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3.0 out of 5 stars
Sigrid Harald, #6 of 8, about average, too "artsy" (for me), Feb 25 2002
I generally have enjoyed Margaret Maron's earlier (than her current series about Deborah Knott) 8-book series about NYC detective supervisor (Ms) Sigrid Harald. I just finished the 1989 edition, but I notice it's been republished and available readily again. Most of the Harald stories are pretty straight police investigations, with just enough plot complexity to retain an edge, but otherwise, like the leading lady herself, somewhat minimalist. As in the finale (#8), this one is set in the art world, at a Manhattan art museum known as the Erich Breul House. Not only is a significant amount of the book about famous painters and art gallery goings-on, but also each of the chapters is onset with quotations from the young Mr. Breul or some other pertinent history of nearly a century ago. By now I think it fair to guess Ms. Maron must at least be an art student or devotee since the art descriptions are probably just too detailed to be mere research.The story gets its name from a murder that takes place at the gallery a few days before Christmas. (Have no fear, it is not otherwise a Christmas tale, so can be comfortably read any time...) One of the new trustees is found bludgeoned to death after it is clear some research he has been conducting has uncovered something somebody doesn't want public. There's plenty of reason to suspect several of the main characters, many of who have no alibis, but ultimately the discovery of the murder weapon solves the crime. Since my desire was to read the complete Harald series, I'm not sorry I read this. It was to me not as good as most of the others, as it took an awfully long time for the "body", of both the story and the victim (!), to appear; and having no interest at all in art, all that stuff about the gallery and famous painters was a little boring. But Maron is a good writer, her tales pleasing, and no doubt some will appreciate parts of this book more than me.
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