A Grave Talent

Kate Martinelli #1

by Laurie R. King

The unthinkable has happened in a small community outside of San Francisco. A series of shocking murders has occurred, each victim a child. For Detective Kate Martinelli, just promoted to Homicide and paired with a seasoned cop who's less than thrilled to be handed a green partner, it's a difficult case that just keeps getting harder. Then the detectives receive what appears to be a case-breaking lead: it seems that one of the residents of this odd colony is Vaun Adams, arguably the century's greatest woman painter, a man, a notorious felon once convicted of strangling a little girl. But what really happened eighteen years ago? To bring a murderer to justice, Kate must delve into the artist's dark past—even if she knows it means losing everything she holds dear.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, LGBT, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Thriller

342 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

About the author

Edgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum is
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.

King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]

King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.

Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.

Reviews

[Kells Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before anything else I have to address some of the reviews of this book.

Being gay is not an agenda. Wanting this to be kept private and free from literature is tantamount to saying that you want to erase gay people from a literary presence which is, to put it bluntly, some bigoted bullshit. There is nothing "politically correct" about an author writing about a happy lesbian couple. Gay people exist in the real world and they deserve to be written about in a flattering or even matter-of-fact manner without being accused of pushing some of kind of agenda, PC or otherwise. That you, in 2011 or 2013, or any year in recent memory can, with no irony, complain about how you don't like gay people existing in your precious detective novels is both disturbing and laughable. You should be ashamed, point blank. I feel secondhand embarrassment for the ignorant words you're spewing into the world.

With that being said (and really, I shouldn't have to be justifying why gay people deserve to be written about in this day and age), I thought the book was just okay. The fact that there was zero mystery about who the killer was after a certain point, to me, kind of defeats the whole purpose of a detective novel. Sure, it was written pretty well but pretty writing alone can't carry a whole book. I may read the second one, but I'm not in a hurry.

Also, Hawkin pseudo-threatening Kate by holding her sexual orientation over her head made me dislike him immensely (pg 224). Though he doesn't say he's going to out her to others, he sort of uses it to strong-arm her into letting Vaun stay in her house which is not cool at all. Also, Bruckner was creepy. That is most definitely NOT what a psychologist should act like.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read! The author tells this story masterfully and is a wordsmith. I'm tempted to re-read the book immediately. If you're looking for an introduction to the Kate Martinelli series, pick this one up.

[Janell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Until about 2/3 through, this book was getting 5 stars. It had a compelling mystery, good character development and descriptions that enhanced the story that you actually wanted to read rather than skip. However, the last half of the book I felt manipulated as a reader and the mystery became more of a side line. Disappointing!

[MaxDisaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
This was long.
Well, I've read longer books and didn't complain, but those had better writing. This book was written fairly well, but it got boring and repetitive pretty quickly.
The characters weren't all that interesting either.
So I won't continue with this series, at least not now. One book was enough.
But it wasn't bad

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Grave Talent left me dissatisfied. I enjoyed the style of writing, because it is lively and creates this certain kind of flow, so that you can easily read on and on. Then again, there are passages that you do not need, detailed without creating beauty, tension, anything really. But then you have a great Detective Martinelli who you want to know more about. And then there is the setting: … I did not like it much. Most about this ‘Road’ had an artificial and inauthentic touch to it, well, maybe it is only meant to be surreal, I don’t know. However, if the plot is fine, who cares, right?
Actually, the plot is nice, but has two flaws in it: the murdered children are barely mentioned for more than one third of the book. There was virtually no progress about the three kids who had been murdered. This would not have mattered much, had the situation been different. However, this third of the book was almost completely filled with setting up the situation along the so-called Road. There were only few lines that even dealt with the children at all. I did not find that believable.
The second problem is that it is far too early far too obvious who the murderer is. I got it after having read 40% of the book, and what follows is on the one hand interesting the way it is written, but on the other hand I thought some of it is more like damage control, because the murderer has been found out so early.
There are some great passages in A Grave Talent, too, combined with some good ideas, but all in all it seems that the author wants to achieve too much for one book. I disliked that the murdered children were more of a prop to create a rather different plot surrounding the murderer and who he really is after. This would have been much better if it had been two books, where the setting would have been more important in itself, and the hunt for the murderer would have intensified in the second one. 3 out of 5 stars.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those that was quite solid, that I was seriously thinking of rating it 5 stars at one point. Then later seriously considering rating it 3 stars. There were certain elements I can't mention or I'd have to tag this "full of spoilers" that didn't so much annoy me as make me feel let down.

