A Nearly Perfect Copy

Allison Amend

Elmira Howells has a loving family and a distinguished career at an elite Manhattan auction house. But after a tragic loss throws her into emotional crisis, she pursues a reckless course of action that jeopardizes her personal and professional success. Meanwhile, talented artist Gabriel Connois wearies of remaining at the margins of the capricious Parisian art scene. Desperate for recognition, he embarks on a scheme that threatens everything he’s worked for. As these narratives converge, with disastrous consequences, A Nearly Perfect Copy boldly challenges our presumptions about originality and authenticity, loss and replacement, and the perilous pursuit of perfection. (from Netgalley).

 

 

 

My Thoughts

I thought this was an interesting premise. The chapters alternate between Elm and Gabriel’s story. Both characters really want something that require lots of money. Ahhhhhh - therein lies their justification to behave without regard to the moral outcome. It was interesting to watch each of them rationalize their actions.

The story started slow for me. As Elm and Gabriel’s action start to fall apart, things got much more interesting. Would they suffer the consequence of their decisions? This question was the driver for me to finish this book.

My thanks to Doubleday Books, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Publish date: April 9, 2013.