The Art of Murder by J. S. Strange #review

The Art of Murder by J. S. Strange

Genre: Cozy mystery

Publisher: Panther Publishing

Publication Date: September 30, 2019

Artist Xander Draper is being threatened by a dangerous group. With PI Jordan Jenner‘s help, Xander hopes to remain unscathed.

But when Xander is murdered, his body displayed as his final exhibit, Jordan realises the extent of the trouble Xander was in. Now, there are people following Jordan. They know his name, and they want him dead.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s brother Ashley has returned, and he has a secret. As time runs out to solve the murder of the famous artist, Jordan begins to fear his brother may be responsible.

A classic cosy mystery set in the heart of Cardiff. A perfect read for fans of Agatha Christie. (From Amazon)

My thoughts:

Thanks to Emma of Damp Pebbles Blog Tours, Panther Publishing, and J.S. Strange for a copy of The Art of Murder in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a sucker for a good art mystery. So when I heard about the blog tour for The Art of Murder, I had to join. Strange dives into the often cut-throat world of art and art theft, and we go right along with his protagonist, PI Jordan Jenner, as he tries to the bottom of his case.

I haven’t read Murder on the Rocks, the first Jordan Jenner cozy mystery, but I had no problems diving into this story and following along.

Xander is a well-known and wealthy artist known for his flamboyant style and dramatic gallery exhibitions. He’s also been targeted by a dangerous group who call themselves the “Dirty Dollys.” A silly name, but their goals are anything but silly: self-appointed vigilantes, they blackmail, protest, and steal art. Why? To save the art world from corruption. They see certain successful artists as having an unfair advantage in this industry, and they see their job as necessary to correct that unfairness. Successful artists, such as Xander. But they’ve never resorted to murder. Yet.

Then Xander is killed.

As Jordan grapples with the sensational murder, he also must deal with his brother Ashley, their troubled relationship, and his own inability to trust others. All the same, he’s a likable protagonist, and I couldn’t help but root for him to find relationships to ease his loneliness–and root for him not to sabotage those relationships when he finds them!

I really enjoyed the Welsh setting and getting to read the Welsh slang. For example, a cwtch is a type of hug. That’s a new one for me!

The relationship between Jordan and his brother Ashley is a highlight for me. The two brothers have a troubled past, especially with their late mother; though I don’t know all the particulars, it’s obvious that both men carry deep hurts.

Ashley has left Australia and comes back to Wales. I could feel Jordan’s exasperation with his brother: the guy’s moved in with him, crowding Jordan’s personal space, but won’t tell his brother anything about his job in the art world, why he’s left his partner Ben back in Australia, or what all his frantic texting is about. The two men need to have a good row to sort things out, in my opinion. But they’re both too stubborn and hurt for honesty. I really enjoyed reading about their relationship and how it evolves during the course of this investigation.

Strange is passionate about giving LGBT voices representation in the cozy mystery genre. Many of the characters are gay or bisexual. At one point, Jordan expresses surprise that an acquaintances might be straight. (The man is actually bisexual.) Normally this type of situation is the other way around, with straight being the “default” sexual orientation and all others being a surprise to the point of view character. It’s a clever reversal of the conventional and expected roles in this genre.

While some of the writing wobbled a bit, it’s clear that Strange knows how to tell stories. I did find the plot to be a bit uneven. The dive into the art world, the artists and their work, and the personal relationships between the characters were stronger than the actual police procedural aspect.

(I tend to be picky about accuracy in the fictional portrayal of police procedures, though, far pickier than most cozy readers are. I also had to remind myself that this book takes place in Wales; the procedures and legal aspects might be different there than in America, where I’m from.)

But the ending was solid. I felt a sense of emotional satisfaction as I finished the final pages.

Overall, The Art of Murder is a good book. Not without its faults (what book is flawless?) but readers of cozy mysteries should enjoy this one.

About J. S. Strange

J. S. Strange is an author from Wales, United Kingdom. He writes crime, mystery and horror. His first novels, published in 2016 and 2017, were set in an apocalyptic London. Murder on the Rocks, is the first in a cozy crime mystery series, featuring a leading gay male detective.

Murder on the Rocks was written by Strange for many reasons. One of those reasons was a lack of representation within the crime genre, particularly with detectives and sleuths. Strange created Jordan Jenner, a private investigator, who lives and works in Cardiff. Murder on the Rocks was written with the intention of shining light on Cardiff, and bringing Cardiff, and furthermore, Wales, into the crime genre.

Strange’s previous works, such as ‘Winter Smith: London Burning’, also explored LGBT themes, and featured socialite Winter Smith escaping a zombie apocalypse. ‘London’s Burning’ became an Amazon best-seller in LGBT fiction.

When Strange doesn’t write, he works in television. He also presents a radio show all about the paranormal. He has an enthusiasm for Britney Spears and cats.