There was a certain amount of manipulation, of author pulling on heart strings to get reactions out of readers that I started to feel a little too acutely.

It was a solid book, beginning middle and end. Epilogue was needed for specific reasons, and yet seemed like it might have been a better book without that tacked onto the end. I mention the solidness of the book as I recall seeing reviews that seemed to indicate an split in the book, a solid mystery in the beginning then a dive into "lesbian matters" or however they put it. After reading the book, I'm quite surprised and confused by that reaction. I didn't get that sense at all.

As an added after the fact that is just a tacked on part that can be overlooked: After posting my short notes to myself that some may or may not call a review, I noticed the large number of recordings for the book. I didn't recall charting the progress of my read so I looked closer. Apparently I've been aware of and thought about reading this book since August 2014. Took until now to read it though. hmms. Not sure what exactly was holding me back, if anything. Probably just the fact that there are roughly 888,888 trillion books out there as possible reads that I haven't read yet.

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars for A Grave Talent: Kate Martinelli, Book 1 (audiobook) by Lauri R. King read by Alyssa Bresnahan.

For some reason this just missed the mark for me. I love the setting but for most of the book you’d never know that it’s set in San Francisco. And the murder investigation seemed to get sidelined as the author was trying to address some social issues. I guess this is how you win book awards and lose readers.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm. Conflicted. I liked it yet it irked me. The plot was gripping enough but some of the characters seemed almost mystically glorified (Saintly Lee and The Creator Vaugn) and not real humans. I liked all the "arty" stuff a lot, and would like to see some of Vaugn's paintings. (If, you know, she were real.) I can't remember when this novel was published and am too tired right now to Google it but I thought I remember 1992 -- yet parts of this novel seem set solidly in the mid-70's and the rest in the late 80's and so I kind of floated a bit, setting-wise. It was all supposed to be set in modern time, 1992 (I guess) but the attitudes and situations of the characters seemed notably dated. The big "reveal" about our main character about 2/3 through made me roll my eyes a bit and sigh. King is a talented enough author, though, to keep me reading. This was her first published novel, maybe the rest of the Kate Martinelli series evens out....

[Lisa R Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book (published 1993) of author Laurie R King’s Detective Kate Martinelli series. Kate (Casey at the station), not quite 30, is partnered with a crusty senior detective, Inspector Alonzo Hawkin. He is opposed at first. The case they will be working on already involves the death of three kindergarten age girls. Does Kate have a enough experience? As Hawkin warms up to Martinelli, the case moves forward. The story becomes a psychological thriller as the San Francisco Police Department and local law enforcement search for a clever serial killer and his motivations for murder. Detective Martinelli is a lesbian, closeted at work and in other aspects of her life (as many gay professionals were in the early 90s), much to the aggravation of her lover/life-partner of ten years, Dr Lee Cooper, a psychotherapist. Solving this crime strikes Martinelli right where she lives.

I loved this first book. Looking forward to the next book “To Play a Fool”

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three kindergarten girls have been strangled and dumped in a remote area called Tyler's Creek outside San Francisco. Very few people live here. Gates lock at both ends of the road which makes it more likely that someone within these gates is the killer. Two inspectors work the case -- seasoned Hawkins and newbie Kate Martinelli.

The book doesn't go into the girls' deaths much - - little from the scenes, not much forensics, little about the girls themselves. The story is pretty much a character development of the two detectives and the primary suspect. I was struck by the isolation of the area and the main characters' lives, which seems to be the way they've all chosen to live.

This book has been on my book shelf for several years. It was a debut book back in 1993. Glad to have the space for newer purchases.

[Jhosy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how to rate this. Should I give 4 stars? Should I give only 3?
While the investigation was solid and very well written, the book was scarcely exciting, it lacked in make me eager to know the end.
I can tell exactly one single moment when I sat abruptly and said: " oh shit!". A single moment, with exactly a paragraph, a single sentence that made the suspense, the mystery worth it.
But anyway...Even with this fault, I still liked the book enough to want to read the next one in the series.

