Haarlem, Holland, seventeenth-century: The city’s chief
magistrate commissions a family portrait from Dutch master painter
Johannes Miereveld. But when the artist sees the magistrate’s
daughter, Amalia, an illicit love affair begins. Miereveld creates
a captivating masterpiece, THE CHRYSALIS --- a stunning portrait of
the Virgin Mary, full of Catholic symbols, that outrages his
Protestant patron and signals the death of his career.


New York, present day: Mara Coyne is one high-profile case away
from making partner at her powerful Manhattan law firm, and now the
client that is sure to seal the deal has fallen into her lap. The
prestigious Beazley’s auction house is about to sell a lost
masterwork, The Chrysalis, in an auction that is destined to become
legendary. Standing in the way, however, is the shocking accusation
that the painting belongs not to Beazley’s client but to
Hilda Baum, the daughter of a Dutch collector who lost his
paintings --- and his life --- to the Nazis.


The case brings an unexpected surprise when Mara discovers that
Beazley’s in-house attorney is Michael Roarke, a man for whom
she once had an intense attraction. But the same skills that make
her a brilliant litigator also make Mara suspicious, and she begins
to believe that Hilda’s tragic family story might be more
than just heartbreaking --- it might be true. And the man
she’s come to love might not be who she thought he was at
all.


Spanning centuries and continents, THE CHRYSALIS is a brilliant,
intelligent, fast-paced thriller that melds art and history into a
provocative work of fiction. From the underground Catholicism in
seventeenth-century Holland to the unspeakable crimes of the Nazis
and the repercussions that reverberate to this day throughout the
art world, Heather Terrell has created a fascinating story that
will entrance readers to the very last page.


THE CHRYSALIS © Copyright 2011 by Heather Terrell. Reprinted
with permission by Ballantine Books. All rights reserved.