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Genevieve Lenard #1
The Gauguin Connection
ASIN B008X3NCRE moved to the most recent edition
Murdered artists. Masterful forgeries. Art crime at its worst.
A straightforward murder investigation quickly turns into a quagmire of stolen Eurocorps weapons, a money-laundering charity, forged art and high-ranking EU officials abusing their power.
As an insurance investigator and world renowned expert in nonverbal communication, Dr Genevieve Lenard faces the daily challenge of living a successful, independent life. Particularly because she has to deal with her high functioning Autism. Nothing - not her studies, her high IQ or her astounding analytical skills - prepared her for the changes about to take place in her life.
It started as a favour to help her boss' acerbic friend look into the murder of a young artist, but soon it proves to be far more complex. Forced out of her predictable routines, safe environment and limited social interaction, Genevieve is thrown into exploring the meaning of friendship, expanding her social definitions, and for the first time in her life be part of a team in a race to stop more artists from being murdered.
Murdered artists. Masterful forgeries. Art crime at its worst.
A straightforward murder investigation quickly turns into a quagmire of stolen Eurocorps weapons, a money-laundering charity, forged art and high-ranking EU officials abusing their power.
As an insurance investigator and world renowned expert in nonverbal communication, Dr Genevieve Lenard faces the daily challenge of living a successful, independent life. Particularly because she has to deal with her high functioning Autism. Nothing - not her studies, her high IQ or her astounding analytical skills - prepared her for the changes about to take place in her life.
It started as a favour to help her boss' acerbic friend look into the murder of a young artist, but soon it proves to be far more complex. Forced out of her predictable routines, safe environment and limited social interaction, Genevieve is thrown into exploring the meaning of friendship, expanding her social definitions, and for the first time in her life be part of a team in a race to stop more artists from being murdered.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2012
About the author
Estelle Ryan
20 books594 followersEstelle Ryan was born in South Africa and spent her childhood being surrounded by African beauty, nature and diversity of cultures. Her first trip to Europe at the tender age of 16 transformed her world into a much larger place, endless in its possibilities and places to explore. For most of her adulthood she’s travelled all over the world, lived on a few continents, explored numerous cultures and still is insatiable in the quest to still the hunger for more life experiences.
She’s written for numerous international magazines, was the editor of a European lifestyle magazine and has seven romance novels published under a pseudonym. With her interest in international politics, arts, crime, behavioural psychology, criminal psychology and music, she decided to combine all these elements in her writing. And so Genevieve and the team came into being.
She is an unabashed coffeeshopaholic. Good coffee, ambience and music in the perfect combination is all that is required to turn a mundane coffee shop into her 'office'. The appropriate coffee shop is chosen depending on the mood, the weather, the type and amount of work that needs to be done, and of course the craving of the day. All of her books have been written in numerous coffee shops all over the world.
She’s written for numerous international magazines, was the editor of a European lifestyle magazine and has seven romance novels published under a pseudonym. With her interest in international politics, arts, crime, behavioural psychology, criminal psychology and music, she decided to combine all these elements in her writing. And so Genevieve and the team came into being.
She is an unabashed coffeeshopaholic. Good coffee, ambience and music in the perfect combination is all that is required to turn a mundane coffee shop into her 'office'. The appropriate coffee shop is chosen depending on the mood, the weather, the type and amount of work that needs to be done, and of course the craving of the day. All of her books have been written in numerous coffee shops all over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,009 reviews
July 6, 2019
4,75 stars - English Ebook 🦋🦋🦋
Quote from the book : I was genuinely glad that I had confidents in Philip the day my handbag had fallen of the chair, spelling its contents. The emmbarrasment of that I was facing right now. I heard a rustle in my handbag and then the magical empty music staff paper appeared in front of me.
“ Here’s a pencil aswell. Manny and I will give you a moment.” 🌹🌹🌹
WoW what a lead character and so well put into the story that you all ready know what here reaction to situations and people will be. A story that has a bigginging, middle and end. A story that not only builds up the story-line but also build up the chararecters and the inter action between them. 🌸🌸🌸
Quote from the book : I was genuinely glad that I had confidents in Philip the day my handbag had fallen of the chair, spelling its contents. The emmbarrasment of that I was facing right now. I heard a rustle in my handbag and then the magical empty music staff paper appeared in front of me.
“ Here’s a pencil aswell. Manny and I will give you a moment.” 🌹🌹🌹
WoW what a lead character and so well put into the story that you all ready know what here reaction to situations and people will be. A story that has a bigginging, middle and end. A story that not only builds up the story-line but also build up the chararecters and the inter action between them. 🌸🌸🌸
October 31, 2014
You can read other reviews to get a sense of what is good about the book: a unique main character and perspective, complex story, etc. I wanted to mention the things which I didn't like about it.
The first is a minor one: Genevieve claims to have had sex before, but since she makes such a big deal about Colin being the first person whom she doesn't mind breaking her 50cm distance rule, this seemed very improbable.
The second is more major, but not deal-breaking: at the end of the book, Genevieve acts completely out of character by trying to turn into a super spy and chase the bad guy down herself. At this point the book fell into the large cliche of "dumb girl lets curiosity get the best of her and must be rescued by her love interest." It was a bit of a let down given that the rest of the story wasn't so cliche-ridden and that Genevieve had been so careful and cautious before.
The third issue accounts for one missing star itself: Genevieve thinks and speaks of men as if they're an alien species. Not only did I find her repeated comments about alpha-male posturing and the like a bit sexist (after all, wouldn't a female cop and con-woman have similarly angry reactions to having to work together?), but it seemed out of character as well. Genevieve is supposed to be the well-studied objective genius. It seems awfully simplistic to assume every time a man gets angry, it's because of testosterone and manifestations of animalistic group behaviors. There are not very many other female characters in the story, but I somehow doubt she'd attribute everything they do to estrogen and a need to nurture.
The first is a minor one: Genevieve claims to have had sex before, but since she makes such a big deal about Colin being the first person whom she doesn't mind breaking her 50cm distance rule, this seemed very improbable.
The second is more major, but not deal-breaking: at the end of the book, Genevieve acts completely out of character by trying to turn into a super spy and chase the bad guy down herself. At this point the book fell into the large cliche of "dumb girl lets curiosity get the best of her and must be rescued by her love interest." It was a bit of a let down given that the rest of the story wasn't so cliche-ridden and that Genevieve had been so careful and cautious before.
The third issue accounts for one missing star itself: Genevieve thinks and speaks of men as if they're an alien species. Not only did I find her repeated comments about alpha-male posturing and the like a bit sexist (after all, wouldn't a female cop and con-woman have similarly angry reactions to having to work together?), but it seemed out of character as well. Genevieve is supposed to be the well-studied objective genius. It seems awfully simplistic to assume every time a man gets angry, it's because of testosterone and manifestations of animalistic group behaviors. There are not very many other female characters in the story, but I somehow doubt she'd attribute everything they do to estrogen and a need to nurture.
July 17, 2014
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Murdered artists. Masterful forgeries.
Art crime at its worst.
A straightforward murder investigation quickly turns into a quagmire of stolen Eurocorps weapons, a money-laundering charity, forged art and high-ranking EU officials abusing their power.
