The Art of Love

*Now also published as The Villa on the Riviera*

The French Riviera is the setting for this absorbing tale of family intrigue, scandal and romance, against the glamorous background of 1930s artists and aristocracy.

Polly Smith is struggling to make a living as an artist when her friend and patron, Oliver, invites her to his father’s house in the south of France. Thrilled to escape cold, wet London, Polly asks for her birth certificate to obtain a passport – an act which unexpectedly turns her world upside down. For her mother is in fact her aunt; her father is unknown; even her name isn’t right.

Fleeing to the Riviera, Polly finds that the serenity and sunshine brings her art to life as never before. But all is not well in the grand house. Oliver’s father was forced to leave England in a cloud of scandal and his past is about to catch up with him.

But even as Polly finds herself immersed in a web of suspicion and deception, her own future begins to take on a new and fascinating shape…

The perfect read for fans of The Villa and Summer’s Child, this is a beguiling and evocative tale that will transport you away to the Riviera itself.

Reviews

Praise for Voyage of Innocence:
‘I loved it.’ Woman
‘A very interesting book, not only because it gives a flavour of life in the thirties…it’s a way of imbibing history.’ Oxford Times
‘Well written and superbly researched…a thoroughly enjoyable read. A must.’ Yours

Praise for The Frozen Lake:
‘Charming.’ The Bookseller
‘Dark family secrets, long buried, if not forgotten, bubble to the surface. A novel that is vivid and engrossing.’ Choice
‘An intriguing read.’ Woman

Praise for The Villa in Italy
‘This book’s great for escaping the cold UK weather’ Closer

About the author

Born in Chile, and educated in Calcutta and London before going to Oxford University, Elizabeth Edmondson now divides her time between the countryside north of Rome and the spires of Oxford. She is married to an art historian and has two children