Review: The Haunted Artist by Larry Witham

The death of a rising star in the art world launches a cross-country hunt for dark answers and old secrets in The Haunted Artist by Larry Witham, the fourth installment of the Julian Peale Art-Crime Mystery series.

When reclusive painter Sam Mason is found dead from an apparent overdose, eccentric denizens of the art world mourn the loss of a potential legend gone too soon, but Colleen Mason isn’t sold on the classic tragic ending for her younger brother. She enlists the services of Julian Peale, art crime investigator extraordinaire, who soon discovers a bizarre trail of suspects and clues connected to the enigmatic young painter, his now-priceless body of work, and the inconsistencies of his tragic end.

While the circumstances surrounding Sam’s death were a chaotic collection of bad luck, the villains responsible are not to be taken lightly. Julian Peale faces down the weirdest sides of the underground art world, hardcore Albanian henchmen, and his own biased assumptions to unravel an international conspiracy of ransom, theft, shakedowns, and dangerously well-organized crime. The authenticity of Julian’s concern with the case and his uncanny investigative skills make for an immersive read and a trustworthy hero.

Though every layer of this case gets much stranger, darker, and more difficult to swallow for the reader, it never veers into the realm of complete disbelief, stretching the willing imagination of readers with ease. This is in part because the thematic undercurrents are so closely tied to our present-day culture. Equal parts haunting and revelatory, this spiraling thriller weaves a myriad of powerful questions that transcend the whodunit genre – What is the true price of fame? Where should one draw the line between art and life? How accurate is our concept of identity?

Instead of a pulp murder mystery with a cast of suspicious archetypes in a 50s noir template, Witham toys with multiple genres and explores myriad social issues, from survival in the harshest gutters and stardom in the hottest galleries to manipulative cults and Machiavellian investors. The villains initially do read like stereotypical thugs, but Gezim, Erjon, and Marku transcend hackneyed portraits and deepen the story, rather than cheapen it. Julian Peale is the intrepid sleuth at the heart of this investigation, with unique interests and skill set, but Colleen is a compelling secondary force as well, and could have played an even larger part in the storytelling.

The writing teases readers with moments of foreshadowing and subtle tension-building, but can occasionally dump exposition with a heavy hand. Brief bursts of background on historical events, architectural tangents, and other world-building tools could be used more sparingly, particularly in a thriller that isn’t necessarily dependent on aesthetic immersion. There are also scattered typographical errors, singular/plural disagreements, time/space inconsistencies, and other editing issues. At times, the narration can also be overly procedural, with stretches of sizable and somewhat unimportant paragraphs that can dull the reader’s attention and pace of the read.

Aside from these technical issues, the story shines with originality and an unpredictable tangle of tension – an inventive crucible where disparate worlds and desperate actors meet in a clash of power, fame, and family.