DEATH ARTIST: A Novel of Suspense
Jonathan Santlofer
HarperTorch
Thriller
ISBN: 0060004428

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THE DEATH ARTIST (aptly subtitled "A Novel of Suspense") is a taut, riveting thriller set in the New York art world. Jonathan Santlofer, the author, brings to the book a lifetime in the creative and exclusive circle of buyers, curators, experts, and artists. He is the winner of two National Endowment for the Arts painting grants, several Visiting Artist residencies at The Vermont Studio Center, and a variety of other honors. Santlofer knows art --- the classic and the contemporary --- and he puts this knowledge to good use in his first novel, at once educating and entertaining us. Like his paintings, Santlofer's DEATH ARTIST concerns itself with reality versus illusion.

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

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