As an insurance investigator and world renowned expert in nonverbal communication, Dr Genevieve Lenard faces the daily challenge of living a successful, independent life. Particularly because she has to deal with her high functioning Autism. Nothing - not her studies, her high IQ or her astounding analytical skills - prepared her for the changes about to take place in her life.
It started as a favour to help her boss' acerbic friend look into the murder of a young artist, but soon it proves to be far more complex. Forced out of her predictable routines, safe environment and limited social interaction, Genevieve is thrown into exploring the meaning of friendship, expanding her social definitions, and for the first time in her life be part of a team in a race to stop more artists from being murdered.
My Review: The Doubleday UK meme, a book a day for July 2014, is the goad I'm using to get through my snit-based unwritten reviews. Today's prompt is to discuss a beach read, a novel perfect for an afternoon under a beach umbrella sipping drinks with silly names brought by hotties clad in as few clothes as local law allows.
Ahem. Well. Isn't that how everyone spends a day at the beach?
The Gauguin Connection has many sterling qualities, like a wonderful main character, and a completely beguiling cast of supporting characters. (I convinced my Gentleman Caller to read this by saying he reminded me of Vinnie. To my relief, he found that touching and endearing, "worth reading a stupid mystery novel for.")
What makes this such a good beach read is simply that: The interplay of the characters. Dr Lenard isn't consistently drawn, the art-crime plot seems very slapdash to me, and so on and so on. All those quibbles aside, I loved these characters and wanted to sit quietly in the room while they did what they do. Which is mostly sit around computers in different rooms and bicker amusingly.
I mean to tell you, though, if savoring the interplay of high-level snark with pomposity, the collision of wit with literal-mindedness, doesn't sound compelling to you, horseman, pass on. I found it deeply funny at times, and snortingly amusing all the time. So download it onto your Kindle for free, put the Kindle in a quart-sized Ziploc, seal it, and head for the sand. Tip the hottie well, and in advance, for the best drinks service. Relax into bliss with the wacky crew of Strasbourg (!)-based art crime solvers.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Publisher Says: Murdered artists. Masterful forgeries.
Art crime at its worst.
A straightforward murder investigation quickly turns into a quagmire of stolen Eurocorps weapons, a money-laundering charity, forged art and high-ranking EU officials abusing their power.
As an insurance investigator and world renowned expert in nonverbal communication, Dr Genevieve Lenard faces the daily challenge of living a successful, independent life. Particularly because she has to deal with her high functioning Autism. Nothing - not her studies, her high IQ or her astounding analytical skills - prepared her for the changes about to take place in her life.
It started as a favour to help her boss' acerbic friend look into the murder of a young artist, but soon it proves to be far more complex. Forced out of her predictable routines, safe environment and limited social interaction, Genevieve is thrown into exploring the meaning of friendship, expanding her social definitions, and for the first time in her life be part of a team in a race to stop more artists from being murdered.
My Review: The Doubleday UK meme, a book a day for July 2014, is the goad I'm using to get through my snit-based unwritten reviews. Today's prompt is to discuss a beach read, a novel perfect for an afternoon under a beach umbrella sipping drinks with silly names brought by hotties clad in as few clothes as local law allows.
Ahem. Well. Isn't that how everyone spends a day at the beach?
The Gauguin Connection has many sterling qualities, like a wonderful main character, and a completely beguiling cast of supporting characters. (I convinced my Gentleman Caller to read this by saying he reminded me of Vinnie. To my relief, he found that touching and endearing, "worth reading a stupid mystery novel for.")
What makes this such a good beach read is simply that: The interplay of the characters. Dr Lenard isn't consistently drawn, the art-crime plot seems very slapdash to me, and so on and so on. All those quibbles aside, I loved these characters and wanted to sit quietly in the room while they did what they do. Which is mostly sit around computers in different rooms and bicker amusingly.
I mean to tell you, though, if savoring the interplay of high-level snark with pomposity, the collision of wit with literal-mindedness, doesn't sound compelling to you, horseman, pass on. I found it deeply funny at times, and snortingly amusing all the time. So download it onto your Kindle for free, put the Kindle in a quart-sized Ziploc, seal it, and head for the sand. Tip the hottie well, and in advance, for the best drinks service. Relax into bliss with the wacky crew of Strasbourg (!)-based art crime solvers.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
May 20, 2014
I chose this book based on the high reviews, but I was overall disappointed with it. I felt that it was Girl With the Dragon Tattoo meets White Collar, but instead of being entertaining, suspenseful and well developed, it was a fairly flat narrative of the events. This book has a ton of potential and could be a fantastic story, but it is poorly executed. It is an easy read, but many times I wanted to put it down because the author never succeeded in creating any suspense or tension. I finished the book only because I wanted to know who Piros was and how the art forgeries were related to murders and the theft of weapons. We learn who Piros is (and it’s no surprise) but none of the other aspects of the case are ever fully resolved. The whole ending is very anti-climactic.
The writing and storytelling were weak at best. Quirks of Genevieve’s become redundant and as a reader I wanted to scream “STOP! I know. You’ve told me about the orbicularis oculi muscles about a hundred times.” And those little muscles… let me tell you! Genevieve can tell everything about you from them. Genevieve uses cues from these muscles to “read” people and the author uses it as a means to dismiss suspicion of new characters without having to actually develop the character and provide a basis for their trustworthiness. We are also reminded with nearly every encounter about Genevieve’s aversion to physical contact, and also reminded repetitively every time Colin touches her that she is surprised at how much she doesn’t mind him touching her.
Genevieve is autistic and does not understand the euphemisms, metaphors, and figures of speech that are used by the other characters. This woman who holds a Ph.D., yet somehow hasn’t learned the most common phrases and sayings. I find it extremely unlikely that after all that education she wouldn’t have learned what these phrases mean to others even if she finds them meaningless. She knows a lot about “reading” people based upon body language, but knows seemingly nothing about the spoken word. Contradicting this character trait is the fact that the book is narrated in the first person by Genevieve, who uses many more complex and less common figures of speech than the ones she gets stumped by when others use them. For example, Genevieve is clueless when the following phrases are used: “My boss is riding my arse,” “I could kiss you right now” (when someone was thrilled with her work) and she does not know what a goon is, what being anal means, or what it means to be “sweet on you.” However, she uses phrases like “Relief stole my breath,” “bring me down a peg or two,” “cruising for a bruising,” and “above board.” The worst one from this Ph.D. educated woman is on page 192: “Were they primates, they might have started beating their chests.” Uh, sweetie, humans are primates.
The writing and storytelling were weak at best. Quirks of Genevieve’s become redundant and as a reader I wanted to scream “STOP! I know. You’ve told me about the orbicularis oculi muscles about a hundred times.” And those little muscles… let me tell you! Genevieve can tell everything about you from them. Genevieve uses cues from these muscles to “read” people and the author uses it as a means to dismiss suspicion of new characters without having to actually develop the character and provide a basis for their trustworthiness. We are also reminded with nearly every encounter about Genevieve’s aversion to physical contact, and also reminded repetitively every time Colin touches her that she is surprised at how much she doesn’t mind him touching her.
