First published 2000
Martin Clay stares at a painting that could change everything. The young art historian believes he has stumbled upon an extraordinary find, one that promises to establish his career, serve the public good, and potentially earn him substantial money. The opportunity appears perfect, almost too good to be true. Clay moves forward with his discovery, but each step draws him deeper into increasingly complex moral territory. What began as a straightforward scholarly pursuit becomes something far more complicated. Clay must navigate competing interests, ethical questions, and professional pressures as his supposed stroke of luck transforms into something much more treacherous. The young academic finds himself caught between ambition and conscience, forced to examine what he truly values and how far he will go to achieve his goals.
Genres: fiction, art, literary-fiction, contemporary, art-history, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: ambition-vs-conscience, moral-quandary
344 pages · Paperback · Picador