The Paris Apartment

March 15, 2021
For Aurelia "Lia" Leclaire's entire life, her beloved Grand'Mere Estelle never left Marseille. So how on earth could Estelle's will include the bequest to Lia of an apartment in Paris? It turns out that this apartment, which contains a treasure trove of art, is just one of the secrets Estelle kept from her family. Lia believes that hiring art appraiser Gabriel Seymour is the first step in finding the answers she seeks. But what the two subsequently discover is a mystery that stretches back more than seven decades and involves two different women who were prepared to give their lives for those they loved. With commendable attention to historical details and a penchant for insightful characterization, award-winning romance author Bowen plays to her literary strengths as she gracefully pivots to historical fiction and offers a stunning tale of high-stakes danger and personal sacrifice that is also a powerful celebration of both the fragility and strength of the human spirit.

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April 12, 2021
Bowen (the Lords of Worth series) draws on the lives of Nancy Wake and Josephine Baker and the 2018 discovery of a Paris apartment untouched since WWII in this rich historical tale. Lia Leclaire learns she has inherited a Paris apartment from her grandmother Estelle Allard in 2017 after Estelle's death. The apartment appears to have been locked and abandoned since the war and is filled with paintings and a postcard to her grandmother from Hermann Göring, leading Lia to believe Estelle may have been a Nazi collaborator. Lia hires art appraiser Gabriel Seymour to help assess the value of the art after discovering his connection to William Seymour, the artist whose painting Estelle left for Lia in a safety deposit box. Eventually, Gabriel and Lia discover how Estelle worked tirelessly to aid those persecuted by the Nazis. Flashbacks highlight how Estelle used her position as a Paris socialite to gain information from the Germans to help the Allies. The stories unearthed in the apartment pique from the first page in this magnetic novel full of tragedy and rich characters. Bowen's fans will embrace her foray into historical fiction. Agent: Stefanie Lieberman, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.