The Lover's Portrait (Zelda Richardson Mystery #1) in Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie

Oct 25, 2016 Vicki rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook-mystery

When I read The Lover's Portrait, I was entranced from the beginning. Art stolen from the Jewish owners during World War II has fascinated me so much. The story comes alive when reading about the art owner and the Gallery owner. There are so many unusual facets to this story. Subjects that I had never read about unfolded allowing me to see another side of the war and the people that were punished in inhumane ways for being who they are.

Each chapter held my interest and kept me wanting to know m ...more

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Jan 09, 2017 Carole P. Roman rated it it was amazing

Well written mystery about stolen Nazi artwork. Alderson constructs a credible tale, that could have been ripped from current headlines of a young art student, Zelda Richardson thrust into a uncomfortable position working with a hostile colleague on a project attempting to reunite artwork with original owners. When two women claim ownership of the same painting, she finds herself thrust into danger and intrigue as she tries to unravel the tangled past. Informative and fast paced, this is an inte ...more

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Feb 12, 2017 Bookish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recommended, emerging-author, books-for-everyone, mystery-and-intrigue, great-reads, novel, fiction, indie-author

This book has all the ingredients needed for a great mystery/thriller: history, intrigue, conspiracy, heartbreak, action and suspense. It may sound contrived or mundane to say that a book is a "page-turner" and that one "couldn't put it down", but it really is true of 'The Lover's Portait'. Set in Amsterdam, t's a well-designed, fabulous historical puzzle, solved decades later by someone who has no intention of becoming a detective; rather, it is through her dogged commitment to the truth that s ...more

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Mar 01, 2017 Lucia Davis rated it it was amazing

This was a fun and exciting read! The mystery itself was compelling and made me want to keep reading (I read it in one day, because I couldn’t put it down). The location and time period were the icing on the cake. The story not only takes the reader to the Amsterdam of today, but also of the past, during the time of WW II. Featuring the stolen and lost art during the German occupation of the Netherlands, it tells about what was happening in Amsterdam during that period, without it turning into a ...more

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Nov 25, 2016 Jennifer S. Alderson rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: travel-fiction, art-mystery, women-s-fiction, contemporary, mystery, amateur-sleuth, art, netherlands, art-history, fiction

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite [posted on November 21, 2016 here: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...

The Lover’s Portrait by Jennifer S. Alderson is the second novel in The Adventures of Zelda Richardson series. Zelda just earned her way into an internship working at a museum exhibit showcasing stolen objects from WWII in hopes that the rightful families will claim them. It’s a dream come true. That is until Zelda finds out she’s meant to read and revise a website that has gra Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite [posted on November 21, 2016 here: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...

The Lover’s Portrait by Jennifer S. Alderson is the second novel in The Adventures of Zelda Richardson series. Zelda just earned her way into an internship working at a museum exhibit showcasing stolen objects from WWII in hopes that the rightful families will claim them. It’s a dream come true. That is until Zelda finds out she’s meant to read and revise a website that has grammatical errors. Her luck changes when a woman named Rita shows up to claim a painting labeled Irises with a heartbreaking story of her father sending his family into hiding while he tried to find money, and hide his artwork from the Nazis. It seems like a set plan when another woman shows up, claiming to be the rightful descendant of the painting’s owner. Zelda has a natural habit of not quitting until she finds the truth, but will her curiosity lead her to a murderer?

Jennifer S. Alderson delivers a mystery novel not quite like most. It has a headstrong sleuth type character in Zelda, but the story is character driven, not plot driven. The mystery of the painting is reminiscent of old mystery novels from before the 1950s, fitting since Alderson features flashbacks to the 1940s, probably some of my favorite scenes. She weaves the scenes with Arjan and Philip through the novel to answer questions as Zelda discovers the truth. Being able to see the fear Arjan went through allowed for a sentimental touch to the mystery. It’s not about stolen paintings, but about lives that were stolen. The flashbacks added depth to the plot that brought all the threads together to a wonderful conclusion. The Lover’s Portrait is a well-written mystery with engaging characters and a lot of heart. The perfect novel for those who love art and mysteries!

***Because this reviewer is not on Goodreads, Readers's Favorite recommends authors (in this case me) post their review here and link back to it. So that's what I've done! ...more

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Apr 27, 2017 S.K. Wee rated it it was amazing

This is a great story that delves into some of the history of Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. The story revolves around Zelda who is trying to get into a Master’s program in Art history by working as an intern at a museum. Though she believed she would play an important role in the museum’s quest to locate owners of lost or stolen art, she is firmly set into the background of the project. Showing initiative by redesigning the Museum’s website, she makes mistake after mistake and plays a pi ...more

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Apr 25, 2016 Jennifer S. Alderson added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: travel-fiction, art-mystery, women-s-fiction, contemporary, mystery, amateur-sleuth, art, netherlands, art-history, fiction

This amateur sleuth mystery describes the plight of homosexuals and Jewish artists in Europe during World War Two, as well as the complexities inherent to the restitution of artwork stolen by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s. This period of European history was relatively unknown to me before I moved to the Netherlands to study Art History and Museum Studies. Writing this story gave me a chance to process all I’ve learned about the incredibly complex era, and an excuse to further investigate tho ...more

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Mar 08, 2017 R.M. Gauthier rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed

The Lover's Portrait: An Art Mystery
What an intriguing story set in Amsterdam a place I've never been to, but now would love to see. The way the author describes everything is nothing short of spectacular. I feel like I was standing right there.
The story or a young Zelda and an internship and eventually entry to the master's program she has applied for is mystery and excellent. As we follow Zelda as she stumbles her way through a trying time for the museum she is interning for and the case of r ...more

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Feb 11, 2017 Dora Ilieva rated it it was amazing

A young woman finds herself in the midst of a bitter dispute over a painting that went missing during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, but has recently resurfaced. Eager to make a good impression on her employers, she puts her life in danger while searching for the truth. The novel is well-paced and it is evident that the author has done extensive research on the time period and the art history related to it. The plot unravels smoothly and keeps the reader turning page after page as the t ...more

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