This month, I’m talking to bestselling novelist Katherine Reay. Her just-released novel, THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE, takes readers behind the scenes of the art world in glamorous, 1970’s London.
The story centers on Lily Summer, a young, recently-promoted assistant and her boss, Diana Gilden, the polished and highly respected keeper of the prestigious Tate Gallery’s Modern collection, whose Picasso Commemorative exhibition is meant to be the capstone of her already glittering career.
At the exhibition opening, Lily does the unthinkable, stepping forward and to declare one of the Picasso paintings to be a forgery. It’s a shocking assertion that not only puts her own career at risk, but Diana’s too, the mentor she has idolized for so long. With the clock ticking and forces aligned against her, Lily must uncover the truth behind the Picasso before she loses her career, and her freedom.
Q: Welcome, Katherine! And thanks for joining us today. I’m eager to introduce readers to more your wonderful, page-turning new novel. Tell us, what inspired you to write THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE, and how did you create your characters Lily and Diana?
A: While I was inspired by the 1999 Thomas Crown Affair and the classic Hepburn movie, How to Steal a Million, the idea started with an article a friend sent me about a famous art forger who had been released from jail in 2015 and canvased what he was up to now — and how painting under his own name was going. Instantly the story emerged — the idea of a forgery, what drives one to forge and hide one’s identity that way, and how even we are sometimes not always our authentic selves.
As for our leading ladies, Lily and Diana, I envisioned Diana first. She became strong and clear to me very quickly on two levels — her backstory and her persona. And those are very different! Lily came along in tandem and, in many ways, her character runs both parallel and perpendicular to Diana. Yet, I knew from the start, it wasn’t Diana’s story — it was Lily’s.
Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: Delving into the twentieth century and its art on multiple levels was tremendous fun. The most dynamic part of my research, however, was a trip to London and an interview with the chairman of an insurance company that is part of the Lloyd’s syndicate. Yes, the most exciting part was insurance… But it was that trip and the insights gleaned into the insurance classification of art, the movement of art, and its evolving nature as an investment from the 1970s into the 1980s that really framed the story. It provided the propulsion for Lily’s chase for the truth and for a little romance too.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Lily and Diana?
A: Great question! These two are complex and fascinating and the dynamic between them is layered, to say the least. Diana is Lily’s mentor and her boss on the surface, but it’s all the undercurrents in their relationship that makes it interesting. Diana has trained and formed Lily in many — Lily is almost Diana’s own “masterpiece” — in ways that, until the deep into the story, Lily herself doesn’t fully grasp. Lily wants to be Diana, and yet does she really know Diana? And, as she learns about her, will she change her mind?
Q: The novel centers around a Picasso painting that might be a forgery. Why did you choose Picasso as a major focus of the novel?
A: Picasso was — and to a great degree remains — the world’s most famous artist. He is an icon. His 1960 showing at the Tate Gallery was the world’s first “blockbuster” art show and his death shook everyone in the spring of 1973. Museums around the world were racing to honor him. Not only that, Picasso is also history’s most forged artist — I guess when you span all those artistic movements, forgers have a lot of bandwidth with which to work — so he was a natural for this story on many levels. Forgers definitely have their favorites.
Q: Once readers finish THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE, I know they’re going to want more from you. So can you tell us what are you working on now?
A: In my head it’s titled THE UNDERCOVER BOOKSHOP and it’s a split-time story with a London bookshop, a spy, a young mother, a young doctor, a bookshop owner, and a mystery stretching back four-generations to 1950. As I’ve only ever titled one of my own books, DEAR MR. KNIGHTLEY,I would caution you not to expect that title to stick. That said, I do really like it and feel it fits the story perfectly.
Q: Sounds like a very intriguing story. Can’t wait to read it. But is there anything else we should know right now?
A: Simply thank you! I am so delighted to be here today to share THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE with you and I hope everyone who reads it has a wonderful time! Thank you!!!
A Novel
Set in the art world of 1970s London, The English Masterpiece is a fast-paced read to the end, full of glamour and secrets, tensions and lies, as one young woman races against the clock to uncover the truth about a Picasso masterpiece. Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Ariel Lawhon.
As the recently promoted assistant to the Tate's Modern Collections keeper Diana Gilden, Lily helps plan a world-class Picasso exhibit to honor the passing of the great artist—and she's waited her whole life for this moment. The opening is beyond anyone's expectations—the lighting, the champagne, the glittering crowd, and the international acclaim—until Lily does the unthinkable. She stops in front of a masterpiece and hears her own voice say, "It's a forgery." The gallery falls silent.
Lily's boss, Diana, is polished perfection, schooled in art, and descends from European high society. She's worked hard to become the trusted voice in London's modern art scene and respected across the Continent. The Tate's Picasso Commemorative is to be her crowning achievement, featuring not only the artist's most iconic and intimate works, but a newly discovered painting—one she advised an investor to purchase. But when Lily makes her outrageous declaration, suspicion and scandal threaten everything Diana has achieved, as museums and collectors across Europe, already doubting most post-war acquisitions, fall into chaos and rumors of a world-wide forgery run wild.
All Lily has ever wanted is to follow in Diana's footsteps and take the art world by storm in her own right. Yet one comment puts not only her own career at risk but also her mentor's. Unless . . . Was she right? With the clock ticking and the clues starting to pile up against her, Lily must uncover the truth behind the Picasso before she loses not only the career she's always wanted, but her freedom.
Block off your calendar and lose yourself in The English Masterpiece, a thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end from the author who brought you The London House and The Berlin Letters.
Action | Mystery | Women's Fiction Historical [Harper Muse, On Sale: June 10, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9781400347278 / eISBN: 9781400347285]
Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author who has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books. She publishes both fiction and nonfiction, holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois, with her husband and three children. Follow Katherine on Instagram, Facebook and her personal website here.
When not curled up with a good book, Marie Bostwick can usually be found in her office, trying to write one.
A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty uplifting works of historical and contemporary fiction, Marie’s books are beloved by readers across the globe.
Drawing on her lifelong love of quilting and her unshakable belief in the power of sisterhood, Marie’s popular Cobbled Court Quilt series has been embraced by quilters and non-sewers alike. Her standalone books have also found a passionate following among lovers of women’s fiction. Marie’s novel, The Second Sister” was adapted into the 2018 Hallmark Hall of Fame feature film “Christmas Everlasting”, starring Patti LaBelle. Marie’s most recent novel, Hope on the Inside, was published in March 2019 and was chosen as a Reader’s Digest “Select Editions” book.
Marie’s novel, Hope on the Inside, was published in March 2019 and was chosen as a Reader’s Digest “Select Editions” book. Marie’s books have been published in fourteen different languages.
Her latest novel, “The Book Club for Troublesome Women”, was published on April 22nd, 2025 by Harper Muse, a fiction imprint of Harper Collins Focus.
Marie lives in Washington state with her husband and a beautiful but moderately spoiled Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
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