Art-related mystery
ForumCrime, Thriller & Mystery
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1library_mistress
Dear LTers,
I review art-related mystery books for the journal "AKMB-news", edited by the working group of art and museum libraries in the german-speaking countries. So far, I reviewed e.g. Margaret Truman's "Murder in the national gallery", Shane Maloney's "Brush-Off", Michael Frayn's "Headlong", and James Wilson's "The dark clue".
I'd be happy to receive recommendations of other relevant books. Only condition: They _should_ still be available in bookstores.
I review art-related mystery books for the journal "AKMB-news", edited by the working group of art and museum libraries in the german-speaking countries. So far, I reviewed e.g. Margaret Truman's "Murder in the national gallery", Shane Maloney's "Brush-Off", Michael Frayn's "Headlong", and James Wilson's "The dark clue".
I'd be happy to receive recommendations of other relevant books. Only condition: They _should_ still be available in bookstores.
2adeptmagic
Hailey Lind has a whole series of art mysteries. I believe the first one is Feint of Art .
4artisan
There are several authors writing series of art mysteries (in addition to those already mentioned):
John Malcolm has a fine series involving Tim Simpson, art buyer for an investment group.
Nicholas Kilmerhas an excellent series which has been re-released by Poisoned Pen Press, it involves a reclusive multi-millionaire collector and his art-investigator employee.
Jonathan Gash's Lovejoy series starring the marginally-lawful antiques dealer includes several where the principal object can be classified as "art" as well as "antique"
One-offs can include Barbara Parker's The Perfect Fake (Antique map as art?)
There are also some non-fiction mysteries which ought to be of interest:
The Irish Game by Matthew Hart and The Rescue Artist by Edward Dolnick cover major art thefts (The Scream in both books, with significant differences in portrayal of the thief and recovery "helpers"; and in the former, additional coverage of the several-times stolen Vermeer from Russborough in Ireland, and also the Gardner Museum theft)
You might alslo find appropriate Sotheby's: The Inside Story by Peter Watson which covers the "mystery" behind the shenanigans of Sotheby's ability to auction works of art which can't possibly be lawfully available.
John Malcolm has a fine series involving Tim Simpson, art buyer for an investment group.
Nicholas Kilmerhas an excellent series which has been re-released by Poisoned Pen Press, it involves a reclusive multi-millionaire collector and his art-investigator employee.
Jonathan Gash's Lovejoy series starring the marginally-lawful antiques dealer includes several where the principal object can be classified as "art" as well as "antique"
One-offs can include Barbara Parker's The Perfect Fake (Antique map as art?)
There are also some non-fiction mysteries which ought to be of interest:
The Irish Game by Matthew Hart and The Rescue Artist by Edward Dolnick cover major art thefts (The Scream in both books, with significant differences in portrayal of the thief and recovery "helpers"; and in the former, additional coverage of the several-times stolen Vermeer from Russborough in Ireland, and also the Gardner Museum theft)
You might alslo find appropriate Sotheby's: The Inside Story by Peter Watson which covers the "mystery" behind the shenanigans of Sotheby's ability to auction works of art which can't possibly be lawfully available.
6streamsong
A second mystery in a related field comes to mind: Tony Hillerman's A
Thief of Time involves those illegal 'pot hunters' searching for Anazazi pottery to sell to private collectors.
Thief of Time involves those illegal 'pot hunters' searching for Anazazi pottery to sell to private collectors.
7Talbin
In most of Daniel Silva's books, his main character is Gabriel Allon, who restores art. Silva deals with art on some level in all the books, but The English Assassin is the most focused on art - the plot revolves around art taken by the Nazis.
8hazelk
The Art of Murder by Jose Carlos Somoza, a Spanish writer (as you'll have guessed) has as a theme a futuristic art world of the later 21st century where young girls are artworks, stand in galleries for hours on end painted all over and don't move and are bought and sold for extortionate sums. However, it was the most boring 'thriller ' I've ever read.
9avaland
While not a straightforward genre mystery, A Cup of Light by Nicole Mones was set around a mystery and taught me a lot about Chinese porcelain.