[Donna Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, if I could only persuade this writer to drop that dull Sherlock Holmes wanna-be series and go back to writing books like this!

I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone considering reading this novel. I will say that her pace is so thunderously rapid and her plotting so intense (along, sometimes, with the subject matter) that a friend of mine said she can't read this writer because it upsets her. She is a high-strung person, and the frenetic action and emotional toll between the covers of this novel just about undid her. I learned not to loan these to that particular individual.

As for me, she has my heartfelt admiration. Martinelli is a believable, flawed yet likable character, and her books are the sort that adhere to your hand with an unseen fixative until you have turned the last page. If you want an exciting, action-filled thriller with writing that mirrors no one else, read this series. Brilliant!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The initial premise is tried and true: a veteran detective, Al Hawkins, is assigned a new partner, Kate Martinelli. She's no rookie, but she's climbed quickly up the ranks, and now that Al's been assigned the investigation of a little girl's murder, the higher ups want a woman on the case. And that's where A Grave Talent departs from the tried and true. Not that it falls short; on the contrary, this is an exciting, riveting police procedural. What is so surprising about AGT is that it was actually the very first novel written by Laurie R. King, better known today for her outstanding Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series.

AGT is an intricately plotted novel. One child murder multiplies into three, and Martinelli and Hawkins zero in on a neighborhood of societal dropouts living high in the hills above San Francisco. As the investigation progresses, the reader watches a relationship grow between the new partners, neither of whom are what surface appearances might suggest. Al Hawkins in particularly well drawn, a far cry from what might be expected from a hardened cop who's seen it all. Sharp and observant, he's quick to read Kate, long before she can read him. As the detectives interview the neighborhood residents, they believe they've found their perpetrator. But something doesn't feel quite right, and both Al and Kate have learned to listen to their instincts.

Unlike typical serial killer novels, in which the focus is on the murderer, AGT focuses upon the initial suspect, developing that character in psychological depth. In the second half of the story, the tension mounts, and each of the main players must come to terms with who he or she truly is. But to say this thriller is character driven is to sell it short. Plot, prose style, dialogue - the pieces that lift a book above the ordinary are decidedly there. Since 1993, when her first novel was published, Laurie King has gotten better and better. Pick up any of her titles - you won't be disappointed.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun series I found late. I will be looking for more. Set in San Francisco a few decades ago, it was not quite historical, but a reminder of how far we had come in some ways. A good mix of police procedural, relationships, and mystery.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not there when my book club picked this book, so when I saw the title—and then the cover—I thought this was going to be a vampire book. (Does that say more about me, or about publishing trends?)

In any case, there are no vampires here—only a deeply closeted detective (even the author is coy about her relationship right up until page 174), an artist, and a string of murdered children.

A Grave Talent was published in the early 90s, something reflected in both Martinelli's reluctance to come out (and her fear of professional reprisal if she does) and Hawkin's general sexism. (I was only five in 1993, so I'll leave it for others to determine how accurate both of those are in terms of the timing, but it definitely feels dated today.) Hawkin is an oddity—he protests loudly at being paired with Martinelli (with a woman! the horror!) but treats her with respect...except when his discussion of her personal life sounds an awful lot like blackmail (204), and except for thing like this: Two, no, three years ago in Los Angeles he'd been assigned a lady whose long legs and blond curls had been painfully distracting to work next to. He'd finally gone to the man in charge, and a few weeks later, when she was transferred with a promotion, he was freed from Law One [Thou shalt not get involved with a female colleague] and had found her distractions a source of pleasure rather than discomfort (68). I just...can you imagine a female detective pulling that? 'Sorry, boss, but he's too hot, and it's distracting'? She'd be ridiculed and considered unprofessional at best. I don't think the leggy blonde should have gotten a promotion; I think Hawkin should have gotten a demotion...and been rejected by the blonde.

Sigh. Off topic.

