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Title details for The Black Painting by Neil Olson - Available

The Black Painting

by Neil Olson
Emily Woo Zeller
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
2 of 2 copies available
"A riveting psychological thriller, a serious dissection of a dysfunctional family and an exploration of the power of art to change lives." —Associated Press
"A fast-paced psychological thriller with a fascinating set of characters. ... A real page-turner." -B.A. Shapiro, author of The Art Forger
An atmospheric literary mystery about an infamous painting rumored to be cursed—and the family torn apart by its disappearance.
There are four cousins in the Morse family: perfect Kenny, the preppy West Coast lawyer; James, the shy but brilliant medical student; his seductive, hard-drinking sister Audrey; and Teresa, youngest and most fragile, haunted by the fear that she has inherited the madness that possessed her father.
Their grandfather summons them to his mansion at Owl's Point. None of them have visited the family estate since they were children, when a prized painting disappeared: a self-portrait by Goya, rumored to cause madness or death upon viewing. Afterward, the family split apart amid the accusations and suspicions that followed its theft.
Any hope that their grandfather planned to make amends evaporates when Teresa arrives to find the old man dead, his horrified gaze pinned upon the spot where the painting once hung. As the family gathers and suspicions mount, Teresa hopes to find the reasons behind her grandfather's death and the painting's loss. But to do so she must uncover ugly family secrets and confront those who would keep them hidden.
A masterful, deftly plotted novel, The Black Painting explores the profound power that art, and the past, hold over our lives.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 9, 2018

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781488203909
      • File size: 253022 KB
      • Duration: 08:47:07

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 6, 2017
      In this taut psychological thriller from Olson (The Icon), the heirs of the late Alfred Arthur Morse—his three children and four grandchildren—reunite for the first time in years, at his house on Owl’s Point on the Connecticut coast, for Alfred’s funeral and the reading of his will. Decades before, a painting was stolen from Alfred’s library, one of the 14 or 15 so-called black paintings produced by Francisco José de Goya at a time when the artist believed he was possessed by a demon. Morse family legend had it that anyone who looked at the painting would suffer death or some other misfortune. This myth was reinforced when an art historian, who came to appraise the painting, died while sitting in front of it. Philip, one of Alfred’s two sons, has only recently learned that his father suspected him of taking the painting, and hires PI Dave Webster to uncover the real thief. Dave is drawn into long-held family secrets that reveal how the black painting brought out the worst in each of the Morses. This dark, supernaturally tinged tale ends on an unexpectedly hopeful note. Mystery readers interested in art history will be rewarded.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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