The story begins with an unsettling claim by a forensic anthropologist: Vanessa Chapmanâs 2005 sculpture, Division II, contains a rib bone that isnât just from an animalâitâs human. The revelation sends scandal through the art world, unraveling a chain of mysteries tied to Chapmanâs enigmatic life and death. A painter and ceramicist of unmatched brilliance, Vanessa lived in reclusion, crafting a legacy both haunting and beautiful. But as her closest relationships are scrutinizedâher unfaithful husband, Julian, who vanished decades ago, and Grace Haswell, her loyal companion for twenty yearsâquestions arise.
The characters are unforgettable: Grace, with her guarded loyalty and unspoken grief; James Becker, a curator struggling between duty and his own buried doubts, who becomes the lens through which Vanessaâs tangled world is viewed; and at the story's heart is Vanessa herselfâa ghostly, commanding presence whose art continues to speak louder than her words and through the diary and notes that she left behind.
While some mysteries leave us with clear-cut answers, this one lingers in ambiguity, weaving a tale where art, memory, and the human condition intersect. The writing is stunning, evoking both the chilling nature of the revelations and the tender vulnerability of the characters. This isnât just a mystery to solve; itâs a meditation on the stories we leave behind and how theyâre retold by those we trustâor betray.
I closed this book with a shiver and an ache, knowing it will linger long after 2024 ends. A story like this deserves not just to be read but to be seen as a movie! This marks my 91st book in my reading challenge this year. I also want to express my gratitude to the beloved distributors for sending good books all these years. I really appreciate it.