Benjamin Thomas's Reviews > False Impression

Anna Petrescu is a fine art historian and expert in the field of art auctions and brokering. But when an old lady who also happens to own a priceless Van Gogh is murdered in her London estate, Anna’s boss, a banker with a questionable reputation, demands she acquire the painting for him. But history interferes in a big way as the murder takes place on the night before 9/11. What follows is a complex cat-and-mouse story filled with cons, double-crosses, and intrigue galore.

Yes, I managed to find a Jeffrey Archer novel I hadn’t read yet and when that sort of thing happens, I move it right to the top of my list. I’ve long known that the author is a connoisseur of fine art and often includes elements of this in his work. But this time around, it is the central theme, and an enjoyable thriller is the result.

This book also represents a bit of a departure from most of Archer's novels. For one thing, it takes place over just a couple of weeks. The fact that the story begins on the eve of 9/11/2001 provides a horrific backdrop, as well as plenty of plot impact, and yet the book is not about that. It’s about the lengths to which people will go to acquire high-value art. Archer manages to maintain a fast-paced narrative throughout the novel which kept me turning the pages past my allotted reading times. And, as usual, he brings a story-telling mastery to it all that keeps us readers wondering if we really know what’s going on like we think we do.

As much as I enjoyed reading this novel, I wouldn’t rank it among my favorite of Jeffrey Archer’s output. Perhaps this is partly due to the subject matter. I’ve never really understood the fascination some people have for certain pieces of art when I can see amateur paintings which I enjoy much more. And I thought the 9/11 sequences, while well written, (and the scenes with Anna trying to escape down the stairwells of the north tower were amazing) had less of an impact on the plot and the characters’ thoughts than it would have in real life.

But those are minor quibbles. My main reason for not including it among Archer’s top-tier work is that the novel is a bit too main-stream. It’s similar in many respects to a thousand other novels out there. I prefer his novels that are more “Jeffrey Archer-like” if that makes any sense.