Trick of the Eye: A Novel

by Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Another high-society thriller from New York Times bestselling author Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Trick of the Eye is a tale of art, intrigue, and murder in a world where evil tarnishes privilege and nothing is what it appears to be. Trompe l’oeil artist Faith Cromwell is hired to paint the famed ballroom of an opulent Long Island estate, but her patron is obsessed with the long-unsolved murder of a daughter, and soon Faith begins to piece together the details of the grisly, shocking crime. The deeper Faith delves into the house’s mystery, the more she realizes that she has inadvertently stepped into the starring role of a bizarre, and quite possibly fatal, charade. Like Social Crimes and One Dangerous Lady, Trick of the Eye is another highly sophisticated and deeply compelling mystery from master writer Jane Stanton Hitchcock. 

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Chick Lit, Art, Audiobook, Book Club

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Jane Stanton Hitchcock was an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. She wrote several plays but is known mostly for her mystery novels Trick of the Eye, The Witches' Hammer, Social Crimes, One Dangerous Lady, Mortal Friends, and Bluff, which was the winner of the 2019 Hammett Prize. Hitchcock also wrote the screenplays for Our Time and First Love.

Reviews

[LJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

TRICK OF THE EYE - NR
Hitchcock, Jane - standalone

Wealthy New York society matron and patron of the arts Frances Griffin commissions Faith Crowell, a 39-year-old trompe l'oeil artist, to paint the interior of her ballroom, built 20 years earlier for the debutante cotillion of her now-deceased daughter, Cassandra. During this assignment, Faith learns that Cassandra's murder remains unsolved, and Mrs. Griffin seems to know more about it than she is telling. Intrigued with the mystery and possible cover-up, Faith digs beneath the surface and uncovers the extraordinary, evil truth dividing appearance from reality.

I loved the elements involved but the story was painfully melodramatic and boring.

[Jaksen]

DNF

Fine enough book when the MC shows as a tough, independent and adventurous soul. But then emotions creep in and the changes are too much for me to accept - or stomach. A woman is hired to paint a mural in a huge ballroom. She sketches; she starts. The person she's working for is enigmatic and weird - I liked that. Scenery perfect. Dialogue realistic. Then enter an 'old flame' from the past and the book veers down a rather ridiculous path...

I wanted to read this author, and so I did. Won't give up on her, will try another. But this one simply did not suit my reading preferences. Sometimes I like a character who goes through a 'dramatic change,' as that often happens to us real, non-fictional beings as well. But I just didn't buy into it. Just didn't.

No rating.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, this book was amazing! One of those perfect reads: technically flawless writing; rich details from a writer who clearly knows Europe - esp France, and the art world; a great story, well told - never a dull moment; and an ending that you didn't see coming. Wow. Highly recommended.

[Jayci · Rating 1 out of 5]

horribly stupid book! Wanted to burn it after I was done. The ending was so FRUSTRATING!

[Victoria Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully written book masterfully ties in a mystery, loneliness, friendship, art, revenge and love. A wonderful read.

[Louie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A semi complex novel that while mostly interesting, was not very compelling.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith Crowell, a Trompe I'oeil artist, is commissioned to paint a ballroom by legendary New York society matron, Francis Griffin. Mrs. Griffin is a woman who makes Martha Stewart appear dowdy and easy-going. When her mansion was completed, she complained to the architect that the fireplace was slightly off-center and made him measure the wall to prove it. Then she made him tear down the huge mansion to center the fireplace.

Faith is slightly unnerved by this tale, but her dear friend urges her to take the job. At the mansion, she discovers she bears an uncanny resemblance to Mrs. Griffin's murdered daughter. The secrecy surrounding the unsolved murder haunts Faith. She is determined to discover the truth. This is a riveting tale with a gothic feel and a surprise ending.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent plot with believable characters, but a bad start. Felt like the author forced all the setup info she wanted you to have in the first chapter or two. I almost didn't continue reading, but I paid for the book, so I decided it would be worth the time to see if it got any better. I will say that it was pretty easy to guess a good portion of what the big "secret" was supposed to be. But at least it was a quick read, and I enjoyed the contemplation brought on by the main character's vocation.

[Christine US · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful, just awful.

