From the rubble of a demolished house in Arles, Provence emerges potentially the greatest find of the twentieth century: an unknown van Gogh, "Portrait of Madame Rey". The monumental discovery sets the art world afire and collectors flocking to the scene.
Jeremy Wilder, an Australian-born art expert, is one of those employed to authenticate the painting. In Arles he meets the beautiful and enigmatic Juliette Rey, great-great-grandaughter of the painting's subject. She casts doubt on the provenance of the work, setting Jeremy on the trail of what looks increasingly like an organised international scam. When Jeremy is attacked and forced to leave France, he realises he has stumbled into a very dangerous business - a business in which truth is the rarest and most expensive commodity.
'The Provenance of Madame Rey' is a fast-paced thriller with a highly contemporary subject. The rich, warm landscape of van Gogh's Provence is brought vividly to life in this intelligent and intriguing first novel.
