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The Fine Art of Lying
From the critically acclaimed author of Who is Maud Dixon? comes a riveting new novel about a young wife and mother in a world of wealth and privilege, whose rash mistake sets off a domino effect of murder and betrayal.
In the beginning, there was art.
It was Clare Bast’s love of art that saved her from a bleak, predictable life in upstate New York, and drew her to the cultured world of Manhattan’s Upper East Side where she met Jed, her doting, affluent husband.
Despite her best efforts—including a half-finished PhD, abandoned when her daughter Sadie was born—Clare secretly can’t help but feel like an imposter in Jed’s one-percent, Park-Avenue life.
When the well-connected wife of Jed’s new boss introduces her to influential friends, a curator here, a gallerist there, an aficionado abroad, Clare feels an essential part of herself coming alive again. And when she discovers that an important work painted by the subject of her unfinished dissertation is hanging in the brownstone of a seductively attractive dealer, she believes fate is leading her where she belongs . . . until she finds herself at the scene of a gruesome murder and a stolen masterpiece. Caught in the perfectly wrong place at the perfectly wrong time, every clue the investigation uncovers points back to her.
Suddenly, Clare is trapped inside a dark and treacherous art world filled with unscrupulous dealers and international criminals. What exactly, has she gotten herself into . . . and how is she going to get herself, and her family, out?
In the beginning, there was art.
It was Clare Bast’s love of art that saved her from a bleak, predictable life in upstate New York, and drew her to the cultured world of Manhattan’s Upper East Side where she met Jed, her doting, affluent husband.
Despite her best efforts—including a half-finished PhD, abandoned when her daughter Sadie was born—Clare secretly can’t help but feel like an imposter in Jed’s one-percent, Park-Avenue life.
When the well-connected wife of Jed’s new boss introduces her to influential friends, a curator here, a gallerist there, an aficionado abroad, Clare feels an essential part of herself coming alive again. And when she discovers that an important work painted by the subject of her unfinished dissertation is hanging in the brownstone of a seductively attractive dealer, she believes fate is leading her where she belongs . . . until she finds herself at the scene of a gruesome murder and a stolen masterpiece. Caught in the perfectly wrong place at the perfectly wrong time, every clue the investigation uncovers points back to her.
Suddenly, Clare is trapped inside a dark and treacherous art world filled with unscrupulous dealers and international criminals. What exactly, has she gotten herself into . . . and how is she going to get herself, and her family, out?
301 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 9, 2026
About the author
Alexandra Andrews
2 books833 followersI'm a journalist-turned-copywriter-turned-novelist, with a brief stint as a graphic designer somewhere in there. I've lived in New York City for my entire life, except for the year and a half I spent in Paris writing Who Is Maud Dixon? I now live in Brooklyn with my husband and two children and am (theoretically) working on my second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
March 31, 2026
I had kind of a hard time with this one.
It’s interesting, on the whole, but I felt like it fell a little flat.
The whole premise of Clare, this girl who grew up as a “nobody” and then somehow found herself with this great guy Jed, who is part of NYCs elite. And her being thrusted into this world of money and power, being someone she could have never imagined becoming, and how one small encounter causes her entire life to turn upside down. And force Clare to look at everything and ask herself 2”what it is she truly wants in her life.
I thought the parts with Gabriel and Clare were great. The chemistry was there, with this underlying “danger” element. I loved their passion for art, and how that increased their attraction to each other. I don’t think I’ve ever routed for someone to cheat on their husband before hahaha.
Jed isn’t a bad guy, he actually seems nice and like someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he’s been raised in a type of environment, and with a type of mother who has done everything for him, and placed certain expectations and pressure upon him.
Neither one, Jed or Clare are living the life they had originally wanted. And it’s sad that in their marriage they seem so far away from one another.
Things for me took a turn, after Gabriel. I won’t give spoilers, but I will say, that while there were some twists along the way, they didn’t really “hit” me. They didn’t pack a punch.