Genevieve is autistic and does not understand the euphemisms, metaphors, and figures of speech that are used by the other characters. This woman who holds a Ph.D., yet somehow hasn’t learned the most common phrases and sayings. I find it extremely unlikely that after all that education she wouldn’t have learned what these phrases mean to others even if she finds them meaningless. She knows a lot about “reading” people based upon body language, but knows seemingly nothing about the spoken word. Contradicting this character trait is the fact that the book is narrated in the first person by Genevieve, who uses many more complex and less common figures of speech than the ones she gets stumped by when others use them. For example, Genevieve is clueless when the following phrases are used: “My boss is riding my arse,” “I could kiss you right now” (when someone was thrilled with her work) and she does not know what a goon is, what being anal means, or what it means to be “sweet on you.” However, she uses phrases like “Relief stole my breath,” “bring me down a peg or two,” “cruising for a bruising,” and “above board.” The worst one from this Ph.D. educated woman is on page 192: “Were they primates, they might have started beating their chests.” Uh, sweetie, humans are primates.
August 14, 2012
I bought the book last night thinking that it looked interesting, something different. Little did I know that I was not going to sleep much. Genevieve pulled me into her life from the first page and would not let go. I loved the dynamics between all the characters, but it was Manny and Vinnie that really got to me.
This book is intelligently written, has great character development and a very intricate plot. There is a good balance between the mystery and the characters to keep driving the story forward. The characters were not the cut-out types you find in all the other books of this genre. This is a fresh voice and I hope there will be more books from Ms Ryan.
I loved it! Highly recommended reading.
This book is intelligently written, has great character development and a very intricate plot. There is a good balance between the mystery and the characters to keep driving the story forward. The characters were not the cut-out types you find in all the other books of this genre. This is a fresh voice and I hope there will be more books from Ms Ryan.
I loved it! Highly recommended reading.
December 17, 2013
And then Estelle Ryan said "What if my main character was a high functioning autistic woman with a weird quirk she uses to settle down?? I'M ON TO SOMETHING!!" And then she wrote this book. She was not on to something. This book would have been better served making the main character a perfectly normal person who's job it is to read body language/work out fraud, instead of a high functioning autistic woman who *gasp* does not understand social situations and takes everything literally!!!! Those last two things become EXTREMELY wearing over the course of this novel, which is why I say it would have been better served with a less quirky person as the main character. This is a pity, because I found the actual mystery story to be compelling and interesting. But the main character was so defined by her autism that I got annoyed, and will not read any of the follow-ups. I couldn't take it. At least it was free for the Kindle.
April 4, 2016
It amazes me how much a connection to a character plays into one’s enjoyment of a book and willingness to go along with a plot line. This is the first in a wonderful series I've just discovered. Genevieve is a highly functioning autistic person with a phenomenal memory. Think the Temple Grandin of the art world. She needs calm and predictable which is just what she doesn't get when she takes on a complicated case involving weapons theft, art forgeries, money laundering and murder. I love her ability to read the slightest facial and body movements to understand a person's true intentions and her use of mentally writing out Mozart's music to calm herself. I want to hug her but I know that would greatly upset her as physical touch is a big no-no. The rest of the characters are equally enjoyable. The plot will have your head spinning. But it's a very enjoyable book and I look forward to the rest of the series.
February 20, 2016
How does a book like this get so many four star or better ratings? I had to force myself to keep reading through the repetitive and irritating dialogue. Granted, we are given an attractive and exotic-for-many setting (Strasbourg, France) although everyone mostly speaks English and 80% of the narrative takes place in an apartment in front of three computer screens. Granted, also, that there is the structure for a pleasingly complicated and intricately connected conspiracy to uncover, intertwining the worlds of fine art auctions, international business, illegal arms deals, the economic, political, and espionage components of the European Union, the Russian Mafia, international philanthropy, and cybercrime. Central to the book, the author’s clever little invention that is supposed to make this so compelling and innovative, is a heroine investigator who is a high functioning autistic. We are supposed to pity her, empathize with her, and cheer her on to triumph. Think a feminine version of Sheldon Cooper who looks like Catherine Deneuve. Now surround her with flat character stereotypes of alpha males (we are reminded they are all alpha males every few paragraphs) in these four variants: the daddy figure, the bodyguard hunk figure, the crusty curmudgeon that’s really a sweetie figure, and the James Bond rapscallion figure. This last one is the love interest, though they all are bedazzled and smitten with her, fighting for her honor, scrambling over each other to please her, always putting her needs and wants first.
Hey, I think I just hit upon why so many female readers like this book.
I found the characters to all be too shallow, and the heroine’s constant inability to recognize or understand any slang, simile, or metaphor—so that the others have to chuckle and explain the meaning to her—got old really fast and moved on to obnoxious. She has brilliant recall, incredible precision, and her great gift is reading nonverbal body cues for intent and purpose. If she can memorize and speak several languages, couldn’t she have perused a book explaining idiomatic expressions at some point so we wouldn’t have to go through her learning them every other paragraph? And lest I appear cruel or insensitive to those on the spectrum, let me be clear. Some works attempting to share such a perspective can be powerful and compelling (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime comes to mind). This novel is not. It would have been much better if it had been edited way down; the heroine could remain incredibly adept at reading human behavior and lack social skills without making her so extreme at one end of the spectrum—then later in the book, when she rushes in to take charge in a moment of crisis, at least it would have been a bit more believable.
I see this is the first in a long series. I do not plan to continue to read more.
Hey, I think I just hit upon why so many female readers like this book.
I found the characters to all be too shallow, and the heroine’s constant inability to recognize or understand any slang, simile, or metaphor—so that the others have to chuckle and explain the meaning to her—got old really fast and moved on to obnoxious. She has brilliant recall, incredible precision, and her great gift is reading nonverbal body cues for intent and purpose. If she can memorize and speak several languages, couldn’t she have perused a book explaining idiomatic expressions at some point so we wouldn’t have to go through her learning them every other paragraph? And lest I appear cruel or insensitive to those on the spectrum, let me be clear. Some works attempting to share such a perspective can be powerful and compelling (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime comes to mind). This novel is not. It would have been much better if it had been edited way down; the heroine could remain incredibly adept at reading human behavior and lack social skills without making her so extreme at one end of the spectrum—then later in the book, when she rushes in to take charge in a moment of crisis, at least it would have been a bit more believable.
I see this is the first in a long series. I do not plan to continue to read more.
June 29, 2017
“According to the officers he shouted, ‘The red will end all twenty-seven daffodils. We will just have to sit back and watch. No one will escape the red who is all-powerful’.”
Still fighting the urge to grab the clean sheets of paper and write some Mozart, Dr. Genevieve Lenard listens to her boss' friend, Manny Millard sum up what clearly seems to be a straightforward murder case. The World renowned nonverbal specialist and art fraud investigator doesn't understand why the EDA needs her help. Soon, she'll understand that nothing in this case is simple. And Dr. Genevieve likes simplicity, order, and patterns. She has the gift of a very high IQ, but her social skills are below, very below the norms. Her doctorate in psychology hasn't helped in that arena. She is a high functioning Autistic woman with OCD tendencies who only sees black and white. She'll also learn to live in the grey area, be part of a team, and learn she has a big emotional heart as she discovers that this "simple murder" of a young artist is much more.
The murder also attracts the attention of Colin Frey, also world renowned. He is an art thief. Many artist friends have been killed. The weapons had been stolen from Eurocorps. Manny and his friend are working that case. But Genevieve and Colin start to see patterns. The two cases are one, and the case grows to include money laundering through a respected European Charity, gun running, and the corruption of high placed EU Officials. But will Genevieve and Colin survive and catch the megalomaniac "Piros"before he adds their names to his murderous list?
