No Oil Painting by Genevieve Marenghi

No Oil Painting

by Genevieve Marenghi

No Oil Painting by Genevieve Marenghi

was published by Burton Mayers.

My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a review copy and to 

Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me onto the tour.

Synopsis

A respectable septuagenarian steals a valuable painting and later tries to return it, with a little help from her friends.

Bored National Trust volunteer, Maureen, steals an obscure still life as a giant up-yours to all those who’ve discounted her. The novice fine art thief is rumbled by some fellow room guides, but snitches get stitches, camaraderie wins out and instead of grassing her up, they decide to help.

Often written off as an insipid old fart, Maureen has a darker side, challenging ingrained ideas of how senior citizens should behave. Her new set of friends make her feel alive again. No longer quite so invisible, can this unlikely pensioner gang return the now infamous painting without being caught by the Feds?

I wrote this after hearing a radio interview in which an art detective revealed how a stolen Titian was dumped at a bus stop outside Richmond station. In a red, white and blue plastic bag! I just couldn’t shake such a compelling image. I volunteered at Ham House for many years, and my passion for this Jacobean gem, together with the volunteers’ indomitable spirit, gave birth to my unlikely anti-hero.

With over five million members, the National Trust is a huge British institution. Yet, next to nothing has been written about it in terms of contemporary fiction. Until now.

While No Oil Painting explores themes of insignificance and loneliness in older age, particularly for women, it is mainly intended to entertain and offer a small haven in dark, uncertain times.

My Thoughts

First of all you need to read this tongue in cheek in the entertaining genre it was written in. If you are a fan of groups of OAPs cocking a snook at the world then this is for you. You will laugh heartily at the situations that they find themselves in courtesy of Maureen and you will never look at National Trust volunteers of a certain age again without wondering if they have thought of doing this , or maybe have done this themselves. It certainly makes you realise that being an OAP could be the start of a whole new adventure, though perhaps, more realistically, keep yourself occupied and don’t let yourself get bored.

No Oil Painting also shows the closeness and solidarity of friendship whilst having you laugh your socks off at the antics they get up to whilst trying to return the painting . It also makes you realise that just because you get beyond the age of 50 you do not have to become invisible and it you feel that you are, then go for it and do something to get yourself noticed, not that I am advocating stealing, and trying to return, a painting !!!!!

About Genevieve

With a BA in English and Philosophy, Genevieve worked for eleven years at the Weekend FT, where she helped create and launch How To Spend It magazine.

She volunteered for years as a National Trust guide at Ham House. This became the setting for her debut art heist novel, No Oil Painting, which was listed for the inaugural Women’s Prize Trust and Curtis Brown Discoveries, and was published by Burton Mayers Books on 10th October 2025.

Her writing uses dark humour to probe the difference between our perception of people and their true selves. The gulf between what is said and what is meant. She considers people watching an essential skill for any writer; overheard snippets of conversation or a bonkers exchange at a bus stop are like gold nuggets. She’s been known to follow people to catch the end of a juicy conversation or argument. Women aged over fifty are essentially invisible anyhow and she views this as a kind of superpower.

Unlike her protagonist Maureen, she hasn’t used this to commit art theft. Yet.