It was an extraordinary work. Complex. Intricate. Unsettling. A painting you could get lost in, that you could spend a lifetime looking at.
In 1938, Surrealist artist Juliette Willoughby is killed in a tragic fire, along with her lover – a famous painter – and her famous work, 'Self Portrait as Sphinx.'

In 1991, two Cambridge students, Patrick and Caroline are doing theses on Surrealist art, with Caroline focusing on Juliette Willoughby, whose been relegated to mere paragraphs in the annals of history. Then, the duo uncovers shocking information that lead them to believe that maybe the fire was no accident. Because Juliette's painting contains details about her family's dark secrets.

In the present day, Caroline is at the auction of 'Self Portrait as Sphinx' at a Dubai gallery. Just as bids are about to start, Patrick is arrested for murder.

These three timelines are woven together, resulting in an interesting historical fiction mystery. I was invested in the search for what really happened to Juliette and why the murder in the present day takes place. The answers are intriguing.

However, I wanted a bit more of an in-depth exploration of Surrealism – I studied History of Art at university, and think the aims of the movement could have been explained further so that readers would understand its significance and how Juliette's painting fits into this. While I really enjoyed Juliette's timeline and her diary entries, I struggled a bit to really connect with Caroline and Patrick. Their relationship also lacked depth and I felt myself not caring whether they are together or not.

If you are interested in art, mysteries and historical fiction, this one's for you.

I not sure why but I sound this hard to get into and she have loved it
Three different eras and times
Good characters
Clever plot
Just somehow I find it too long and if u read a lot of mystery’s u may just get it as has some familiar threads
However is well written and a well done novel

Readers of my blog know that I live nothing better than a good art based thriller. I was super excited to be offered the opportunity by Anne Cater and Pan MacMillan to be part of the blog tour for The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd.

The book has three different timelines, Paris 1937-38, Cambridge 1991 and finally Dubai present day. In 1991 and present day the story is told from the point of view of Caroline and Patrick who first meet whilst studying Art History at Cambridge. It is whilst discussing their dissertaions that they learn about Juliet Willoughby, daugter of MP and artistocract Cyril Willoughby, and artist in her own right. She is known for one painting ‘Self Portrait with Sphinx’ which is believed to have burnt in the fire that took Juliette’s life. It is through a diary that we see Juliette’s story, her time in Paris and the repercussions that ripple throughout the decades.

I loved the relationship between Caroline and Patrick, their romance, but more importantly how they worked together to follow the clues to the truth about Juliette Willoughby. Caroline is more down to earth and from a difficult background. Patrick may not have a lot of money as his parents are divorced, but is friendly with Harry Willoughby and his rich friends which can open doors. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop, and their dogged approach in finding the truth about Juliette’s life and her painting.

Ellery Lloyd has written a thriller that works on so many levels. First is the missing painting and the fact that it may not missing after all. Part of this is the mystery of Juliette’s death in a flat with her lover Oskar Erlich, also an artist, and why she was estranged from her family. If that isn’t enough there is murder in Dubai and a missing person from 1991. These stories are brilliantly woven together, keeping the tension and suspense in each time line, and finally coming together to bring the the story to its conclusion.

The writing and plotting is simply brilliant to the extent that this is a book once picked up is difficult to put down. Ellery Lloyd captures the distinct atmosphere of each time period together; from the Parisian art scene in 1930’s Paris,life to both the rich and glitzy side of Dubai, and the poorer parts and Cambridge University and its clique of the rich students. The suspense and mysteries continue to build, and the author leaves you hanging right until the excitement of the ending. Of course my favourte part was the finding of lost art and the decoding of the symbols; I always like the stories in the news of missing paintings being found hidden away somewhere, any art history student dreams of this scenario.

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is an immersive and intricately plotted read. Combining a plot of the alusive artist and her painting, a murder and a missing person, there is not a moment in this book that isn’t supercharged. This is a compelling and captivating read that once picked up is impossible to put down.

The book opens with an arrest for murder in present day after the sale of a painting by surrealist artist Juliette Willoughby. Meanwhile back in 1991, Patrick and Caroline are at Cambridge starting their dissertations in surrealism under the tutelage of Alice Long, which eventually led to the paintings discovery. Interspersed are snippets from Juliette’s diary and later just her filling in the gaps that the characters will never get to fill in. We’re led through the murky world of upper class snobbery, secret societies and women forgotten to history, all against the backdrop of multiple unexplained deaths.

The jigsaw puzzle of a mystery is carefully constructed, and although I did guess the twists before they happened, it didn’t stop me from wanting to keep reading to find out if I was right. It’s a fantastic story full of little twists and turns, filled with real people and art that you can go and read about afterwards if you want to. A highly recommended read!

An engaging and well written thriller. Would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love the premise but the plot failed to hold my attention. This would be perfect for readers who love slow-burn plots - it’s got an interesting story, it’s got glamorous locations, it’s got a mystery to be solved. Unfortunately, this just wasn’t for me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan for the ARC.

