Good premise for a crime story, but just didn't come across very well. The characters were underdeveloped and certainly weren't capable of murdering someone that they said they wanted to. It needed to go either more into the family and community development or the essentials of a crime. It really did neither. ( )

I enjoyed this mystery. Good characters. Some of the dialog felt a little stilted, but the story pulled me along. ( )

Good read. The end was a little weird but it was enjoyable and done in a day. The female lead characters had overcome a lot un the past and were very strong. ( )

“Death of an Artist” was a thrilling story by Kate Wilhelm. I was so taken in by the descriptive explanations of the art work that I could actually picture it in my mind. I was also caught up in the interaction among the grandmother, Marnie; the daughter, Steph and the daughter Van. What an interesting family! When Tony, the retired, disabled detective seeks to discover the murderer, the book really got interesting. I was totally absorbed in the storyline. Ms. Wilhelm paints a picture of the Oregon coast that is so vital I almost could place myself there. I was also impressed that Ms. Wilhelm did not use sexual episodes in this book, nor were they needed. I was very impressed with that. If anyone like a good old mystery “whodunit”, you will like this book. I would like to read more of Kate Wilhelm’s books. Great job! ( )

My thoughts: Despite what the title implies, this mystery-of-sorts doesn't start with a death. And with only one artist in the cast of characters, Stef, her death is a foregone conclusion. Furthermore, who kills her is also (mostly) apparent from the beginning. The why is debated, but it's the how that makes this novel shine. Thus, Death of an Artist feels off kilter until Stef dies. It's rare to discover a mystery not concerned with who did it, or even why, and much of this novel is a character-based exploration of Stef, her art, and her family.

This novel took me a little time to get into because of its unusual structure. If I didn't know the title, I would not have thought the novel was a mystery. Once Stef did die, however, all of the backstory was incredibly helpful because it made me as a reader immediately on the side of Marnie. What seemed to be more of a family drama soon morphed into a conspiracy, and I was hooked.

Audio thoughts: Carrington MacDuffie eagerly embraces her ability to create distinctive voices for each character. While I appreciated the clear voices for each character, some of the voices appeared distractingly hokey at first, particular Marnie, Stef's mother. As I got used to these voices, however, I found the voices quite illustrative of each character's quirks and whims.

The verdict: A surprisingly smart resolution and well-developed characters balance out the lack of whodunit; Death of an Artist is all about the how.

Rating: 4 out of 5 ( )