Lea Wait has a series of antique print mysteries. www.leawait.com
And if you get to step outside of mysteries once in a while, I would highly recommend The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean which tells the story of an elderly woman who has Alzheimers but is reliving the Seige of Leningrad when she was a docent at the Hermitage Museum. I'll not soon forget the scene when she gives a tour to a group of schoolchildren describing each painting in detail even though the frames are empty!
Lea Wait has a series of antique print mysteries. www.leawait.com
And if you get to step outside of mysteries once in a while, I would highly recommend The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean which tells the story of an elderly woman who has Alzheimers but is reliving the Seige of Leningrad when she was a docent at the Hermitage Museum. I'll not soon forget the scene when she gives a tour to a group of schoolchildren describing each painting in detail even though the frames are empty!
10akosikae
The Flanders Panel by Antonio Perez-Reverte is recommended about the mystery behind a Van Huys painting, "The Game of Chess."
11tripleblessings
Here are a few art-related mysteries from my catalogue:
Murder at the Mendel by Gail Bowen, a Canadian mystery set in Saskatoon Saskatchewan. A painter is murdered at the opening of her show in her home-town art gallery, and her friend investigates.
Three by Dick Francis might qualify. In the frame and To the hilt both feature painters, who paint portraits of horses and of people respectively. Shattered stars a glassblower whose jockey friend dies accidentally, leaving a mysterious package.
Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham concerns a murder at an art gallery, and the sale of a famous painter's works after his death.
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers, in which a painter is murdered, and most of the suspects are artists too.
Under the hammer by John Mortimer, a mystery set at a London auction house, involving possible forgeries.
The daughter of time by Josephine Tey begins with the famous portrait of Richard III, which provokes Detective Alan Grant to critically re-read English history to see whether the king really did murder the princes in the tower.
I think there's a Lindsey Davis which involves forged Greek statues being imported to ancient Rome, but I can't remember which one of the series that would be.
There must be lots more...
Murder at the Mendel by Gail Bowen, a Canadian mystery set in Saskatoon Saskatchewan. A painter is murdered at the opening of her show in her home-town art gallery, and her friend investigates.
Three by Dick Francis might qualify. In the frame and To the hilt both feature painters, who paint portraits of horses and of people respectively. Shattered stars a glassblower whose jockey friend dies accidentally, leaving a mysterious package.
Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham concerns a murder at an art gallery, and the sale of a famous painter's works after his death.
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers, in which a painter is murdered, and most of the suspects are artists too.
Under the hammer by John Mortimer, a mystery set at a London auction house, involving possible forgeries.
The daughter of time by Josephine Tey begins with the famous portrait of Richard III, which provokes Detective Alan Grant to critically re-read English history to see whether the king really did murder the princes in the tower.
I think there's a Lindsey Davis which involves forged Greek statues being imported to ancient Rome, but I can't remember which one of the series that would be.
There must be lots more...
12library_mistress
wow, great! I really didn't expect a list like that. So I have book review material for months now ;-)
13tardis
Artists in Crime and Black as he's Painted and others by Ngaio Marsh. Her detective, Alleyn's wife, Agatha Troy, is a famous painter.
14mdbenoit
Oh, shoot, I forget the darn author's name, but he writes mysteries within the antiquarian book business. Anybody ever read him? What's his name?
15SJaneDoe
I think you're thinking of John Dunning's Cliff Janeway "Bookman" novels.
16artisan
Or Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr bookseller/thief books.
18liao
An art mystery that I've enjoyed lately (although mystery is relative--it wasn't till I was 2/3s of the way through did the mystery appear) was Object of Virtue: a Novel by Nicholas B. A. Nicholson. The author was a specialist in Russian art for Christies.
Its a "light" mystery but was very enjoyable reading (largely about the Faberge workshops) and even taught me a few new words.
Its a "light" mystery but was very enjoyable reading (largely about the Faberge workshops) and even taught me a few new words.
19bibliotheque
The Tempest by Juan Manuel de Prada is a mystery centring on Giorgione's painting of that name, worth a read!
