The Portrait Artist

All that is hidden will soon be revealed . . .

'Steeped in

atmosphere

, sprinkled with

suspense

and

vivid characters

... An

engaging

,

entertaining

read'

Daily Mail

'A

triumph

... deliciously

intriguing

' Harriet Constable, author of

The Instrumentalist

'

Impeccably

researched,

masterfully

plotted,

beautifully

written' Santa Montefiore

'

Imaginative

. The streets, parlours and galleries of London and Oxford come alive in this

twisting

, Victorian-era drama.' Charmaine Wilkerson, author of

Black Cake

One morning in 1890, a painting wrapped in brown paper appears on the steps of the National Gallery and causes a sensation. It's clearly by Timothy Ponden-Hall, whose paintings were celebrated and debated not just for their beauty, but for the rumours behind them: they were believed to immortalise the souls of their subjects. But Ponden-Hall has been thought dead for the last 50 years. . .

In a bid to quiet the gossip and rumours that swirl around the streets of London, the gallery brings in renowned and reluctant art historian Solomon Oak to investigate. Oak is assisted by an unlikely aide: his daughter Alice. A passionate but sheltered student, Alice has worldly desires which eclipse the life she's expected to lead. Together they discover that exposing Ponden-Hall's legacy will prove more controversial than they could ever have imagined for their family, and for Victorian society.

Set between London and Oxford,

The Portrait Artist

is a twisting debut exploring race, fame and long-kept secrets.

'An

intriguing

and

original

debut' Emily Howes