Maestra

Sex. Murder. Shoes. A shockingly original and darkly decadent thriller. By day Judith Rashleigh is a put-upon assistant at a London auction house. By night she's a hostess in one of the capital's unsavoury bars. Desperate to make something of herself, Judith knows she has to play the game. She's learned to dress, speak and act in the interests of men. She's trying to be a good girl. But after uncovering a dark secret at the heart of the art world, Judith is fired, and her dreams of a better life are torn apart.

A put-upon assistant at a prestigious London art house, Judith Rashleigh is well-educated, well-groomed, and impeccably behaved - keeping the darker desires she indulges on nights off as her own little secret. But when Judith uncovers a dangerous heist, her life is shattered and she’s forced to run. Armed with just her wits and a talent for self-invention, she makes her way from the French Riviera to Geneva, Rome, and the nightclubs of Paris, determined to take back what is rightfully hers.

Since opening her own art gallery in Venice, Judith Rashleigh - now Elisabeth Teerlinc - can finally stop running. She's got the paycheck, lifestyle, and wardrobe she always dreamed of, not to mention the interest of a Russian billionaire. But when a chance encounter in Ibiza leads to a corpse that is, for once, not her own doing, she finds her life is back on the line - and she's more alone than ever. It seems Judith's become involved with more than just one stolen painting, and there is someone else willing to kill for what's theirs.

Glamorous international art-dealer Elizabeth Teerlinc knows a thing or two about fakes. After all, she is one herself. Her real identity, Judith Rashleigh, is buried under a layer of lies. Not to mention the corpses of the men foolish enough to get in her way. But now, caught in the murderous crossfire between a Russian Mafia boss and a corrupt Italian police detective, Judith is forced to create an even more daring work of art - a fake masterpiece she must take to the world-famous auction house where she used to be a lowly assistant and sell for $150 million.