Fantastic premise but the execution failed to hold my interest.

I was not a big fan of the multi-timelines and the whole thing was just too slow and too predictable for my liking.

Not my cup of tea!

When I read the synopsis of The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd I just knew I had to read it as it sounded so intriguing. Thank you to Pan Macmillan for granting my request for an ARC.

This is an ambitious story that spans a century of mysterious deaths, Egyptian artifacts and many skeletons in dusty old closets. Could a missing painting hold the key to it all?

The plot is rich and complex, told over three distinct timelines with multiple POVs and locations. Each location is vivid and atmospheric from arty Paris during 1938, academic Cambridge in 1991 to present day Dubai with all its wealth and glamour. Although the story switches between timelines the execution is seamless and the unfolding mysteries kept me on the edge of my seat.

This book combined all my favourite genres in a unique and exciting way. The pacing is perfect and the conclusion satisfying. I would highly recommend this book and if you have it on your TBR bump it up to the top

I really enjoyed People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd so I was very much looking forward to reading another of their books and I’m pleased to say that I loved this one even more! I love mysteries/thrillers and I’m an artist myself, so The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby, which brings both of these things together, with a healthy dose of compelling characters and an intriguing plot is basically my ideal book. I have always been interested in art, and I’m a particular fan of the 20th century surrealist movement (my favourite artist has always been Salvador Dalí) of which Juliette Willoughby is a fictional member, although I have to say, she feels achingly real. Her tragic story is one strand of the narrative, with the other two strands being set in 1990’s Cambridge and present day Dubai. Each part is utterly gripping and beautifully compelling.

I found The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby emotional engaging from start to finish, it is poignant, elegant and layered in a way that kept me turning the pages long into the small hours one morning. I did actually guess one of the twists quite early but that had no bearing on my enjoyment of the book at all. I was entranced by this story which touches on so many different aspects – from the erasure of female artists from the artistic canon to family deceptions and secrets with far reaching consequences. I really couldn’t recommend it more highly. A stylish, intelligent, moving and consuming mystery which you don’t want to miss.

I was running out of time to read this so opted to listen to an audio version-I am so glad I did. A story with plot twists and turns, some vile character and some quite sympathetic ones. It flits between narrators and time periods but this doesn't detract from the narrative.
I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

This novel weaves a rich and intricate tale across different eras and characters. While I occasionally found it challenging to follow, the fusion of art history and suspense kept me captivated.

Set in the 1990s, Caroline and Patrick, both art history students, delve into the mysterious life of Juliette Willoughby, a Surrealist painter who perished in a Paris fire just before World War II. Her famous work, "Self Portrait as a Sphinx," was thought lost in the flames—but was it? The plot deepens with connections to the modern-day Willoughby family, whose son befriends Patrick. Caroline's discovery of Juliette's diary reveals long-hidden secrets.

Spanning the 1930s in Paris, the 1990s in Cambridge, and present-day Dubai, where a sudden death rattles the remaining Willoughbys, the story brims with complexity. Its intricacies are such that I feel compelled to revisit it for a deeper understanding.

For readers with uninterrupted time to spare, this novel offers a rewarding journey into a layered narrative that demands full immersion, making it less suitable for casual reading on the go.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The premise is interesting, the plot is told from different viewpoints (perhaps too many) and the subject matter of surreal art also interesting. I thought that the writing was too lacklustre. Certainly the first half, though setting the scene, was not very interesting. The plot did pick up later, though the book has a slow pace throughout. There are twists in the plot, some predictable, others less so.
I did consider giving up half way, the book was not doing it for me, but once the action picked up more I was glad I had kept going to finish. Not a bad read.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

I loved this book. It was a bit of a slow build but completely came to life. It was intriguing and mysterious, set across multiple time lines, it really draws you in.
Following Cambridge university Art students in the 90’s, to discovering all about Juliet herself in the 1930’s, right up to the glamorous Dubai Art scene in recent times.
This book has it all, it’s clever, it’s stylish, oozes old school glamour and the fancy ways of Cambridge University life. It’s has multiple mysteries, from missing paintings, as well as missing people.
This book is going to be one of those that becomes a must read.

Juliette Willoughby was a surrealist painter in the 1930s from an aristocratic English family. When she died in a fire in Paris in 1938 with her artist lover, she was estranged from the family. In 1991, Cambridge students Caroline and Patrick find themselves drawn into Juliette's world through research for a dissertation and what they find while embarking on this. They are convinced that all is not as it seems. Links with Patrick's family are multiple as are the couple's visits to Longhurst, Juliette's home, and that of Patrick's wealthy friends, Harry and Freddie. By the time there have been more suspicious deaths and disappearances over the decades to the present day, it's clear there is a secret to be kept. An intriguing read with a quite gruesome outcome. #netgalley #thefinalactofjuliettewilloughby

Thank you to the publishers for an advanced copy. This is a great book 5 stars. I was obsessed with this book and couldn't put it down. The book begins in Dubai where Caroline has a painting that has been lost and found twice since the 1930's. The book covers the life and death of Juliette Willoughby a quite unknown female artist. I love how the book was told from 3 points of view, Caroline's, Patrick her lover and also Juliette herself. The book flicks between past and present, in Paris, Cambridge and Dubai. I found the diary extracts from Juliette very interesting to try and piece together her life and what happened to the missing painting and her lover Oskar. This was great writing and I was utterly absorbed with many twists and turns. I will be recommending to others and looking for more books from Ellery

Some women can’t be erased from history . . .

