Review of "Artifacts: A Novel of Art and Suspense" by Natalie Lemle

 

Author Natalie Lemle is a writer and art world professional who founded the firm art_works, which helps corporations and private individuals build and manage collections of contemporary art. In this novel, Lemle uses an accusation against a museum to highlight aspects of archaeology, looting of archaeological sites, cultural heritage, illegal sales of historic artifacts, criminal involvement, government complicity, and more.

Now on to my book review.

*****

It's 2022 and Lena Connolly, a trusts and estates attorney at a New York law firm, is asked to assist on a cultural heritage case. Lena is told the firm is representing Fordham University, whose museum is accused of housing looted art.



The main item in contention is a dichroic glass cup with figures of Cupid and Psyche. Italian authorities claim the cup was illegally excavated and exported, and they want it back.



Lena's fluency in Italian makes her an asset on the case, as does her summer volunteer work on an archaeological dig in Orbagne, Italy in 2004. At the time, Lena was an undergraduate at Columbia University, with an interest in archaeology.

The story toggles back and forth between 2022 - when Lena is working on the lawsuit against Fordham, and 2004 - during Lena's time on the Orbagne site.



The Orbagne dig involves the excavation of La Villa del Frutetto, an ancient Roman villa with a surrounding farm and orchard. The project has two co-directors: a French professor named Cyrille DuPuy - whose archeology seminar Lena took at Columbia University;



and Piettro Botti - an Italian archaeologist.



On the dig, Lena describes removing wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of backfill from her assigned trench; using a trowel to excavate pottery shards; being thrilled at the emergence of a fresco with a vivid red top; documenting ancient finds; etc.



The 2004 chapters also include extensive discussions of Roman archaeological sites as well as Roman history, architecture, aqueducts, mythology, poetry, and literature - all peppered with Italian phrases as well as Greek and Latin derivations of words.

As examples:

⛩️ ⛩️ Lena recalls her first conversation with Cyrille DuPuy at Columbia University: "My dig, he said, is in the mountains. Near the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass - that is, where Hannibal made his crossing with the Carthaginians. We will discuss the archaeology of this region starting with the age of Augustus." And Lena thinks, "I knew about the Punic Wars, about Hannibal charging over the Alps with his elephants - but I knew nothing about ancient life in those mountains: the stone monuments the Romans went on to destroy and replace with their amphitheater, villas, and temple to Jupiter."


The foundation of the Roman temple to Jupiter near the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass

⛩️ ⛩️ Looking at a poster of 'The Feast of Achelous', Lena thinks, "Every time I look at it I see something new: a shell in the lining of the cave walls; a detail in one of the ancient vessels on the ground; a new facial expression on one of the figures facing Achelous the river god, who gestures to the water where his lover Perimele has been turned into an island by Neptune so he can hold her in an eternal embrace."



⛩️ ⛩️ Learning that a Roman mansio (stopping place for rich travelers) has a "fanum" dedicated to the goddess Epona Augusta, Lena observes, "I looked it up and learned it was the etymological root of the word profane. A fanum was a Roman temple built over a Gallic sacred place. Something that was profane was not sacred, because it was "pro" - outside of - a "fanum."

I felt like I was getting an education along with a novel.

Getting back to the story, while Lena is working in Orbagne she falls in love with Giamma Piromalli, a handsome Italian who's working on his PhD in art history. Lena is disturbed to learn Giamma's father has ties to the 'Ndrangheta (the Calabrian mafia), reputed to be ruthless men who loot archaeological sites, traffic in stolen antiquities, and traffic cocaine. It appears the 'Ndrangheta may be implicated in stealing and selling the dichroic cup.



That's not the only trouble in Orbagne. There's minor looting before the dig begins; there's friction between the co-directors; and Cyrille DuPuy disappears one morning, and no one seems to care. Lena goes to the police about her former professor, but they refuse to take a report and tell her to go to the French authorities. Cyrille's disappearance still haunts Lena twenty years later, and she uses Italy's lawsuit against Fordham as an excuse to return to Orbagne and look around.



In the chapters set in 2022, the accusation against Fordham gives Lena the opportunity to familiarize herself with matters surrounding art theft. Buying and selling antiquities (or donating them for a tax break) involves issues of provenance, export licenses, due diligence, ownership, ethics, cultural heritage, historical preservation, art repatriation, and so on.