[L'atelier de Litote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faith, une artiste peintre, est chargée de peindre la salle de bal de Mrs Griffin en utilisant la fameuse technique du trompe l’œil. Mrs Griffin est veuve, richissime et collectionneuse d’art. Elle a aussi un sacré caractère. Elle n’a pas hésité à démolir et reconstruire son manoir car la cheminée n’y était pas bien centrée, c’est vous dire. Faith n’aurait peut-être pas accepté ce contrat si son très cher ami Harry ne l’y avait pas poussé. Une fois sur place elle découvre qu’elle ressemble énormément à la fille assassinée de Mrs Griffin. Les secrets, les non-dits et les faux semblants entourant ce meurtre non résolu intrigue de plus en plus Faith. Qui va s’investir de plus en plus pour tenter de comprendre et peut-être de découvrir la vérité.
Un joli style d’écriture tout en raffinement et fluidité, on ne voit pas passer les pages. L’auteure nous donne de nombreux détails qui viennent étayer notre connaissance du monde de l’art et nous propose ainsi une belle histoire avec un secret de famille intense. Les moments où Faith est en pleine création sont beaux et sensibles. Un autre thème abordé ici est celui de la solitude et du passage inéluctable du temps, j’ai trouvé qu’il touchait les trois personnages de ce livre Faith, Mrs Griffin et Harry à différents niveaux. L’intrigue en elle-même m’est apparue assez simple mais ici l’important n’est pas la chute mais le chemin que nous sommes amenés à parcourir pour découvrir les dessous d’une affaire vieille de 20 ans. Au-delà de la résolution de l’énigme, il y a aussi une seconde histoire tout en trompe l’œil qui vient rendre la première quasi banale. J’ai passé un bon moment de lecture avec des personnages attachants. Bonne lecture.

[Zoann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot had a good start but disappointing ending. However, the writing was good. Some quotes I liked:

"I don't need an alarm clock, for habit is the best alarm there is." "I know this because I tend to know these kinds of details--dainty, irrelevant bits of gossip which serve no purpose whatsoever and are exquisitely extraneous to everyday life." "I'd come to understand the difference between the climates of loneliness and of solitude: The former was oppressive and humid, the latter cool and invigorating." "You know how people are--they like to get to the root cause of everything and then trash it." "One's only real regret in life is the failure to act." "The older I get, the more I can't bear hearing about sad things. And, of course, the irony is, the older one gets, the more sad things one hears about." "Actually, I think happiness becomes more of a decision as one gets older. I think at some point you just decide you're going to be happy with what you've got." "A violent act pierces the atmosphere, leaving a hole through which the cold, damp draft of its memory blows forever." "I've come to realize one spends most of one's life eating, sleeping and missing the point!" "A fact is merely an event: it happened, it didn't happen. It is the perception of an event which is more important than the event itself."

[Tim Popko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trick of the eye by Jane Stanton Hitchcock is a difficult book to characterize – it's part-Great Gatsby high society novel and part-mystery whodunit. But it's enormously psychological nonetheless. Jane Stanton Hitchcock is adept at capturing emotion in her novels, and this really a sophisticated novel about the sophisticated. The twists and turns were amazing.

The plot and the characters are very well laid out. As is Hitchcock‘s tendency, she gives us a lot of personal backstory to digest on every character, from their psyche, to their family history, and emotional disposition, and somehow she effortlessly fuses that into a murder mystery. I loved the depth of the protagonist Faith Crowell, who infuses herself into a wealthy client's home to paint a mural. She quickly learns that a murder happened in the home, but from the moment she comes on the scene, nothing comes across as “detective-like reconnaissance”. Rather, it felt natural and organic that she should join Francis Griffin in the home. In fact, the story takes us into the emotional world of Faith Crowell, a lonely, single divorcee with limited hopes or dreams for the future to such an extent, that by story’s end, I actually thought Faith was foolish not to go further and become a "adopted daughter" to Francis, living with her in the home.

