Product Description
An artist born outside his time, Chaz Wilmot can paint like Leonardo, Goya, Gainsborough—and he refuses to shape his talent to fit the fashion of the day. His unique abilities attract the attention of Werner Krebs, an art dealer with a dark past and shadier present, and soon Wilmot is working with a fervor he hasn't felt in years. But his creative burst is accompanied by strange interludes—memories that are not memories . . . and he begins to wonder if he is really the person he believes he is. When a previously unknown masterpiece by the Spanish painter Velázquez is discovered, the artist suddenly finds himself lost in a mirrored house of illusions—and propelled into a secret world of greed, lies . . . and murder.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 29 reviews)

The best Gruber by C. Kovac

5 Stars
September 30, 2009
Admittedly, I am a Michael Gruber fan - but this is perhaps his best book yet. We get what we have come to expect from this writer - snappy dialogue, sophistication, humor. A master of the change-up, Gruber has a way of juxtaposing within a single sentence erudition and idiom that keeps the reader on their toes. A finely drawn (npi) central character with more depth than we've seen before in Gruber's previous novels. Not surprisingly, there is a supernatural angle in the book - but this time it takes us into a realm of psychology and introspection and leads us to important questions that just might be relevant in our own lives. The nature of reality, in a world where many things become more and more virtual. The obligations that come with talent - you gotta wonder if Gruber's own personal history, using his own considerable talent to ghost for another for so long, isn't reflected in Chaz Wilmot's life story. I loved the Gruber books in the Karp series; I liked the Jimmy Paz novels. I read the Book of Air and Shadows and enjoyed it - but I can't remember it now. This one is different, and better. Kudos, Mr. Gruber - I can hardly wait for your next.

Author is great, narrator is wanting by The Lorax

3 Stars
July 30, 2009
I'm enjoying the story very much, but the narration on the CD version is wretched. The acting is terrible, there is no vocal distinction between the characters so you can't tell who is saying what. There is barely any inflection and there are foreign characters, but no attempt at developing accents. I hope I don't have to listen to this narrator again--very poor, though the story is very enjoyable and is drawing me along very effectively.

Art Forgery Audio Unabridged 9 cds by Barbara Lane (Sydney Australia)

4 Stars
July 24, 2009
It's been suggested that there's a fine line between brilliance and madness and it is exactly this edge becomes the centerpiece of exploration for "The Forgery of Venus." This brilliantly written, fascinating story focuses on the life of Chaz Wilmot, an artist of exceptional talent who has had to make a hard living from commercial work. Chaz Wilmont has led a less than normal life (doing drugs) and despite his superior talent, he finds himself desperate for money to help support his sick child who needs expensive medical treatment. To make ends meet, Chaz first agrees to participate in a drug study on creativity. He also receives an even more lucrative offer he finds he cannot refuse. His best friend, gallery owner Mark Slade, tells him about a ceiling in Venice that needs a secret restoration. He is worried it is more of a forgery but desparate for money he agrees. Fast pace and intreging. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the arts.

Book Club Selection by Designer Lady (Carmel , Ca, USA)

5 Stars
June 08, 2009
An accomplished writer / avid reader in my book club highly recommended this book for our group, and I was so happy she did. Gruber wraps it all up in this book - intellect, drama, humor, history, and outstanding writing technique. I don't do "time travel" well (says my husband) but Gruber successfully wove a tale that could traverse centuries seamlessly. Outstanding!

TheForgery of Venus by JS Ward

5 Stars
May 07, 2009
Brilliant read, very clever, not one to be missed Inspired to read more by Michael Gruber

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	Valley of Bones: A Novel by Michael Gruber (Author) Critically acclaimed, bestselling author Michael Gruber's second novel to feature police detective Jimmy Paz is a chilling and remarkable work of intelligence and imagination. After a wealthy oilman plunges ten stories to his death from the balcony of a Miami hotel, Paz and the young cop who witnessed the fall discover a woman on her knees praying in the dead man's room. A motive and strong evidence point to the woman—Emmylou Dideroff—as the murderer, but she insists that she's innocent...
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	Tropic of Night: A Novel by Michael Gruber (Author) Jane Doe lives in the shadows under an assumed name. A once-promising anthropologist and an expert on shamanism, everyone thinks she's dead. Or so she hopes. Jimmy Paz is a Cuban-American police detective. Straddling two cultures, he understands things others cannot. When the killings start -- a series of ritualistic murders -- all of Miami is terrified. Especially Jane. She knows the dark truth that Jimmy must desperately search to uncover. As their lives slowly...
	The Book of Air and Shadows: A Novel by Michael Gruber (Author) A fire destroys a New York City rare bookstore—and reveals clues to a treasure worth killing for. . . . A disgraced scholar is found tortured to death. . . . And those pursuing the most valuable literary find in history are about to cross from the harmless mundane into inescapable nightmare. From the acclaimed, bestselling author of Tropic of Night comes a breathtaking thriller that twists, shocks, and surprises at every turn as it crisscrosses centuries, from the glaring...
	The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber (Author) This critically acclaimed tale of a witch and her goblin-child is wholly original, and the legendary characters of old who touch their story -- Cinderella, Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin -- are made new through Michael Gruber's imaginative lens. Gruber's literary voice is as magical as his imagination. With The Witch's Boy he has created a wondrous journey through the realms of magic.