The entire prob last third of the book, I was like “ok. I wanna know what happens but I’m just kind of going through the motions.” I wish that there would have been more of a “wow” factor somehow, so that certain things that happened would have almost invigorated me back into the story.
This is not a bad book. I enjoyed it, but as I said, it just fell flat.
It’s interesting, on the whole, but I felt like it fell a little flat.
The whole premise of Clare, this girl who grew up as a “nobody” and then somehow found herself with this great guy Jed, who is part of NYCs elite. And her being thrusted into this world of money and power, being someone she could have never imagined becoming, and how one small encounter causes her entire life to turn upside down. And force Clare to look at everything and ask herself 2”what it is she truly wants in her life.
I thought the parts with Gabriel and Clare were great. The chemistry was there, with this underlying “danger” element. I loved their passion for art, and how that increased their attraction to each other. I don’t think I’ve ever routed for someone to cheat on their husband before hahaha.
Jed isn’t a bad guy, he actually seems nice and like someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he’s been raised in a type of environment, and with a type of mother who has done everything for him, and placed certain expectations and pressure upon him.
Neither one, Jed or Clare are living the life they had originally wanted. And it’s sad that in their marriage they seem so far away from one another.
Things for me took a turn, after Gabriel. I won’t give spoilers, but I will say, that while there were some twists along the way, they didn’t really “hit” me. They didn’t pack a punch.
The entire prob last third of the book, I was like “ok. I wanna know what happens but I’m just kind of going through the motions.” I wish that there would have been more of a “wow” factor somehow, so that certain things that happened would have almost invigorated me back into the story.
This is not a bad book. I enjoyed it, but as I said, it just fell flat.
May 6, 2026
4 stars. Reese Book Club - May ‘26 pick. Set inside the NYC art scene, this follows Clare, from her predictable life in upstate NY, to her marriage into Jed’s one-percent Park Avenue life that includes motherhood, betrayal, money and murder. If you enjoy reading about messy rich people drama you’ll want to read this. It’s a good one. A great thriller, very twisty. This book pushed me to add “Who is Maud Dixon” to my ‘26 must-read backlist (I heard it’s just as twisty!) 🎧 Pub. 5/5/26
May 1, 2026
3.25⭐️ I wonder if my expectations would’ve been different if this had been presented as literary fiction with a splash of mystery. That’s really what it is…I wouldn’t call it a thriller. The writing is fantastic, but the plot and characters felt a bit lacking for me. Interestingly, I enjoyed the first half more than the second, which seems to go against a lot of other reviews. My suggestion: go in expecting lit fic, and you’ll probably enjoy it more.
May 7, 2026
Slow-burning, sinister, and sophisticated!
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 is a thought-provoking, character-driven thriller set in Manhattan that immerses readers into the life of Clare Bast, a mother and former art PhD student whose world is turned upside down when her lover, an affluent art dealer, is murdered in his home, leaving her as the primary suspect.
The writing is taut and intense. The characters are layered, guarded, and secretive. And the plot, including all the subplots, unfurls into a suspenseful tale about life, loss, family, drama, deception, mayhem, infidelity, disillusionment, corruption, power, money, art, murder, and the lingering weight of guilt.
Overall, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 is a tight, intricate, cunning novel by Andrews that offers a sharp reminder that secrets have a way of corroding the soul and nothing is ever quite as it seems.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 is a thought-provoking, character-driven thriller set in Manhattan that immerses readers into the life of Clare Bast, a mother and former art PhD student whose world is turned upside down when her lover, an affluent art dealer, is murdered in his home, leaving her as the primary suspect.
The writing is taut and intense. The characters are layered, guarded, and secretive. And the plot, including all the subplots, unfurls into a suspenseful tale about life, loss, family, drama, deception, mayhem, infidelity, disillusionment, corruption, power, money, art, murder, and the lingering weight of guilt.
Overall, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 is a tight, intricate, cunning novel by Andrews that offers a sharp reminder that secrets have a way of corroding the soul and nothing is ever quite as it seems.