I received this free from a BookBub recommendation and I'm happy to say that I loved this novel. The Gauguin Connection: A Genevieve Lenard Novel kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning the pages. Estelle Ryan is easy to read and mixes humour into the suspense she fine tunes. Genevieve's complete honesty to her "criminals" kept me chuckling. Not laughing at her of course because Genevieve doesn't really have a mean bone in her body. She just doesn't understand slang and the concept of teamwork and friendship. She grows before the reader's eyes and it is wonderful to see. Her "criminals" are gentle with her and are her fiercest protectors. They are very patient with "Jen-girl" and I loved them for that. This is one the best books that I have "accidentally" read in a while.
Still fighting the urge to grab the clean sheets of paper and write some Mozart, Dr. Genevieve Lenard listens to her boss' friend, Manny Millard sum up what clearly seems to be a straightforward murder case. The World renowned nonverbal specialist and art fraud investigator doesn't understand why the EDA needs her help. Soon, she'll understand that nothing in this case is simple. And Dr. Genevieve likes simplicity, order, and patterns. She has the gift of a very high IQ, but her social skills are below, very below the norms. Her doctorate in psychology hasn't helped in that arena. She is a high functioning Autistic woman with OCD tendencies who only sees black and white. She'll also learn to live in the grey area, be part of a team, and learn she has a big emotional heart as she discovers that this "simple murder" of a young artist is much more.
The murder also attracts the attention of Colin Frey, also world renowned. He is an art thief. Many artist friends have been killed. The weapons had been stolen from Eurocorps. Manny and his friend are working that case. But Genevieve and Colin start to see patterns. The two cases are one, and the case grows to include money laundering through a respected European Charity, gun running, and the corruption of high placed EU Officials. But will Genevieve and Colin survive and catch the megalomaniac "Piros"before he adds their names to his murderous list?
I received this free from a BookBub recommendation and I'm happy to say that I loved this novel. The Gauguin Connection: A Genevieve Lenard Novel kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning the pages. Estelle Ryan is easy to read and mixes humour into the suspense she fine tunes. Genevieve's complete honesty to her "criminals" kept me chuckling. Not laughing at her of course because Genevieve doesn't really have a mean bone in her body. She just doesn't understand slang and the concept of teamwork and friendship. She grows before the reader's eyes and it is wonderful to see. Her "criminals" are gentle with her and are her fiercest protectors. They are very patient with "Jen-girl" and I loved them for that. This is one the best books that I have "accidentally" read in a while.
July 31, 2013
This book was truly marvelous. A real delight to read. A true gem that I am so glad to have found (thanks Fire Department eBooks!). Mysteries -- especially murder mysteries -- can be so hackneyed. I've read and watched my fair share to know that after a certain point, there are only so many protagonists, law enforcement agencies, motives, crimes, and crazy twists that you can incorporate before it either becomes boring or completely unbelievable. The Gauguin Connection defies that unfortunate reality. It is neither boring nor unbelievable. On the contrary, it is wonderfully fresh and cerebral. It is an exceptionally intelligent book (warning: not for idiots) that weaves a web of details that are often complex, complicated, and convoluted. But that is part of the charm of the book. It requires you to stay on your toes at all times, to be on guard for connections, and to open your mind to the intricacies of transnational crime. And none of this detracts from its thrilling and intriguing character. The drama is created by means of the discoveries made through research and analysis and it is just as rewarding as the execution of a search warrant on a house, for example. As the fuzzy picture of criss-crossing lines tying people, places, and events together slowly becomes clearer, the tension levels build up to a grand finale that, in comparison to other books would be anticlimactic or low-key, but fit perfectly with the cerebral aspect of the book.
The Gauguin Connection is a smart book. Not necessarily smart in the sense that you have to be intelligent (even though you really kinda do) but smart in the sense of creased lines and crisp pages. Everything is in its place; not a word is superfluous and everything comes together like an origami swan. It was the most refreshing book I have read in some time and I hope there will be many, many more adventures with Genevieve Lenard.
The Gauguin Connection is a smart book. Not necessarily smart in the sense that you have to be intelligent (even though you really kinda do) but smart in the sense of creased lines and crisp pages. Everything is in its place; not a word is superfluous and everything comes together like an origami swan. It was the most refreshing book I have read in some time and I hope there will be many, many more adventures with Genevieve Lenard.
August 14, 2012
I loved the characters!! Genevieve is different from all the characters we normally find in mysteries/thrillers/crime novels. It was well written, easy to read, difficult to put down.
Loads of conflict to keep the pace tight. Complex storyline, but easy to follow - I did not get confused even though there were a lot of factors involved in the murder of that young student.
The secondary characters were great. Colin, Vinnie and Manny were so clearly depicted that I know exactly what they look like. I hope that Ms Ryan will write a follow up book and that we will learn more about Francine - she sounded very interesting.
All in all I really recommend this book. You won't go wrong with this one!
Loads of conflict to keep the pace tight. Complex storyline, but easy to follow - I did not get confused even though there were a lot of factors involved in the murder of that young student.
The secondary characters were great. Colin, Vinnie and Manny were so clearly depicted that I know exactly what they look like. I hope that Ms Ryan will write a follow up book and that we will learn more about Francine - she sounded very interesting.
All in all I really recommend this book. You won't go wrong with this one!
June 25, 2022
4,25 stars - English Ebook
Asperger's Syndrome 'sufferer' Genevieve Lenard is a partner in Rousseau & Rousseau, an Art Insurance company, with Phillip who's protective of her, as she lives alone. Genevieve's condition causes her to hyperfocus on body language and this makes her a valuable asset when she acts as special consultant to EDF, a national security department led by Colonel Manny Millard.
When a dead female artist turns up with a strip from a Gaugin painting in her coat, Genevieve's talents are in demand. She also needs to help Manny and Leon uncover the truth about this and a number of other young artists' murders, believed to be carried out with stolen Europcorps weapons that are untraceable and all linked to Art auctions carried out on Russian-registered ships.
Who is Colin Frey and how does he come into Genevieve's flat and her life? What is his career/real lifestyle? What is the connection between Colin, stolen/returned artworks and the murdered artists? How does Genevieve react when stressed? Who attacks her at her home? Who becomes her live-in bodyguard? Who is Francine and how does she help Genevieve and Colin in their search? How is the master-crook unmasked?
I am hooked on the interesting way her 'handicap' becomes a positive inspiration for those she works and is induced to socialise with. I heartily recommend it to the intelligent fan of murder-mysteries with an unusual feisty protagonist leading a major investigation.
I loved this story and I'm sure you will too!
Asperger's Syndrome 'sufferer' Genevieve Lenard is a partner in Rousseau & Rousseau, an Art Insurance company, with Phillip who's protective of her, as she lives alone. Genevieve's condition causes her to hyperfocus on body language and this makes her a valuable asset when she acts as special consultant to EDF, a national security department led by Colonel Manny Millard.
When a dead female artist turns up with a strip from a Gaugin painting in her coat, Genevieve's talents are in demand. She also needs to help Manny and Leon uncover the truth about this and a number of other young artists' murders, believed to be carried out with stolen Europcorps weapons that are untraceable and all linked to Art auctions carried out on Russian-registered ships.