Anyway. Otherwise, mostly fine. Not terribly high tension—they figure out who the killer is pretty early on, and while on some level I appreciate that (much better that they know who's trying to kill them than that they run in circles until he leaps from a corner holding a gun), the story slowed considerably, and we were instead treated to some rather odd therapeutic techniques and repeated descriptions of a particular character's incredible talent and vulnerability and profound effect on other people. It was more interesting when they were still looking hard at Tyler's Road, I think.

Not a book club standout, but it's been a while since I read a murder mystery, so that was nice.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to warm and fast to end, this Edgar Award winner finished on a high note that resolved some doubts I’d had through much of the book. Protagonist Kate and her partner Al are thrown together to investigate the murders of three girls. The location of the bodies in an enclave of simple living run by one man on the west side of the San Francisco peninsula, draws attention to a woman, Vaun, who turns out to have a past that seems to implicate her in the slayings. Vaun is known locally to be an artist, but she manages to keep her artistic reputation in the outside world from the locals. The story really turns on Vaun’s life and skills, making the prime suspect drawn more clearly in some ways than the detectives. Kate Martinelli and Al Hawkin both are addressing new statuses, Kate’s a promotion and Al’s just joining the force after serving with merit in another force. The pairing is uncomfortable for Al at the outset and Kate’s extreme reticence about her private life doesn’t lend itself well to developing the working partnership. This reader was a bit put off by the very slow revelation of what was inside the partners, but the ending mentioned above really made the slow development of the pairing succeed.

The case itself is cleverly set up, in an odd place with its modern convenience-free bent, including prohibition on vehicles some days of the week, and its leader, Tyler, a rather quirky man, himself. As the story develops, more and more of Vaun’s life and personality and challenges come to play in the investigation. Slowly, Kate and Al forge a trusting team that works to solve the murders. The private lives of both detectives appear and Kate’s affects the outcome. Early on, this reader felt that Vaun and Tyler were clearer characters than Kate and Al, but by the end that wasn’t so. One way I evaluate a mystery, particularly one like this that is the first of a series, is whether I will be looking for others in the series. After doubting that greatly, I find myself having added the second book to my wish list and looking forward to trying King’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, her opening book of another series.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUTHOR King, Laurie R.
TITLE A Grave Talent
DATE READ 06/30/20
RATING 4.5/B+
FIRST SENTENCE
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Crime Fiction/1993/audio/ 13 CD's
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #1 Kate Martinelli
CHALLENGE Good Reads 2020 Reading Goal 126/120;
GROUP READ
TIME/PLACE 1990/CA
CHARACTERS Kate Martinelli/detective
COMMENTS There is something about this book that just entrances me… it is at least the 3rd time I have read it. Read it much earlier and decided another go was due, and not disappointed. I like Kate, of course, the whole California arts community … the writing, the story … I guess just all of it works for me. This time I am going to try to complete the series in a more timely manner.

[Laura Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing: 5/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 5/5

The first in the Kate Martinelli mystery series (for which she won an Edgar), and I’m completely hooked! Completely bizarre, twisted plot, fully developed characters and tight writing. Writing quality is right up there with Louise Penny (which I don’t say a lot) — feels more like literary fiction embedding an intriguing mystery rather than a (boring) cozy or a mystery that is all plot/action filled with stock characters.

A serial killer has begun murdering young girls, depositing them all on a road in the midst of an odd colony outside of San Francisco. A seasoned cop and a newly promoted Detective (Kate) have been assigned the case with no real leads — and then they find out that one of the colony residents was associated with a similar crime many years before …

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought, not another serial child killer mystery!! That is part of it, but not really the substantive gist of the story. This was King's debut novel introducing Inspector Kate Martinelli. I hope her character develops more as the series progresses. I really liked the character of her partner more - Alonzo Hawkins. It is a new partnership where each is not quite sure of the other and as the case progresses we see the bond and trust that develops. I know that it is a cliched device, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I also appreciated the interesting twist on how the story plays out and the motivation behind the killings.

[Keziah Jensen-Cannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guessed Lee was a woman 100 pages in.
I stopped reading 2/3 of the way through when it stopped being a murder mystery and became a psychoanalysis.
The characters were just slightly too exaggerated to be really believable or relatable.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Grave Talent by Laurie King
Kate Martinelli series Book #1
3.5★'s

What's It About?
The unthinkable has happened in a small community outside of San Francisco. A series of shocking murders has occurred, the victims far too innocent and defenseless. For Detective Kate Martinelli, just promoted to Homicide and paired with a seasoned cop who's less than thrilled to be handed a green partner, it's a difficult case that just keeps getting harder.