May 8, 2026
never really felt like rooting for the MC, why wasn’t she clever? I was expecting that from the marketing. It wasn’t intriguing, the thriller aspect happens 50% in and then the twist was overly involved, pretty meh
May 17, 2026
I love reading about rich people living in NYC, especially on the Upper East Side. I love the hectic atmosphere of the city and walking throgh the streets of Manhattan with the characters, hence I am always picking books which narrative involves New York. Adding the art scene makes it even more better.
Other than the above (on which the book definately deliver) its quite mediocre as most of Reese’s picks over the last 3 years and quite forgetable.
Other than the above (on which the book definately deliver) its quite mediocre as most of Reese’s picks over the last 3 years and quite forgetable.
May 9, 2026
This is a three star read for me, but only because the affair at the beginning was so well written.
I liked the themes that this book was touching on: how one falls into a life they didn't choose, motherhood, passion, and technically growing up.
I enjoyed Clare's arc and didn't mind the affair as a means of her gaining herself back. I loved how she developed from being guided by inertia to making her own decisions.
However, the murder plot seemed too intellectual and abstract, and if I wasn't an art lover, I would have hated reading it. Further, I was not convinced at any point that Clare had the intelligence or skill to solve the murder by herself.
I also hated how Tasha is made to be this cartoon villain, and we can see that she is driving the plot from the start. Dorothy is a more nuanced villain and she is at least connected to the themes of motherhood and issues of social status. I wouldn't have minded Tasha not being involved at all if Dorothy was guilty of the crime.
All in all, it was a fun read but nowhere near as great as Who Is Maud Dixon.
I liked the themes that this book was touching on: how one falls into a life they didn't choose, motherhood, passion, and technically growing up.
I enjoyed Clare's arc and didn't mind the affair as a means of her gaining herself back. I loved how she developed from being guided by inertia to making her own decisions.
However, the murder plot seemed too intellectual and abstract, and if I wasn't an art lover, I would have hated reading it. Further, I was not convinced at any point that Clare had the intelligence or skill to solve the murder by herself.
I also hated how Tasha is made to be this cartoon villain, and we can see that she is driving the plot from the start. Dorothy is a more nuanced villain and she is at least connected to the themes of motherhood and issues of social status. I wouldn't have minded Tasha not being involved at all if Dorothy was guilty of the crime.
All in all, it was a fun read but nowhere near as great as Who Is Maud Dixon.
May 18, 2026
5⭐️s- I devoured this one! Juicy thriller filled with lies, scandal, murder and drama! I requested the arc and was lucky enough to grab a copy. Loved it and was Unputdownable. The characters made this book and enjoyed the whole cast. Kind of reminded me of somewhere between Sex and the City - especially Bunny - And Friends & Neighbors with all that scandal. I didn’t guess the murderer and the getting there was super suspenseful and twisty. I can see this thriller being hot this summer! Loved the art angle too!
✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Harper Books for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Harper Books for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
May 19, 2026
I realized something about myself while reading this book. I can be so judge-y. 👩⚖️ Therefore, if a character makes a stupid mistake, the book enjoyment goes way down. But that's a me thing.
May 12, 2026
The beginning had me charged up and so intrigued, but the twist became so obvious towards the middle that it made the rest boring.
Would probably read something else by this author in the future however as I liked it more than I didn’t.
Would probably read something else by this author in the future however as I liked it more than I didn’t.
May 15, 2026
Wish I DNFed
May 15, 2026
No real twists. The art aspect was interesting, but overall not an engaging story
May 18, 2026
A taut and finely paced mystery centered in the art world satirizing the social scene of the pretentious world of the wealthy.
Clare Bast is bored and feels purposeless. Having stopped her work on her PhD in art history focusing on Brian Webley, a mid 29th C artist, to take care of her daughter, Sadie, she is caught off guard when her husband, Jed’s boss’s wife, Tasha, introduces her to gallery owner, Gabriel Prévost, who takes an interest in Clare and her art knowledge. Gabriel also has a secret - he has one of Webley’s paintings, Longfin, which he shows to Clare. Soon their relationship blossoms into a torrid affair but one night Clare becomes part of Gabriel’s murder. Clare then embarks on an investigation in to the corrupt world of art collection.
