The Portrait Girl thrusts its bereaved and beleaguered heroine, jewellery designer Freya Wetherby, into an astonishing world of re-enacted Victorian art salons and the devious machinations of modern art theft.

Seeking the identity of a miniature portrait found in her late mother’s belongings, Freya becomes enraptured not only by this mysterious young woman but also by the hypnotic personality of art collector Ralph Merrick and his colourful entourage, including the dangerously attractive ‘Jack.’

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Thoroughly researched, the milieu in which The Portrait Girl would have moved is beautifully rendered by Swengley, as are the artworks and jewellery designs imagined in the novel. Freya’s own contemporary world and circumstances form a dramatic backdrop to the seductive ‘time slip’ episodes, a mirage created by Merrick that draws her into his web.

Ideal for fans of commercial fiction with compelling female heroines, this thrilling story has a literary quality and elements that will appeal to readers of historical fiction, as well as those with a passion for art and design.

My Review

I had no idea what to expect when I started reading The Portrait Girl. What we know is that Freya’s mother has just died and Freya needs to clear out her cottage and then decide whether to sell it, rent it out or keep it. Unfortunately, the jewellery business she ran with her husband failed and it also saw the end of their marriage. She is now on her uppers, and it appears her ex-husband sold one of her designs without crediting her or paying her a fee.

While going through her mother’s things, Freya discovers a portrait miniature, but she has no idea who the subject is or what it has to do with her family. Determined to discover its secrets, she finds herself drawn into the world of art collector Ralph Merrick and his ‘salons’. Merrick invites his friends and colleagues to take part in Victorian evenings, where everyone dresses up and becomes a character. For the evening Freya is known as Emily Meadowcroft, and everyone seems to know her.

It’s all a bit strange and Freya’s best friend Brooke fears for her safety. Something more than a bit of fun is going on at these salons. I have to say at this point, that one of the evenings is different from the others. It’s a seance with a medium and everything, and I would give this book 5 stars for that chapter alone. It was brilliantly written and so vivid, I could have been part of it.

The Portrait Girl was very different from my usual books. We swing back and forth from now to the 1880s, but much of it is not the real 1880s, but Merrick’s parties where everyone behaves as though it is. And no-one is ever out of character. Who are these people, particularly Jack, with whom Freya appears to be smitten. But is she smitten with Jack or the real person pretending to be him.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours

About the Author

Nicole Swengley is a highly regarded and experienced journalist who has written about art and design for titles such as The Times, Financial Times, the Telegraph, London Evening Standard and many others. A past student of the Faber Academy, Nicole has written non-fiction books for Collins and Adlard Coles, and has had several short stories published.