“Collecting is a form of lust. There’s a burning desire. It’s not something you can explain in so many words.”
Marion Spicer is very ‘at home’ in the art world of Paris. She works tracing the provenance of art, and her record is very impressive.
When still a child, Marion’s mother told her that her father was dead. Now, she learns that he is dead – again. It turns out that he hadn’t died all those years ago. He was an eccentric, reclusive art collector. And he has left his vast, multi-million euro fortune to Marion. Only there is a condition to her inheritance. She must somehow acquire three Peruvian sculptures (that her father once owned but had sold), and add them to his collection once again.
Her father, Edmond Magni, has a mansion in the sixteenth arrondissement of Paris – filled to the brim with art treasures. Gaudin lives in his house and is caretaker of his priceless art collection. Gaudin will inherit everything if Marion cannot fulfill the stipulations of her father’s will.
Sixteenth Arrondissement, Paris
Marion enlists the aid of a few of her friends in the art 
world to help her discover the whereabouts of the missing sculptures. Meanwhile, she is being following and her life is threatened on more than one occasion. Just what lengths had her father gone to to amass his collection? Could he have been in league with notorious tomb raiders in South America?
The Collector is the first in a series of mysteries featuring Marion Spicer. I quite enjoyed her character and the Paris setting. The story however, didn’t really capture my imagination and I found myself skimming (something I hardly ever do). I found myself thinking that I didn’t really care if she ever found her missing sculptures. All in all, the novel left me feeling…. apathetic. I cannot imagine I will be following this series any further.
The author is an expert in the art world herself, so anyone who has an intense interest in that elite field of study would no doubt enjoy this novel immensely.
I received a digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Le French Book (Ingram Publisher Services), via Edelweiss.
Anne-Laure Thièblemont
photo copyright Robert Terzian
An art reporter and trained gem specialists, Anne-Laure Thieblemont is known for her investigations into stolen art and gem trafficking. She currently works as a magazine editor, and splits her time between Paris and Marseille.
Fictionophile 
Love the honest review! The story definitely intrigues me. Might have to check it out.
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Every book deserves to be loved by someone. ♥️
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Sorry it didn’t meet your expectations. On the plus side one less for my tbr – hope your next read is more fulfilling
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Jill you might like it – I hope my own personal views don’t sway you… On the up side, one of my next reads sounds really good. “The bird tribunal”.
Reading is such a personal thing. Maybe I just wasn’t ‘in the mood’ for this one while reading it.
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Don’t worry, if I fancy a book, a bad review won’t put me off, just as glowing reviews won’t persuade to read something that’s not me. Right now though I’m happy to take any excuse not to add to my tbr! 🙂
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Jill I’m in the same boat. I’m actually AFRAID to go on the NetGalley site. At this rate I’ll never get my 80% badge. And… a publisher just sent my a NetGalley widget, so I get another NetGalley book even when I’m strong and don’t visit the site.
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I’m striving to get my 80% badge back, usually lurking around the 75% mark. Unless I see a book I feel I must have I steer clear of NetGalley now.
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Thanks for the lovely and candid review, Lynne. I really like the Parisienne setting and the premise of the story. The writer sounds very interesting, too: many of my male friends are hoarders and I wonder about the line between.
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Ha-ha. That reminds me of the saying, “It’s not hoarding if it’s books”.
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Yes, and looking around my apartment….( sigh)….!!!!
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Adorable!!!!
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Great post, this sounds like an interesting read! 🙂
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Thanks. There is truth in the phrase “No two people read the same book”.
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