"The Last Letters from Villa Clara" is the story of Phoebe Cato's journey of self-discovery, with prompting from her uncle Bruce. The book is set in the slightly murky world of copying and reproduction. Whilst some people might use copies of works of art for display purposes, so the original can be kept in a safe environment but others can see it, others are not so honest. As Phoebe endeavours to unmask such a fraudster she also uncovers secrets about her uncle and makes decision about her future. This is an engrossing tale of love, loss, friendship and trust set in Italy and London.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Quite a complicated book over three timelines. One you really need to keep track of. Having said that, it was exciting to read, had a lovely sense of romance and I was pulled in by the descriptions of the art work and the world of copies and forgeries. An interesting book.

A dual time novel that plays in 1939, the 1960s and 1980s. Initially, there were so many settings, characters and details that I struggled to keep it all straight. After getting into the story it gets easier. Sarah Steele is an excellent writer. Instead of describing that the roof was leaking, she phrased it like this, “......where a series of buckets remained in situ in case of further water ingress.” I love it! Or this one, “spotting a bus that would save her the short walk to the museum, she broke into a run and jumped on to the back, clutching the afternoon’s spoils to her chest.” Doesn’t that get you straight into the story. I see her running in my imagination.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the artworks, how provenance is shown and many other details that, unless one works in this field, you have no idea about. Great research! Wonderfully complex story that goes in many directions with lots of unexpected twists to the very end! Leonora is definitely my favorite character and I found myself wanting to have tea in Ludlow Gardens. The only thing that I really didn’t care for was that there was no indication that there was a new paragraph. As a reader you’re puzzled until you realize that time has passed between what you last read and what you’re reading now. Towards the end of the book you get used to it, but I’m clueless as to why an author (editor?) would choose to do it this way. I’m sorry I finished the book, I keep wanting to get back to it to see what the characters are doing now. Perfect book for history and art lovers and those who enjoy a nice long read.

Many thanks to Headline and NetGalley for an ARC. I was not required to leave a positive review, but was happy to do so. All opinions are my own.

Beautiful!! I loved it! Sarah Steele is a master of historical fiction and this was no exception. Love, loss and secrets gripping from the first page to the last.

A triple timeline saga by Sarah Steele and it’s told from the two main female characters points of view and I had no trouble following it and it wasn't at all confusing or overdone.

1938: Europe is on the brink of anther world war, when a reputable London art dealer and his assistant travel to Italy, and Villa Clara in Tuscany. Painter and art restorer Bruce Cato, is worried a painting he’s recently bought could be damaged or seized, and he gives it to them to take back to London, and he has no idea the couple’s train will be stopped at the border and their cases searched and the suspected masterpiece will go missing.

1963: London's parties and nightclubs are packed with girls dancing in miniskirts and some people think it’s indecent. The East End underworld is still busy dealing in all things dodgy and including stolen goods and art. Staying at a Ludlow Garden’s boarding house for ladies at the time is Margot, Joan, Linda and Hillary and the owner Leonora Birch is about to be sued for slander and risks losing everything.

1985: Phoebe has found memories of her spending her holidays in Tuscany staying with her uncle Bruce, his housekeeper Angelina, Marco and their son Stefano. Phoebe now runs the Cato Museum of Artifice in London with her best friend Tilly, it houses her uncle’s collection of art and reproductions and it’s not making a profit. Bruce sadly passes away, he leaves his rundown villa to Phoebe and he sends her and occasionally Stefano on a treasure hunt, with a series of signs that they have to find and uncover and to solve a half a century old mystery.

Phoebe is taken on a journey from London to Spain and Tuscany, to find information about Leonora and her son Laurence and ex lodgers Margot, Joan, Linda, Hillary, and the offices of a well-known London art dealer and critic, and she visits museums, scrolls through microfilm in libraries and art sales databases and looking for any clues about a lost painting by famous Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer and it's links to her uncle Bruce.

I received a copy of The Last Letters from Villa Clara by Sarah Steele from NetGalley and Headline in exchange for an honest review and I have been a huge fan of hers since 2020 when I read Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon.

A well written and fascinating narrative about love and loss, courage and betrayal, the past and secrets, art and reproductions, cheats, liars and philanders. Five stars from me and I recommend this novel for lovers of fiction with a strong focus on art and plucky and determined women.

I do love a good Historical Fiction and a wartime fiction. Set over three periods in time this story follows in a search for a secret from the past A secret that will help Phoebe Cato in her life and her future. This is certainly a wow of a read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. It kept me reading and I loved the depth the way it was like being on a treasure hunt to find and solve a mystery.

I love the way this book is written, love the mystery contained withing and I love the characters. This book is interesting, insightful, suspenseful and most of all captivatingly wonderful.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow wow wow. This was a fabulous story. No idea how to review it. You followed certain people going back and forward in time. Starting just before the Second World War. You have the underworld of the 60’s , forged art, some lovely love story’s and a great mystery was finally solved . As for the ending so clever and not what I expected . One of those books you can’t put down and think about when you are not reading. Definitely an author I want to read more of . Read it. One of my books of 2024