I Wrote A Novel

Art & intrigue in 1930s Paris 🎨

Behind the Portrait, my debut novel

Hello & welcome to Love Vintage Etc. This is not my usual kind of post… if you've been here a while you’ll know my regular newsletters are full of interiors, design interviews and vintage news. But this week I uncovered my brand new (debut) novel and I wanted to share it with you, before the August newsletter drops into your inbox. The title is Behind the Portrait and I’m very excited to share the cover above, brought to life by the wonderful team at Whitefox Publishing.

The release date is 7th September, and it’s available to pre-order here or through your preferred online bookseller. I would absolutely love you to order a copy, it would mean so much to me and if you enjoy historical fiction and art – with a Parisian 1930s backdrop – this book may be for you. I hope so!

Tell me more…

Paris 1935. Clio Simms is a shy, unconventional girl with a passion for art. After an opportunity to work in Paris, she meets Ellen Scott, a stylish, trailblazing photographer. Through Ellen, Clio is drawn into the bohemian, free-thinking world of writers, jazz musicians and avant-garde artist André Cadoux. Less than three years later, Clio disappears without a trace.

New York 1971. When a mysterious photograph of Cadoux’s work is discovered at an auction, arts journalist Adeline Evans is tasked with uncovering its origins. But the deeper she digs, the more she suspects the story isn’t about the art at all. It’s about the woman behind the portrait.

Great art may outlive everything, but some secrets refuse to stay buried. And Clio Simms is one of them.

Available to pre-order in the UK and EU – coming very soon to other regions. I’d love you to have a look. Michelle x

Coming in August: a post on Designing Chatsworth House – a look inside the magnificent interior, from my recent visit to the Peak District.

Here she is… cover design by @judgebymycovers

Until next time, chat soon …

Read about my trip to northern Spain…