For her doctoral thesis, Dee wants to study the relationship between drugs and art. She learns that Modigliani painted while under the influence of hashish and leaves for Italy in search of this lost painting… but she is not the only one interested in this painting. In parallel, Peter, an artist whose reputation is declining, and his friend, plan a huge art forgery with the aim of showing how the art world is corrupt. Several protagonists and intertwined stories that make sense at the end added to a few great twists make this book a really good read.
“She lifted the first painting from the top of a pile and held it up to the candle. A thick layer of dust on the glass obscured the canvas underneath. She needed a duster. She looked around for something suitable. Of course, there would be nothing like that here. She did not have a handkerchief. With a sigh, she hitched up her dress and took off her panties. They would have to do. Now she would have to be extra careful not to get the priest beneath her on the spiral staircase. She giggled softly to herself and wiped the dust off the painting.”