I found this book to be tremendously entertaining and unpredictable, and it has a smooth easy narrative. Very pleasurable. In the genre of hard-nosed whodunnit crime series replete with boring law enforcement jargon and forensics technology, I feel this was heads and shoulders above the rest. Hitchcock brought back the love and humanity that I so desperately wanted from a murder novel. Readers may feel like I did - completely en-wrapped in the story. Imagine : an artist hand-selected by a heartstricken mother who may have been complicit in her own daughter’s murder? And an unsolved murder at that? And the murdered daughter shares a remarkable resemblance to the artist? I just love the plot lines.

Hitchcock brought out a lot of empathy for the characters, and by the end I found myself “feeling sorry for the rich”, which was the same feeling I got reading her book Social Crimes. I also felt myself getting more introspective on loneliness and old age, and on the fakery of affluent society. Where Hitchcock really impressed me was in her ability to have a mystery novel protagonist, Faith Crowell, question her very own identity and independence, and weaves that into all her sleuthing work.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read from author, Jane Stanton Hitchcock. It was a very well-written, sophisticated read, which is a nice change of pace from many of the popular books released as of late. I enjoyed it but will admit, without reading the book jacket (as they usually give too much away) it ended up to be a story much different then what I was expecting. I was looking for a supernatural element that wasn't there as it isn't that type of story; although still interesting and entertaining and definitely held my interest. The story follows Faith, an artist, that has just been hired by a well known, incredible wealthy, widow. Her time working for Mrs. Griffin opens up questions regarding a decade old unsolved murder and Faith finds herself drawn into the life of the widow and her dead daughter. A tale of murder, lies and deceit, and what wealth and power can do to people.

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

See Tim's review.

Written in 1992, so people smoke. I was SO sucked into the plot. Beginning about page 250 (you MUST read this book from the beginning if you want a good story), things begin to unravel; when our hero Faith Cromwell meets Robert (Bob) Madi. Before that, it's a little tedious and exploratory. What does Frances Griffin want, anyway? I'm not sure that was resolved, even at the end of the book! Thank heavens for Mr. Dean's confiding in Faith at the last minute, or I would have been partially mystified! And Harry, I l liked him A LOT, too bad he died, but who was his sister, who suddenly showed up when notified of his death . . . WHEW! It was just as well that Faith was early-on established as a strong, self-assured, independent person. Couldn't put the last hundred pages down!

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

0 stars
I stopped and started this book several times and ultimately I had to give up on it. The story is just WEIRD. The main character was disappointing. She's supposed to be a strong independent woman but falls for her lame ex boyfriend's load of b.s, even knowing that she knows better. Ugh. But really, the main storyline, this wealthy elderly woman hires her to paint the ballroom of her house is just stupid and weird. Really? You're going to go into this woman's bathroom and start bathing in her tub when she's dying in the hospital? Put in her dead daughter's formal gown? WEIRD. I really wanted to see how this was going to end but I just didn't have the time or patience to see it through so I DNF.

[stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

i really was going to give this book three stars before the ending hit... it was enjoyable enough, and i was getting into the mystery (especially at the end! now that was interesting!) and despite the romance that was written so.... //romantically// it made me a little sick, i did like the book! even though it made me feel like a middle aged lady
but that was until the end.... not the first plot twist end, but the second one. the one that happened uh... perhaps two pages from the end of the book? it just completely destroyed everything the whole book built up... much like how mrs. griffin destroyed faith’s work.... still an interesting read

[LuckyPalm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trick of the eye or trick of the heart and soul? A lonely fading antiques dealer is introduced to a melancholic trompe l’oeil painter, who is commissioned by a wealthy disingenuous Widower to paint her ballroom.

While the artist works on a mise en scene in the ballroom, she gets to know her employer. This peaks her interest in the tragic unsolved murder of the Widow’s daughter.

The antiques dealer and the painter become obsessed with the wealthy family and solving the crime.

The Widower is well known for having self-established herself as a Grand person always getting what she wants, the antiques dealer has cultivated himself into an image of sophistication and the artist creates illusions with her craft.

Do we see people for who they are or for how they want us to see them?

A mystery of smoke and mirrors under the influence of big money.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very hard book to catagorize. It's not a detective novel, though the protagonist does investigate a murder. It's not a romance, though there are explicit scenes.

I enjoyed the ending of the book. It pulled everything together, had some truely suprising elemens, and made you think, and feel for character you otherwise would not have. The good ending bumped it up a star from the two I was planning on giving it.