Who is Colin Frey and how does he come into Genevieve's flat and her life? What is his career/real lifestyle? What is the connection between Colin, stolen/returned artworks and the murdered artists? How does Genevieve react when stressed? Who attacks her at her home? Who becomes her live-in bodyguard? Who is Francine and how does she help Genevieve and Colin in their search? How is the master-crook unmasked?
I am hooked on the interesting way her 'handicap' becomes a positive inspiration for those she works and is induced to socialise with. I heartily recommend it to the intelligent fan of murder-mysteries with an unusual feisty protagonist leading a major investigation.
I loved this story and I'm sure you will too!
August 25, 2016
This slow dull 'thriller' introduces Dr Genevieve Lenard - apparently a "high functioning autistic" that works on art insurance fraud cases but now gets drawn into a case of stolen military weapons and multiple murders. Unfortunately in the hands of this unskilled fiction writer, the material reads in a plodding pedantic way with no sense of building tension and drama or how to reveal twists. Also what could've been a really fascinating central character becomes a stilted parody with so many contradictions that belie Lenard's apparent condition and phobias. For example apparently she hates being touched and can't cope with it; but within days of meeting a complete stranger in her apartment she's hugging and holding hands with him, as well as several other people who are brand new to her life. She recovers seemingly immediately from being attacked in her own safe space at home by a gang of military thugs, and it is barely mentioned again - instead of the reaction I would expect i.e. sending her into a spiralled panic requiring therapy and perhaps for her to move into a new home where she can feel safe. She doesn't even bother changing the locks or installing security cameras - strange for someone who lives their life apparently in a 'viewing room' watching video footage of people interacting, as I would've thought she'd be keen to re-watch footage of every visitor (and uninvited intruder) in her apartment.
Aside from the false nature of Genevieve Lenard, everything about Colin and Vinnie also really annoyed me - the arrogance of the way they forced their way into the situation and her life, the incredibly annoying "Jen Girl" nickname which just grated on me every single time.
The only character that felt genuine and held any interest for me was Philip, who was pretty quickly sidelined in this whole debacle (perhaps because he had more sense than to get involved).
Note: I originally gave this 2 stars but actually have now downgraded it to just 1 star cos writing this review reminded me just how rubbish this book / author is!
Aside from the false nature of Genevieve Lenard, everything about Colin and Vinnie also really annoyed me - the arrogance of the way they forced their way into the situation and her life, the incredibly annoying "Jen Girl" nickname which just grated on me every single time.
The only character that felt genuine and held any interest for me was Philip, who was pretty quickly sidelined in this whole debacle (perhaps because he had more sense than to get involved).
Note: I originally gave this 2 stars but actually have now downgraded it to just 1 star cos writing this review reminded me just how rubbish this book / author is!
January 29, 2020
This is one of the worst books I've read in awhile. The only reason why I finished it is because it's for a book club meeting I'm going to next week at an art museum - and I feel bad that I suggested that we read this book. I had been meaning to read it for several years, ever since my late father recommended it to me. Unfortunately, I can't go complain to him and ask him why in the world he liked this book so much.
First, I'm tired of the female savant protagonist. Stephen King has Holly Gibney, there's the GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and now Genevieve Lenard of THE GAUGUIN CONNECTION. There's no way you can forget that Genevieve has autism because it seems to be mentioned every page. Not only that, but you get to read all of her endless observations on body language. I didn't like this character, found her a little bit too clueless. My son is non-verbal autistic, and he understands social mores, slang, and idioms better than Genevieve.
Then there's the fact that this book is ENDLESS! It is over 400 pages long and was in serious need of editing, which easily could have cut it down to 250 pages. It is repetitive and boring, with Genevieve explaining the evidence she finds over and over again. There is way too much telling, not any showing, which contributes to this snooze fest of a mystery.
Finally, if you're looking to learn more about art crime, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. I am an art history professor and I teach an upper-level course in art crime, so I know what I'm talking about. You will not learn anything more about art crime, not just because your eyes will glaze over and you won't remember what the author said, but also because there's not much substance in this book.
How did this atrocity of a book ever get published? How are there so many other books in this series? How in the world did it get over a 4.0 rating on Goodreads? Now I have to go to the book club meeting next week, with my head hung low, knowing that I was the one who suggested this terrible tome. I will blame it all on my dad, lol.
First, I'm tired of the female savant protagonist. Stephen King has Holly Gibney, there's the GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and now Genevieve Lenard of THE GAUGUIN CONNECTION. There's no way you can forget that Genevieve has autism because it seems to be mentioned every page. Not only that, but you get to read all of her endless observations on body language. I didn't like this character, found her a little bit too clueless. My son is non-verbal autistic, and he understands social mores, slang, and idioms better than Genevieve.
Then there's the fact that this book is ENDLESS! It is over 400 pages long and was in serious need of editing, which easily could have cut it down to 250 pages. It is repetitive and boring, with Genevieve explaining the evidence she finds over and over again. There is way too much telling, not any showing, which contributes to this snooze fest of a mystery.
Finally, if you're looking to learn more about art crime, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. I am an art history professor and I teach an upper-level course in art crime, so I know what I'm talking about. You will not learn anything more about art crime, not just because your eyes will glaze over and you won't remember what the author said, but also because there's not much substance in this book.
How did this atrocity of a book ever get published? How are there so many other books in this series? How in the world did it get over a 4.0 rating on Goodreads? Now I have to go to the book club meeting next week, with my head hung low, knowing that I was the one who suggested this terrible tome. I will blame it all on my dad, lol.
October 1, 2017
Fascinating mystery about an autistic insurance detective assigned to an art forgery case. The art was secondary.
September 17, 2012
Thank goodness I discovered this on the only day it was free (once in a Blue Moon)as I probably would not have risked it otherwise and would have missed a great read. This one turned into one I hated to put down, a real page-turner. I'm still not sure how the author managed to maintain such a high tension level throughout an international mystery/thriller with very little actual action scenes, but she did it and made it seem effortless.
There were a number of things I would have expected not to like in this book. It lacked many things one expects in an international mystery/thriller, not much action and lots of relatively detailed high-tech investigation. Even had one of my 'pet peeves'the obligatory "B movie" scene where the girl opens the door she's told never/ever to open and the author makes even that work for me.
The characters are wonderful. When I pick up the next book in this series, I am going to know every one of these characters as individuals. A very different main female character, with significant issues (autism with specific problems) and while I don't know enough about autism to know if it is a truly accurate portrayal of this, it is a very effective and rational presentation and works well for the character. As a group, the interactions are believable, interesting and draw you into the storyline. Tension is maintained throughout the book without resorting to explosions, shootouts and other bloody confrontations, no car chases, no jumping out of helicopters or speedboats.
If I try, I can come up with a few things to criticize, a few times when the investigative details did drag a bit, a few times when the main character's autism issues might have been overdone, a few investigative threads a bit tangled, but overall it worked brilliantly.
I rarely gush in a book review but I was probably not more than half through with the book before I started looking to see if there were more in this series available. Unfortunately not yet, but I am pleased to see that one is being written.
