ARC Review: What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna

What Meets the Eye
Author: Alex Kenna
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (December 6, 2022)

Description: From debut author Alex Kenna comes a pulse-pounding tapestry of secrets, retribution, and greed for fans of Jeffrey Archer.

Kate Myles was a promising Los Angeles police detective, until an accident and opioid addiction blew up her family and destroyed her career. Struggling to rebuild her life, Kate decides to try her hand at private detective work—but she gets much more than she bargained for when she takes on the case of a celebrated painter found dead in a downtown loft.

When Margot Starling’s body was found, the cause of death was assumed to be suicide. Despite her beauty, talent, and fame, she struggled with a host of demons. But as Kate digs deeper, she learns that Margot had a growing list of powerful enemies—among them a shady art dealer who had been selling forged works by Margot. Kate soon uncovers a dirty trail that leads straight into the heart of the city's deadly underworld.

Margot died for her art—and if Kate doesn't tread lightly, she could be the next to get brushed out.

My Thoughts: This debut story is told from a number of viewpoints. 

Kate Myles is a former LAPD officer who was invalided out after having her car hit in a police chase which broke vertebrae in her back and neck and left with constant pain and an opioid addiction. Her marriage, which was already in trouble before the accident, ended acrimoniously. She doesn't care about the husband who was cheating on her before they divorced, but she doesn't want to lose her connection with her young daughter. Her ex used her addiction to force a custody arrangement that isn't in her favor.

Now she's clean, beyond drinking a little too much, and working as a private investigator. When a man comes to her to look into the supposed suicide of his daughter, she isn't excited. But she needs the money and knows the police investigator who had the case as someone who doesn't want to work hard and is always looking for the easy solution.

We hear from Margot Starling who was a troubled person with mental issues who was also a very talented artist who made trends in the art world. One of her projects had her cutting the names of her past lovers into her stomach with an x-acto knife and painting a picture of it. Another had her sneaking a camera into a jail and then painting what she saw. She had quite a few enemies, many of them powerful, who would very much prefer that she was dead.

Kate learns about Margot's potential enemies as she begins her investigation, and she also stumbles into forgery and money laundering scheme which puts her at odds with the FBI and the police department where she worked. 

The story was well-written and exciting. I enjoyed all of the various points of view which help paint a picture of Margot's life. I also enjoyed learning more of Kate's story. 

Favorite Quote:

Two healthy young artists had died suddenly and within months, their paintings, or at least paintings bearing their names, had ended up in this second-rate gallery.

What is going on?

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.