The Portrait

Pierre-François Chaumont has promised his wife that he won't spend another centime at the auction house. His collecting habit is out of hand and she refuses to let another antique through the door. With his marriage at stake, he fully intends to keep his word - until he sees an eighteenth-century portrait that looks exactly like him.The painting's history will reveal an astonishing secret about his past and open the door to an entirely new future. A passionate collector, Pierre-François is used to giving in to temptation - but is he willing to risk everything to satisfy his deepest desires?PRAISE FOR ANTOINE LAURAIN:'The very quintessence of French romance' The Times'A master storyteller'Huffington Post'A delightful literary soufflé'Library Journal'Effortlessly eloquent, quietly hilarious and consistently self-aware ... a delightful read crammed with all kinds of decadent goodness'Reader's Digest

Antoine Laurain was born in Paris and is a journalist, antiques collector and award-winning author of ten novels, including The Red Notebook and The President's Hat. His books have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than 200,000 copies in English. He lives in Paris, France.