Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Years ago, Dieter Krumpf’s grandmother died and left him everything, including a photo album containing pictures of the art collection she left behind when her family fled the Nazis. Now, Dieter is calling on the services of a lawyer, Gerald Young, to determine whether his family’s legacy might be returned to him.

 

Gerald doesn’t hold out much hope that the paintings will be returned, but Dieter’s earnestness speaks to him and he agrees to help. At first he concludes that while Dieter has a case, suing in Austria isn’t practical.  But Gerald is a good lawyer, and as his feelings for Dieter develop, so does his determination to win the case. Together, Gerald and Dieter navigate research, hearings, and a dysfunctional family in the pursuit of fine art—and discover the art of love along the way.

 

Book Review

A fascinating court case involving art stolen by Nazis then confiscated by the Austrian government and a touching love story are at the heart of this suspenseful tale about righting old wrongs. It seems to be based on the real-life case that was told in the movie Woman in Gold – a 1907 painting by Gustav Klimt that was returned to the owner’s heir in 2006 – yet also has a dynamic all its own. Dieter is a computer programmer whose grandmother’s stories and pictures of a family portrait lead him to tracing its whereabouts after her death. Gerald is a young lawyer who takes his case, mostly because nobody else in his firm wants it, and ends up fighting for Dieter’s rights with utter determination. Having read the ‘Bottled Up’ series many years ago and really liking it, I have no idea why it took me so long to read these loosely linked follow-up stories. But the good news is that, if the other three volumes are as exciting as this first one, I have some great adventures still ahead of me!

Dieter lost his parents when he was four and was raised by his grandmother. He is first introduced at that age, and it was interesting to see his perspective change when he returns as an adult in later chapters. His memories of his grandmother’s stories, the pictures in her photo albums, and his artist friend’s comments about his great-grandmother’s portrait lead Dieter to a discovery that changes everything. While Dieter knew that the painting had been stolen by the Nazis when his great-grandparents fled Austria in 1938, he had no idea that it has become famous and is now a prominent and very valuable exhibit in an Austrian museum. Finding a way to get this heirloom, a piece of his family history and a connection to his family, returned to him becomes an emotionally important goal for him.

Gerald is a young lawyer at the beginning of his career. He could have started in his father’s firm but went against the somewhat dictatorial man’s wishes because he wants to establish a name for himself without his dysfunctional family’s support. When the case comes up (initially on a pro bono basis) he volunteers because he is intrigued – and nobody else seems to want it. Of course, once he does the initial research and it becomes obvious that it will be significant and possibly a precedent, everyone else suddenly comes out of the woodwork, arguing he is too inexperienced to handle something this monumental. Gerald sticks with his guns through, and to his credit, so does the firm’s senior partner.

What follows is a journey of discovery on both the professional and the personal level. The legal twists and turns as Dieter and Gerald embark on their quest are fascinating, but the relationship that develops between them was what really pulled me in. There are a few obstacles to overcome – like Dieter’s hesitance to be in a relationship and the need for Gerald to act ethically, separating his relationship with Dieter as a client from a personal involvement. Both Dieter and Gerald are clearly in love, even if it takes them a while to admit it. How they deal with their own hopes and fears, Gerald’s family’s reaction, and the stress of their legal fight held me captivated throughout.

If you like stories about people fighting for their rights to their own family’s property, if you want to watch strangers unite over a court case and fall in love as they work out their strategy, and if you’re looking for an intriguing, suspenseful, and emotionally intense read, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. And the suspense doesn’t stop here – from the look of it, the next book is about Gerald’s boss whom Gerald has asked to handle the appeal.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

Additional Information

Format	ebook, print and audio
Length	Novel, 230 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	23-September-2011
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/legal-artistry-by-andrew-grey-1880-b