The Art Forger

By: B. A. Shapiro

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art, today worth over $500 million, were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that there's more to this crime than meets the eye.

Making a living reproducing famous artworks for a popular online retailer and desperate to improve her situation, Claire is lured into a Faustian bargain with Aiden Markel, a powerful gallery owner. She agrees to forge a painting - a Degas masterpiece stolen from the Gardner Museum - in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But when that very same long-missing Degas painting is delivered to Claire's studio, she begins to suspect that it may itself be a forgery.

Her desperate search for the truth leads Claire into a labyrinth of deceit where secrets hidden since the late 19th century may be the only evidence that can now save her life.

©2012 Barbara Shapiro (P)2012 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"A clever, twisty novel about art, authenticity, love, and betrayal. B. A. Shapiro knows about Degas, and she knows about art theft and forgery, and she also knows how to tell a gripping story." (Tom Perrotta)

Loved it

I didn’t want to put this book down or rather, press pause on my listening :). I am always a fan of a book where I am somewhat familiar with an actual event that takes place and then the author creates a story off of it. The Gardner museum heist is so intriguing to me. Anyway, this book is fully entertaining and keeps you listening. A lighter listen.

I've never enjoyed art history so much!

If you enjoy art, history, strong female leads, politics, museums, or heck just a good audiobook this is well worth the credit. This is my first audiobook with this narrator and she brings a range and subtlety creating a beautiful world, not just to listen to, but to visualize. An audiobook about an expert painter and researcher of historical art might be difficult to bring to life, but I found myself picturing the colors, imagining the tiny cracks of age, feeling the brusqueness of a wealthy collector until I was immersed in a world where I wish I could visit the main character later in her journey. Even if this piece is out of your normal wheelhouse consider giving it a listen... you might be surprised. I'll be on the prowl for more from both the author and the narrator as they brought beauty into my life unexpectedly.

interesting plot but....

plot interesting but way too talk talky. all narrative no action. reader performance excellent !

Great story, not my favorite narrarator

Where does The Art Forger rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A very engrossing story about the art world, art history, and the deception that lies within both. Very well written and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Would you be willing to try another one of Xe Sands’s performances?

No - I did not enjoy how she read this story. I understand how she was trying to make the main character seem tired and depressed, but she comes off as both whiny and pompous. Her pronunciations of artists and terminology was incredibly annoying to me, and sounded more like she was bragging that she knew the correct pronunciations as opposed to just trying to say them properly.

Super plot super character.

The Art forger was satisfying in every way. The author obviously took a lot of time in researching art forgery and knows a lot about the art world in general.

As Beautiful as a Degas nude

B.A. Shapiro has written a wonderful book and Xe Sands narrated with the deft touch of a 19th century painter. It is a well written story intertwining realistic elements of the Gardiner heist,art history and paint techniques with a fictional narrative. Sands is superbly talented. It does not disappoint.

I entered the mind of an artist!

Fascinating! I thoroughly enjoyed!!!
Book ended a little quickly though...almost like the story was finished in a hurry. I would read another book on this topic by this author!!! Refreshing.

fun with just a bit of ugh

fast paced and exciting story with a bit of an ominously hetero subplot that will make you smack yourself in the face

A pleasant surprise

A good book--well paced and interesting. I was taken with it from the start. I may have even learned something about the world of art, artists and art collectors. And the reader was terrific.

Love hated it

So the story is something I have never heard of before. It is nice and coherent but the end feels like a copout. Claire is a hopeless romantic and despite her history makes the same mistake over and over. This was disappointing. The narrator was really bad in the first few chapters especially with the role playing. But she became very good later on and in a way saved it for me. Read it