Monday 1 August 2016

The Girl in the Painting (NightHawk book 4) - Rachael Richey



While her husband Gideon is recording a new album with his band NightHawk, Abi Hawk is busy getting her own career as a portrait painter back on track.

Following the death of her father, which coincides with the opening night of her first exhibition in London, Abi and her daughter come across an old painting in his attic that sets them on a journey of discovery to Paris. They uncover an astonishing and unexpected love story, one that has repercussions to the present day.

Meanwhile Gideon, in America to promote the new album, ignores Abi’s warnings and manages to put himself in a vulnerable situation that threatens to rock the stability of their marriage. Separated from Abi by nearly five thousand miles, and unable to speak to her, will he be able to resolve the situation before any real damage is done?

What did I think?

I cannot begin to express how much I love the NightHawk series; it is pure escapism and I have loved every single instalment that Rachael Richey has written.  You could, I suppose, read The Girl in the Painting as a stand-a-lone but to get the most out of the series you really should read them in order: Storm Rising, Rhythm of Deceit and Cobwebs in the Dark.  They all got 5 star reviews from me, and many other readers, so take my advice and read them all.  I really couldn't choose a favourite - they each have different qualities and each one is as captivating as the next.

This instalment is the story of Abi's grandmother, Janet.  Abi never knew her grandmother as she died before she was born, but when Abi and Tasha uncover a very personal painting of a mysterious redhead in Abi's Dad's loft they are determined to find out more.  As their search for Janet's story leads them to Paris, where Abi is exhibiting her own paintings, they find a lot more than they bargained for.  As we're swept away to glamorous Paris at the end of the 1920's, I was as eager as Tasha to discover Janet's story.

While Abi and Tasha are uncovering their own family history, Gideon is across the Atlantic in America promoting his new album.  He is planning to stay with his old friends, Kurt and Sonia, a fact that Abi is not best pleased about.  Abi tells Gideon that Sonia is attracted to him, but he doesn't listen and gets himself in a sticky situation.  When Sonia won't take no for an answer, she follows him to Seattle and the press wonder who the mystery woman is and what she means to Gideon.  With Abi in Paris, the time difference means that Gideon can't get in touch with her to explain about Sonia - will Abi believe him or is there no smoke without fire?

The Girl in the Painting is a truly magnificent book; it's such a captivating story that effortlessly spans the decades as it transports the reader to another time and place.  Rachael Richey is quite the expert at keeping us in suspense with her expressive writing style, resulting in a breathtakingly beautiful story that is slowly revealed like the unfurling petals of the most precious rose.  I didn't think you could get more heart-warming or romantic than Abi and Gideon's story - but I was wrong!  Rachael Richey continues to amaze with her superb NightHawk series.

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:





Buy it from Amazon

No comments:

Post a Comment