I really wanted to like this. I read The Death Artist back in 2008, and I loved it. I rated it 5 stars, and I remember staying up late into the night to finish it. Perhaps my tastes have changed since then, but I just couldn't get into the sequel. I found Kate self-absorbed and unlikeable, and the writing irritating. I was well aware that it was a man writing a woman's POV, because so many of Kate's thoughts didn't sound right. She talked about going out with her "women friends", for example, which made me grit my teeth. It sounds exactly like something a man would say. Anyway, there were a bunch of instances like those, and eventually I just had to admit I didn't care enough about what happened to keep reading. ( )

The second book in the Kate McKinnon series follows our heroine as she tracks another serial killer. This one leaves paintings behind at the scene of the crime rather than modeling his actual crimes on them. Kate thinks they are the product of an outsider artist and takes forever to figure out the guy is just color blind. Admittedly, Kate also has a lot going on personally for a reason I can't reveal in a review and which, to be blunt, made me angry.

Just as in The Death Artist, Kate must unravel the mystery before she becomes the murderer's next victim. And just as with The Death Artist, the concept of tying art into the story of a crime is intriguing but the execution falls short. Santlofer's McKinnon series seems somehow contrived. Yet in spite of this, I kept right on reading. Maybe I wanted a resolution to my frustration. Maybe I wanted to see if Kate would ever pick up the pace in interpreting the clues. Maybe I was just thinking about the fact that the third book in the series was sitting there waiting for me. I'm not quite sure, but I did keep reading.

The bottom line is much the same. This isn't a series I would put at the top of your reading list, but feel free to give it a whirl if it happens across your path. Perhaps you'll find I've been too harsh. Unfortunately, I've read far too many well-constructed and smart mysteries lately to cut Kate McKinnon much slack. ( )

I loved this book and read it in hopes of getting his second book in review. Just love this new author. ( )

I know I should have read the first book first, but I am notorious for reading things out of order. I'm glad I did read this one first though, since I have since tried reading the other book and have had a hard time sticking to it.

I enjoyed the use of colours in this thriller and the use of art as I have always had an interest in art history. While reading I had such wonderful images in my head. ( )