Getting to the ending was a slog. Her "investigation" feels forced and repetitive. There is very plot, or sense of movement. It feels painfully predictable.

Overall, fine for a chill read. Don't go in with a lot of expectations, but know that it gets better at the end.

[Brittani (Book_Byrd) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the bargain bin because the main character is an artist similar to myself.
The positives to this book is that it does justice to the work of a painter, but otherwise I was disappointed.
There were sex scenes described that didn't need to be told at all to move the story. One of which was very much sexual assault because she says no several times and it almost had me stop the book altogether. But I skimmed and kept going for the ending.
There is no suspense or thriller aspect, but it's a very twisted mystery.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like your intrigue set adjacent to the working art world, this is a book for you. Old New York comes back as the setting for a cold case. A trompe-l’oeil artist is hired to restore a ballroom on the Long Island estate of a well-known, but reclusive socialite. Evidently things are not as they seem. Hitchcock has created an intriguing plot populated by characters who some readers might recognize. The story winds and twists before coming to an inevitable ending. The author draws from her personal experiences in upper class NYC to write this satirical mystery/thriller.

[Miepers · Rating 3 out of 5]

[audiobook review]

This book is a fantastically morbid concept, and it's full of glorious ideas for gloriously damaged characters. However, after an interesting beginning, I do feel like the story became more of a sketch than a finished piece. I'd recommend approaching it as a showcase for its concepts.

And, if you adore hating characters for advancing the plot by being intentionally thick, do bring your popcorn.

[Minna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jännittävä. Piti hyvin otteessaan.
Erityisesti tässä kiinnosti kuvaukset narsistisesti käyttäytyvästä ihmisestä: hurmaava käytös ulospäin, mutta lähipiiriä kohtaan kontrollointi, manipulointi, säälintunteisiin vetoaminen, syyllistäminen, raivokohtaukset, henkinen ja fyysinen väkivalta. Tuollaistahan se narsistinen käytös on, ja ulkopuolisen voi olla sitä vaikea ymmärtää, kun näkee vain viehättävän kulissin.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faith Cromwell, a rather reclusive trompe l’oeil artist, is offered a commission by a prominent supporter of the arts that involves painting a ballroom built especially for the coming out party of the patron’s daughter who was murdered in the house 10 years ago, she recognizes it as a great opportunity. Little does she know what is in store for her when she accepts. A very engaging psychological novel with a number of interesting characters.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the very first page. The author is a terrific writer and, although I knew the solution to the underlying mystery, that didn't ruin my enjoyment of this book. I particularly loved the time in which the action took place ... when people openly smoked, did not have cell phones and there were no Ubers. I could really get into the time period. The author did such an amazing job describing all the different characters, none of their actions surprised me.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting audiobook. The story did not go as one would predict and it had so many surprises that I honestly don't know how to feel. I will say that at the end, I did feel sorry for Faith because everything she thought to be, was not. I thoroughly enjoyed the reader's voices for each character, especially Harry's.

[Meredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Weird, weird, weird.

1) Two love scenes where the woman has said stop but the men keep trying. Uh, no. That's rape.

2) The climax of the book was just bizarre. I thought I knew where it was going and then it took a complete left turn. And NONE of the characters in the book thought it was crazy. No, it was BONKERS.

[Helen Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith Crowell is a trompe l'oeil artist, creating murals that "trick the eye." When she accepts a commission to paint the ballroom of a rich, powerful woman's mansion, she enters a world where nothing is what it seems to be. Superbly crafted and suspenseful, this is a page-turner from page 1 to its incredible ending.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trick of the Eye is a book about an artist. The artist thinks that she has control of her life but it is all an illusion. An interesting book with an interesting question. How much of what you see or think you know is really what it is? The book receives four stars in this review and is highly recommended.

[Sherry Schwabacher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bland and predictable. Strangely for a book concerned with antiques and trompe l'oeil, there was a feeling of inauthenticity throughout. It seemed to float in no real time or place and the big reveals - all of them!- would have been guessed early on by anyone who had ever seen a Lifetime movie.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved "Trick of the Eye" by Jane Stanton Hitchcock. Lots of twists and turns and a totally unpredictable ending that keeps the reader guessing up until the final pages...my kind of book. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.