10 Nov Heidi Eljarbo Hidden Masterpiece Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #DualTimeline #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub #solihansenmysteries @HeidiEljarbo @maryanneyarde
FEATURED AUTHOR: HEIDI ELJARBO
Welcome to The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour for author Heidi Eljarbo that is being held from November 1st – November 12th, 2021. She is the author of the Historical Mystery (Duel Timeline), Hidden Masterpiece (Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book 3), which was independently released by the author on 15th September 2021 (260 pages).
Below are highlights of Hidden Masterpiece, Heidi Eljarbo’s author bio, and my review of your book.
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HIGHLIGHTS: HIDDEN MASTERPIECE
Hidden Masterpiece
(Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book 3)
By Heidi Eljarbo
In this riveting third book in the Soli Hansen Mysteries series, a woman’s courage to follow her conviction during a horrible war leads her to the portrait of a young Jewish heiress painted three centuries earlier.
Norway 1944. Art historian Soli Hansen has gone undercover to rescue masterpieces and keep them from falling into the hands of Nazi thieves. Working with a small resistance group led by her best friend Heddy, Soli will stop at nothing to thwart the efforts of the invaders of their scenic country. Trust and loyalty mean everything when working against a merciless enemy.
Riddles and clues lead the way to a mysterious work of art. It’s a race against time, but Soli and her network refuse to give up. However, when news arrives that her sweetheart Nikolai is missing in action, she strives to concentrate on the demanding quest.
From the streets of Oslo to the snow-covered mountains and medieval churches of Nume Valley, Soli takes risks larger than her courage, trying to preserve and hide precious art. But she must decide if it’s all worth losing the man she loves.
Antwerp 1639. Fabiola Ruber’s daughter, Annarosa, wants to honor her mother’s last wish and have her portrait done by a master artist who specializes in the art of chiaroscuro. Her uncle writes to an accomplished painter in Amsterdam and commissions him to paint his beloved niece.
Struggling with religious and social persecution, the Jewish Ruber family uproots once again and travels northward. On the way, they will sojourn in Amsterdam for Annarosa’s sitting in the master painter’s studio. But will they make it there? None of them can foresee the danger of such a journey.
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AUTHOR BIO: HEIDI ELJARBO
Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don’t want to go near.
Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, thirteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.
Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
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BOOK REVIEW: HIDDEN MASTERPIECE
Hidden Masterpiece by Heidi Eljarbo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The beginning quote by Rembrandt Van Rijn in the historical fiction novel entitled Hidden Masterpiece by Heidi Eljarbo aroused my curiosity: “A painting is complete when it has the shadows of a god.” This is Book 3 in the Soli Hansen Mysteries series that can be read as a standalone. What makes this novel unique is that it follows the adventures of art historian Soli Hansen who has gone undercover to retrieve masterpieces in WWII Norway and keep them from falling into Nazi hands. She works for a resistance group headed by her best friend. In parallel, we follow the story of Annarosa Ruber, a young woman from 1639 Antwerp, whose painted portrait Soli must rescue at the risk of her life. As Soli solves clues and riddles to locate the hidden masterpiece and transfer it to a safe location, we also follow the Jewish Ruber family, three centuries earlier, when they struggle with religious persecution and are uprooted as they seek refuge up north.
Author Heidi Eljarbo takes us on a scenic journey from the streets of Oslo to the snow-covered mountains and medieval churches of Nume Valley as Soli doggedly completes her mission to thwart the Nazi’s attempts to steal masterpieces. The mystery around Annarosa, whose portrait is depicted in the painting, is as intriguing as Soli’s adventures. The most tense-filled scene occurs midway through the novel when Soli must escape at night through the dark streets of Oslo, not knowing what has happened to the man she loves, also sent on a dangerous mission. Art historians will appreciate the description of the unique chiaroscuro art style that strongly contrasts between light and dark. Although the primary story focuses on Soli, the narrative is told from various points of view. Perhaps if I had read the first two books, I would have been more fully engaged with the characters and the dangers they face. The story focuses on the interdependence of people in the resistance network responsible for transferring artwork into safe hands. Although there are a few tense-filled scenes in the first half of the book, the suspense tapers off as Solvi easily solves riddles on where to find the masterpiece and learns the identity of the culprit aiding the Nazis.
Readers who enjoy art history and learning more about the resistance movement that countered the Nazi’s attempts to steal art masterpieces during WWII will find “Hidden Masterpiece” a fascinating story. The parallel story occurring three centuries earlier is an added bonus in which you can learn more about artists during the Baroque period.
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Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Posted at 22:18h, 10 NovemberHi Linnea, it is interesting, but I had read nothing about the Netherland’s involvement in WW2 other than A Diary of a YOung Girl by Anne Frank, until recently. This is the fourth historical novel about the Nazi occupation of the Netherland’s I’ve read about in the last two years. I am pleased as I enjoy expanding my historical horizons.
Linnea Tanner
Posted at 21:14h, 11 NovemberThank you, Robbie, for visiting and commenting on Heidi Eljarbo’s “Hidden Masterpiece.” The book opened my eyes to the scope of Nazi occupation and the resistance efforts throughout Europe to save valuable artwork, including Norway.
Heidi Eljarbø
Posted at 08:54h, 11 NovemberThank you for your review. One of my daughters is also a Linnea.
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Linnea Tanner
Posted at 21:26h, 11 NovemberIt was my pleasure to read and review your book, “Hidden Masterpiece.” I learned a lot about the resistance movement in Norway to rescue art masterpieces. I particularly liked the historical story about Annarosa whose painted portrait Soli retrieves. It’s fun to know that one of your daughters is also named Linnea. My mother was Swedish and her father immigrated to the USA from Sweden. I enjoyed your description of Norway in the book, where my husband and I visited about ten years ago. Best wishes on your historical mystery series.
Pat Garcia
Posted at 09:01h, 11 NovemberHi,
I enjoy historical fiction and the parallel time zones in the story interest me greatly. I have read anything by this author but I am an art fan. I have had the opportunity to visit art museums in the big cities of the countries on the European Continent and what I have seen is amazing. Therefore; I will definitely invest and read this book.
Thank you Linnea for introducing the writer, Heidi Eljarbo.
Shalom aleichem
Linnea Tanner
Posted at 21:32h, 11 NovemberHi Pat–Thank you for visiting and commenting on “Hidden Masterpiece.” It’s wonderful to learn that you are an art fan and have visited the various museums in Europe. I not only learned about the resistance movement in Norway during WWII but also learned about artists and their style of painting during the 1600’s.