Fiction. MISSING MATISSE is a novel with a puzzle, set in the contemporary world of art theft and the historical reality of World War II, France. The heart of the story is the enigmatic and complex Lydia Delectorskaya, a Russian orphan who became Matisse's muse, model, caregiver, administrator, and companion for twenty years. Lydia Delectorskaya is a fascinating figure, though little is known about her life after Matisse's death. Jan Rehner gives Lydia a voice, and pays tribute to her remarkable contribution to some of Matisse's greatest paintings.

Author City: TORONTO, ON CAN

Jan Rehner is a Senior Lecturer in the Writing Department at York University. Her novel Just Murder won the 2004 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Crime Novel. Her second novel, On Pain of Death, is set in France during World War II, and won a bronze medallion from the ippy group of independent publishers (2008). Jan lives in Toronto.