Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Paris Portrait by Heidi Eljarbo, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Paris Portrait
Series: A Fabiola Bennett Mystery #3
Author: Heidi Eljarbo
Publisher: Independently published
Release Date: November 12, 2024
Genre: Historical Mystery, Dual Timeline, Fiction
Fabiola stumbles upon a clue that indicates a royal portrait went missing almost two hundred years ago. Is this true, or is there substance to the rumor?
Paris, France, 1973.
After an enjoyable but dusty road trip, Fabiola and her friends, Pippa and Cary, arrive in a small village on the outskirts of Paris to spend a few days with Fabiola’s brother Eivind and his family.
On their first evening there, Eivind shows Fabiola an ancient recipe book he bought at an auction. The book is filled with old writing, and he asks Fabiola to decipher the pages. After the others have gone to bed, she spends hours reading and is gripped by the last pages that have nothing to do with recipes for baked goods and stews. Certain the author was a famous portrait artist at the time of the French Revolution, Fabiola and her friends set out on a treacherous investigation, dodging murderers and thieves to learn the truth.
Versailles, France, 1789.
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun— portraitist and close friend of the extravagant queen of France, Marie Antoinette—has already painted thirty portraits of the queen. Her contemporaries compare her to the old Dutch masters, calling her one of the greatest portrait painters of her time.
But outside on the streets, Paris is becoming more perilous with every day that passes. Madame Le Brun would be a fool to think the rumors of a revolution will pass, and aristocratic life will continue as before.
Amid the turmoil, she paints one final portrait of Marie Antoinette, knowing well her association with the queen could cause her to be arrested or executed. As chaos and riots in Paris turn to violence, Madame Le Brun flees with her young daughter, hoping her royal friend and the portrait will be safe.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
More Books in This Series
The Paris Portrait is the third in Heidi Eljarbo’s Fabiola Bennett series, and I think it’s the best yet!
Fabiola and her two dearest friends, Cary and Pippa, are taking a vacation to visit Fabiola’s brother Eivind in France. But even on vacation, intrigue finds them. Eivind shows Fabiola an old recipe book he picked up at auction and asks for her help interpreting the old handwriting in the book. Fabiola realizes the writer of the mysterious notes was painter Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. And the notes refer to a lost painting by Le Brun of Queen Marie Antoinette. Well, you know when there’s an art mystery to be solved, Fabiola is off and running.
What a fascinating story! I don’t know much about art, and y’all know I love books where I learn things. Heidi Eljarbo gave me an education on Le Brun and Marie Antoinette and some of the history of the French Revolution, and it was marvelous. And it didn’t come across all lecture-ish, but rather felt like I was getting a bird’s-eye view of history.
The action moves easily between 1973 (sort of modern day, at least in my mind!) and the late eighteenth century, and Eljarbo gives us some interesting characters and a most engaging mystery. With every clue Fabiola and friends track down, more questions arise, and before the tale is told, danger comes closer than any of them would like.
It was fun getting to know Fabiola’s family a little better. I love that Eivind and his wife run a bakery. The descriptions were so wonderful, I could almost smell the pastries! And getting to see Auntie Fabsi interact with her niece and nephew was just delightful. For those of you hoping for more on the romance front, you’ll be glad to know there are several little glimmers of hope for a future of more than just friendship for Fabiola and Cary. That made me smile!
The Paris Portrait is another winner from Heidi Eljarbo, highly recommended for fans of art, history, mystery, and a good dual-timeline story!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
Keep scrolling to enter the giveaway!
About the Author
Heidi Eljarbo grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.
Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are her family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
Connect with Heidi by visiting heidieljarbo.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon giftcard + a paperback of one Fabiola Bennett Mystery of your choice!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 12, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 19, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Thanks for your review.
great review, Lisa! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts 🙂
This looks like a fantastic read. Thanks for sharing.
I have definitely added this to my TBR list! <3