Then the police receive what appears to be a case-breaking lead: it seems that one of the residents of this odd colony is Vaun Adams, arguably the century's greatest woman painter and a notorious felon once convicted of a heinous crime. But what really happened eighteen years ago? To bring a murderer to justice, Kate must delve into the artist's dark past...even if it means losing everything she holds dear.

What Did I Think?
All I can really say for the book is that it's a decent mystery with the potential to have been a great new series if not for a couple of things that are fairly important to me in any book. The book was well-written, but not a very interesting mystery. There was way too much description from the landscape to the farm machinery to what everyone had for breakfast. That in itself distracted from any meaningful story-line.

There was also a way too obvious suspect and not enough believable development of some of the main characters. I really liked the character of Martinelli...but her partner who is supposed to be tough and demanding turns into a wimp in a couple of pages and remains so for the rest of the book. The main suspect is constantly described as more remarkable and special than just about anyone else on the planet which I found rather odd praise for a man that goes around killing 5 year olds'.

It's not by any means a horrible book...it just didn't quiet live up to it's potential. I've read other books by this author and found them to be better. Perhaps it's just "first in the series syndrome".

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurie R. King is an author I am becoming very fond of.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable as a storyline and novel. I loved the characters and the premise. And while I wavered around a three star feeling for most of the audiobook, the last few chapters really got to me, and now it's a four star read for me.
Alyssa Bresnahan is the narrator, and she has a very precise way of speaking that enunciated every word, in a way that was different from other narrators. It wasn't a bad different, and it seemed to work. I hope they stuck with Bresnahan throughout the audiobook series.
4 stars, and recommended for anyone with a love for police procedural novels with a heart.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A GRAVE TALENT - VG
King, Laurie R. - 1st in Kate Martinelli series

Although Kate Martinelli, a newly promoted homicide detective with a secret to conceal, and Alonzo Hawkin, a world-weary cop trying to make a new life in San Francisco, could not be more different, they are thrown together to solve a brutal crime - the murders of three young girls.

This was very good! I shall definitely look for her future books.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike some reviewers, I had a really hard time getting into this book because it felt like it was all atmosphere (weird collectives hold no interest for me) and police procedure until page ~150. In fact, I very nearly DNF’d it. Soooo glad I didn’t!! Once Kate and Al get a bead on the real killer the story picks up and I had an incredibly hard time putting it down. I raced through the rest of the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m definitely reading the second in the series!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this book was deliciously good. I'm fascinated by how absorbed I get in these stories. Laurie King is a very good writer. I enjoyed all the psychology in this one, all the pondering about human relationships and therapy and self-awareness and character development. A fabulous read to which I gave over much of the day.

[Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5: I have two questions I do not think the plot answered)

Slow, methodical, and utterly engaging. I'm sure some will decry the length and the author's expressive style, but a story this good cannot be rushed and should not be sullied with casual language. Additionally, the carefully placed humor made this story an excellent companion on my jogs.

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only Laurie King book that I'd recommend ... one of those books the library staff enjoyed recommending to mystery readers.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book never grabbed my attention. Got through Part 1 - about 150 pages - and feel no desire to read any further.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't heard anyone recommend this series to me, although people are always telling me to read her Mary Russell series and I'm all "Duh, I'm half-way through. I haven't finished because I'm savoring & spreading them out. Cuz it's genius." So why aren't people telling me to read this? I couldn't get the audio books I wanted & had a bunch on hold from the library so I needed one to listen to right now. This one was available & one my wishlist so I nabbed it. And then I was enthralled & couldn't wait to get back to it. So good! The plot reads more like an old-fashioned police procedural with all the King delightfulness added in: strong descriptions of people & places, lots of art & artists & art history, a fascinating look at sexual politics in late 20th-century America & the police force, psychology, plus really unique & interesting characters. As Martinelli & Hawkin methodically track the clues that lead them to a tense encounter with the murderer, there are red herrings & side trips everywhere to fascinate.