20Jeanhl
library_mistress, I just read Still Life by Louise Penny. It's a murder mystery set in a small Quebec town. A woman has just had her unusual painting accepted for a show when she is murdered. There are several other artists who live in the community. It was good.
jeanhl
jeanhl
21Jeanhl
It's not a mystery, but The Forger by Paul Watkins is an awesome thriller. It's starts in Paris just prior to the German occupation in WWII. An American artist is enlisted to help the French forge paintings so that the real paintings can be hidden from the Germans.
jeanhl
jeanhl
22ryn_books
And another Ngaio Marsh, A Clutch of Constables - one of my favourites from her later work.
23quartzite
Trick of the Eye by Jane Stanton Hitchcock if its still in print would be good, as might The Modigliani Scandal by Ken Follett
24ABVR
Charlotte MacLeod did a series featuring Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn . . . she the heir to a large (and wealthy and loopy) Boston family, he an investigator specializing in art theft and art-related insurance fraud. The Family Vault was the first in the series and there were eventually a dozen of them or so, some more about art than others. There was one--The Plain Old Man?--set in a fictionalized version of the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum.
Also: Loot is a superior Aaron Elkins thriller involving art stolen by the Nazis. I have a vague sense that he and his wife Charlotte did a series with an art theme, but I can't remember the titles.
Also: Loot is a superior Aaron Elkins thriller involving art stolen by the Nazis. I have a vague sense that he and his wife Charlotte did a series with an art theme, but I can't remember the titles.
25RoseCityReader
A Grave Talent is the first book in Laurie King's Kate Martinelli series. In it, a talented artist living under an assumed name in a hippy commune is accused of killing a child. More about being an artist, a female artist, than art.
King returns to the artist-as-loner theme in her more recent book Folly in which the heroine sets out to rebuild her uncle's home on a deserted island in the Puget Sound. The artist heroine is a furniture maker/sculptor, rather than a painter, which is an interesting twist (it also means she is capable of building a house by herself).
King returns to the artist-as-loner theme in her more recent book Folly in which the heroine sets out to rebuild her uncle's home on a deserted island in the Puget Sound. The artist heroine is a furniture maker/sculptor, rather than a painter, which is an interesting twist (it also means she is capable of building a house by herself).
26AccidentalLibrarian
Jonathan Santlofer is an artist and writes mysteries about art, e. g. The Death Artist; Color Blind; and The Killing Art.
27MarzipanLady
For a light-hearted murder mystery set in the museum world there is also Jane Langton's Murder at the Gardner.
28bookbeat
Nageeba Davis only wrote 2 books, but they were cozy mysteries with an artist for the lead character.
29tripleblessings
Donna Leon writes a fine series of crime novels set in Venice, starring Commissario Guido Brunetti. In Acqua Alta an assault and murder appear to be linked to a series of thefts and possible forgeries of ancient Chinese ceramic artifacts, stolen from the museum at the Doge's Palace. It's a very good mystery.
I'm also a fan of Peter Robinson's mystery series in Yorkshire, England, with Inspector Alan Banks. In Playing with Fire the police discover a couple of bodies on board two canal boats that have been destroyed by fire. An unsuccessful artist is dead, but there was a fire-proof safe on his boat containing an original Turner sketch and some aged paper, suitable for art forgeries. An excellent, complex and suspenseful mystery.
I'm also a fan of Peter Robinson's mystery series in Yorkshire, England, with Inspector Alan Banks. In Playing with Fire the police discover a couple of bodies on board two canal boats that have been destroyed by fire. An unsuccessful artist is dead, but there was a fire-proof safe on his boat containing an original Turner sketch and some aged paper, suitable for art forgeries. An excellent, complex and suspenseful mystery.
30myshelves
All of the Miss Seeton mysteries by Heron Carvic, Hampton Charles, and Hamilton Crane feature a retired art teacher who is put on retainer by Scotland Yard to produce her strange & uncanny sketches which (when finally understood) help to solve crimes. The first in the series is Picture Miss Seeton.
