Status
Available
Call number
Publication
St. Martin's Paperbacks
Pages
538
Description
When an aristocratic old lady is brutally murdered in her country home the night before 9/11, it takes all the resources of the FBI and Interpol to work out the connection between her and the possible motive for her death -- a priceless Van Gogh painting. It's a young woman in the North Tower when the first plane crashed into the building who has the courage and determination to take on both sides of the law and avenge the old lady's death. Anna Petrescu is missing, presumed dead, after 9/11 and she uses her new status to escape from America, only to be pursued across the world from Toronto to London, to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Bucharest, but it is only when she returns to New York that the mystery unfolds. Why are so many people willing to risk their own lives and others' to own the Van Gogh Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear?… (more)
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006
Physical description
538 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
0312939779 / 9780312939779
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User reviews
LibraryThing member unrequitedlibrarian
Tone of writing: Action-packed, anxious, palpable
Characters: Ready to sacrifice everything for a cause
Plot twists: Criminals are prone to double-crossing. Also, one sudden uncharacteristic stroke of luck.
Pace: Suspenseful 3-way chase criss-crossing the globe.
Values: High culture, refinement,
Sexuality: Coy flirtation as an indicator of true love.
Background research: Art connoisseurship, banking law, 9/11 terrorist attack, international flight
Targeted audience: Everyone
Objectionable to any groups: Communist Romanians, Capitalist Russians
Flaws: Partially obstructed character point-of-view -- we share Anna's hopes and fears but we are not privy to her cunning plan to save the British estate.
Characters: Ready to sacrifice everything for a cause
Plot twists: Criminals are prone to double-crossing. Also, one sudden uncharacteristic stroke of luck.
Pace: Suspenseful 3-way chase criss-crossing the globe.
Values: High culture, refinement,
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knowledgeSexuality: Coy flirtation as an indicator of true love.
Background research: Art connoisseurship, banking law, 9/11 terrorist attack, international flight
Targeted audience: Everyone
Objectionable to any groups: Communist Romanians, Capitalist Russians
Flaws: Partially obstructed character point-of-view -- we share Anna's hopes and fears but we are not privy to her cunning plan to save the British estate.
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LibraryThing member effacina
Begins on 9/10/01 in new york city. Art expert working for private scumbag banker being investigated by FBI. convoluted plan by heroine to save herself and a (not so)rich english lady's art collection. Good read.
LibraryThing member Camethyste
Excellent book. Really enjoyed all the twists and turns of the story. The female lead is strong and she ends up being a lot smarter than anyone realized. This would be a great beginning to a series!
LibraryThing member loubigfish
Very intense at the begining and interesting thoughout with a twisted ending.
LibraryThing member MrsHillReads
Another favorite book by Jeffrey Archer!
LibraryThing member Shuffy2
A smart and intriging murder mystery by Archer! The book takes place at the time of 9/11 and surrounds the rare and expensive painting of Van Gogh's Self Portrait (the one after he cut off his own ear). It takes place in NY, Bucharest, and Japan and involves double dealings, hired asassins, and
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tailing people form continent to continent. As someone who has taken graduate art history courses I enjoyed this book but one does not have to be an art expert (and I am far from one) to enjoy this book. He makes several smart jokes and references which break the mold of typical muder mysteries. You may know 'who dun it' but why and how it will turn out is the key. I liked it and would recommend it to people who like suspense and murder mysteries! Show Less
LibraryThing member TheoClarke
Lively multinational thriller wrapped around the events of 9/11 from the perspective of the workers in the Twin Towers. There is litrtle here that is memorable but it makes a fast-moving page-turner during the act of reading. I read it ata single sitting because I wanted to see where it went.
LibraryThing member BookWallah
False Impression is a fast suspense romp through the big ticket art/auction world with four countries as the back drop. A Romanian gymnast as assassin, the English aristocracy falling on hard times, a bumbling FBI agent, and a New York banker with a dark past as the bad guy, – what’s not to
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like? Tad formulaic, but overall a nice piece of storytelling. Recommended for all Archer fans and anyone looking for a quick beach read. Show Less
LibraryThing member busterrll
Illogical and contrived. Never finished it. Having read other of the tales, I was greatly disappointed.
LibraryThing member mojacobs
I was a bit disappointed with this book. It is beautifully written, but the plot is meagre and the characters too simple to my liking.
LibraryThing member Kathy89
Art theft, insurance fraud, murder, FBI, art appraiser, English nobility and hired assassin all start a chain of events beginning with north tower of the World Trade Center collapse. Excellent engrossing story.
LibraryThing member miyurose
This book was my introduction to Jeffrey Archer’s work, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised!