A story of love and madness, of obsession and revenge.

Paris, 1938: Runaway heiress Juliette Willoughby perishes, with her married lover, in an accidental studio fire alongside her Surrealist masterpiece, Self-Portrait as Sphinx.

Cambridge, 1991: Two art history students stumble across proof something sinister was at play in Juliette's death, threatening to expose the long-buried secrets of the artist's aristocratic family.

Dubai, now: An art dealer is accused of the brutal murder of his oldest friend – the last surviving member of the Willoughby dynasty.

Three suspicious deaths over the course of a century.

Is the key to unlocking them all hidden in Juliette Willoughby’s lost painting?

I loved The Club by Ellery Lloyd so I was thrilled to be able to read this one although it is quite different to their work I’d read before.

A slow burn of a novel; beautifully written with mystery and intrigue throughout.

I loved the Juliette chapters , both of her journal and her narrative, and I found these parts so compelling I wanted to know what drove her to do the things that she did and to make the decisions she made.

Caroline and Patrick also made the book come alive - from their time at Cambridge in 1991 to present day Dubai where secrets were uncovered and mysteries unearthed.

I has a suspicion as to what had happened and I was half right; although some of the plot twists took me by surprise!

This is a story of family secrets, revenge, heartbreak and mystery and I enjoyed reading every page.

Oh this book was the literary equivalent of being tangoed. So did not see any of that coming! Such a dramatic book by the end but when you reading it you get sucked into people's heads and it muddles your own. This is a puzzle in a puzzle and it was great fun working it out.
Seems to have gone a little bit under the radar. where is the buzz around this book? It is quite something.

Overall this book made for a good vacation read. Good storyline , interesting characters and I liked the writing style. A solid 3 star read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy

This is the first book I’ve read by Ellery Lloyd so I didn’t know what to expect. I have had mixed feelings, previously about an author who is actually two authors, spending more time trying to work out who wrote which part but with this novel it worked perfectly. I didn’t give it a thought, it worked that well.

Three narrators and initially three periods of time, Juliette in the 1930s in Paris and Caroline and Patrick in the 1990s and modern day. The reader sees how much art has a huge effect on their lives. And not always in a good way. Despite their love and appreciation for it, none of them have experienced happiness. I loved reading about Juliette’s life, the lack of family support and a relationship that didn’t really improve things. I could see that despite all of this she had the determination and will to do what she wanted. Whilst I enjoyed reading about Patrick and Caroline, I loved reading Juliette’s story. I thought she was one of the strongest characters I’ve ‘met’ recently through reading

Patrick and Caroline’s life in the 1990s were similar in some ways. Many of their ‘friends’ at university were the type that many would prefer to avoid. Rich, privileged and in some cases less richer than they felt they should have been. None of these were likeable and it was difficult for me initially not to see Patrick the same way as he felt he needed to do what his father wanted. However, the more I read I could see that he was different and knew that he would never be able to compete. Caroline knew that she would never be able to compete so was more of a loner who took her time to open up to people.

When one of Patrick’s more despicable friends disappears after a party neither him or Caroline were that concerned but it did have an impact on the murder charge he faced in the modern day. Some of those who were at the gathering in Dubai they knew from university but they soon discovered that there was ill feeling from some.

This part of the novel showed how wealth has an impact on everything, in particular family and loyalty. The actual art didn’t seem to matter that much apart from to Caroline and Patrick.

An interesting and vivid tale covering various timelines and characters. I did find it difficult at times to keep track but the overall combination of art history and a thriller kept me going. In the 1990s two Art History students, Caroline and Patrick, are working on a project about Juliette Willoughby, who died in a fire in Paris with her lover before the start of the Second World War. Her Surrealist painting, Self Portrait as a Sphinx, was destroyed in the fire, Or was it? What is the connection with modern day Willoughby family whose son is friends with Patrick? What secrets does Juliette's diary, discovered by Caroline, reveal?

The story is told over three timelines, the 1930s in Paris; the 1990s in Cambridge and present day in Dubai when the last member of the Willoughby family dies unexpectedly. To be honest there is so much happening in this book that I will have to reread it to fully understand what was happening. A worthwhile read if you have a solid few hours to get to grips with it. Not one to pick up and read on the way to work!

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan/Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book.