Watching Over You by Simon Delaney

An art crime thriller for the ages

Alternating between London and Paris in the 1940s, the 1960s, and the present, Watching Over You explores the provenance of a collection of paintings hidden from the plundering Nazis during World War II and the fate of the families entangled in the search for the lost artworks.

The novel touches on the themes of greed and heroism inspired by the stolen works, tracing the web of collaborators, opportunists, and art dealers who exploited the Third Reich’s lust for prestigious trophies. The hero, restaurateur Michel de la Rue, walks a financial tightrope while his spendthrift head chef and brother, Antoine, depletes their strained resources. The narrative switches between Michel and Antoine's foodie tour of France (which is being filmed by a documentary TV crew), the machinations of art dealer Alain Deschamps, and his pursuers—Interpol’s Lorenzo Pieters and the Le Monde journalist, Fabian Ritzier.

The battle between Michel trying to protect his family’s precious heirloom and Alain’s brutal hunt for the missing paintings results in a relentless chase across the continent.