My reaction to this book was more because of the setting of the story than the story itself (although the latter is not bad either). The ending was the main reason that I rated this the way I did. I may be jumping over a few steps, but there are endings that are satisfying enough to warrant a positive reaction to a narrative as a whole.
The plot is about an insurance investigator who has created a small space of his own with art insurance. He has his position in the company partially due to a form of nepotism but gives his all to the role he created himself.
It is 1953, and New York still holds some fears from the war. The latest art theft seems to be hiding a lot more secrets than it appears in the beginning. Our protagonist forms an unwise attachment to the person responsible for the painting and his main point of contact. However, we are never allowed to make up our minds about who is in the right and what exactly is going on in the background till the final reveal.
I do not often end up reading historical fiction by a male author with a male protagonist (at least in comparison to every other combination). I enjoyed this foray into a different New York and the intricacies of government managed to function in a post-war environment and all the threads that people could not hold well enough to ensure things went smoothly).
I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction with eclectic themes.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

The first ten percent lured me in with interesting artworks and descriptions. The mystery set-up was curious. However, it unravelled from there. I am not especially good at historical figures partaking in fiction and this is full of iconic artists. The narrative transfers from the investigating character and an alternative voice which I found an odd one. It highlights a number of interesting political and cultural happenings from the time but, the conclusion didn't feel plausible so I was disappointed. The language descended too! All in and all, not for me.

Content warning: strong language, sexual content.

An excellent mix of historical fiction and mystery, a well plotted story that kept me reading and made me travel to NY in the 50s.
There's insteresting characters, a vivid historical background and a fascinating description of the avantgarde world.
The author is an excellent storyteller and I hope to read other books by him.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Nicely done. This is engaging and interesting. Lanier shows some solid talent, and I look forward to his future works. Recommended,

I really appreciate the free review copy for review!!