Several books in the series also deal with art theft, forgery, etc.
Several books in the series also deal with art theft, forgery, etc.
31myshelves
I don't know if it is currently in print, but The Screaming Mimi in Fredric Brown's novel of that title is a small sculpture. Unforgettable story.
32jmcclain19
The Lost Van Gogh by A.J. Zerries was a surprising art theft mystery I picked up in the clearance rack last year. Excellent piece of fiction from a first time author.
33pw0327
Some one else mentioned Iain Pears. The entire series of Art Mysteries is excellent. They are sometimes called the Jonathan Argyll mysteries, which is kind of a misnomer because his girl friend/wife plays a much bigger role at times than he does.
Pears is a art historian by training and trade before he got into the book writing business so he knows what he is talking about when it comes to the arts.
Pears is a art historian by training and trade before he got into the book writing business so he knows what he is talking about when it comes to the arts.
34eyelesbarrow
I enjoy Iain Pears and I love Jonathan Argylle. He's one of those nerdy, bumbling, reluctant heroes who managed to get the hot girl in the end. :)
35selkins
Thus was adonis murdered by Sarah Caudwell features a British scholar and young barristers looking into murky doings
At least one of the Donald Westlake "Dortmunder" crime capers features an attempt to steal from a private collection -- Nobody's Perfect
http://www.librarything.com/tag/art,mystery
and
http://www.librarything.com/tag/art,mysteries
At least one of the Donald Westlake "Dortmunder" crime capers features an attempt to steal from a private collection -- Nobody's Perfect
http://www.librarything.com/tag/art,mystery
and
http://www.librarything.com/tag/art,mysteries
36sanas
I would strongly recommend the novels of Ian Pears, The Raphael Affair, Immaculate Deception' Giotto's Hand, The Bernini Bust, Death & Restoration, enjoy!
37LisaLynne
Wow, I can't believe no one mentioned The Flanders Panel by Arturo Perez-Reverte, a murder mystery about a painting of a game of chess. I'll have to scroll through my library, since I'm pretty sure there are a few others.
38LisaLynne
Okay, a few others that I found in a quick perusal of my shelves:
- The Collector Collector by John Fowles. More comedy than mystery, but a great little book about a sentient piece of pottery.
- Two Stephen King books: Duma Key, about a painter, and Rose Madder, about a painting.
- The Painter of Battles by Arturo Perez-Reverte, about a photographer and the picture that changed a man's life.
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, about a portrait that gives a man eternal youth and beauty.
- The Collector Collector by John Fowles. More comedy than mystery, but a great little book about a sentient piece of pottery.
- Two Stephen King books: Duma Key, about a painter, and Rose Madder, about a painting.
- The Painter of Battles by Arturo Perez-Reverte, about a photographer and the picture that changed a man's life.
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, about a portrait that gives a man eternal youth and beauty.
39arrr
I believe Elizabeth Peters had an early series featuring an art history major and an art thief? I think the main character's name is Vicki Bliss. It's been years since I read them and there were only a few. Of course the Amelia Peabody series deal with Egyptian artifacts, if that interests you.
40pw0327
> 38
How did you like The Painter of Battles? I have it on the TBR stack but have not gotten around to it. Did you read any of Perez-Reverte's books? I really enjoyed The Dumas Club, The Flanders Panel and Seville Communion, but the later books I didn't enjoy as much.
How did you like The Painter of Battles? I have it on the TBR stack but have not gotten around to it. Did you read any of Perez-Reverte's books? I really enjoyed The Dumas Club, The Flanders Panel and Seville Communion, but the later books I didn't enjoy as much.
41LisaLynne
I just picked it up this past week, PW, just after I got my latest ER book. The 19th Wife is 600 pages, so it will take a while to get to anything new.
I tend to like his work right up until the last chapter. For example Seville Communion was a great story...until they revealed the name of the hacker. But I love his writing, all the same.
I tend to like his work right up until the last chapter. For example Seville Communion was a great story...until they revealed the name of the hacker. But I love his writing, all the same.