This is a slow burn mystery. You must be patient as you read. The author sets up the character of Clare - who I must admit I wasn’t always enchanted with - and the world of art collection. Once the murder is discovered things take off and the twists and turns begin. Clare’s carefully crafted social world obtained through her marriage to wealthy attorney, Jed Bast, is put under a microscope to show how vapid it is - surrendering her agency to wealth doesn’t bring Clare. much happiness.
Once I got past the character-driven moments in the story and the heart of the murder is exposed, I was riveted. I also learned so much about hedge funds and art collection though as the story moved on - some might think that’s not important but it brings to the fore the meaningless of what all that these things produce - and it’s certainly not happiness. And when Clare arises from the ashes of her former world, you’re really glad you read this book.
Clare Bast is bored and feels purposeless. Having stopped her work on her PhD in art history focusing on Brian Webley, a mid 29th C artist, to take care of her daughter, Sadie, she is caught off guard when her husband, Jed’s boss’s wife, Tasha, introduces her to gallery owner, Gabriel Prévost, who takes an interest in Clare and her art knowledge. Gabriel also has a secret - he has one of Webley’s paintings, Longfin, which he shows to Clare. Soon their relationship blossoms into a torrid affair but one night Clare becomes part of Gabriel’s murder. Clare then embarks on an investigation in to the corrupt world of art collection.
This is a slow burn mystery. You must be patient as you read. The author sets up the character of Clare - who I must admit I wasn’t always enchanted with - and the world of art collection. Once the murder is discovered things take off and the twists and turns begin. Clare’s carefully crafted social world obtained through her marriage to wealthy attorney, Jed Bast, is put under a microscope to show how vapid it is - surrendering her agency to wealth doesn’t bring Clare. much happiness.
Once I got past the character-driven moments in the story and the heart of the murder is exposed, I was riveted. I also learned so much about hedge funds and art collection though as the story moved on - some might think that’s not important but it brings to the fore the meaningless of what all that these things produce - and it’s certainly not happiness. And when Clare arises from the ashes of her former world, you’re really glad you read this book.
May 24, 2026
2.5⭐⭐
I was really excited for this book because I genuinely thought it was going to be a fresh take on a mystery thriller amongst the elite with historical art references....besides the longfin. Unfortunately, all of the characters are unlikable and unrelatable to me. Claire comes off as non-committal, unfeeling and flighty. She has no remorse for hurting others or her own sins and she's a terrible judge of character. She keeps suspecting people of being involved with Gabriel's death, accusing them while rolling a nat one charisma, and then when they charm her, she's like... Oh, maybe they're actually telling the truth because I have no ability to read emotions or literally call anyone's bluff and they seem genuine. Perhaps I will also lie to the police, put on my Nancy Drew scarf and try to solve the mystery of the missing painting all by myself. Perhaps I'll figure it out or perhaps not, but it doesn't matter because in the end I get the divorce I should have asked for before all this shit happened anyway. Although the real crime in all of this is that she had the money to pursue any career she wanted and instead spent hundreds of thousands on a freaking art degree.
I was really excited for this book because I genuinely thought it was going to be a fresh take on a mystery thriller amongst the elite with historical art references....besides the longfin. Unfortunately, all of the characters are unlikable and unrelatable to me. Claire comes off as non-committal, unfeeling and flighty. She has no remorse for hurting others or her own sins and she's a terrible judge of character. She keeps suspecting people of being involved with Gabriel's death, accusing them while rolling a nat one charisma, and then when they charm her, she's like... Oh, maybe they're actually telling the truth because I have no ability to read emotions or literally call anyone's bluff and they seem genuine. Perhaps I will also lie to the police, put on my Nancy Drew scarf and try to solve the mystery of the missing painting all by myself. Perhaps I'll figure it out or perhaps not, but it doesn't matter because in the end I get the divorce I should have asked for before all this shit happened anyway. Although the real crime in all of this is that she had the money to pursue any career she wanted and instead spent hundreds of thousands on a freaking art degree.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2026
This is nothing new either in terms of content or structure, but it wonderfully does exactly what I want a Thriller to do: Keep me entertained and keep me guessing without anything icky or too much domestic sniping.
