The wrong impression

False Impression

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In addition, there is inaccuracy in describing how Anna manages to take the painting from one country to the next without any trouble, despite its high profile. The different, abundant characters are very thoroughly developed. There are multiple main characters that have significant importance on the plot of the book. Of course, the character, Anna, who the story is mainly focused on, has a very leading role, even when the story is not told through her point of view. In addition, she has bountiful enemies — From her overbearing, ex-boss, to a serial murderer, to the nosy, suspicious ex-coworker.

These characters are what keep the story alive, what keeps it moving. For instance, Anne is described as a head turning, gorgeous, "slim, blonde, American," page Krantz is portrayed as some serial, emotionless, stoic killer who has the ability to skillfully killing someone without attracting attention to herself or Fenston. She is definitely one of the more important characters, and her actions really give you an insight to how cold and unfeeling she really is.

All in all, False Impression by Jeffrey Archer has been one of my most favorite books up to date. Not only has he managed to capture the perfect blend of mystery, thrill, suspense, romance with a side of humor, Archer completely holds the readers' attentions with twists, turns, ups and downs as the story progresses. The characters are the perfect puppets in this play. The plot is an impeccable, intricate maze, the vital component in this wonderfully complicated but clear cut tale. Mar 25, Karen Field rated it liked it. False Impression is written by Jeffrey Archer.

At first, I felt a bit confused with all the characters not to mention the head hopping , but the confus False Impression is written by Jeffrey Archer. At first, I felt a bit confused with all the characters not to mention the head hopping , but the confusion settled after about six chapters. However, chapter seven saw the action really begin so I was drawn back into the story quickly once I started reading again.

Van Gogh used a mirror when doing the painting. I also learned that Van Gogh died by suicide. If you have an opportunity to read the book, do it. May 16, Lucas rated it it was ok. The first third of the book is terribly predictable. The second third picks up with more of a thriller feel as the story progresses, but unfortunately the final third reverts to its predictable ways, and the ending leaves the reader unsatisfied.

The plot devices are tired and over-used, a romance is wedged forcefully into the story and the brief swearing is one-off and absolutely pointless. All in all, False Impression is a cheesy thriller whose only offering is a novelty theme, and even that wa The first third of the book is terribly predictable. Dec 10, Andrew rated it really liked it. This was an enjoyable thriller, taking us on a tour across Europe and will be perfect for anyone interested in Van Gough or painters. Jeffrey Archer does know how to tell a good story and the tension was kept up from beginning to end.

May 12, Stacy rated it really liked it. Apr 04, Samhita rated it really liked it. With False Impression, Archer sticks to his style of writing a thrilling page turner. A quick read and a solid storyline. I did find some plot lines predictable but that doesn't mean it wasn't a fun book.

It had the right amount of impressionist art history to be informative, but not enough for me to get bored of reading about Van Gogh or Monet. Reads like a Dan Brown thriller, but with an appropriate dash of the author's 'British-ness'. Aug 05, Laura rated it really liked it Shelves: A very interesting thriller, somewhat slow to build but with great characters, both on the good-guys side and on the villain side. About an art historian specializing in attribution, Victoria Petrescu, whose best friend works as a secretary to a repulsive crook banker named Bryce Fenston, who specializes in extending multi-million-dollar loans to people who have fallen on hard times but have a masterpiece of art in their possession.

There's an odd coincidence that many of these owners have their A very interesting thriller, somewhat slow to build but with great characters, both on the good-guys side and on the villain side. There's an odd coincidence that many of these owners have their throats slit before they can get out of hock to Mr.

Tch, Tch, such bad luck they have, hunh? Not sure if choosing that date is just a gimmick, but it does explain that the paperwork and other artworks have been vaporized in the destruction of the Twin Towers. The Romanian connection is key, as is explained in more than one thread of the plot as more than one character has roots there. Many supporting characters, most of whom have full histories provided. Giving it four stars. Aug 06, Andrea rated it liked it Recommended to Andrea by: An interesting story, relatively well-told.

