Book Review: The Parisian Heist

The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza

I am obsessed with this book and must go to visit Paris and the Musee d’Orsay post-haste. The release date is July 14, 2026. You can preorder a signed copy from Bluebird and Co. bookshop in Virginia.

Jo Piazza, author most recently of The Sicilian Inheritance and Everyone Is Lying to You, transports readers to Paris in this dual-timeline, dual-POV, mix of historical and contemporary fiction, with a mystery at its heart.

When Jo van Gogh, wife of Vincent van Gogh’s art dealer and brother, inherits his paintings, she is a new widow with a pile of paintings that are worthless in the eyes of the art world. Jo is tenacious and relentless and she decides that she will make sure that the world sees Van Gogh’s unique style as genius. However, this involves telling Vincent’s volatile life story through his letters with his brother, and others. In her mission, she is supported by her friend Claire (who knew Jo’s husband Theo and holds secrets about his past). This part of the book was well-researched, yet not boring or overly heavy on facts. The essence of Van Gogh’s art and the creative process were captured, and Jo’s powerful role in art history, spanning from Paris to Amsterdam, was artfully portrayed. The historical plotline intertwined well with the contemporary plot in exciting ways, with strong pacing.

During the 1990s, Emma is a promising young artist studying in Paris who has more potential than money. I loved and related to Emma’s character! She is exploring the wider world for the first time and she is hungry to create art. When her scholarship falls through, she works as a house cleaner for Mrs. Swanson, once the wife of a powerful art scion, who is now fighting for her livelihood as her Succession-style grandchildren and evil stepson try to fleece her out of money. With Emma’s two artist roommates, and Mrs. Swanson’s expert guidance, they plan an art forgery/heist scheme to help Mrs. Swanson claim what is rightfully hers. This part of the novel was suspenseful and fun; I love a good art forgery and the mechanics of planning a heist.

Overall, this novel has the pacing of a thriller while delving deep into the art world through a feminist lens, with a hint of history, mystery, and romance.

Thank you to Dutton and Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.