There were a number of things I would have expected not to like in this book. It lacked many things one expects in an international mystery/thriller, not much action and lots of relatively detailed high-tech investigation. Even had one of my 'pet peeves'the obligatory "B movie" scene where the girl opens the door she's told never/ever to open and the author makes even that work for me.
The characters are wonderful. When I pick up the next book in this series, I am going to know every one of these characters as individuals. A very different main female character, with significant issues (autism with specific problems) and while I don't know enough about autism to know if it is a truly accurate portrayal of this, it is a very effective and rational presentation and works well for the character. As a group, the interactions are believable, interesting and draw you into the storyline. Tension is maintained throughout the book without resorting to explosions, shootouts and other bloody confrontations, no car chases, no jumping out of helicopters or speedboats.
If I try, I can come up with a few things to criticize, a few times when the investigative details did drag a bit, a few times when the main character's autism issues might have been overdone, a few investigative threads a bit tangled, but overall it worked brilliantly.
I rarely gush in a book review but I was probably not more than half through with the book before I started looking to see if there were more in this series available. Unfortunately not yet, but I am pleased to see that one is being written.
June 5, 2020
Dr. Genevieve Lenard, a psychology doctor with a specialty in reading body language cues, works for a company which insures art, helping her agency sniff out forgers and forgeries and such. She is extremely bright, strongly computer literate, oh, and autistic. The idiosyncrasies of autism, the blunt honesty and black/white view of the world, as well as organization to an extreme degree and tactile defensiveness are the basis of a whole character who is easy to like. Her body language reading skills work to compensate for her social awkwardness. When rattled, she tunes out and immerses herself in Mozart. This clears her mind and allows subconscious realizations to get to her conscious mind. For this woman who treasures consistency, she is in for an adventure. She is brought into a case of a murdered young woman by a government agency representative who wants an outsider because he has suspicions of some insider’s misdoings. Things escalate as a much, much larger problem than just the lone murder becomes more and more clear. Genevieve ends up working with that government agent, a rather crusty fellow, as well as others she never expected to associate with. Genevieve is well made, and the secondary characters, mostly four men, are fleshed out well. In the author’s words, she and others become “challenged outside of (their) clearly delineated beliefs”. This gives Genevieve a not particularly desired opportunity to bring some changes into her life. The running gag about her not understanding non-literal slang or such often brings smiles, particularly since one secondary character often speaks in figurative language. All of this goodness easily gets it four stars, but it earned its fifth in sheer reading pleasure. It was a book I put down only with great difficulty, having to step back and remind myself that the well-being of the characters would be the same tomorrow if I dared to put it down and sleep! Book two awaits….
August 9, 2014
The Gauguin Connection is a mystery thriller about art thefts and murders. The hook this author has is the protagonist has high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Written in first person. If you know me and my background (my family has some Autism, ranging from very low to very high functioning) you know that I will either like or hate this book. So many attempts are done poorly by posers, and aren't (almost) all of these authors posers?
Would you accept the word of a hearing person about how it feels to be born deaf? A white person about how it is be Korean? I am always skeptical of those who adopt another's voice, and most skeptical of those who choose to speak as one with Autism.
Is she believable? Yes, as a character and a detective. As a person with autism? .... I don't think so. She is too social and verbal and her "blackouts" seem contrived and convenient. The book starts out with her having a disability, somewhat like "Monk" but fades rapidly when the book actually needs to progress.
I did like the book and would have liked it more if the author hadn't given her character the diagnosis of autism, and left the reader to decide what she might have. Telling the reader "this is autism" leaves the author with a heavy burden of showing what high-functioning autism really looks like.
Would you accept the word of a hearing person about how it feels to be born deaf? A white person about how it is be Korean? I am always skeptical of those who adopt another's voice, and most skeptical of those who choose to speak as one with Autism.
Is she believable? Yes, as a character and a detective. As a person with autism? .... I don't think so. She is too social and verbal and her "blackouts" seem contrived and convenient. The book starts out with her having a disability, somewhat like "Monk" but fades rapidly when the book actually needs to progress.
I did like the book and would have liked it more if the author hadn't given her character the diagnosis of autism, and left the reader to decide what she might have. Telling the reader "this is autism" leaves the author with a heavy burden of showing what high-functioning autism really looks like.
April 25, 2014
This is my first meeting with author Estelle Ryan and her incomparable Doctor Genevieve Lenard, and I had a grand time with them. I found the character of Doctor Lenard fascinating. She has high-functioning autism. To keep from getting lost in the darkness (the extreme focus that people with autism fall into for hours, days, months), she copies in her head whole Mozart concertos.
It is amazing to watch this main character balance her need for order and cleanliness and the disorder and dirt of a case involving international terrorists and art forgers. We watch her grow and accept change as her strengths (the reading of micro-expressions and the discovery of patterns) turn into excellent sleuthing skills.
She does not let people into her life easily, yet by the end of the book she has acquired friends (a mysterious bodyguard, an affectionate art thief, and a grumpy cop with a heart of gold). It all makes me want to visit Strasbourg, France, and Genevieve's world again.
P.S. Fans of the television show Bones will see a similarity in how two women with high IQs handle the mundane.
It is amazing to watch this main character balance her need for order and cleanliness and the disorder and dirt of a case involving international terrorists and art forgers. We watch her grow and accept change as her strengths (the reading of micro-expressions and the discovery of patterns) turn into excellent sleuthing skills.
She does not let people into her life easily, yet by the end of the book she has acquired friends (a mysterious bodyguard, an affectionate art thief, and a grumpy cop with a heart of gold). It all makes me want to visit Strasbourg, France, and Genevieve's world again.
P.S. Fans of the television show Bones will see a similarity in how two women with high IQs handle the mundane.
August 18, 2012
Brilliant! I'm an avid crime/mystery reader and have really enjoyed this fresh voice. It's well written, has interesting characters, a good story and is different from all the other mysteries on the shelves. Different in that the main character, Dr Genevieve Lenard, is high functioning autistic. The story is told in the first person which immediately made me feel connected to her. She struggles with emotions, routine, social interaction - things that I assume would be problems for autistic people.
Not only did the book entertain me (and did it ever!), I actually learned a few things too. There is a lot of info on body language which I love to learn about. The plot itself had a lot of different parts that neatly came together. I really recommend it!
Not only did the book entertain me (and did it ever!), I actually learned a few things too. There is a lot of info on body language which I love to learn about. The plot itself had a lot of different parts that neatly came together. I really recommend it!
April 10, 2017
Great action thriller
The great thing I enjoyed the most about this book is the flawed main character, Genevieve Lenard. She has a form of autism that really makes her an interesting character.
Young artists are coming up dead with strips of actual paintings placed with their bodies. This one is about Gauguin's Still Life painting that has been forged.
The young, aspiring artists are forced to replicate these fine art pieces and are then killed. Along with a couple of criminal art thieves, Genevieve must find out who is doing these killings and forgeries before more artists lose their lives.
The great thing I enjoyed the most about this book is the flawed main character, Genevieve Lenard. She has a form of autism that really makes her an interesting character.
Young artists are coming up dead with strips of actual paintings placed with their bodies. This one is about Gauguin's Still Life painting that has been forged.
The young, aspiring artists are forced to replicate these fine art pieces and are then killed. Along with a couple of criminal art thieves, Genevieve must find out who is doing these killings and forgeries before more artists lose their lives.