43suzanney
>39 arrr: There is going to be a new Vicky Bliss book coming out in August, after a break of 14 years. It's called Laughter of Dead Kings...the touchstone wasn't working, http://www.librarything.com/work/5270602
In response to the original question, if it is still relevant...Earlier ones in the Vicky Bliss series will be available from online stores but not necessarily in bookstores. The first in the series Borrower of the Night was published in 1973 and is still in print. It even takes place in Germany.
In response to the original question, if it is still relevant...Earlier ones in the Vicky Bliss series will be available from online stores but not necessarily in bookstores. The first in the series Borrower of the Night was published in 1973 and is still in print. It even takes place in Germany.
44CD1am
I have two recommendations, both currently available in paperback:
Earth Colors by Sarah Andrews, about a geologist turned detective investigating a possible counterfeit painting
Landscape of Lies by Peter Watson about a painting that contains clues to the location of sacred items hidden when Henry IIIV dismantled the religious houses of Britain
Earth Colors by Sarah Andrews, about a geologist turned detective investigating a possible counterfeit painting
Landscape of Lies by Peter Watson about a painting that contains clues to the location of sacred items hidden when Henry IIIV dismantled the religious houses of Britain
45retropelocin
Since the first posting was Feb 2007, it probably doesn't matter anymore for the original reason. But if anyone is interested, Graham Rawle is a collage artist who has written a mystery using magazine clippings. It's call Woman's World. A fairly quick read, but intriguing. I've done a review of it if you're interested: http://nobsbookreviews.blogspot.com
While the story doesn't involve art, the book itself is art, although kitch to be sure.
While the story doesn't involve art, the book itself is art, although kitch to be sure.
46cmbohn
Michael Innes has several books that feature art. One of his series features Inspector John Appleby who eventually marries a sculptor and another series features Charles Honeybath who is a painter. The Mysterious Commission, Lord Mullion's Secret, One Man Show, and Silence Observed are all ones on my shelves that feature art as an important part of the story. Innes's books are mostly out of print, but you can still get a few. I think they are easier to get in England.
47frdiamond
When Innes died in 1996, he left all his work to House of Stratus publishing so all of his work is available online there. Note: House of Stratus interestingly is owned by the company with rights to Ian Flemings work.
48HorusE
The Vault by Peter Lovesey is a mystery involving questionable watercolours in the style of William Blake with a Frankenstein theme. The story delves into forgery techniques.
49JonRob
Murder as a Fine Art by Carol Carnac is set in a fictitious Ministry of Fine Arts in post-war Britain. Unfortunately, like most of Carnac's work (either under that name or her other alias of E. C. R. Lorac) it is out of print and quite hard to find even secondhand.
51pmarshall
Murder as a Fine Art by John Bishop Ballem. It takes place at the Banff School of Fine Arts.
52jnwelch
The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr is nonfiction, but a fascinating telling of a real life art mystery.
53cmbohn
Oh, the new kids series The 39 Clues has some art-related stuff, and so does Chasing Vermeer. Lots of fun!
54jbhensley 
Dieser Beitrag hat von mehreren Benutzern eine Missbrauchskennzeichnung erhalten und wird nicht mehr angezeigt. (anzeigen)
I saw this thread and thought it would be good to recommend what I am writing.
I have written and published one e-book called "Waking Nell." It is a novel in verse.
The premise is a few artists moved to a town called Nell. They are quickly told that they are not welcome. One of the artists, David Ludlow is a famous artist and he is in love with Lisa Taylor another artist who is frustrated with her work. One of these artists dies in a freak accident. The other artists in town search for the killer.
If you want to see how the artist mind works, this might be something you'll like. I am not only a writer, but I am also an artist so I delved deeply into my life experience to write this work.
I also have a mystery series coming up which I will self-publish by e-book. I am tracking the progress of my novel on my blog, these novels will be standard novels of regular prose.
I explain more in my blog at:
http://mmunfortunatesleuth.blogspot.com/
I hope you don't find this intrusive, I just thought if you're looking for something new, this might be something worth looking at.