For instance:

⛩️ ⛩️ "The book 'Art Crime' by John Conklin stated that art theft was the third-largest area of international crime, after drug smuggling and arms trading...the plundering of ancient sites for artifacts comprises nearly 90 percent of all art theft transpiring in the world today."

⛩️ ⛩️ Speaking about art donations, an expert says. "Ever since the tax code was changed...I've been advising my clients to donate valuable artworks within their lifetime in order to reap maximum benefits....My client with the Limoges enamels, for example...reduced his tax bill by 60 percent the year he donated to the Frick."



⛩️ ⛩️ Referring to cultural heritage law, an attorney says, "My team won a case a few years ago, brought against an art dealer who was implicated in selling Nazi-looted paintings to some oil family in the fifties...The case fell under government enforcement and compliance. The court was determined not to have jurisdiction. The claims were dismissed."

Once again, I felt like was learning a good deal.

The suspense aspects of the novel are augmented by issues in Lena's personal life.

To illustrate:

⛩️ ⛩️ Lena had a terrible childhood with a (now deceased) mentally ill mother and absent father; Lena is now completely estranged from her father and won't even speak to him.

⛩️ ⛩️ Lena's older sister Jinny is pregnant, which causes Lena angst. Lena observes, "When she told me about the pregnancy...I was only thinking about nature versus nurture, and inheritance, and of Jinny and I cowering on the beige living room c0uch in our childhood home during our mother's paranoid tirades."

⛩️ ⛩️ Lena is close to her best friend Lakshmi, whom she met in her Columbia archaeology seminar. The women spend time together, speak on the phone, confide in one another, and so on. This appears to be the most positive relationship in Lena's life.



All this helps round out the novel.

I liked the book's historical and technical details, and didn't mind looking up the meaning of the many Italian phrases. On the other hand, some of the book's suspense elements are murky and confusing. That said, I enjoyed the story and recommend it to readers interested in the subject.

Thanks to Netgalley, Natalie Lemle, and Simon & Shuster for an ARC of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars 

Review of "The Shadow Friends: The Martini Club #3" by Tess Gerritsen

In this 3rd book in 'The Martini Club' series, the former CIA agents look into the murder of Russian defectors. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Purity, Maine has a population of three thousand people, five of them senior citizens with deep secrets. Maggie Bird, Declan Rose, Ben Diamond, and married couple Ingrid and Lloyd Slocum are retired CIA agents, laying low to enjoy their retirement years in privacy.


Maggie Bird


Declan Rose


Ben Diamond


Ingrid and Lloyd Slocum

The former agents call themselves 'The Martini Club' and frequently socialize together, which means delicious meals prepared by foodie Lloyd, as well as good liquor and interesting conversation.



The retirees also keep busy with other things, and Maggie owns a chicken farm, while Ingrid is currently the emcee for the Stone Coast Conference, whose topic this year is bioweapons.



The Stone Coast Conference brings back old memories for Ingrid when former CIA agent Rodrigo Estrada shows up. Thirty years ago, Ingrid and Rodrigo (who were lovers at the time) were part of a mission to protect a witness named Sophie. Sophie and two CIA agents were killed, one with a stiletto through his eye.



Rodrigo now runs a private security company called Argus, which does much the same thing as his and Ingrid's old CIA unit. Argus employs many retired CIA agents, and Rodrigo asks Ingrid to come on board. But Ingrid is happily married and values her peaceful life in Purity.



Ingrid's quiet days are about to be disrupted. A conference attendee, Dr. Mikhail Maslov - a bioweapons expert who defected from Russia - falls ill. Dr. Maslov recently consulted on an Ebola outbreak in Uganda, and at first, it's assumed he caught Ebola. But it's soon discovered Maslov was poisoned with radioactive polonium, which is how Russia kills defectors.



At about the same time, Purity's Chief of Police Jo Thibodeau finds Karen O'Brien - a waitress at the hotel hosting the conference - dead in the trunk of her car. Shockingly, Karen was stabbed through the eye with a stiletto, like the CIA agent three decades ago.



After these incidents, Rodrigo approaches Ingrid again, to tell her about three similar stiletto murders: 18 years ago, a Bulgarian journalist; 13 years ago, a Russian businessman in London; and 6 years ago, a Russian banker. Moreover, the stilettos used all have the symbol of the Vory, Russian organized crime. The conclusion is Russia hires the Vory to kill defectors and enemies.



