I am exciting to be hosting the blog tour for Hidden Masterpiece (Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book 3) by Heidi Eljarbo #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @HeidiEljarbo @maryanneyarde

 

Hidden Masterpiece

(Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book 3)

By Heidi Eljarbo

 

In this riveting third book in the Soli Hansen Mysteries series, a woman’s courage to follow her conviction during a horrible war leads her to the portrait of a young Jewish heiress painted three centuries earlier.

Norway 1944. Art historian Soli Hansen has gone undercover to rescue masterpieces and keep them from falling into the hands of Nazi thieves. Working with a small resistance group led by her best friend Heddy, Soli will stop at nothing to thwart the efforts of the invaders of their scenic country. Trust and loyalty mean everything when working against a merciless enemy.

 

Riddles and clues lead the way to a mysterious work of art. It’s a race against time, but Soli and her network refuse to give up. However, when news arrives that her sweetheart Nikolai is missing in action, she strives to concentrate on the demanding quest.

 

From the streets of Oslo to the snow-covered mountains and medieval churches of Nume Valley, Soli takes risks larger than her courage, trying to preserve and hide precious art. But she must decide if it’s all worth losing the man she loves.

 

Antwerp 1639. Fabiola Ruber’s daughter, Annarosa, wants to honor her mother’s last wish and have her portrait done by a master artist who specializes in the art of chiaroscuro. Her uncle writes to an accomplished painter in Amsterdam and commissions him to paint his beloved niece.

 

Struggling with religious and social persecution, the Jewish Ruber family uproots once again and travels northward. On the way, they will sojourn in Amsterdam for Annarosa’s sitting in the master painter’s studio. But will they make it there? None of them can foresee the danger of such a journey.

 

The Nazis may well have occupied their country but the resistance would be damned if they would steal their artwork. The resistance helped many museums hide their treasured collections from the occupying forces, but many paintings belonged to private collections, private Jewish collections, and it is these paintings that the Nazis treasure hunters now seek.
 
There is a rumour of a ledger, and in this ledger, it hints at the whereabouts of a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn. The Nazi treasure hunters want that ledger and the only thing standing in their way is art historian, Soli Hansen, and her fellow members of the Oslo resistance group.
 
There are so many World War II fiction novels to choose from and yet I have never really found a book that I could read without having nightmares for days afterwards. This novel is slightly different. The author has vividly depicted Norway during this period of occupation, and although there are scenes of violence and terror, reading about it did not leave me shaking with fright. I am not sure how to describe it, other than that this novel is truly brilliant in its delivery. It is very, very readable and the story is very compelling. I really enjoyed this book, not only because of the way it was written but because I have never come across this subject matter before. I thought the resistance was all about sabotage, and this book clearly shows it wasn't just about that.
 
At the same time as Soli hunts down the missing painting, we go further back in time to when the painting was commissioned. I thought this really gave the story a very personal and poignant narrative, and I thought it was quite an inspired idea. I have found it can be somewhat hit and miss when duel timelines are used, but in this case, it was most definitely a hit.
 
I could never give this book the justice it deserves in a review. I have not read the first two books in this series, but that didn't matter as this book stands firmly on its own (although, when time allows I will be certainly be checking out the first two books). The characters are likeable, they are realistic, and the storyline is compelling. What more can you ask for?

Head over to Amazon to buy your copy. This book is avaliable on #KindleUnlimited. 

Heidi Eljarbo

Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.

Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, thirteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.

Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

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Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

 

Tour Schedule