I loved this book, it was so well written and really gripped me. I found the setting and characters engaging and was drawn into the story. A great read which I would highly recommend.

Good. Switches between Italy in the 1940's and London and Italy in the late 90's. Descriptions of Italy made me feel like I was there as they were described in lots of detail. Full of twists and turns. Full of romance.

This book, with its two time lines, tells us a story which unfolds gradually as the past is revealed. I love this style and find myself torn when we leave wartime and come back to more recent days, and vice versa as we return to the past. I enjoyed the artistic references, as well as reading of wartime Italy and the privations of the local people.

The tale centres on a lost painting, as Jude, the art dealer, having lost his nerve as well as his money after buying a clever fake, is reluctantly helping Beatrice to trace the painting. She finds more about her family's history as a result. I found it fascinating, gripping and satisfying.

I really enjoyed this historical mystery set in two timelines - Rome during World War Two and the present day.

Jude is reluctantly drawn into the search for a missing portrait left to Beatrice by her mother. The search takes them to a safety deposit box in Rome, her estranged family and an exploration of her parents’ past and their love story.

The chapters dealing with the reality of life under Mussolini and then German occupation were hard to read and I was surprised by the lengths the Vatican went to protect its reputation.

I enjoyed the developing relationship between Beatrice’s parents which was mirrored by her own with Jude.

Interesting and absorbing.

One to be recommended.

A very enjoyable and captivating read. Set between UK 1997 and 1940s in Italy, we learn how Beatrice parents met and how they came to be in possession of part of a very old painting.

At the start of WW2 Maddalena is sent to Rome from Sicily to work for the wealthy Montefalco family. Homesick she finds solace in exploring her new city and falls in love . As the war progresses and the Nazis arrive she must make some desperate choices.
Beatrice Fermont ,looking to raise funds to pay off her elderly mother's debts, invites Jude Adler an art dealer to value her father's photographic collection . He is intrigued with a small portrait which he thinks could be a lost Caravaggio. After her mother Maddalena's death the two set off for Rome after Beatrice discovers a letter . Jude to see if he can uncover the find of a lifetime Beatrice to uncover a family secret.
I devoured this fabulous book in one sitting . The story is set in war torn Rome and modern day London and smoothly flicks back and forth between the two timelines. Essentially a story of betrayal and love ,the characters feel very real and so too do the historical events.
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I thoroughly enjoyed Sarah’s second book having also enjoyed the first!

A story set across two time lines, looking at Italy in the 1940’s as well as people in the current day searching for answers from the past.

I was drawn in very quickly with the mystery around the art dealer. The story is also well paced, the characters are likeable, relatable and realistic which meant I found myself flying through chapters in order to try and discover the next piece of the puzzle.

I particularly loved the attention to detail that spans both eras. Whether it be life during the war and the associated horrors and injustice of living under both Mussolini’s and then Hitler’s reigns or the detail surround the art scene and the historical links to the painting.

I found myself more caught up in the back story of Maddelena and Luca than the current day time line and finished the book still wanting to know more about their time together what what life looked like for them in later years.

One thing that is clear is the sheer volume of time and extensive research that has gone into “The Seeker of Lost Paintings” and I cannot wait to see what Sarah comes up with next.

A huge thank-you to Simon & Schuster UK and Net Galley for this advanced reader copy and an even bigger thanks to Sarah for sharing her work with the world.
In a digital age, I am sure putting yourself out there for others to love or criticise is possibly one of the hardest things you could do - like TripAdvisor for books!

Well written book set in two separate periods of time. The sections set in Italy during the war are very interesting depicting the difficulties living under Mussolini then the Nazis.
The story is a great mystery surrounding a painting and I found it a real page turner. Thoroughly recommended.

Sarah Freethy offers the reader a well engineered novel that covers all the bases needed to give readers the best chance to enjoy her writing. Lest this sounds like a ‘writing by numbers’ approach let me rule that out straight away. This is writing that captures the reader’s interest in a tale that connects two time periods and different generations, whilst at the same time drawing the reader’s attention to the horrors of life in wartime Italy, especially after Italy abandoned its alliance with Nazi Germany and much of Italy fell under Nazi occupation.
Characters are well drawn and easy to ‘know’. Alongside these well described key players is the author’s writing, which powerfully evokes the two time periods and the different geographical settings.
Overall, a very enjoyable read and well recommended.