Fabulous reads – Gauguin on Judith’s ultimate world trip

Ultima (Maestra #3), L.S. Hilton, Jonathan Ball Publishers, ISBN: 9781785760891

CAN forged art end up seeming more real than the real art, and what does that say about the art world and those who live in it?

Reading this novel gives the impression that the art world is a dirty petri-dish of influences, politics, and mercenaries. Whether that is true or not, it makes for interesting story telling. While the final novel in a series, Ultima stands alone quite well.

If you haven’t read any of the other Maestra books, you could enjoy Ultima in a slightly different way to those who have read the other two novels featuring the character who is so delightfully flawed, she is almost a work of art herself.

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If you haven’t read the other stories, you will be in a position to have the benefit of less backstory. making the backstory being outlined through the narrative even more delightful through your lack of foreknowledge of the working process of Judith as she drags a diverse set of companions along on what can only be described as a magical mystery tour through the world of art, money, sex, and the underworld that brings all these elements together.

Places as unlikely as Azerbaijan and Morocco set the scene for a variety of fascinating encounters with a wide range of characters.

Worth reading if you are interested in art, crime, intrigue, or just in the mood for a read that will keep you up at night, wondering about every piece of art you have ever looked at.