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Ballantine
May 2007
On Sale: May 15, 2007
240 pages
ISBN: 0345494660
EAN: 9780345494665
Hardcover
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Thriller Legal
Haarlem, Holland, seventeenth-century: The cityβs chief magistrate commissions a family portrait from Dutch master painter Johannes Miereveld. But when the artist sees the magistrateβs daughter, Amalia, an illicit love affair begins. Miereveld creates a captivating masterpiece, The Chrysalisβa stunning portrait of the Virgin Mary, full of Catholic symbols, that outrages his Protestant patron and signals the death of his career. New York, present day: Mara Coyne is one high-profile case away from making partner at her powerful Manhattan law firm, and now the client that is sure to seal the deal has fallen into her lap. The prestigious Beazleyβs auction house is about to sell a lost masterwork, The Chrysalis, in an auction that is destined to become legendary. Standing in the way, however, is the shocking accusation that the painting belongs not to Beazleyβs client but to Hilda Baum, the daughter of a Dutch collector who lost his paintingsβ and his lifeβto the Nazis. The case brings an unexpected surprise when Mara discovers that Beazleyβs in-house attorney is Michael Roarke, a man for whom she once had an intense attraction. But the same skills that make her a brilliant litigator also make Mara suspicious, and she begins to believe that Hildaβs tragic family story might be more than just heartbreakingβit might be true. And the man sheβs come to love might not be who she thought he was at all. Spanning centuries and continents, The Chrysalis is a brilliant, intelligent, fast-paced thriller that melds art and history into a provocative work of fiction. From the underground Catholicism inseventeenth-century Holland to the unspeakable crimes of the Nazis and the repercussions that reverberate to this day throughout the art world, Heather Terrell has created a fascinating story that will entrance readers to the very last page.
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