Paint by Numbers: A Charles Bloom Murder Mystery

by Mark Sublette, Francis Livingston (Illustrator)

“From the gripping prologue to the twist-upon-twist conclusion, Mark Sublette’s PAINT BY NUMBERS will keep you up nights… unable to stop turning the page!” – – Sandi Ault, best-selling author of the WILD Mystery Series “Mark Sublette’s first novel is… marvelous. The white art dealer Charles Bloom lives in New Mexico with Indians. His impressive work is constantly taken away by those who go for nothing but money in New York. But Charles Bloom never stops in following great creativity… neither should we.” – – Michael Blake, Dances with Wolves “A deadly mystery about art and ambition, stretching from Navajoland to New York.” – – Wolf Schneider, abqARTS “This riveting art mystery, in the tradition of the late Tony Hillerman, successfully develops an intriguing tale that captures the essence of the creative spirit of the Navajo from the Toadlena region.” – – Mark Winter, The Master Weavers and owner of the Historic Toadlena Trading Post Bloom’s on Canyon Road, specializing in contemporary Native American art, once was a powerhouse gallery in Santa Fe. Then it lost its best-known artist, Willard Yellowhorse. Worse yet was Yellowhorse’s premature death soon after arriving in New York City under very suspicious circumstances. With Yellowhorse’s final painting STRUGGLE, about to be sold at auction, gallery owner Charles Bloom’s inner voice keeps asking two unrelenting how did Willard Yellowhorse really die, and who if anyone killed him? The answers for Charles lay somewhere deep inside the Navajo nation, Yellowhorse’s ancestral home. Charles will need the help of Yellowhorse’s sister, Rachael, and her grandfather, the nearly 100-year-old medicine man Hastiin Sherman, to unlock the key to Yellowhorse’s death. What Charles Bloom doesn’t realize is the evil coyote spirit that tracked down Yellowhorse is still watching and Charles could be next, if he isn’t careful.... A Charles Bloom murder mystery set in Santa Fe and Indian Country. Perfect for fans of Tony Hillerman. ISBN 978-0-9855448-1-2

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2012

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Santa Fe art dealer turns sleuth when a downturn in business leaves him with time on his hands. Dealer Charles Bloom decides to find out what really happened when Navajo artist Willard Yellowhorse supposedly committed suicide. Lots of interesting stuff about the art market from an author who knows his stuff because he owns an art gallery in Santa Fe. I got a kick out of Bloom bemoaning the loss of an artist he nurtured to an art gallery willing to pay a lot more. Reminded me of the colleges complaining about the loss of star athletes to institutions willing to pay them more.
The villains in this one are Lex Luthor level evil. One of them does paintings of skinned bodies in various poses.

[Joyce Burk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Sublette is one of my favorite mystery writers. Paint By Numbers is his first book and I haven't read it until now. The book does a superb job of introducing all of Mr Sublette's characters. It also explains what Mr. Sublette thinks of the art market.

[gloria Tennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of !liked it.

I enjoy reading mysteries books. This book jumped from one section to another and got a little confusing for me. This was one mystery book that took me a long time to read. Book did get better toward the final chapters.