The Paris Apartment

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 G%C3%B6ring, 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. (Apr.)