I wonder if this might be a bit difficult to follow especially toward the end without a bit of background in art and finance, but I thought the way all of the threads of the plot came together was well crafted and compelling.
It’s a reasonably good portrait of the art world and the type of less-than-aboveboard deals that sometimes occur, and Andrews created a really interesting plot and cast of characters to flesh out the story around the central crime.
I suppose it’s more apt to call this a Mystery than a true Thriller, as it’s not a particularly action-driven story, but it’s a good one, and while I wasn’t quite as enamored of this as I was of Who’s Afraid of Maud Dixon, I found this to be a well-paced, thoroughly enjoyable read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I wonder if this might be a bit difficult to follow especially toward the end without a bit of background in art and finance, but I thought the way all of the threads of the plot came together was well crafted and compelling.
It’s a reasonably good portrait of the art world and the type of less-than-aboveboard deals that sometimes occur, and Andrews created a really interesting plot and cast of characters to flesh out the story around the central crime.
I suppose it’s more apt to call this a Mystery than a true Thriller, as it’s not a particularly action-driven story, but it’s a good one, and while I wasn’t quite as enamored of this as I was of Who’s Afraid of Maud Dixon, I found this to be a well-paced, thoroughly enjoyable read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
May 20, 2026
Overall I liked the book. Although there were some inconsistencies, like was Clare that good being a detective to solve a murder and "find and catch" the real murderer? That part was a little bit unbelievable. Also her daughter was only 4 years old but because of her speech I thought she was much older. The story prior to the murder was really interesting and I wanted it to go on a very different path, just being a fictional story, not the "thriller".
May 10, 2026
A bit too slow burn for my taste at first 🫣 but WOW did it pick up by the end. The second half was twisty, tense and had me stressed in the best way trying to figure out who was lying and what was really going on (and telling the truth!). 3 stars for the first half, 4 for the second ⭐️
May 22, 2026
This book was okay. I didn't love it, but also didn't hate it. The premise was good at the beginning, maybe it was just me but it lacked action, and plot twists. For me, maybe it was all the art hype, it just wasn't captivating enough. The writing was decent, but the story was cliche, and predictable.
May 11, 2026
3.5 stars
May 13, 2026
Super entertaining slow burn mystery with loads of drama, big and little lies, and many twists. I listening on audio, and loved Thérèse Plummer’s narration.
May 14, 2026
3.5⭐️
May 15, 2026
Ok I enjoyed this book and was hooked all the way through. I was also surprised to see my culprit guess was wrong. I could totally see this as a movie.
May 17, 2026
Meh. This was fine. The plot points were there but the pacing was slow, the characters seemed flat to me, and while the reveal made sense, I wasn’t surprised by it. Highly predictable even if the motive wasn’t clear until the end. 🥱
May 21, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
May 22, 2026
page turner. fun and easy.
May 22, 2026
Decent book! You can never tell who is telling the truth and who is lying. Somewhat a mystery as well if that intrigues
May 22, 2026
A twist at every turn!
May 24, 2026
This was great until we gotten into amateur detective territory and learned just how not smart the main character is. Loved the art part of the book.
May 8, 2026
I received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and it perfectly fit my mood as I’ve been rewatching Sex and the City and Gossip Girl.
Rich New Yorkers behaving badly apparently is my current catnip. Added layer of art and a murder. I really enjoyed this smart, fun mystery.
Rich New Yorkers behaving badly apparently is my current catnip. Added layer of art and a murder. I really enjoyed this smart, fun mystery.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews