Reminiscent of other contemporary historical fiction authors, like Andrew Taylor and the husband-and-wife team writing as Ambrose Parry, Dani Heywood-Lonsdale is able to skilfully evoke the Victorian age through the way she uses language, locations, ambience and characters in the manner of a writer of the period, such as Anthony Trollope. Her novel, 'The Portrait Artist', is very clearly set in the era (the last decade of the 1800s, to be exact), yet given the modern perspective of looking back on it from the twenty-first century.

At the crux of the novel lie controversial topics, like race, discrimination and societal prejudice. Viewed from a twenty-first century viewpoint and through the lens of 'wokeness', Heywood-Lonsdale's handling of them is crude and lacks any degree of finesse or sensitivity. Some of the language used may have been acceptable in the seventeenth century, but in a contemporary context it is downright offensive. It seems a shame to have an otherwise competent novel spoiled in this way. Arguably, it should carry a trigger warning. I could see that some readers might find it an upsetting read. Furthermore, it could be said that the elements of mystery are not particularly well dealt with since I, for one, guessed who the portrait painter would turn out to be as soon as the character named, Lou, made her appearance. I'm sure other readers will be equally astute. Despite these shortcomings I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review his novel.

Many thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for the ARC.