The Collector's Apprentice: A Novel

Name: The Collector's Apprentice: A Novel
Price: 2.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.2 (1459 reviews)
Author: B. A. Shapiro

by B. A. Shapiro

Mystery Thriller Historical Fiction

4.2 (1,459)

4.2 stars from 1,459 reviews. Top 85% of Mystery Thriller books we track.

$2.99Deal81% off peak

Last checked: Jun 4, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $15.95

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Price range: $1.99 – $15.95

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Perfect for you if...

You love historical fiction grounded in real art world scandal and want to spend time in Jazz Age Paris with actual figures like Matisse and Gertrude Stein.
You enjoy twisty plots where the protagonist's guilt or innocence stays ambiguous, and you're drawn to unreliable narrators with complex motivations.
You've read Shapiro's other novels and want more of her signature blend of art theft, period detail, and psychological intrigue.

Maybe not for you if...

You prefer straightforward moral clarity and protagonists you can root for without reservation.
You're looking for light escapism rather than a layered, slow-burn mystery that demands close attention.
You find crime plots centred on wealth and privilege less compelling than stories about ordinary stakes.

About this book

Paulien Mertens is accused of helping her fiancé steal her family's fortune and her father's art collection. She flees to France and assumes a new identity as Vivienne to escape the law and those who lost everything in the theft. Vivienne takes a position working for an American art collector modeled after real-life museum founder Albert Barnes. She becomes immersed in 1920s Paris, where she encounters post-Impressionist painter Henri Matisse and writer Gertrude Stein, alongside other artists and expats of the era. From this new life, Vivienne works to recover her father's art collection, prove her innocence, and seek revenge against her ex-fiancé. The novel weaves together elements of art fraud, theft, scandal, murder, and revenge.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $15.95

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 81% off peak. Price has dropped 12 times over the last 5 years. Goes on sale roughly every 173 days. Typically stays discounted for 2 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #43K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Sales have softened 45% recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.2★ from 1,459 reviews

Gaining approximately 4 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.2 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $15.95.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.