But I always have trouble with books that throw in details that seem like anachronisms but turn out to be merely implausibilities - did people casually snap cell phone pix or use google in ? I also have trouble with British authors attempting to write American dialog - sometimes, they just don't "get" it, again pulli An interesting story, relatively well-told. I also have trouble with British authors attempting to write American dialog - sometimes, they just don't "get" it, again pulling me out of the story. And what is the deal with the cover flap basically giving away every single major plot point?!?!

I want to have an idea what a book is about, but if it's a mystery, don't reveal the ending on the flap, for goodness sake!! Jeffrey Archer writes the best soaps. This one, a stand-alone, involves a painting by Van Gogh, the family that owns the painting, an evil banker, and an art expert who, at first, seems out of her milieu in dealing with dastardly banker. Just as she is leaving he Jeffrey Archer writes the best soaps. Just as she is leaving her office in the World Trade Center , a plane slams into the tower. Sep 16, Ineke van Mackelenbergh rated it liked it Shelves: An entertaining if somewhat cheesy, yet cleverly written, mystery cum thriller by this well-known author.

He seems to put his plots together seamlessly while at the same time showing off? I needed a ligh An entertaining if somewhat cheesy, yet cleverly written, mystery cum thriller by this well-known author. I needed a light read and this book fit the bill. I read this a while ago. Archer's description is graphic. The rest of the story,featuring murder,a Van Gogh painting and a chase across Europe,among other things, was entertaining enough without being particularly memorable.

Jan 12, Apoorva Bapat rated it it was amazing. Having read this book in Marathi and English, I think I remember almost every twist and turn. Since I am not an art enthusiast, people's obsession over paintings remains an amusing factor for me. But overall I liked the character development and pace of the story. I used to read Jeffrey Archer quite a bit.

The first book of his I remember really enjoying was As The Crow Flies, a monumental family saga with plenty of legal and personal machinations. What I remember about Archer's books is that he's really good at writing characters you just hate and thus heroes whom you really want to win. False Impression uses these same tricks. The novel tells the story of a villainous banker whose shady practices work to rob wealthy people of their famous art works. When I used to read Jeffrey Archer quite a bit. When they try to sell some of their art works in order to pay their debts, he has them murdered and sacks their estates during the lengthy probate process.

Into the mix comes Anna, a hard-working art assessor who wants to protect the estates of the banker's victims, Jack, an intrepid FBI agent who's investigating Anna and the banker, and a cold-blooded knife killer. Oh yeah, the banker's main offices are in the World Trade Center, so there's a terrorist attack mixed in, too. On the one hand, Archer describes Anna's harrowing trudge down the North Tower stairs as both grueling and terrifying. I understand the idea of using a world event as a backdrop for a personal-level event, but I'm mixed about the effect here. Archer deftly educates us about the nuances of high end art collectors and the auction houses that make sales public.

It was his left ear, but he painted the right ear. When she wakes, she's accosted presumably to be raped and murdered by a couple drunken hillbilly truckers. She has a near-miss vehicle chase and barely escapes. It's a weird scene, making America into a menacing place where every trucker-hat rides on a deranged sex-fiend. On second thought, perhaps that's apt. It's all "when can I cut another throat," and "Oooh, his throat would be hard to cut because he has a double-chin.

Byron Jennings does a nice job with the audio reading, doing convincing voices that help keep the characters separate. His Japanese character sounds a little stereotyped, but perhaps that's because stereotypes are often based on real if exaggerated trends. Sep 18, Toni Osborne rated it really liked it. The novel combines criminal conspiracy, a Van Gogh, a ruthless assassin, a Romanian art expert and Bryce Fenston an opportunistic and ruthless banker. The story is quite exciting, slow at start but maintains a steady pace throughout. It opens with the prospective sale of an original Van Gogh and the timely murder of its owner, one of England's aristocrats Victoria Wentworth.

