Synopses & Reviews
A mysterious and richly evocative novel, The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque tells the story of portraitist Piero Piambo, who is offered a commission unlike any other. The client is Mrs. Charbuque, a wealthy and elusive woman who asks Piambo to paint her portrait, though with one bizarre twist: he may question her at length on any topic, but he may not, under any circumstances, see her. So begins an astonishing journey into Mrs. Charbuque's world and the world of 1893 New York society in this hypnotically compelling literary thriller.
Synopsis
New York, 1893. Society portraitist Piambo feels his ambition waning even as he immortalizes in oil the city's nouveaux riches -- Until he receives a commission he cannot refuse. A mysterious woman offers Piambo a fortune to paint her portrait. But there is a catch: "You must not see me." And so Piambo sits before a screen as Mrs. Charbuque tells him of her life, dreams, and fears -- clues from which he must divine her visage.
As he works, a series of murders plagues the city -- deaths that at first appear accidental. Then, one night, Piambo is handed a note that reads, "Why are you seeing my wife?" As Piambo's masterpiece takes shape, his relationship with Mrs. Charbuque grows more tangled and her deranged -- almost certainly murderous -- husband becomes even further bent on revenge.
Synopsis
New York, 1893. Society portraitist Piambo receives a commission he cannot refuse. A mysterious woman offers Piambo a fortune to paint her portrait. As Piambo's masterpiece takes shape, his relationship with the woman grows more tangled and her deranged--almost certainly murderous--husband becomes bent on revenge.
About the Author
Jeffrey Ford is the author of three previous story collections and eight previous novels, including the Edgar® Award-winning The Girl in the Glass and the Shirley Jackson Award-winning The Shadow Year. A former professor of writing and early American literature, Ford now writes full-time in Ohio, where he lives with his wife.