The Death Artist

When I picked this up I thought it would possibly be a bit trashy but entertaining. I was wrong. It was totally trashy and not entertaining.

The brand name dropping was reminiscent of someone trying to pretend they got what Bret Easton Ellis was doing with that in American Psycho. For a book that was clearly pushing the 'smoking is evil and gives you cancer' angle, maybe the author shouldn't have mentioned Marlboro like he was getting a blowjob for each mention.

I finally pitched this waste of paper into the recycling bin when I got to the part where the female main character muses on how she feeds her husband's secretary chocolate truffles to make sure she stays 'plus-sized', and hopes that said secretary stays in her role until after show more retirement age. Because of course if the secretary is fat and/or old, the husband won't fuck her. I can deal with thrillers being trashy and derivative but piling on the misogynistic body shaming was just too much.

I am rating this one star because unfortunately the rating system doesn't go into negative numbers. Beauty school dropout, go back to art college. show less

The Death Artist is the first in a series of three books featuring Kate McKinnon, former police officer turned art world darling. After marrying, Kate left the force to return to her first love, art history. Now a well-known figure in the New York art scene, Kate finds herself sucked back into the police world when an art-related pattern emerges in a series of murders that seemed to be aimed at Kate. It takes her vast knowledge of art to reveal the pattern and find the truth behind the murders before she becomes the death artist's next victim.

Though the concept is interesting, the execution leaves a little to be desired. Kate is sometimes a little slow on the uptake. As a reader, I was frustrated when she seemed unable to work out the show more seemingly obvious clues set before her. I also expected a higher quality of writing to convey this high-minded concept, but I suppose an artist can't be expected to be a great writer as well. That's right, Jonathan Santlofer's first creative outlet was art. You can see some of his pieces on the Pavel Zoubok Gallery website.

Despite my criticisms, I still found The Death Artist an enjoyable read overall. The mystery was good enough to make me keep reading. I wanted to know how it turned out even if it wasn't the most well-constructed narrative I've ever read. I also continued on to the other two Kate McKinnon books since I already had them.

Bottom line? I wouldn't rush out to get the Kate McKinnon series, but I also wouldn't turn it down if someone offered to let me borrow it. If you are intrigued by Jonathan Santlofer and the concept of integrating art into murder mysteries, you might want to bypass his early efforts and start with Anatomy of Fear, the first in the Nate Rodriguez series. From the reviews I've seen, it is here that Santlofer really begins to hit his stride. show less

This book keeps you guessing all the way through. The murder of Kate McKinnons protege is seemingly the beginning of a series of killings of 'art world' people. The plot is complicated and the ending exciting. The only drawback was it took a fairly long time to read as there were so many stories involved. The characters were appropriate for their roles in the book and I would like to see more of Kate McKinnon in her 'cop' role.

I heard this author speak on a Moth podcast. If he writes as well as he orally tells a story, this will be awesome.

***
Started it and it was horrible. He doesn't even come close to writing as well as he tells a story. Bummer.

I figured out the ending too soon, but a good read.

Un asesino en serie tiene aterrorizado al círculo artístico neoyorquino. Uno a uno, los cuerpos de las víctimas son hallados recreando el cuadro de algún pintor reconocido.
Kate McKinnon, una ex policía convertida en reputada historiadora de arte, deberá resolver quién es el asesino en una carrera contrarreloj, ya que no hay duda de que ella es la última pieza de la macabra colección de éste.

Goed vlot geschreven en zeker spannend. Alleen had ik het gevoel dat gedurende het boek een beetje al te nadrukkelijk een aantal mensen verdacht moesten zijn. Overigens had ik de uiteindelijke moordenaar niet in de smiessen, maar ook dat vond ik eerder teleurstellend dan verrassend. De aanwijzigingen en de daarop volgende acties zijn wel zeer overtuigend en mooi beschreven.