Maestra by L.S. Hilton

Maestra by L.S. Hilton - Judy, now Judith, Rashleigh is 27 and enduring work in a prominent London auction house when she is enticed by an old friend Leanne, using the name of Mercedes, into some part-time work at the Gstaad Club, a champagne bar. The work involves looking sexy and enticing the clientele, predominantly middle aged men, to buy over-priced champagne. The hostesses receive 10% of the cost of the champagne.

Judith has an extensive academic knowledge of art which is reflected in the book. At the same time she is very interested in sex, group or individual. Her sexual adventures are recounted in exacting detail.

British Pictures is one of two leading auction houses. The name of the other cannot be mentioned. Do staff at Sotheby’s and Christie’s really avoid saying the other’s name?

Her curiosity is piqued over the authenticity of a 18th Century British equestrian painting which she had concluded was a “school of” rather than an original Stubbs but was now considered authentic by her superior.

Judith is doing her best from prestigious university to accent to clothes to acquaintances to gain status but it is a tough slog.

A club client, James, provides money so that he, Judith and Leanne (Mercedes) can be together for a weekend on the Riviera. Retail therapy lifts her spirits. She purchases:

A tan braided leather weekend bag and matching tote from a little shop in

Marylebone that could pass for a Bottega Veneta, a black Eres side-tie

bikini, Tom Ford sunglasses, a Vuitton Sprouse scarf in turquoise and

beige.

Unexpected circumstances give her enough money to head to Italy where she re-encounters a hedge fund yacht owner, Steve, and joins him cruising down the Italian peninsula. He is a huge exception in the book being disinterested in any form of sexual encounter.

Judith has climbed up the ladder of social status from serving the wealthy champagne to being the friend of a fabulously rich men.

They drift along the Italian coast spending time with other rich men and their friends. Steve barely sees the beautiful landmarks, never goes swimming, barely enjoys the amazing food and is content with Judith being a beautiful, usually silent, companion. His focus is his Blackberry and the “dancing enchantments of the markets”.

With summer ending Judith performs a bit of commercial espionage for Steve and leverages his appreciation into some money to start an independent career in the art world.

But a chance encounter in Rome with an English art dealer takes the story in a direction I never expected and the pace accelerates.

She seizes an opportunity to steal money and live in the style to which she has long aspired.

Judith is not completely amoral. She sometimes feels the need to justify her ruthless actions. She does whatever necessary to move herself further up the slope of status.

At the same time she has no real need for emotional contact. She has but a twinge of regret over her infrequent contact with her mother. Her sexual connections are physical exercises in pleasure. There is no desire for intimacy.

I thought of Lisbeth Salander from the Stieg Larsson books but Lisbeth is not a killer.

I wondered whether there would be consequences for Judith. Would this be a conventional thriller? There were bloody surprises as the book wound to the end.

J.D. and Marian at Sleuth of Baker Street left me with the impression it was a book either loved or loathed. It will take another post with spoilers to provide my conclusion.