Topic > Analysis of the book "The Painting of Isabella" by Ellen Butler

So, what would you do if, while visiting your boyfriend's family home, you saw a glimpse of something that made you think that your boyfriend's father boy is awake to something shady, illegal and possibly dangerous? Would you tell your boyfriend about your concerns or perhaps discuss them with his father? Or maybe you could just mind your own business. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThese are the choices faced by the main character in the book Isabella's Painting by Ellen Butler. She, however, handles things in a very different way. Karina Cardinal is a lawyer, in her thirties, working as a lobbyist in Washington, DC. She is dating Patrick Dunne, who is the son of the very rich and successful Marty Dunne and his wife Molly. It is during a late-night visit to their home that Karina catches the slightest glimmer of something that makes her suspect that something is going on that should be investigated. Unfortunately, she decides that she should be the one to investigate. Without telling anyone, including her boyfriend, Patrick, Karina begins investigating on her own what she believes she saw in her family's home. Her investigation takes her back to an art heist that occurred in 1990, in which five hundred million dollars' worth of artwork was stolen from a Boston museum. The Boston Mafia is believed to be involved in this robbery. Now Karina believes Marty Dunne is in possession of one of these works of art. He has to find out if that's really the case, and how and why Marty is involved in all this, all without telling Patrick. This forms the main plot of the story. The subplot of the story concerns the relationship between Karina and Patrick. He also begins to explore an interest in a former college friend of his, FBI agent Michael Finnegan, whom he often meets during his investigations. I really liked this book at first, but soon found myself irritated by the actions of the main character, Karina. For example, with the slightest suspicion that something is going on, he finds it acceptable to search his host's office while he is a guest in this man's house. She seems to find it impossible to confide in her boyfriend that she has these concerns about her father. But she is able to accuse Patrick of betraying her trust when she is offended by his actions in another matter. I think Patrick's character was extremely unevenly developed. At the beginning of the story he is a confident, sincere and sophisticated man. Suddenly, halfway through the story, he becomes an insecure, completely unreasonable and, frankly, creepy person. While I agree that she was sometimes very wrong in her actions, I feel that Karina was not the type to judge when it comes to honesty and openness. Another thing I didn't like about this book is that some scenes were written in such a way that they almost became slapstick. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay This was especially true in a scene where Karina is fleeing from a horde of journalists with her colleague Latesha. While I like light-hearted mysteries, this one felt a little too much. I was also tired of Karina's witty responses that never failed to appear, no matter what danger she was in at the time. In her dealings with law enforcement, she came across as unprofessional and immature, especially considering her experiences as a lobbyist. On a more positive note, I enjoyed the throwback art heist plot. I also thought that, for the most part, the dialogue was well written and.