Soon afterwards, Ingrid disappears, leaving a note for her husband Lloyd saying she's gone away and not to try to find her. Lloyd becomes distraught and phones Chief of Police Jo Thibodeau and the Martini Club. Various kinds of evidence indicate Ingrid flew to Amsterdam, and Lloyd and Maggie follow her there.



Meanwhile, Declan and Ben reach out to their CIA and Interpol contacts, to help figure out what's happening.



The remainder of the novel is action packed as Ingrid, Lloyd, and Maggie run around Europe, and Jo Thibodeau, the FBI, Declan, and Ben investigate the deaths of Dr. Maslow and Karen O'Brien.



The book is a page-turner filled with intrigue, danger, violence, and death. The novel kept my attention, but aspects of the story stretch credulity too much for me.

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT 

I think Ingrid would have left a note for Lloyd saying she's been called away for something important, and she'll be back soon, as she did when she was an active CIA agent. Then Lloyd wouldn't have gone so crazy.

In my view, former CIA agents like Lloyd and Maggie would NOT insert themselves into what they MUST KNOW is a SECRET OPERATION. In this novel, Lloyd and Maggie just walk right in - with their suitcases - and start ringing doorbells for all the world (and the Russians) to see. Langley wouldn't approve.

I understand author Tess Gerritsen needed to propel the story forward, but I think she was off the mark here.

END SPOILER ALERT END SPOILER ALERT

That said, fans of the Martini Club would probably enjoy the book.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Hillary Huber, who does a fine job

Thanks to Netgalley, Tess Gerritsen, and Brilliance Audio for an ARC of the book.

Rating; 3 stars 

Review of "An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln" by Lois Romano

 

Lois Romano is a national journalist who was an editor, political writer, and columnist for The Washington Post and Politico. In this book, Romano amends the maligned reputation of Mary Todd Lincoln, who was vilified during her life, and even more fiercely criticized afterwards.

Romano writes, "My purpose is not to excuse or whitewash Mary's behavior. Her actions were, at many times, egregious. She could be self-centered, dishonest, and tone deaf. But much of the criticism was one-sided and heartless, rarely taking note of her acts of kindness and generosity....By re-examining factual accounts and primary source documents through the lens of both modern medical science and contemporary standards for women, I have tried to piece together a more complete and compelling portrait...of a woman of uncommon tenacity in the face of extraordinary adversity, personal shortcomings, and torment...That she persevered in the face of overwhelming grief, poor physical and mental health, and public scorn was a testament to her mettle."


Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary Todd was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1818. Her parents, Robert Todd and Eliza Parker Todd, belonged to prominent families that boasted military heroes, landowners, bankers, merchants, governors, doctors, ministers, and U.S. senators. Mary was 6-years-old when her mother died, and sixteen months later her father married Betsy Humphreys who "inherited six young children to raise....and gave birth to nine more children, eight of whom survived."

This was difficult for Mary, and Romano believes it contributed to Mary's future emotional problems. In any case, Mary had a fine education with a curriculum that combined "rigorous academics and French language immersion with tutoring in the refinements associated with social class, including acting and dance." Mary Todd Lincoln was one of the few first ladies in American history to have a more formal education than the sitting president.

Growing up in Lexington, Mary was confronted with the nation's most controversial issue: slavery. Mary's family owned slaves, and Lexington was home to one of the South's most notorious slave markets "where Negroes [were] flogged unmercifully." Mary's changing views on slavery were shaped by her upbringing, her exposure to brutal treatment of slaves, and her neighbor (and idol) Henry Clay's opposition to slavery.




Slave auction on Cheapside, Lexington


Henry Clay

When Mary was twenty-one she left Lexington and moved to Springfield, Illinois to live with her married sister Elizabeth. Having an interest in politics, Mary got to know Abraham Lincoln, who "was thirty, a rising star in the Whig Party and Illinois politics, and an orator and raconteur of some skill."


Abraham Lincoln

Romano describes Mary and Lincoln's tumultuous romance, which ended in marriage in 1842, when Mary was twenty-four and Lincoln was thirty-three. The Lincoln's lived in two temporary residences before they settled into their house on Eighth and Jackson Streets in 1844.


Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln


The Lincolns' home on Eighth and Jackson Streets in Springfield, Illinois

In later years, Mary and Abe's on-and-off romance was used to denigrate Mary, with "no shortage of males claiming that Lincoln, did not marry for love...but because he felt honor bound." This story was largely spread by Lincoln's one-time law partner William Herndon, a scoundrel who made a career of tearing Mary down. Afterwards, writers and biographers repeated Herndon's tale so many times, "it became embedded in history."


William Herndon

Romano cites evidence of Lincoln's deep affection for Mary, including many tender letters; Lincoln calming Mary during her emotional episodes; and Lincoln hurrying to wake Mary after 1860's presidential election, saying, "Mary, Mary, we are elected."

Romano writes a good deal about Lincoln's political career, and emphasizes Mary's active interest and assistance. Mary resented anyone she thought failed to support Lincoln or blocked his advancement, and her grudges were fierce and long-lasting. As an example, William Seward was Lincoln's rival for the Republican presidential nomination in 1860, and after the election, Mary STRONGLY opposed Lincoln making Seward Secretary of State. Lincoln did anyway, and the two men eventually became strong allies. Contrariwise, Mary didn't forgive and forget, and her snubs sometimes embarrassed the administration and made enemies for Mary herself. Sadly, Mary cold-shouldering William Herndon may have been a factor in his long campaign to tear her down.


William Seward


Republican campaign rally at the Lincoln home in August, 1860

The issue of slavery was at the center of Lincoln's presidency, and Romano describes Lincoln's progress from trying to prevent slavery's expansion; to using emancipation as a weapon of war; to the abolition of slavery. Mary was on board with Lincoln every step of the way. Nevertheless, Lincoln's enemies attacked him through Mary, saying she supported the Confederacy, and citing the fact that Mary's family owned slaves, and many of her male relatives joined the Confederate Army. In fact, it's well documented that Mary often visited Union military hospitals, bringing flowers, fruits, and food, and speaking with the soldiers.

Mary Lincoln often visited Union military hospitals like this one

Lamentably, Mary's reputation was harmed by the fact she combined support for the Union with shopping. When Mary visited Philadelphia and New York for pro-Union events, she took the opportunity to shop at luxury stores to spruce up the White House. Mary purchased a grand piano, draperies, Parisian wallpaper, a rosewood bed frame, luxurious carpets, silver, chandeliers. fine French china, and more. Romano writes, "As the government was struggling to pay for the war, Mary was being savaged by Lincoln's detractors for her lavish shopping."


The East Room after Mary redecorated it

Romano believes Mary was (what's now called) a compulsive shopper, evidenced by the fact Mary had "eye-popping debts from her impetuous shopping sprees." The author writes, [Mary] had amassed a collection of fine lace dresses, luxurious furs, 300 pairs of gloves, and jewels, all on credit...Mary's spending had continued, unabated and unchecked, for five years [while Lincoln was president]." After the assassination, "The ride was over. Now all the merchants and banks from which she borrowed were demanding payment."


Mary Todd Lincoln dressed in her finery


An exhibition of Mary Todd Lincoln's wardrobe in 1867

Of course Mary was devastated by Lincoln's assassination in 1865 (which Romano describes), and the situation was made worse by Mary's destitution. It took years for Lincoln's estate to be settled, and meanwhile, Mary had very little money. Romano documents this in detail, and describes Mary obsessively soliciting money from influential and wealthy people. Other aspects of Mary's misbehavior, both during her marriage and widowhood, are documented by Romano, who acknowledges it's all fuel for Mary's critics. Still, Romano excoriates biographers for being HUGELY biased against Mary, and being unsympathetic to Mary's physical and mental illnesses, and the tragedies in her life.

Mary lost three of her and Abraham's four sons: Eddie died in 1850, at the age of three, probably from tuberculosis; Willie died in 1862, at the age of eleven, probably from typhoid; and Tad died in 1871, at the age of eighteen, from a respiratory infection. The only Lincoln child who survived to adulthood was the oldest son, Robert.


The Lincolns' sons: Robert (top left); Willie (top right); and Tad (bottom)

Mary's deep mourning for her children and husband drove her to consult spiritualists, which led to 31-year-old Robert organizing a trial to have his mother committed to an insane asylum in 1875. With help, Mary soon got out, and was almost completely estranged from Robert after that.


Mary Todd Lincoln in mourning clothes after Lincoln's assassination

Mary surely deserved sympathy for all this trauma, but her detractors were largely unable to provide it.