May 28, 2018
This is easily a 5* story but let down with a 3.5* presentation, I'd say, so I can only give 4* on an average. What a shame as I loved the story and the great characters she's created. I do feel a little aggrieved at some of the reviewers bleating about Genevieve not being totally true to the life of someone with her condition. It's fiction, for goodness' sake and I didn't feel I lost out, since I wasn't wanting to read a book about Autism or Asperger's or whatever she has. That's just her background. So I'd ignore that sort of review, personally. If I had thought the book was going to be on about that all the time, I wouldn't have bothered with it, trust me.
Got that off my chest now......it was highly interesting learning how she managed to cope when her world was turned upside-down due to a case she's ordered to work on. She does so many things she wouldn't usually do and it was very funny in places as well. I really like both Colin and Vinnie and Phillip, her boss, is a prince. I hope they're all going to feature in her next adventure which I already have downloaded. One line near the end featuring another guy called Manny was so touching it also made me quite sniffy....
I did find myself a little bogged down in the final quarter as it was getting very convoluted and I needed to flick back 'n' forth a few times as I was getting a little confused as to how many artists there were, etc. This passage totally baffled me-"I frowned at Piros' name in the box with the extra angry lines surrounding it. His connection to this case was tenuous and it was easy enough to find him. Piros, on the other hand, was exceptionally adept at remaining an enigma"......I'm assuming the wrong name was used twice when it shouldn't have been.
Now errors.....way too many apostrophe ones nobody spotted and corrected, especially where plurals are concerned-226's/VIP's and every time, save one, she missed it out on weapons' theft !!! BUT, massive kudos for being the only author I've spotted to get it right on hornets' nest !! I made a special note of that because everyone usually gets that one wrong for some strange reason.
This line had an extra word-"I'd had only had academic knowledge" and this one lost one-"It wasn't a one-man job, so I asked Vinnie's help." Yet this passage makes no sense because one word has been misplaced or missed or something. Whatever it is, it's wrong as it stands-"One word combined all the loose bits of information to a state of completion where all my observations, analyses and theories into one single conclusion."
There was used and not their at one point and boar and not bore. She has a habit of writing born and not borne, too. Then gentleman and not gentlemen and very annoyingly, and carelessly, a big event they planned to attend on a Saturday was suddenly talked about occurring on a Friday !! Men's wear is usually just the one word-menswear and enveloped was written in place of envelope.
I hope she'll invest in a better editor or proofreader in the next story as these mistakes really ought to have been picked up if I managed to spot them !!
Got that off my chest now......it was highly interesting learning how she managed to cope when her world was turned upside-down due to a case she's ordered to work on. She does so many things she wouldn't usually do and it was very funny in places as well. I really like both Colin and Vinnie and Phillip, her boss, is a prince. I hope they're all going to feature in her next adventure which I already have downloaded. One line near the end featuring another guy called Manny was so touching it also made me quite sniffy....
I did find myself a little bogged down in the final quarter as it was getting very convoluted and I needed to flick back 'n' forth a few times as I was getting a little confused as to how many artists there were, etc. This passage totally baffled me-"I frowned at Piros' name in the box with the extra angry lines surrounding it. His connection to this case was tenuous and it was easy enough to find him. Piros, on the other hand, was exceptionally adept at remaining an enigma"......I'm assuming the wrong name was used twice when it shouldn't have been.
Now errors.....way too many apostrophe ones nobody spotted and corrected, especially where plurals are concerned-226's/VIP's and every time, save one, she missed it out on weapons' theft !!! BUT, massive kudos for being the only author I've spotted to get it right on hornets' nest !! I made a special note of that because everyone usually gets that one wrong for some strange reason.
This line had an extra word-"I'd had only had academic knowledge" and this one lost one-"It wasn't a one-man job, so I asked Vinnie's help." Yet this passage makes no sense because one word has been misplaced or missed or something. Whatever it is, it's wrong as it stands-"One word combined all the loose bits of information to a state of completion where all my observations, analyses and theories into one single conclusion."
There was used and not their at one point and boar and not bore. She has a habit of writing born and not borne, too. Then gentleman and not gentlemen and very annoyingly, and carelessly, a big event they planned to attend on a Saturday was suddenly talked about occurring on a Friday !! Men's wear is usually just the one word-menswear and enveloped was written in place of envelope.
I hope she'll invest in a better editor or proofreader in the next story as these mistakes really ought to have been picked up if I managed to spot them !!
July 16, 2018
Amazing!!
I loved everything about this first opus. Great characters, awesome plot. Complicated enough but not too intricated either. I particularly liked the characters in this novel. The main female character was splendidly approached, extremely quirky in a positive way. The dynamic between each characters was well described at all times, very pleasant to follow. On to Volume 2!
I loved everything about this first opus. Great characters, awesome plot. Complicated enough but not too intricated either. I particularly liked the characters in this novel. The main female character was splendidly approached, extremely quirky in a positive way. The dynamic between each characters was well described at all times, very pleasant to follow. On to Volume 2!
March 11, 2016
Another kindle read. This was a free kindle book that I got when I started following bookbub, but I had never gotten around to reading it. Now I am sorry it took me so long to read it. Main character is autistic, though has trained herself to be able to function in the everyday world. While the story itself is a bit over the top, the insight into how special needs people can, and do survive in a world where they are looked upon as "weird" is excellent. This is one series that I will be continuing to read. Highly recommend. <><
June 10, 2016
JUNK!!
It's just another of those American pulp-thrillers,
only in an European setting. The author is simply
in love with unnecessary theatrics and long-winded,
often confusing plot threads. The heroine having a
form of 'high functioning autism' adds some novelty
value but soon gets pretty irritating. As far as the
'whodunnit' part goes, the storyline is quite pathetic.
The book even fails to give a feel for the European set
up properly. I would not touch another book by this author.
It's just another of those American pulp-thrillers,
only in an European setting. The author is simply
in love with unnecessary theatrics and long-winded,
often confusing plot threads. The heroine having a
form of 'high functioning autism' adds some novelty
value but soon gets pretty irritating. As far as the
'whodunnit' part goes, the storyline is quite pathetic.
The book even fails to give a feel for the European set
up properly. I would not touch another book by this author.
February 4, 2017
Adored this book. Now I have to read the whole series!
Very entertaining mix of art history, suspense, and engaging characters. The suspense and pacing were perfect. The protagonist and her quirky behavior were so endearing, as was the budding romance with the undercover art thief.
Off to buy the next book!
Very entertaining mix of art history, suspense, and engaging characters. The suspense and pacing were perfect. The protagonist and her quirky behavior were so endearing, as was the budding romance with the undercover art thief.
Off to buy the next book!
January 25, 2016
I love Dr. Genevieve Lenard. She reminds me of Dr. Temperance Brennan, from Bones a little bit, and also of Dr. Cal Lightman from Lie to Me. A brilliant psychologist with high functioning autism, Dr. Lenard is the third best "reader" (of human emotions, verbal, and non verbal signs) in the world. She is however, not the best at using said readings in social situations. She is complex, nuanced, and layered; much unlike the many female protagonists that I have come to read about today. She spews facts, and recites Mozart when she is tense. She doesn't get the reference of "Big Brother is watching", or of Nancy Drew. Oh, and she likes Ella Fitzgerald. She is the exact opposite of a damsel in distress, and she stands her ground about the way she goes about things. At the same time, she is not stupid enough to deny that she needs help, when she needs help. True, she does walk into a sticky situation towards the end, but hey, so did Harry Potter. Some of my favourite lines:
"“Greed, one of man’s greatest weaknesses.” Humans disgusted me."
