Jeff Popple reviews three books about the dark side of the art world. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com

Woman On Fire by Lisa Barr

Welbeck, $32.99

Lisa Barr’s Woman On Fire is an exquisitely written novel about obsession, history and art. Young journalist Jules Roth is given an unusual assignment: find a painting stolen by the Nazis during World War II. The painting is the legendary ‘Woman On Fire’ by artist Ernst Engel. Renowned shoe designer Ellis Baum wants the painting for personal reasons, but he is not the only one. Powerful and wealthy heiress Margaux de Laurent is also searching for it, and she will stop at nothing to own it. Caught in the middle, Jules quickly realises just how dangerous the art world can be. Recommended.

Picture You Dead by Peter James

Macmillan, $34.99

Obsessive art collectors also feature in Peter James’ Picture You Dead. James’s series about Brighton police detective Roy Grace has become a mainstay of the British crime scene over the past decade, and has recently found its way onto television screens. In Picture You Dead, Grace becomes caught up in the deadly side of art collecting, when ordinary couple Harry and Freya discover a 1770 masterpiece hidden behind another painting. Targeted by a determined collector, the couple find their dreams dashed and their lives in danger. An accomplished and enjoyable novel that will appeal to James’s many fans.

Framed by John M. Green

Pantera, $29.99

Framed, by Australian author John M. Green, moves quickly from Sydney Harbour to Belfast and Monte Carlo, as art conservator JJ Jego becomes drawn into a web of intrigue surrounding stolen art works. The accidental sighting of a long-lost Van Gogh in a Sydney apartment sets JJ on a quest to discover whether it is real or not. Her determination to settle the painting’s provenance, however, sets her against a nasty pair of international crooks who want their painting back. This is a fast-moving, contemporary thriller with a clear-eyed understanding of the linkages between the art and criminal worlds. Good fun.

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