Death of an Artist

November 28, 2011
Even in a scenic hamlet on the Oregon coast, there’s no dodging death for former NYPD homicide detective Tony Mauricio in this atmospheric, suspenseful stand-alone from Wilhelm (Heaven Is High and 11 other Barbara Holloway legal thrillers). Tony, divorced and now retired on disability after his hip was shattered in a controversial line-of-duty shootout that left a teen dead, has come to Silver Bay in hopes of becoming a craftsman. He soon forges new friendships, particularly with bighearted gift shop owner Marnie Markov and her fetching granddaughter, Van, a medical student. But when Marnie’s daughter and Van’s mother, Stef—a prodigiously talented and troubled painter—ends up at the bottom of a staircase under circumstances her loved ones deem suspicious but local authorities do not, Tony may be the only one preventing someone from getting away with murder. Even after the satisfyingly surprising climax, the reader may be loath to leave Silver Bay and these affecting characters. Agent: Charles Schlessiger at Brandt & Hochman.

February 15, 2012
An open-and-shut case of murder in a coastal Oregon resort town can't be closed even though everyone concerned knows perfectly well who's responsible. Stefany Markov, whose peaceful canvases belie her turbulent spirit, has never shown her husbands much patience. So when she learns that spouse #4, Dale Oliver, has put price tags on the paintings she was exhibiting at the Silver Bay gallery he owned with Freddi Wordling, no one's surprised when she screams that he's through. The surprise is the contract she signs authorizing him to exhibit and even sell work she's been hoarding for 30 years. An even bigger surprise is the news that she signed the contract with Dale "Stephanie Markoff," presumably intending that the misspellings of both her first and last names would void the contract and torment Dale. Sadly, this last revelation comes only after Stef has taken a fatal tumble down the stairs in her home and Dale indicates his intention of enforcing the contract. Stef's mother Marnie and her daughter Van, both convinced that Dale pushed her to her death before she could shove him out of her life, ask Tony Mauricio, a New York cop sent into disability retirement by a hail of bullets, to prove that Dale killed Stef. The more closely Tony looks into the case, the less confident he is that there's any evidence against Dale that rises to the level of legal proof. But even if Tony can't send Dale to prison, he has a much better chance of killing him. The creator of attorney Barbara Holloway (Heaven Is High, 2011, etc.) forgoes hot-button legal issues for a case that provides no mystery and little suspense but delivers the expected pleasures of the Howcatchem.

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February 1, 2012
When free-spirited artist Stef Markov falls down a flight of stairs, her death is ruled an accident. Her mother, Marnie, and daughter, Van, however, believe her husband, Dale, murdered her to get control of her artwork, which Stef had been unwilling to sell, even though buyers offered substantial sums. Marnie and Van ask Tony Mauricio, a former New York City police detective newly arrived in the Oregon coastal town, Silver Bay, to prove Dale killed Stef. Bit by bit, Tony builds a circumstantial case against Dale, but even without proof, Marnie, Van, and Tony decide that justice must be served. Complicating matters, Tony is still dealing with the physical and mental effects of being shot by fellow officers while trying to talk a teen into giving up a gun, not to mention his growing attraction to the much younger Van. The beautifully described Oregon setting, sympathetic characters, engaging plot twists, details of Tony's step-by-step investigation, and art-world frame combine for a satisfying story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)