At the same time, in New York, Bryce Fanston calmly awaits confirmation from his accomplice so he can foreclose on the assets of Victoria. Working together they discover the links and motives between the Van Gogh and Victoria's murder. The novel gives us a bit of art history, also all kinds of twists and turns and heart stopping intrigues. Anna's ultimate determination had me riveted as I followed her to exotic locals around the world.

Maybe the plot becomes implausible towards the end; Anna is way too clever and cool to be real, but she is smart and loveable. We have all the elements needed to make this a pager turner: Mr Archer is a great storyteller; I find it surprising to see so many reviewers disappointed with this novel. The major focus of False Impression is the ownership, theft and the difficult retrieval of a valuable Van Gogh painting. This earthshaking event was unessential to the story.

There are many twists and turns across the globe, as would be expected in an Archer novel, but suspense was thin. Much of the violence was overdone. In particular, this relates to the frequently present assassin, who was able to appear everywhere, with scant notice and who could achieve unbelievable feats. One could view the strength of this novel in the knowledge that the author displayed in art history and artists, but many times it seemed that he was reciting a catalogue of items which added little to the events.

The book frequently held my interest and from time to time I felt an eagerness to discover what would come next, but I would not recommend this to those who are ardent suspense enthusiasts.

False Impression - Live For The Moment

Archer has written better nail- biters. I am continuing to waver between a 2. I'll be quite interested to learn the verdict of my book club. View all 4 comments. Jan 04, Rebekah rated it it was ok. I read many different kinds of books for different reasons. I enjoyed reading it for the most part kinda I read many different kinds of books for different reasons. I enjoyed reading it for the most part kinda , although it is very predictable. Also the beginning irked me excessively.

False Impression

Apr 15, Jyv rated it really liked it Shelves: It was fast-paced and kept me reading, which I like in a book. It took me a while to get into it but once I did I read the rest in a day. What really irked me though was the too obvious mistake in the forgery. The forgery was done by a very capable artist and art teacher.

He would not have made such an error unless it was done on purpose and there doesn't seem to be a reason for doing that - it was not in anyone's interest to have such an obvious forgery. Anyone who's ever seen a self-portrait of Van Gogh would have spotted the difference immediately, especially a collector like Fenston.

There are many other ways an expert assessing a painting could spot a forgery easily without making it so ridiculously obvious. Aside from that an enjoyable story. Mar 11, Fran Macilvey rated it it was amazing. It contains some of the most exciting scenes I have read recently, and combines action, drama and cleverness to make a most satisfying read. I've thought about it often since I finished it, wishing I could find another as good.

The only slight reservation I have - and it is very slight - is the peculiar deference paid to members of the well-heeled aristocracy, which does not quite tip into outright obsequi "False Impression" by Jeffrey Archer I found this book by accident, and am very glad I did. The only slight reservation I have - and it is very slight - is the peculiar deference paid to members of the well-heeled aristocracy, which does not quite tip into outright obsequiousness, but gets a bit close to it, sometimes.

Perhaps JA might find it interesting to write about an aristocratic bounder with no redeeming qualities whatever - just a thought. A great read, highly recommended. Fran Macilvey, author, "Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy" Sep 02, Patricia Ibarra rated it liked it. False Impression takes us to a fast-paced journey from New York to London, Bucharest, Tokyo and England to discover the mystery of the coveted Van Gogh's painting, Self-portrait with bandaged ear. Romanian-born Anna Petrescu, who holds a PhD. FBI agent Jack Delaney starts investigating the murder of Anna's sister and unraveling the plot against her.

The story maintains your interest but I think this is one of the weakest books I have read of Archer. Very complicated and far-fetched plot. Aug 01, Jan rated it really liked it Recommends it for: This book was a little confusing at the beginning, because of all the name dropping. I had to take notes, and filled up a page, which I referred back to many times as I worked my way through the complicated story.

