Welcome to Litsy!

In this stylish, fast-paced thriller, for readers of Tana French and Stieg Larsson, a deadly heist upends art conservator Stella Da Silvera’s life in New York City. Now she must restore order or lose everything. As a night owl, Stella Da Silvera appreciates that Claiborne’s Auction House allows her to keep an unconventional schedule. Natural light can damage priceless works of art, and besides, Stella’s concentration improves after hours. One night, while working on a seventeenth-century painting by Diego Velázquez, Stella hears screams from the office of Claiborne’s curator Jack Ashby. She tries to investigate, but when the noise fades away, she heads back to her studio—where she finds a dead body and a man with a tattooed face who isn’t happy to have company. After eluding the unsavory character, Stella returns with the police, only to find the corpse—and the Velázquez—gone. With no murder in evidence, the detectives turn their attention to the missing canvas. They figure Stella had access and opportunity, making her a prime suspect. Adding insult to injury, Claiborne’s cans her for negligence. To save her reputation, Stella has no choice but to find the painting. Turns out, someone else is looking for her. Praise for Susan Daitch “It’s always a delight to discover a voice as original as Susan Daitch’s.”—Salman Rushdie “One of the most intelligent and attentive writers at work in the U.S.”—David Foster Wallace