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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".
