pretty irritating. This is clearly a personal thing, but it definitely affected my enjoyment of the book. The love interest's voice shouldn't make you wish you had a physical copy to read instead!

This was a well written historical fiction story. The characters were cleverly portrayed and surprised me at times. The surprises made the story suspenseful. I also, loved learning some art history and about forgery.
A great book.