In this 61st book in the 'Detective Eve Dallas' series, Eve is on the trail of a demented would-be artist.
It's 2061 and people communicate via video links, travel in semi-flying cars, and commit crimes.....just like current times. Lt. Eve Dallas is a capable New York detective married to Irish billionaire Roarke - a handsome devil with wild blue eyes.
As the story opens, a portrait painter in New York City - convinced of his brilliance - is frustrated and enraged by his lack of success. Determined to make an impression on the art world, the thwarted painter conceives a diabolical scheme. He will recreate portraits done by famous artists, with a twist.
For the artist's first project, 'Girl With A Pearl Earring' (1665) by Johannes Vermeer, the painter hires a sex worker - called a Licensed Companion (LC) in 2061 - to pose for him. The painter makes over the LC to look like the girl in Vermeer's painting, takes photos, and begins a portrait. The artist then drugs and kills the LC, and leaves her body in front of an art gallery, posed like Vermeer's painting.
The next day, the artist hires a male LC to pose for him, and makes the man over to look like 'The Blue Boy' (1770) by Thomas Gainsborough. The portraitist repeats the process described above, then leaves the LC's body near the home of an art gallery owner, posed like Gainsborough's painting.
Lt. Eve Dallas and her hippy-dippy partner, Sergeant Delia Peabody - who's a craft artist herself - get the case. The police know the perp won't stop, and they work day and night to catch the killer.
The cops aren't fast enough to stop a third murder though, a woman LC made over to look like 'Self-Portrait In A Straw Hat' (1780s) by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.
The detectives get a break when a forensic examiner determines the clothing used to dress up the victims are custom-made garments sewn from fabrics authentic to the time periods of the portraits. The tailor-made clothing would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and would have to be made by specialists.
Dallas and Peabody immediately start calling fabric manufacturers and clothing makers to ask if anyone ordered the fabrics or garments on the murder victims.
EVERY MANUFACTURER cites client confidentiality, and Eve and Delia feel thwarted. However billionaire Roarke lends a hand here.
Roarke phones clothiers and says he's giving a costume party, and needs references to choose a clothing maker for himself and his wife. The clothiers name clients who bought costumes that emulate 'Girl With A Pearl Earring' and 'Blue Boy', and this turns out to be more clients than you might think.
Eve and Delia close in on the killer bit by bit, by tracking purchases of materials - fabric, paint, brushes, glue, wigs, etc. - needed for his 'displays'. It turns out the murderer is a spoiled rich boy who thinks he's going to be world famous.
The serial killer theme is grim, but there are light moments in the book as well. For example, Eve discovers someone stole her hidden candy bar, and thinks about coating the next one in laxatives; Eve meets an art gallery owner who's so snooty he 'out-snoots' Roarke's uppity butler Sommerset; and Delia Peabody and her friends show off their newly remodeled house, which Peabody calls "abso-mag"
Once the killer is nabbed Eve and Delia worry about getting him convicted, which makes an interesting finale to the novel.
The novel is engaging, but there are too many interviews with the victims' families, friends, and acquaintances; redundant phone calls to fabric makers, clothing manufactures, and artist supply stores; and excessive talk about the upcoming plea deal or trial. It almost feels like the author didn't have enough of a plot. That said, the mystery would probably appeal to Eve Dallas fans.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Susan Ericksen, who does a fine job, especially with Roarke's Irish accent.
Thanks to Netgalley, J.D. Robb, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3 stars
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