THE FINE ART OF LYING by Alexandra Andrews

4 stars

Clare Bast, an upscale NYC Mom and unfinished art PhD, finds herself unhappy in her marriage to Jed, scion of a wealthy family, hedge fund manager, and ultimately boring guy. Clare vests all her energy in being the ultimate full time Mom to her daughter Sadie but finds herself unfilled and restless. That’s when she gets introduced by the socialite wife, Tasha, of her husband’s boss, Jed, to a sexy, intellectual art dealer, Gabriel Prévost.

Clare’s particularly taken with Gabriel’s ownership of a rare painting by Blake Webley, the artist Claire focused on in her PhD. A hot affair ensues, but that’s just the beginning of a murder thriller.

Clare goes on the hunt for the killer, given police incompetency, while Russian mob ties may be involved, deeply held secrets hinted at, the selling off of museum art treasures exposed, and the her mother-in-law issues harsh threats to remove Sadie from Clare’s custody.

Lies are woven upon more lies, which Clare must unravel like an intricate knot to expose the truth lurking buried deep within. A great read, with the extra bonus of a sharp social satire of New York City’s wealthy elite thrown in for good measure.

Thanks to Harper and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.