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There were so many characters whose names would pop up and I'd wonder 'who on earth is that person? It's a complicated story, and yet, hard to put down. It definitely kept my interest. Ten years later he's free and "they" are desperately scrambling to bury their little secret before he can bury them. An Autopsy of Vultures: Jeff Johnson thinks running from the mafia and the police is hard, until he hides out in a retirement community. Will he survive until he is arrested? Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention archer jeffrey art van gogh anna thriller twists page painting fbi petrescu york interest suspense usual fenston trade assassin tower.

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Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. False Impression is a fun romp that reads like a movie, so it won't surprise me if the screenplay and a movie on the small or big screen follows. It's just enough fun that I would watch it, even though I know what happens. The characters and subplots are fairly predictable: The main subject is fairly fresh and interesting in that it involves fine art theft and forgery a nice detour from countless new books and movie releases that seem buried in the rut of post-end-of-world survival, dysfunctional sex, violence, and relationships.

The research this author did on the art world and great artists is not deep, but seems enough to make things just believable for an entertaining escape, and at times you learn something new about how fine art is handled by collectors and sellers. Don't expect a fine mystery, but the thrills are fun, and the point-of-view and scenes are fascinating at times, when told through the eyes of Anna, the main character, who lives through and describes while moving the plot along!

This part alone might have snagged me. Can you believe it? This and Gospel of Judas. It has the signs of Lord Jeffrey Archer's work, with good twists, and the triumph of natural justice. Besides the protagonist Anna-who comes across credibly as a true professional, I loved Nakamura the Japanese connoisseur's character very much, he comes very close to a rich Japanese one of the world's top thirty richest men whom I had the occasion to interact with a few years ago.

He was more fond of his art possessions than his sprawling business empire. But then, all crazy billionaire art lovers could be expected to be similar, no? However, the icing on the cake was the listing of the top-grossing paintings.

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Super nuggets of knowledge to impress folks at parties, ahem! Amidst it all a humble realisation that my trips to art museums in Amsterdam were a wasted opportunity. Have to go there again! However, every book of JA's gets compared with his first bestsellers, which can be unfair to the younger siblings. But then, it could even be my own senility and an atrophying of the excitement and surprise emotions in me.

One person found this helpful. Reading this book heightened my knowledge about the beauty of fine art and its value. Much more interesting than picking up a book only about art. A friend lent a Jeffrey Archer book to me about 20 years ago and I have been hooked ever since. The plot has so many twists that I just go all long for the ride and enjoy. Definitely a page turner, but not to be finished in one night. Spend a few days with it. Mass Market Paperback Verified Purchase. I have not seen a poor JA novel but the first 2 pages of this one stumped me and I thought I finally had.

Took me a few tries to get over the hump. But when I finally did, I couldn't put it down and my faith in JA was restored. The man is a master. I have now read everything Jeffrey has ever published. This book was so absorbing, I read it in one day. It was fast reading because it definitely kept my interest; it was exciting; at times heartbreaking; at times humorous.

In all, it was a wonderful read. Not the Great American Novel, maybe, but I loved it. I love the way Jeffrey Archer writes, in this novel is not exception, the story abut a famous painting is very good and entertaining. I really loved it. The story captures one interest and moves very quickly. Some of the character interactions seem undeveloped and forced, but the action keeps the story moving. See all reviews.

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On the one hand, Archer describes Anna's harrowing trudge down the North Tower stairs as both grueling and terrifying. All these questions are answered in Jeffrey Archer's latest novel, False Impression , but not before a breathtaking journey of twists and turns that will take readers from New York to London to Bucharest and on to Tokyo, and finally a sleepy English village, where the mystery of Van Gogh's last painting will finally be resolved. With False Impression, Archer sticks to his style of writing a thrilling page turner. Published 1 month ago. This book would fall under the murder mystery genre. In fact she never felt like a person.

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