Mary spent large portions of her later life in Europe, both to prevent Robert from trying to institutionalize her again, and because the continent was more economical for a single woman. During her final years, Mary lived with her sister Elizabeth in Springfield, Illinois, and she died in 1882, at age 63.


The funeral of Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary's legacy was largely defined by the misogynistic men who wrote her biographies. Many were influenced by William Herndon's infamous libel, which was accepted as truth. Others believed women should remain in their place in a man's world, and Mary was ostentatious and flamboyant. I think Romano does an admirable job correcting the record.

This is an important book that I'd recommend to all readers interested in American history.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lois Romano, and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of the book.

Rating: 4.5 stars 

Review of "Ironwood: A Catalina Novel of Suspense" by Michael Connelly

 

 

In this second book in the 'Catalina' series, Sergeant Stilwell investigates crimes on and off Catalina Island

*****

Detective Sergeant Stilwell was a homicide investigator for the LAPD before a departmental dust-up got him transferred to the Sheriff's Department on the Catalina Island substation - the penalty for troublesome Los Angeles cops.




Transfer to Catalina is supposed to be a punishment, but Stilwell, who's now in charge of the Catalina Island Substation, is VERY happy there. He likes the environment and he's living with his girlfriend, Natasha (Tash) Dano, the island's assistant harbormaster.



'Ironwood' opens in the middle of the night, when Stilwell and two deputy sheriffs, Isla Ramirez and Alton Quigley, are staked out at Catalina's mountaintop airstrip. Quigley had received a tip from one of his mainland confidential informers, who said a plane was coming in tonight, to make a drug drop. While Stillwell and the deputies watch from a hidden SVU, a small plane lands and an ATV pulls out of the brush and follows it down the runway.



When a duffel bag is dropped from the plane and picked up by the ATV driver, Stilwell and his deputies move in. After that, things go terribly wrong. Following a dramatic chase, the ATV driver escapes, the plane takes off, Quigley is shot dead, and Ramirez is badly injured.



Stilwell's boss Captain Corum and a homicide team arrive from Los Angeles, to examine the crime scene and interview Stilwell. Stilwell is cleared of blame, but Corum confines Stilwell to the substation while LAPD detectives investigate. Corum also suggests Stilwell clean up the boxes of lost and found items cluttering up the substation, to make it look more professional.



Stilwell is like the Harry Bosch of Catalina Island (if you know who that is).



Stilwell is NOT about to sit on his thumbs and let Los Angeles detectives investigate a crime on HIS turf, where HIS deputies were victims. So Stilwell identifies the ATV driver, finds important clues, and makes startling discoveries. That's all I'll say about that.

Meanwhile, Stilwell also starts going through the lost and found items at the substation, throwing away unclaimed junk. When Stilwell comes across a backpack found on a bench two months ago, he looks inside for ID.



A Medeco key with a locksmith’s stamp leads to Angela Metier, a woman who disappeared while hiking on Catalina four years ago. This is puzzling: why would the backpack have been brought in just two months prior?



The backpack also contains an old Ford car key that didn't belong to Angela, who drove a Mini Cooper. Thinking something is off here, Stilwell calls Detective Renée Ballard, who's in charge of the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit.



Renée connects the Ford car key to Candace Neary, who was murdered by a serial killer that targets female hikers.



Stilwell and Ballard conclude the serial killer also murdered Angela Metier, and purposely left the backback to taunt the police. So Stilwell and Ballard team up to pursue the perpetrator.

The novel has two fun cameos: Stilwell hears Harry Bosch's advice to 'always go back to the murder book'; and Stilwell sees LAPD Patrol Officer Maddie Bosch (Harry's daughter) when she volunteers for Renée's cold case squad.



Between working on big murder cases, Stilwell does routine police work on Catalina Island, related to graffiti and vandalized grape vines.



Stilwell also spends time with his girlfriend Tash, and they often enjoy dinner and movies together.



The book ends with a cliff-hangar, and I look forward to learning what happens next.

Note: Stilwell never tells anyone his given name, and always says 'Call me Stil.' But if you pay close attention, you'll learn his moniker.

I enjoyed the book but have a small quibble. Stilwell serendipitously discovers VERY important clues time after time, by chance. This seems unrealistic. That said, Michael Connelly's books never disappoint, and I'd highly recommend this novel to mystery fans.

Rating: 3.5 stars