"“Hence the need for an outsider.” Manny was the only other person, aside from myself, whom I had ever heard use the word ‘hence’. I liked him a fraction more."
“As soon as possible or as thoroughly as possible?”
"Not only did people lie easily, they just as quickly believed a lie."
"I should buy a slang dictionary."
When Vinnie refers to himself as a redneck: “Your neck isn’t red. Are you referring to the subculture in America of unskilled, uneducated, inbred communities? You can’t possibly come from such a community, Vinnie. You exhibit none of the typical traits. I know. I read up on that socioeconomic group once.”
"A colourful promotional brochure advertised an art auction on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise. People were so gullible. There were not many products in life that could not be bought again."
Talking about male behaviour: "If you can’t be civil to each other, you can both leave.” Really. I had had enough of this posturing and male intimidation."
And again: "The behaviour of this gender was at times utterly ridiculous. I sighed."
Yet again: “Colin, you don’t intimidate me with your dominant display of vexation.”
And again: “I knew that Phillip was going to argue with me about Vinnie’s presence and I didn’t want you to overhear something that would cause another show of male behaviour. As fascinating as I find men beating their chests, I don’t know how to referee that and didn’t want it in my apartment.”
When she was told she didn't know a lot of things: “There are a lot of things I don’t know.” For instance, how to build a computer virus. I also didn’t know all the species of animals on this planet of ours. Nor did I know who the most influential people in the fashion industry were. Until recently I hadn’t known about Kwaito, a music genre specific to South Africa.
When she was told the foundation was run by goons: “Who is this Mister Goons?”
On being called anal “What does my anus have to do with being organised?”
“Firstly, nobody gets to tell me what I can or can’t do. Secondly, and more importantly, it would be a crime if we don’t use this opportunity to catch Piros.”
You go girl!
Ms. Ryan's characterisation is brilliant. Interestingly enough, I did not hate, or even come close to disliking any of the characters in the book. Colin, the suave, cunning thief with a surprisingly solid moral compass; Vinnie, the big, strong body guard with a heart of gold; Phillip, the aged, and wise boss; Manny, the seasoned detective; and Francine, the genius hacker and the resident conspiracy-theorist. True, while all of these characters did represent cliches, they were sufficiently well-layered to make me not care about the cliches.
The plot was well-written, with enough twists to keep me reading, but not enough to confuse the hell out of me.
I liked everything about this book. The characters were likable, the plot, gripping, and the ending, fitting. The dialogues were well written; there were no grammatical errors, and no unnecessary descriptors. The plot, however, at some points did get predictable. Also, some of the really small things irked me. Like the fact that Irena's last name should have been Kubanova, and not Kubanov.
But the errors were too few and far between to keep me from liking the book. You have wowed me Ms. Ryan. I've already bought the next book in the collection.
"“Greed, one of man’s greatest weaknesses.” Humans disgusted me."
"“Hence the need for an outsider.” Manny was the only other person, aside from myself, whom I had ever heard use the word ‘hence’. I liked him a fraction more."
“As soon as possible or as thoroughly as possible?”
"Not only did people lie easily, they just as quickly believed a lie."
"I should buy a slang dictionary."
When Vinnie refers to himself as a redneck: “Your neck isn’t red. Are you referring to the subculture in America of unskilled, uneducated, inbred communities? You can’t possibly come from such a community, Vinnie. You exhibit none of the typical traits. I know. I read up on that socioeconomic group once.”
"A colourful promotional brochure advertised an art auction on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise. People were so gullible. There were not many products in life that could not be bought again."
Talking about male behaviour: "If you can’t be civil to each other, you can both leave.” Really. I had had enough of this posturing and male intimidation."
And again: "The behaviour of this gender was at times utterly ridiculous. I sighed."
Yet again: “Colin, you don’t intimidate me with your dominant display of vexation.”
And again: “I knew that Phillip was going to argue with me about Vinnie’s presence and I didn’t want you to overhear something that would cause another show of male behaviour. As fascinating as I find men beating their chests, I don’t know how to referee that and didn’t want it in my apartment.”
When she was told she didn't know a lot of things: “There are a lot of things I don’t know.” For instance, how to build a computer virus. I also didn’t know all the species of animals on this planet of ours. Nor did I know who the most influential people in the fashion industry were. Until recently I hadn’t known about Kwaito, a music genre specific to South Africa.
When she was told the foundation was run by goons: “Who is this Mister Goons?”
On being called anal “What does my anus have to do with being organised?”
“Firstly, nobody gets to tell me what I can or can’t do. Secondly, and more importantly, it would be a crime if we don’t use this opportunity to catch Piros.”
You go girl!
Ms. Ryan's characterisation is brilliant. Interestingly enough, I did not hate, or even come close to disliking any of the characters in the book. Colin, the suave, cunning thief with a surprisingly solid moral compass; Vinnie, the big, strong body guard with a heart of gold; Phillip, the aged, and wise boss; Manny, the seasoned detective; and Francine, the genius hacker and the resident conspiracy-theorist. True, while all of these characters did represent cliches, they were sufficiently well-layered to make me not care about the cliches.
The plot was well-written, with enough twists to keep me reading, but not enough to confuse the hell out of me.
I liked everything about this book. The characters were likable, the plot, gripping, and the ending, fitting. The dialogues were well written; there were no grammatical errors, and no unnecessary descriptors. The plot, however, at some points did get predictable. Also, some of the really small things irked me. Like the fact that Irena's last name should have been Kubanova, and not Kubanov.
But the errors were too few and far between to keep me from liking the book. You have wowed me Ms. Ryan. I've already bought the next book in the collection.
February 20, 2023
Dr. Genevieve Lenard, a specialist in body reading, works for an insurance group that includes, among its clients, various art masters owned by private individuals and museums. Genevieve is high spectrum autistic, is brilliant in her field, and has zero social skills. Pulled in by her boss into an investigation for another agency that involves missing weapons, she discovers that major art fraud, Russian mafia, money laundering, and murder are all involved. Using her skills and a reluctant collaboration with Colin Frey, who may or may not be a criminal himself, she works to unravel the mystery.
This is book one of a series. I absolutely loved it! First there is Genevieve who takes things that people say very literally which provides a different type of character than I have encountered before. She is not Elinor Oliphant. Second are the secondary characters who are interesting in their own rights (love Vinnie!) And the plot is involved and just complicated enough to keep up my interest. I am looking forward to the rest off this series.
This is book one of a series. I absolutely loved it! First there is Genevieve who takes things that people say very literally which provides a different type of character than I have encountered before. She is not Elinor Oliphant. Second are the secondary characters who are interesting in their own rights (love Vinnie!) And the plot is involved and just complicated enough to keep up my interest. I am looking forward to the rest off this series.
July 30, 2018
3.5/5 - i'm so happy I discovered this series - it's very entertaining, all these different types of characters, these misfits obliged to work together even if they loathed each other, to make sure to arrest the real bad guys - cann't wait to read all the other books in the series
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