The Death Artist (Death Artists) [Paperback]

Good ideas that are executed well -- particularly in first novels -- are rare, so it was with cautious optimism that I picked up The Death Artist by long-time painter and first-time author Jonathan Santlofer.

Certainly, it's perfect subject matter for an artist to explore, yet I wasn't sure how gracefully the visual would translate into words. As it turns out, it's the painter's eye that gives the book its power: the attention to tiny visual details that evoke a scene; the imagination; and the way the author uses words like brushstrokes, layering them onto the page until, slowly, images take on shape and meaning.

The Death Artist succeeds as a mystery, with effective plot twists and frightening psychological drama, but it's more than a novel of suspense. The subtle extras -- realistic characters, insightful glimpses into art history, caricatures of New York's art scene -- set it apart from others of that genre.

With some suspense novels, it seems writers exhaust their inspiration in developing the threads of plot, only to race through the denouement, tying up loose ends in a haphazard bundle. But in The Death Artist, the resolution was as carefully crafted as the rest: compelling, terrifying and surprising.

The book is edgy, darkly funny and very scary. The pacing is perfect, too: engaging from the first pages, increasingly taut as the story unfolds. I couldn't put the book down till I finished after 3:00 in the morning. I'd recommend it not only to lovers of suspense, but to anyone who enjoys intelligent, lively, insightful storytelling.

As I was reading this incredibly engrossing book I quickly rummaged through my old art history books to look up the "death artist paintings" and visually follow along. Peering at each painting through my magnifying glass, I imagined myself as Kate trying to search for clues.

While contemporary in its setting and complexity, Jonathon Santlofer's first book, is also an homage to 1950's mystery novels, with words and rhythm of dialgue echoing the tone of that genre.

Be prepared to be educated, intrigued, scared and thoroughly entertained.

The reality is this: Kate McKinnon, a renowned art expert and television luminary of sorts, finds herself drawn into a series of ritualistic murders by someone who seems to have specifically targeted her, her celebrity, and her past. A former detective with the NYPD, Kate is more than familiar with the type of criminal who seems to be pursuing her and taunting her, first with the brutal murder of a young girl she had personally mentored for many years, and then with a string of murders fashioned to give the illusion of paintings by the masters, with victims connected to the city's art scene. It is Kate's job to take the clues the egotistical murderer sends her, weed through the possible suspects (curators, artists, and relations alike) and try to stop the Death Artist before he completes his next piece and, ultimately, before he shares with her his masterpiece. As if the murders themselves were not intriguing enough, Santlofer further tantalizes us with underlying stories of an amateur pornography ring, illegal art dealings, and unimaginable relationships.

Remarkably, this is Santlofer's first piece of fiction. Why remarkable? Because Santlofer writes with the flair and technique of a seasoned thriller author. His plot is tight, his characters engaging and likable (or dislikable, if that's his intention), his murders and ensuing mystery unique, his diversions convincingly distracting, and his climax surprising --- and satisfying. This is a whodunit of the highest caliber. THE DEATH ARTIST has all of the elements of some of the best classic thrillers and bodes well for a long career in storytelling. Here's hoping Santlofer will give the pen and the paintbrush equal time in the future.

--- Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara