Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Brush with Death
An Art Lover's Mystery, No. 3

by Hailey Lind



      This third outing in the fabulous Annie Kincaid art lovers mystery series stands alone beautifully. It's clever and artful (excuse the pun!), while the author, Hailey Lind, is erudite and experienced in her subject. Annie Kincaid, if you haven't met her before, owns her own business True/Faux Studios, specializing in murals, trompe l'oeil and art restoration in buildings. She is based in the Bay Area and the scene of the crime is Oakland California's Chapel of the Chimes. The ingenious blending of true places and art, coupled with a great plot, makes this a hard-to-put down read. Ms. Lind is careful to give a post-script interpretation of the actual locations and art mentioned in the book; so when you are done reading the mystery story, keep reading to find out more about Chapel of the Chimes, and the specific piece of art by Raphael - La Fornarina.

This book isn't for art lovers only though; the characters are easy to like (or dislike!) and the story flows seamlessly through spooky graveyard outings, locked mausoleums and Bay Area hot spots. Annie's personal life, or rather, her love life or lack thereof, is part of the pleasure in reading Ms. Lind's series, and this book was no exception. From co-workers, including the wacky goth assistant Mary, to the sexy "former" art thief Michael, Annie gets tangled with the good, the bad and the ugly.

To top the enjoyment of this book, you can continue thumbing past the historical notes in the back to an art lesson! Ms. Lind provides a great lesson in Marbling, titled "Annie's Guide to Marbling." (Try this at Home!) Easy to understand, it makes the reader anxious to try out the technique, even if, like the reviewer, they don't know one end of a sable hair brush from another!

Although Annie's past is gone into with more detail in the first two books of the series, the reader of this title gets a good idea of Annie's family, including her shady grandfather, a master forger, and you see how she is trying, oh so carefully, to leave her past behind. All in all, it makes for a fun weekend read, with some art and learning thrown in. Highly recommended.

The Book

Signet / NAL / Penguin Group
July 2007
Paperback
978-0-451-22179-7
Mystery, Women Sleuths
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
NOTE: Also reviewed on Myshelf: Book one - Feint of Art... Book two - Shooting Gallery)

The Reviewer

Laura Strathman Hulka
Reviewed 2007
NOTE:
© 2006 MyShelf.com