From the back cover of Murder In The Abstract
by Susan C. Shea:Danielle O'Rourke's gala evening at the Dover Museum endes in catastrophe when the body of a young artist plummets from her office window. The police label it murder, and suspect Dani, the museum's chief fund-raiser. Self-preservation and an insider's understanding of how money moves in the art world drive her to investigate who might have a motive for murder. Dani's playboy ex-husband and a green-eyed cop complicate matters as her search moves through the fashionable worlds of San Francisco and Santa Fe.
I wasn't sure about taking on this book because, well... let's face it... I know nothing about art! I love paintings by Renoir, but other than that, I wouldn't know a Picasso from a finger painting!
But after reading the first paragraph ("I was hiding in the third floor ladies' room when my cell phone began to jangle. Struggling with the oh-so-cute clasp of my Kate Spade evening bag, I cursed the weakness for fashion that had made me choose an accessory that was almost as useless as it was expensive."), I realized that even though I may know next to nothing about the glitzy world of modern art, it was going to be fun to get to know Dani O'Rourke!
And what fun it was! From that first sentence, I knew that this wasn't going to be your run-of-the-mill mystery. Rather it was a hilarious caper that roped me in right from the word go.
Dani is an intelligent, sharp, independent woman who knows her way around the art world. As head fund-raiser of the Devor Museum in San Francisco, she rubs noses with the world's most up and coming elite artists. But when one of those artists "falls" out of her fifth floor office window, it becomes apparent that even the elite are not above suspicion when it comes to murder and motive.
I loved the fast pace of this novel and the quick wit of its characters. You do not need to know a whole lot about art to get completely lost in Dani's story. (it might help if you're atleast interested in the subject, but it's certainly not a prerequisite). Easy to follow and not bogged down with too many unnecessary characters, I found Murder In The Abstract a perfect getaway to be savored while lounging in my favorite chair outside, under the shade of our big magnolia.
***This book (ARC) was graciously sent to me by the author in return for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way to provide a positive review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Murder In The Abstract
by Susan C. Shea is available for pre-order on amazon.com and scheduled for release on June 24, 2010.
