Art of Murder

From BooklistMadrid novelist Somoza's latest thriller to appear in the U.S. (it was originally published in Spain in 2001) concerns a young girl who is found murdered and two police detectives who must find the killer before he strikes again. But it's the world of the novel that captures our interest, not the whodunit aspect. The action takes place in the bizarre subculture of hyperdramatic art, in which the works of art are actual, living people, painted and posed like living mannequins. It is a world in which 14-year-old girls (like the murder victim) can be sold to collectors, not as people but as artworks. And sold for a lot of money, too. It's a fascinating and certainly disquieting underworld, and readers are drawn deep into it by Somoza's stylish prose (nicely translated by Caistor). Fans of mysteries in which the setting takes precedence over the story should be steered toward this one. David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedReview“Fans of mysteries in which the setting takes precedence over the story should be steered toward this one.” -- Booklist “It’s a fascinating and certainly disquieting underworld, and readers are drawn deep into it by Somoza’s stylish prose.” -- Booklist