Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Russian oligarch Leonard Sobetsky makes aspiring artist Emma Caan, the narrator of this propulsive thriller from Katz (The Boys' Club), the kind of offer typically associated with a whiff of sulfur: leave Manhattan's Gemini Reproductions, where she's one of a stable cranking out (strictly legal) brushstroke-perfect replicas of masterpieces for their owners, to copy exclusively for him and he'll not only pay handsomely but also give her entrée to the art world's stratosphere. In a flash, the 26-year-old segues from subways and ramen to Instafamous assistant director at a prestigious gallery, winging on her benefactor's private jet to a Hong Kong art fair to broker megabucks sales and party epically. All the while, however, she's anxiously waiting for the other Louboutin to drop--which readers know will happen since this twisty tale, which unspools largely in flashbacks, opens with Emma being grilled by FBI agents concerning her dealings with Sobetsky. Though a key secondary story line about Emma's dysfunctional family feels contrived, the author's exposing of some of the art business's more egregious manipulations and frauds makes for genuinely captivating entertainment. Katz remains a writer to watch. Agent: Allison Hunter, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Andi Arndt, two-time Audie Award winner and member of the Audible Hall of Fame, ably narrates Katz's second novel, following the Netflix-optioned The Boys' Club. The book opens with Emma being grilled by the FBI about her relationship with Russian oligarch and avid art collector Leonard Sobetsky. Emma works at Gemini Reproductions, where she skillfully and legally copies famous paintings for museums and patrons, who do not want to display the originals in public. Leonard convinces Emma to quit her job at Gemini and copy exclusively for him. Of course Emma can still sign her name in indelible ink on the back of each painting, so her copies won't be confused with the originals. Through Leonard's connections and influence in the art world, Emma lands a job at a prestigious art gallery and becomes part of the rarefied and glamorous world of the privileged art aficionados. But there's a price to pay for all this high living. VERDICT Katz details the role media influencers play in this luxurious world. Arndt narrates with intensity and perfect pacing. Listeners feel Emma's anxiety as she is relentlessly questioned by the FBI.--Ilka Gordon
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