Unbecoming

A Novel

By: Rebecca Scherm

Narrated by: Catherine Taber

EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL

“Startlingly inventive.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A sheer delight to read . . . I had no idea what was going to happen from one page to the next.”—Kate Atkinson

On the grubby outskirts of Paris, Grace restores bric-a-brac, mends teapots, re-sets gems. She calls herself Julie, says she’s from California, and slips back to a rented room at night. Regularly, furtively, she checks the hometown paper on the Internet. Home is Garland, Tennessee, and there, two young men have just been paroled. One, she married; the other, she’s in love with. Both were jailed for a crime that Grace herself planned in exacting detail. The heist went bad—but not before she was on a plane to Prague with a stolen canvas rolled in her bag. And so, in Paris, begins a cat-and-mouse waiting game as Grace’s web of deception and lies unravels—and she becomes another young woman entirely.

Unbecoming is an intricately plotted and psychologically nuanced heist novel that turns on suspense and slippery identity. With echoes of Alfred Hitchcock and Patricia Highsmith, Rebecca Scherm’s mesmerizing debut is sure to entrance fans of Gillian Flynn, Marisha Pessl, and Donna Tartt.

Enticing

Easy read, intriguing story. Twists that were surprising yet not surprising. Thoughtful insights into the mind of a dishonest person.

Unbecoming

I like this author. The first 2/3 of the book chased some ideas that never got fleshed out but were interesting.
A more experienced editor might have steered the direction of the story more concisely. Despite this the book was an interesting read.

Not a fast story, but a good one

There was a lot of depth to the characters of the story. The actual events could have been told in about 4 hours. I enjoyed 'getting inside' the mind and heart of this main character though, and I like long books.

Unstoppable read

Found myself rooting for Grâce and her loves both, whether they be childhood sweethearts or talents to survive in a perilous world.

Wonderful Narration and story

Loved the storyline. What is the story of a clever theft? The tale between Paris and a small town in TN and NY. The connection to appraising and working in antiques and art work is fabulous knowledge. Narrator does a great job.