Art and Murder - Together Again

Actual poster issued by Senator Joseph McCarthy during The Red Scare in the 1950's.It might also have come first from Queen Victoria.

I'm crazy about art mysteries - whether the hero is an artist, a museum curator, an art collector, art historian, restorer or just some guy who wanders into an art gallery and finds a dead body.

If the mystery is well-written and set in the art world, I'll be reading it sooner rather than later. There's just something about art and murder that has always captured my fancy. (Maybe because I have an art background and have to keep from swooning when I enter a museum.)

But not everyone has heard of the art mysteries I love best, so I thought I'd list the cream of the crop and urge you to take a look. (You don't have to be an art maven like me to appreciate a good mystery no matter where it's set - right?)

1) The art historian Jonathan Argyll series by Oxford historian Iain Pears begun in 1990:

First book: THE RAPHAEL AFFAIR which introduces us to the fumbling but endearing British art historian Jonathan Argyll and his future cohorts: the gruff but genial General Bottando and his beautiful associate, Flavia di Stefano, both of the Italian National Art Theft Squad. The books mostly take place in Italy and occasionally in England. All I can say is I Love These Books! They should be read in order if possible.

THE RAPHAEL AFFAIR (1990)
THE TITIAN COMMITTEE (1991)
THE BERNINI BUST (1992)
THE LAST JUDGEMENT (1993)
GIOTTO'S HAND (1994)
DEATH AND RESTORATION (1996)
THE IMMACULATE DECEPTION (2000)

2) The Fred Taylor mysteries by American art historian Nicholas Kilmer begun in 1995:

First Book: HARMONY IN FLESH AND BLACK which introduces us to Vietnam vet Fred Taylor, a hard to define kind of guy except to say he is tough, laconic and an art expert. He is the right hand man of the very eccentric, Boston high society art collector Clayton Reed. Skulduggery is a matter of course as Clayton sends Fred out into the art world to follow up his often inspired hunches. (See my review here.)

HARMONY IN FLESH AND BLACK (1995)
MAN WITH A SQUIRREL (1996)
O SACRED HEAD (1997)
DIRTY LINEN (1999)
LAZARUS ARISE (2001)
MADONNA OF THE APES (2005)
A BUTTERFLY IN FLAME (2010)
A PARADISE FOR FOOLS (2011)

Note: The early hard covers of the first four books had simply splendid covers. While I've read the entire series, the first four books are my favorites.

3) The Chris Norgren mysteries by American writer Aaron Elkins begun in 1987:

First Book: A DECEPTIVE CLARITY which introduces us to the very likable San Francisco museum curator Chris Norgren as he heads to Berlin to help set-up The Plundered Past exhibit which will feature works of art looted by the Nazis during WWII. (See my review here.)

A DECEPTIVE CLARITY (1987)
A GLANCING LIGHT (1991)
OLD SCORES (1993)

4) Stand-Alone: THE FORGERY OF VENUS (2008) by Michael Gruber
In which the difference between art forgery and artistic art forgery is revealed - more or less. A brilliant book which makes you think about art (and maybe murder) in an eye-opening new way. Is painter Chaz Wilmot mad? You decide.

5) Stand-Alone: LOOT (1999) by Aaron Elkins
My favorite of Elkins' stand-alones and in general one of my favorite books of all time. A re-reader's delight.

A painting - Nazi loot - thought lost forever turns up in a Boston junk shop, followed by murder and the disappearance of the painting yet again.. Ben Revere, ex-art curator begins a quest for the killers which will take him on a danger filled trip to Europe. (Read my review here.)

6) Stand-Alone: TO THE HILT (1996) by Dick Francis
My first Dick Francis book, after which I read almost all his books in a great frenzy of discovery. Artist Alexander Kinloch lives an isolated existence in the Scottish Highlands where he paints allegorical paintings of golf courses. (Hey, it all makes perfect sense to me.) When thugs turn up on his doorstep and leave him for dead, he begins an idyll involving friends, family and nasty secrets which takes him to England where he will ask questions nobody wants answered. One of my favorite parts in the book is a moment in time when Alexander describes his painting process in a very luscious way. So damn intriguing.

