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I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby. It’s set in the art world, and art was not a subject I excelled at in school. But the story hooked me from the beginning and held my interest throughout.

In 1938, Juliette Willoughby and her married lover die in a fire alongside her Surrealist masterpiece, Self-Portrait as Sphinx. In 1991 two Cambridge art history students become interested in learning about Juliette and start to believe the fire might not have been accidental. Fast forward to the present day and Juliette’s name is popping up in the headlines again.

Not sure if this book technically qualifies as historical fiction or not. The main artists featured are fictional characters but others mentioned are real figures. Regardless, it’s a fascinating story and has a nice balance of info about the Surrealist movement and a plot revolving around more than one mystery. Now I wouldn’t say all the mystery elements were shocking but there was just something about the writing that made me want to see everything play out. That’s a sign of good storytelling right there.

Don’t sleep on this one, it’s a worthwhile read!

Thank you Harper for sending me a free advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.