Jess Hensley
I have written and published one e-book called "Waking Nell." It is a novel in verse.
The premise is a few artists moved to a town called Nell. They are quickly told that they are not welcome. One of the artists, David Ludlow is a famous artist and he is in love with Lisa Taylor another artist who is frustrated with her work. One of these artists dies in a freak accident. The other artists in town search for the killer.
If you want to see how the artist mind works, this might be something you'll like. I am not only a writer, but I am also an artist so I delved deeply into my life experience to write this work.
I also have a mystery series coming up which I will self-publish by e-book. I am tracking the progress of my novel on my blog, these novels will be standard novels of regular prose.
I explain more in my blog at:
http://mmunfortunatesleuth.blogspot.com/
I hope you don't find this intrusive, I just thought if you're looking for something new, this might be something worth looking at.
Jess Hensley
55mysterybuff1
Two great ones are Old Scores by aforementioned Aaron Elkins and Murder In The Museum of Man by Alfred Alcorn. These are as much about the crazy politics of museums as they are of murder. Very funny too. My Dad was a curator so I know the field somewhat.
56quartzite
Wow This thread is long asleep. Reading The Genius by Jesse Kellerman a pretty good art world mystery.
57leslie.98
I have The Art Forger sitting on my shelf waiting for me to stop checking books out of the library :P
58VivienneR
I enjoyed The Fatal Touch by Conor Fitzgerald, an Early Reviewer win. A decent mystery, set in Italy, with great information about art forgers.
59bkmbooks
#58
*knocks self on head*
Wow - apparently I bought that on Kindle sale on Aug 20, 2012...missed that it was art related. Thanks for the reminder!
Oh, the TBR....
*knocks self on head*
Wow - apparently I bought that on Kindle sale on Aug 20, 2012...missed that it was art related. Thanks for the reminder!
Oh, the TBR....
60majkia
I'm currently listening to an audio of The Art Forger. Enjoying it very much!
61bkmbooks
Although it's not a mystery, I recently read The Art Detective by one of the Antiques Roadshow hosts - very well-written & entertaining, IMO. Good narrative non-fiction
Also, Robert Goddard's Long Time Coming is an interesting thriller dealing with Nazi-era art theft, with stops in the Netherlands, Ireland, and the UK.
Also, Robert Goddard's Long Time Coming is an interesting thriller dealing with Nazi-era art theft, with stops in the Netherlands, Ireland, and the UK.
62vivienbrenda
I'll third The Art Forger. I read it a few months back and thought it was well done.
Vanished Smile by R. A. Scotti a non-fiction story about the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre early in the 20th century...is quite exceptional and highly recommended. I also recommend Daniel Silva whose art restorer/Israeli spy, has taught me much about the world of art.
Vanished Smile by R. A. Scotti a non-fiction story about the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre early in the 20th century...is quite exceptional and highly recommended. I also recommend Daniel Silva whose art restorer/Israeli spy, has taught me much about the world of art.
63mmorg
"The Last Painting of Sara DeVos" (2016) by Dominic Smith. A superb novel! And centers on art forgery. I can't say enough good things about this book!
64AlistairB
Headlong by Michael Frayn is not a typical art crime as it has a strong comic element but its intricate art study content means it deserves its place in this list, I think.
65MajorKira
My favs already ready mentioned but I'll say it again. Ngaio Marsh, the ones featuring Troy (Rory's wife and a painter) Artists in Crime, Black as He's Painted, A Clutch of Constables. Margery Allingham's Death oh a Ghost. Dorothy Sayers' Five Red Herrings. I saw that on PBS and immediately figured it out, my Mom paints so I knew what Lord Peter was looking for. Donna Andrews We'll Always Have Parrots, comic book art. Patricia Wentworth's The Listening Ear and The Chinese Shawl. Lillian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who Could Read Backwards and TCW Saw Red.
66Meredy
There's the Genevieve Lenard series, by Estelle Ryan. The first one is The Gauguin Connection (sketchy review). I liked it well enough, but I didn't go on to the second book. I think it was the inconsistencies perpetrated on the main character by the author that put me off.
