Review:
I received the book from the author for an honest review.
This was one of thee most enjoyable reads I have had read in a long time. It was sensual and passionate in its delivery: all wrapped in mystery as we explored the world of art, museums and Paris; the city that holds so many history of its own, wrapped in its own splendor and grandeur. The way that the author used the Impressionist Masters of the nineteenth century, Coubert and Degas's paintings - to write this incredible story - making it the most compelling mystery I had thoroughly enjoyed.
The way that the author described the beautiful art pieces had me stopped and do a Google search and I could appreciate the wonder of these very famous paintings through his eyes. Each line of the model depicted on the canvas, each texture and brush stroke had become part of the intriguing plot using it as proof to validate the words of the mysterious woman and the letter they had found confirming suspicions.
When a woman appears mysteriously in the dead of night in Musee d'Orsay Museum, all eyes were fixed on the the woman, Suzanne Bruante. What makes this even more sinister was that the body and the way they had found him left no clues for the gendarmes. It left more questions than answers but as you continue reading you discover the enigma perfectly balanced between the 21 century, and 1887, making this a compelling read.
All the characters within the book were strong and had a definite role to play. Each well defined: Suzanne Bruante, Nicole Bruante, Henri Bruante and Dr John Nolan. Even the douche bag Rene, played his role very well. And, I cannot fail to mention the detective in the book as well. A new up and coming detective that received her first murder case, Michele Crossier. A woman that was determined to show she was more than a pretty face but I do think this case would leave her sleepless for a very long time, haunting her even. Since all her theories were so wrong. I was almost sorry for her.
I really enjoyed the old man, Henri Bruante's character. He was the anchor in the tale, being level headed he had a good influence on Suzanne, at times. His role as art restorer perfectly interwoven making the story line even more mind boggling. Suzanne was a woman that wanted her name established in the history books. she was jealous and conceded and wanted all attention on her. Her self absorbedness, however, was her down fall. She had no problem sleeping her way to the top with no conscious thought of another person's feelings. People were there to be used - her moto in life.
Nicole was the sweetness herself, but definitely not shy. It seems being nude ran in the family...smile. Her mannerisms and easy adapting to life in the present made her a loveable character. The story became complex as they learned about Nicole's death knowing well it could change history. Suzanne was the one who could loose the most...well in her world. Running against time, the greediness of some, and the ever present police, Dr John Nolan, had a huge task on his hands, his alley, Henri coming to the rescue on a few occasions. Time traveling was complex but yet he made it very understandable for all involved. The love between the couple, that had blossomed from the moment they had met, pulled at the heart strings.
The book was extremely well written, the story flowing from one scene to the next complimenting one another. It was fast paced but very descriptive as it took you deeper into the mystery as it unfolded: wondering what the outcome will be at the end.
And I may add, I simply loved the end...but then, you need to buy the book to enjoy it just as much as I had. *smile*
A PORTRAIT IN TIME
By Charles Schneider
Published by Brighton Publishing House
Synopsis:
A beautiful, naked woman and the
grotesquely crushed body of a man mysteriously appear in the main gallery of
the Musée d'Orsay, the famed Paris art museum. There's no trail of blood and no
external clues. The man is naked and has no I.D.-but the body appears to have
been crushed by tremendous external forces. The man's fingerprints turn up
nothing... ...he doesn't seem to have ever existed. The only clue Paris
detectives have is a fleeting glimpse of someone else on the museum's
surveillance video. Someone who looks identical to the museum's own assistant
director, Susanne Bruante, a woman with a sterling reputation in the art world.
And she's got a rock-solid alibi, but one she may not want to make public-Susanne
is involved with the museum's own executive director, a married man, a
relationship meant only to further her own career. With Inspector Michèle
Crossier of the Police Judiciare on her trail, Susanne finds herself a prime
suspect in a murder mystery that grows more bizarre by the hour. Who is the
mystery woman, if it isn't Susanne herself... ...and where is the woman hiding?
Where did the body come from, and how could it have been crushed within the
museum without leaving any other evidence behind? And how does the apparent
murder tie in with Susanne's news-making and controversial theory about a
certain nude model in the nineteenth century? A theory that, if proven, could
make Susanne's career. Forced to come up with answers or face more scrutiny from
the police, Susanne must call in favors from some of the people she's loved and
left... ...including an old boyfriend who happens to be doing research-on time
travel.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:
Fiction author Charles J. Schneider
“My most treasured memories of childhood
involve books: riding my bicycle to the bookstore in sixth grade to buy
Dickens, London, Dumas, and Poe; sitting under my favorite tree in the
summertime at my grandmother’s house in Millbrook NY reading Tolkien, Lewis,
Asimov, and Heinlein; and lying awake at night, the bedside lamp on, enjoying
just one more chapter of Fowles, Barth, Conrad, and Verne.
My love of the written word extended well
beyond childhood. I received a well-rounded education with a focus on
Literature, History and the Classics while studying at Phillips Academy in
Andover, Massachusetts; followed by a comprehensive Liberal Arts experience at
Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. I discovered my love for
Science during those years; and although I eventually pursued a Medical Degree
from The University of Chicago rather than a writing career, I recall with
nostalgia my passion for Literature and the Arts in high school and in college.
At Andover, my favorite courses involved novels, poems and drama; and at
Wesleyan, my electives were always literary. Shakespeare, Marlow, O’Neill,
Williams, and Ibsen took the slots that were not occupied by Darwin, Watson,
and Crick—and so, I graduated with a Major in Biology and a Minor in Literature
in 1984.
I never took a course in creative
writing; but the years of medical writing and publishing, along with a
continued interest in reading fiction in my spare time, eventually evolved into
something that has admittedly become more than just a hobby.”
Dr. Schneider is a practicing oncologist
at Medical Oncology Hematology Consultants located at the Helen F. Graham
Cancer Center (Christiana Care Health Services Campus) in Newark, Delaware. He
lives with his family in Landenberg, PA. His novels include A PORTRAIT IN TIME
(a Brighton Publishing release), and THE VALE OF YEARS (contracted with
Brighton Publishing for release in 2015); plus 3 Double Dragon Publishing
‘novella’ releases (WITH TOWER AND TURRETS, CROWNED; CYTHEREA; and UNDER THE
FORGOTTEN OAK).
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