I am generally not a fan of books about art, but in this case the painting itself is not quite as important as its journey is. I also was concerned that the 9/11 backdrop
That being said, the book’s not perfect. Anna’s frantic flight to Canada has several problems, not the least of which is a very unlikely encounter with a couple of long-haul truckers. But, as far as a lightweight thriller goes, it kept my attention enough for me to enjoy it and enough for me to plan to read some of Archer’s earlier novels.
I am generally not a fan of books about art, but in this case the painting itself is not quite as important as its journey is. I also was concerned that the 9/11 backdrop
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was going to be gimmicky, but instead it is used to create an interesting set of problems for the book’s characters. The reality of not knowing if someone is alive or dead, the travel difficulties, the loss of assets and records, the lack of communication – they all provided fantastic obstacles for the characters to work around. It made the maneuvering that much more interesting.That being said, the book’s not perfect. Anna’s frantic flight to Canada has several problems, not the least of which is a very unlikely encounter with a couple of long-haul truckers. But, as far as a lightweight thriller goes, it kept my attention enough for me to enjoy it and enough for me to plan to read some of Archer’s earlier novels.
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LibraryThing member wdwilson3
This review pertains to the abridged audio book version of "False Impression." Perhaps would have been better to read in its original version, so I've given the book two stars in benefit of doubt. I didn't find this book to be either suspenseful or thrilling, and a thriller should be both. It was
The reader makes an attempt to give the characters different voices. Unfortunately, the accents are so phony that one is reminded of Bela Lugosi and Hyacinth Bucket, to one's distraction.
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populated by single-dimension characters who act in predictable generic ways. Spoiler: the denouement is marked by noticing the earring that the villain is wearing in a photograph taken while shaking hands with President George W. Bush at Ground Zero. Really.The reader makes an attempt to give the characters different voices. Unfortunately, the accents are so phony that one is reminded of Bela Lugosi and Hyacinth Bucket, to one's distraction.
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LibraryThing member Ameise1
I love [[Jeffrey Archer]]'s books, also his fiction books have some historical background and he is a master to embed it into a story. In this case the historical background is 9/11 and its aftermath. The places in this plot are NY, England and Japan. Two picture gatherers are hunting the same Van
It's very fast-paced and gripping and it takes a lot of turns and twists which make the story so interesting. It kept me guessing until the very end.
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Gogh self-portrait. One of them is an admirer with good intention and the other one is an evil one who not only will keep this drawing away from the public but also likes to destroy the previous owner's reputation and life. In the middle of those two a female broker tries to protect the owner's life and the self-portrait.It's very fast-paced and gripping and it takes a lot of turns and twists which make the story so interesting. It kept me guessing until the very end.
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LibraryThing member Clara53
A fast-paced page turner.
LibraryThing member jfe16
A murder mystery involving Van Gogh’s final painting, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, plays out around the horror of September 11th as a gymnast-turned hit-woman and a murderous financier face an intrepid heroine in a swiftly-moving, twisty plot that draws in readers and offers a few unexpected
Details about art treasures add depth to the plot and, at the same time, informs and enlightens readers who may not be conversant with the business of art while weaving the harrowing events of September 11th into the story adds a visceral punch to the narrative.
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reveals in a largely predictable tale. Details about art treasures add depth to the plot and, at the same time, informs and enlightens readers who may not be conversant with the business of art while weaving the harrowing events of September 11th into the story adds a visceral punch to the narrative.
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LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM
This was an enjoyable thriller, taking us on a tour across Europe and will be perfect for anyone interested in Van Gough or painters. It is also set against the backdrop of the 9/11 attacks. Jeffrey Archer does know how to tell a good story and the tension was kept up from beginning to end.
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Although to be fair preferred others of his more. Show Less
LibraryThing member JRCornell
The theft of a priceless Van Gogh ignites a chase across the globe. But it's a brave young woman, missing and presumed dead following the World Trade Center bombings, who will set off on the hunt for justice while being pursued by an deadly assassin.
LibraryThing member delphimo
A coincidence that this is the second author named Jeffrey. Of course, this Jeffrey is a better writer than the first Jeffrey (Eugenides). I first read Jeffrey Archer when reading Kane and Abel, and thoroughly enjoyed that novel. I haven't read anything since Kane and Abel, an outlook that needs to
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be corrected. False Impression starts with that awful event of 9/11, and quickly runs to England and Romania and Japan. The main emphasis of the story is the art world, especially priceless paintings. This story centers on Van Gogh's Self Portrait. The reading is fast paced and brings many interesting scenarios to the table. Show Less
LibraryThing member lschiff
Not the best writing in the world, but an engaging plot.
Awards
International Thriller Writers Award (Nominee — Novel — 2007)
Call number
FIC F Arc