Kate McKinnon, a former cop turned philanthropist, art impresario, and socialite, is a heroine straight out of a Judith Krantz novel, which is not necessarily a bad thing: you can always count the brand names Jonathan Santlofer drops on almost every page, even if you're not particularly intrigued by the mystery of who's behind a string of ritualistic serial murders that are carefully staged to resemble famous paintings only a woman with Kate's arcane knowledge and aesthetic judgment might recognize. Or you could figure out who's next on the killer's list faster than Kate manages to--she can't rule anyone out, not even her husband. Despite that rather silly red herring, she finally manages to get to the bottom of things in this stylish thriller from a painter whose fantasies of murder and revenge--on critics, collectors, competitors, and gallery owners, evidently--must have required a wider than usual canvas. -- Jane Adams


From Publishers Weekly
Painter Santlofer turns his artists eye to murder in an alternately brutal and dishy debut whodunit about a New York cop¤turned¤art historian tracking down a serial killer who mutilates his victims to make them look like famous paintings. While many in the ostentatiously elegant cast of self-serving artists, curators, patrons and patronesses hide ugly secrets, only one takes the idea of the tortured artist to the extreme. His first victim, a museum board president with a taste for sadomasochism, is found in his bathtub, arm draped over the side in the same pose as Davids Marat. Inspired by both traditional and modern art and sensitive to color, line and light, the death artist next slashes the face of a female victim to match a Picasso portrait. It's enough to horrify but not to deter ex-homicide detective Kate McKinnon Rothstein, now a wealthy, beautiful hostess of her own PBS series. She puts her talents and her marriage to the test to pursue a criminal who seems to crave her appreciation for his handiwork. The exploration of the psychology of the death artist, along with gossipy insights into the politics of art, make this book a bloody funfest for the museum and gallery crowd, never mind that as Kate investigates sexual liaisons that cross social and moral boundaries, she uncovers an array of suspense novel cliches. When Santlofer, a Pratt graduate, NEA grant recipient and Yaddo board member, airs his insider views, his observations of art and the art world lift this enthusiastic if not totally original mystery to the ranks of a high-class art opening.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Santlofer is a painter, so it's no stretch that the heroine of his debut thriller has a Ph.D. in art history and hosts a tony PBS show. But she was once a cop, and she brings out her guns (at least figuratively) when a serial killer begins stalking the art world. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Wedging himself stylistically between the gritty works of Michael Connelly and the high-octane plots of James Patterson, noted New York painter Jonathan Santlofer expands his palette to include the written word and cunningly crafts an absorbing portrait of obsession with The Death Artist, his debut thriller.

Former New York cop Kate McKinnon lives a life of wealth and luxury she never would have dreamed possible. Following her marriage to an elite businessman, her post-police career as an art historian has skyrocketed her to fame and fortune. Her life is perfect, until a young woman is murdered and a close friend of Kate's becomes the prime suspect. Kate's old police instincts naturally reemerge as she delves into the case. Soon, two other murders related to the New York art world occur, and Kate finds that the killer -- now known as "the Death Artist" -- is communicating with her, leaving clues such as Polaroids and jumbled pieces of artwork. Somehow, Jacques-Louis David's famous painting The Death of Marat is at the heart of the murder spree, but how so?

There are so many suspects among the large cast of characters, you'll never see the complex twists of plot coming in this intense first novel, which moves so quickly you might suffer friction burns turning the pages to keep up. Tom Piccirilli

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"It's been more than a decade since Kate McKinnon traded her NYPD shield for a Ph.D. in art history, exchanged a row house in Queens for a penthouse overlooking Central Park, and left homicide for PBS, hosting a popular art series based on her bestselling book. Kate's life is just about perfect. But when a string of exquisitely executed murders begins plaguing the New York art scene, Kate finds herself drawn back into the dark world of her past." It's devastating enough that one of the victims was her protegee. Then the killer begins a chilling communication with Kate, sending her arcane messages only she can decipher. As the clues become more twisted and the killings increasingly vicious, Kate knows she has little time to make the most important find of her career - the death artist - before she becomes the ultimate prize in his lethal collection.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Painter Santlofer turns his artists eye to murder in an alternately brutal and dishy debut whodunit about a New York cop-turned-art historian tracking down a serial killer who mutilates his victims to make them look like famous paintings. While many in the ostentatiously elegant cast of self-serving artists, curators, patrons and patronesses hide ugly secrets, only one takes the idea of the tortured artist to the extreme. His first victim, a museum board president with a taste for sadomasochism, is found in his bathtub, arm draped over the side in the same pose as David's Marat. Inspired by both traditional and modern art and sensitive to color, line and light, the death artist next slashes the face of a female victim to match a Picasso portrait. Its enough to horrify but not to deter ex-homicide detective Kate McKinnon Rothstein, now a wealthy, beautiful hostess of her own PBS series. She puts her talents and her marriage to the test to pursue a criminal who seems to crave her appreciation for his handiwork. The exploration of the psychology of the death artist, along with gossipy insights into the politics of art, make this book a bloody funfest for the museum and gallery crowd, never mind that as Kate investigates sexual liaisons that cross social and moral boundaries, she uncovers an array of suspense novel clichés. When Santlofer, a Pratt graduate, NEA grant recipient and Yaddo board member, airs his insider views, his observations of art and the art world lift this enthusiastic if not totally original mystery to the ranks of a high-class art opening. Agent, Suzanne Gluck. (Sept.) Forecast: An unusual nine-city author tour centering on museums and galleries (including the Whitney in New York) should rouse art-world interest in Santlofers debut. Foreign rights sold in France and Japan. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Santlofer is a painter, so it's no stretch that the heroine of his debut thriller has a Ph.D. in art history and hosts a tony PBS show. But she was once a cop, and she brings out her guns (at least figuratively) when a serial killer begins stalking the art world. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

A very original look at murder...a smart and sophisticated thriller. — Nelson DeMille

The Death Artist is stylish, scary and very, very smart. Jonathan Santlofer's thriller really thrills. — Susan Isaacs