7) Stand-Alone: IN THE FRAME (1976) by Dick Francis
Charles Todd is a well-known English artist who specializes in paintings of horses. When Todd's cousin's house is burglarized and his wife murdered, Todd becomes a suspect and so, of course, he must track down the real killer.

"Few match Francis for dangerous flights of fancy and pure, inventive menace." Boston Herald. Couldn't have said it better myself.

8) Thanks to Les Blatt for reminding me of two of my favorite art mysteries which inexplicably slipped my mind when composing this post earlier. ARTISTS IN CRIME by Ngaio Marsh - the sixth in the Roderick Allyn series by Ngaio Marsh - a dame of the golden age.

How could I forget the book in which Scotland Yard Superintendent Allyn first meets and is smitten by artist Agatha Troy. (He will later marry her.)

9) A CLUTCH OF CONSTABLES by Ngaio Marsh - When Allyn's artist wife Troy goes on a river cruise, murder interrupts the peaceful jaunt. Thanks again Les, for the timely reminder.

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Note:  I might add the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva because the hero is an art restorer - but he is also a part time Mossad agent. Though I've only read a couple of these I've always meant to read more. However, the stories in these books seem to concentrate on spying and the darker aspects of international intrigue than on any art related crimes.

First Book: THE KILL ARTIST (2000)
For the rest of the titles in the series, please use this link.

I heard that there's a book out there which features Leonardo da Vinci in a murder mystery, but I'm a little leery. Besides I can't remember the author or title.

Illustration by the legendary Brad Holland.

Happy Birthday, Dear Dick Francis

Today is the birthday of Dick Francis, one my all time favorite authors. Francis (who passed away earlier this year at the age of 89), was a late-in-my-literary-life discovery, since I only came to his books several years ago. But once I was hooked, I was hooked for keeps. I promptly read every book I could get my hands on in one fell swoop of Dick Francis frenzy.

Here's a link to a bit of bio and a list of all his books. And if you think all his books are strictly about horses, you'd be wrong. Even if you, for whatever reason on God's green earth dislike horses, you can still read Francis and not be overcome with equine revulsion. As I like to say: Dick Francis's books are about horses, the way Hamlet is about Denmark.

Years ago, when the mystery website www.mysteryinkonline.com was active, I reviewed books and once wrote a tribute to Dick Francis which you can still find at the site, here.

Here's what wowed me: Dick Francis sent me the loveliest letter thanking me for my tribute. Here's a man who rarely interacted with the 'press' but he wrote to me. I can't even being to express how thrilled I was.

Off the top of my head, here's a list of some of my favorite Dick Francis books:

• To The Hilt (My introduction to Francis.)
• Longshot
• Hot Money
• Come To Grief
• Driving Force
• Whip Hand
• Odds Against
• Decider
• Smokescreen
• In the Frame
• Flying Finish
• Forfeit
• Slayride
• Break In
• Dead Cert
• Risk

This link to Fantastic Fiction will give you more information about the individual books.

Friday Night Frights (Nothing Too Horrible)

Just until Halloween: FRIDAY NIGHT FRIGHTS. If you saw my Halloween Recommended Reads which I posted last month, you know I don't read horror, so when I say frights I guess I'm being kind of facetious. But let's make believe. And after all, an eerie and suspenseful murder mystery/thriller can often fill the bill if you are, like me, not technically, horrifically inclined. I think my list last month was a good one, I'm just adding a couple more books (simply because I can't help myself) in the few Fridays left this month. Never enough time, never enough books. You know how it goes.

CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT by Earl Emerson
Earl Emerson is one of those brilliant writers who has been writing for years, turning out terrific book after terrific book and yet, very few on the east coast of North America have heard of him. Very frustrating for all concerned, I'm sure. I've been reading him since I discovered one of his early Mac Fontana books in a used book store many years ago. I fell in love with Emerson's unique style then and have been reading him ever since. (Though I would wish there were more Mac Fontana books in the offing.)

Long story short: Shamus Award winning Emerson is a lieutenant in the Seattle Fire Department, so when the story involves the destructive energy of fire, he gets the terrible details just right. As well as writing suspenseful stand-alone novels, E.E. also writes the Thomas Black detective series (going back many years), set in Portland and featuring one of the more attractive private eyes in the genre.

CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT is the latest in the Black series and possibly one of the more unsettling ones. I can't give too much of the plot away because it will ruin the ending for you. So I'll just say you don't really need to have read the previous books in the series since E.E. catches you up with what's been happening to Black pretty quickly. Hint: he finally married his lawyer friend Kathy. But in this latest shocker, E.E. immediately turns Black's life upside down in a horrible way and leaves him (and you), trying to figure out what the hell happened. Great none stop, suspense-filled book. I read this in one fell swoop.

PLUM SPOOKY by Janet Evanovich
Most of us know that hilarity ensues when Evanovich takes pen to paper (metaphorically speaking). This book is called a 'Between the Numbers' novel because it isn't part of the regular
Stephanie Plum series begun with One For the Money. Although it features Stephanie Plum, there's a different guy involved in Plum Spooky, his name is Diesel and he may or may not have supernatural powers. Hey, anything is possible in Trenton, New Jersey. As the flyleaf says: According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dead of night. And no, I don't mean the Devils Hocky Team. Ah, you gotta' read this. Too funny. Plus it has monkeys. Monkeys, under certain conditions, are funny. As usual, I laughed out loud.

For you romance lovers out there (and I am one, yes I admit it!): NIGHT OF THE PHANTOM by the one and only, the truly wonderful Anne Stuart.
Get this from the back cover: As night fell, and fears and phantasms rose to haunt her, Megan Carey was led down to his underground lair - to dine with a phantom she never saw, who remained a dark shape hidden among the shadows.

Wow. Sounds just about perfect Halloween reading. If you can find the book. It's a 1991 Harlequin American Romance edition, but you know, if you look around hard enough, you'll find one. I've collected Anne Stuart books for years. Once upon a time, before the internet, I communicated with several used book stores around the country and bought just about every Anne Stuart book I could get my hands on. She's that good. Not sure how many of her books I have left around the house, but probably I still have most of them tucked in among the various bookshelves. NIGHT OF THE PHANTOM is one of her series of eerie, quirky and, dare I say, odd, romances of which I am very fond and which very few writers can manage successfully. Romantic fun and quite suspenseful.

LONGSHOT by Dick Francis starts out very slowly, it takes a while to get going in this Dick Francis tale which begins: I accepted a commission that had been turned down by four other writers, but I was hungry at the time.

But chug on through the slow opening chapter or so, it's worth the trip.

Impulse will kill you one of these days, writer John Kendall's agent had warned him.

He should have listened.

I've been reading Dick Francis for years. Discovered him one day and promptly went to Barnes and Noble and bought every Francis book they had in stock. (Ah, the good old days when my budget allowed for such splurges.) I loved the man. Love his books. He has written some brilliant stuff over the years. I once wrote an appreciation of him and his writing career for an online mystery website and, to my surprise, Dick Francis wrote me the most wonderful letter.
He was a terrific guy.

Back to LONGSHOT: The hero is John Kendall, writer of travel and survival guides set in jungle or desert. While waiting for his latest book deal to come through, he accepts a job that will place him in the kind of danger that will test his stamina, his ingenuity and his nerve - all while doing reseach in the harmless-seeming English countryside. This book has two of the most harrowing life or death episodes I've EVER read in my life. One involves water and the other involves an arrow. I can say no more. For this alone, I recommend it as excellent reading for this time of year. (Well, for ANY time of year, actually.) When you're in a creepy mood. All I know is I was gasping when I got to the end.

MIDWINTER NIGHTINGALE by Joan Aiken
A young-adult novel pulsing with Victorian melodrama. Perfect to read aloud this Halloween season, if you have someone to read it aloud to. If not, go sit in a quiet corner while the wind howls through the trees and read this for yourself. I loved it. Though I remember reading other Joan Aiken books years ago, this was my first Aiken young adult book. Once I finished I almost immediately read THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE (both books part of the on-going Wolves Chronicles). Both are terrific reads for any age. Only Joan Aiken could conjure up such a mix of magic, mayhem and adventure!

The Tower of London was not a pleasant place in the best of weather, and on a damp, dark, foggy winter evening it was at his worst. The massive masonry was blackened by tendrils of wet moss, peacocks let out doleful cries from the aviary, the lions roared desparingly from the menagerie, and they were answered by the long-drawn angry howls of hungry wolves on the Kent side of the river Thames.

Sounds good to me.