The Fine Art of Lying

Clare leads a tame life as a Manhattan stay-at-home mom, married to a nice guy from old money. She’s done with her art history PhD, except for that pesky dissertation. Then thanks to a series of bad decisions, she ends up standing over a dead body, at the scene of an eighteen million dollar robbery. She’s innocent, but she looks guilty as hell—and telling the truth will blow up her life. As Clare begins to investigate, she realizes she’s being framed. But who would do such a thing, and why? This 2026 Summer Reading Guide selection was a blast: the murder mystery was fun, the portrayal of 1% money dishy, but I most enjoyed the headlong plunge into the world of fine art.