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The Talented Miss Farwell
The Talented Miss Farwell: A Novel | Emily Gray Tedrowe
12 posts | 13 read | 10 to read
Catch Me If You Can meets Patricia Highsmith in this electrifying page-turner of greed and obsession, survival and self-invention that is a piercing character study of one unforgettable female con artist. At the end of the 1990s, with the art market finally recovered from its disastrous collapse, Miss Rebecca Farwell has made a killing at Christie's in New York City, selling a portion of her extraordinary art collection for a rumored 900 percent profit. Dressed in couture YSL, drinking the finest champagne at trendy Balthazar, Reba, as she's known, is the picture of a wealthy art collector. To some, the elusive Miss Farwell is a shark with outstanding business acumen. To others, she's a heartless capitalist whose only interest in art is how much she can make. But a thousand miles from the Big Apple, in the small town of Pierson, Illinois, Miss Farwell is someone else entirely--a quiet single woman known as Becky who still lives in her family's farmhouse, wears sensible shoes, and works tirelessly as the town's treasurer and controller. No one understands the ins and outs of Pierson's accounts better than Becky; she's the last one in the office every night, crunching the numbers. Somehow, her neighbors marvel, she always finds a way to get the struggling town just a little more money. What Pierson doesn't see--and can never discover--is that much of that money is shifted into a separate account that she controls, "borrowed" funds used to finance her art habit. Though she quietly repays Pierson when she can, the business of art is cutthroat and unpredictable. But as Reba Farwell's deals get bigger and bigger, Becky Farwell's debt to Pierson spirals out of control. How long can the talented Miss Farwell continue to pull off her double life?
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akfreeborn
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Pickpick

I love a story of a con and it is always remarkable how the con artist justifies their behavior. Set in a small town and the art world, it was interesting how she got away with it for so long. Parts dragged a bit but overall, I recommend!

24 likes1 stack add
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Simona
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Mehso-so

Becky is a boring, shy young lady and she works as a town‘s treasurer/controller, but as Reba she is having more glamorous life - as a wealthy, successful art collector. I was expecting some thrilled twists about her double life, more complex situations from the art world, but there were none … Good premise, but not so good execution. I was intrigued by the story just enough that I finished it. #audiowalks

rockpools Oh that‘s disappointing- was about to stack from your first sentence. Hope the next one‘s better! 2y
Simona @rockpools I‘m sure that the next one will be better 🤞 2y
UwannaPublishme Love your audio walking path! 😍 2y
Simona @UwannaPublishme When I‘m not in the mood for some hard hike, this is my go to path. 2y
51 likes4 comments
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marleed
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Pickpick

This book was a bit boring, but that‘s wasn‘t completely a bad thing in this instance. If you are going to find outer-Becky success skimming from rural America to fund your inner-Reba art habit in Chicago, you just gotta live a life under the radar.

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GidgetsTreasures75
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11-4-20: My 91st finished book of 2020! Rebecca Farwell lives a double life. As Becky, she works as a comptroller for her small town. As Reba, she buys and sells art. This story takes us through how she manages to lead and fund such different lifestyles. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #thetalentedmissfarwell #emilygraytedrowe 👍🏼📖#️⃣9️⃣1️⃣

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Chelsea.Poole
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Bailedbailed

Nope. Giving up at the 50% mark. Had so much potential to actually be riveting but it was not. I enjoyed the beginning and thought we were going places but it got sooo boring. I don't know what happens at the end and I can't even care enough to try to find out.
I think part of the problem is I thought this was a thriller. It is most definitely not. #dnf

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SilversReviews
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Pickpick

HAPPY PUB DAY!!

Becky Farwell was brilliant in math and used this brilliance for things not on the up and up.

An enjoyable read simply because you can't believe what she is doing.

The writing is fresh and pulls you in. A wonderful book for a debut.

Art aficionados and any reader who just needs something different will find this book enjoyable. 5/5

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/y2gy78sa

#emilygraytedrowe
@williammorrowbooks

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Monica5
Panpan

I so wanted to like this book. I was excited to read it, bc who wouldn't love a female con artist? Obviously, me. I am in the minority on this. Others have loved it.

I won this from Goodreads.

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SilversReviews
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SilversReviews
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Becky Farwell was brilliant in math and made money during high school tutoring friends either for money, clothes, or shoes.

She used this brilliance as an adult for things not on the up and up, but she is very likeable.

An enjoyable read simply because you can't believe what she is doing.

The writing is fresh and pulls you in. A wonderful book for a debut. 5/5

FULL REVIEW ON SEPTEMBER 29.

#emilygraytedrowe
@HarperCollins

40 likes1 stack add
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ValerieAndBooks
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Pickpick

Requested this ARC from LibraryThing Early Reviewer program because of my interest in art/art history, not because I thought or hoped this was a thriller as the cover and title implies. Because it isn‘t.

Treasurer of a small town embezzles money to support her art habit & jet set lifestyle and gets away with it for a long time. Readers less interested in the art world might not find this as compelling as I did. But I read this in one day.

LeahBergen It sounds fascinating! 4y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen I think you might like this one. 4y
54 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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Book mail from yesterday— an ARC I requested via #LibraryThing #EarlyReviewers. I read an novel of hers (“Commuters”) several years ago and liked it then, which is why I requested this. This cover gives off a thriller genre vibe, doesn‘t it 🤔 ?

Ruthiella Yes, the cover does tip toward thriller...and the title is maybe a riff on Patricia Highsmith‘s Ripley? 🤔 4y
ValerieAndBooks @Ruthiella I thought the same about the title (saw the movie; haven‘t read book yet) after I requested it! All I know at this point is that this one is about art world intrigue 😊 . I‘ll find out when I start it soon! 4y
ferskner I really liked it! 4y
ValerieAndBooks @ferskner starting this today 👍! 4y
57 likes1 stack add4 comments
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SilversReviews
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What a nice surprise!!

Thank you, @harpercollins and @customhousebooks