Where's Jackson Pollock?

by Jim Davidson

A financially desperate man needs to sell two valuable modern art paintings, which have a dubious history. His girlfriend, who has an equally questionable past, volunteers to help. When they arrive in Richmond, Virginia, previous entanglements with Chris Hamilton cause tension when they are offered for sale in a gallery owned by his sister, Jackie. After the paintings suddenly vanish, and there’s no evidence of a break-in, she becomes the prime suspect.
Chris and his uniquely skilled girlfriend, Sophia Garcia, coax an old detective out of retirement to help solve the case and save Jackie. However, his once vaunted detective skills have deteriorated, and as the case becomes more complex, what evidence they do find incriminates her.
When the FBI becomes involved, and two people turn up dead, Chris and Sophia become desperate and must use their combined talents to find the stolen paintings and discover the identity of the real criminal and keep his sister from being convicted of the crimes.
The case is complex, the evidence convoluted, and the suspects are clever. Will anyone ever find out, “Where’s Jackson Pollock?”

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2025

About the author

World traveler, professional athlete, business owner, stand up comedian, lyricist, drummer, father and dog lover.
My life experiences are what my writing is about, observations of life, people and the human condition are what I find fascinating.
Mature, interesting writing full of perspectives and symbolic meanings reflecting the life I have led.

Reviews

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Davidson’s Where’s Jackson Pollock? is a vivid blend of art, crime, and human frailty that moves from the smoky streets of 1960s Brussels to the humid shores of modern-day Florida and Virginia. It begins with an art thief named Henri who steals two priceless paintings, a Pollock and a Rothko, and then follows their strange afterlife through decades of greed, betrayal, and reinvention. By the time the paintings resurface, they’ve become more than works of art, they’re ghosts of guilt and ambition that haunt every character who touches them. The book stitches together these timelines with sharp pacing and a film-like rhythm that makes the mystery feel alive and personal.

I found the writing punchy and cinematic. Davidson has a knack for giving even the quiet moments a pulse, a sense that something is about to go wrong. His characters feel flawed; greedy, desperate, and self-justifying, but never cartoonish. The dialogue sounds natural, almost overheard, and the detail in the settings makes every scene easy to picture. There’s an undercurrent of sadness beneath all the clever plotting, a recognition that beauty and corruption often share the same frame. That mix of tension and melancholy made me care more about the people than the paintings.

The story can linger inside a moment or a minor side story, but I forgave that because the author writes with conviction. The characters talk and act like real people, selfish, hopeful, scared, and funny. The theme that money distorts art and love both feels timeless and painfully true. I caught myself grinning at his dry humor one minute and shaking my head in frustration the next. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t just tell a story; it makes you sit with what greed and loss do to a person’s soul.

I’d recommend Where’s Jackson Pollock? to anyone who loves a good art-world mystery or character-driven crime story. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy novels where the moral lines blur and everyone has something to hide. If you liked The Goldfinch or The Thomas Crown Affair, this one will hit the same nerve. It’s smart, layered, and surprisingly emotional.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect Where’s Jackson Pollock? to pull me in the way it did. I opened it thinking I’d read a couple of pages, and suddenly I was caught in this strange, winding journey around a missing painting and the people who just can’t let it go. What surprised me most is how much weight one artwork can carry: emotion, obsession, consequence. It stops being an object and turns into a kind of gravitational center that everyone keeps orbiting, for better or worse.

The book moves through different times and places, but it never feels confusing. Each shift lands smoothly, like stepping into a new room with its own light, tone, and tension. The atmosphere is great. Sometimes smoky, sometimes heavy, sometimes oddly hopeful. It lingers.

The characters were what really hooked me. None of them are perfect, and that made them feel real. They mess up, they justify themselves, they want things they probably shouldn’t. A few even made me laugh with their dry humor or stubbornness. I ended up caring far more about their choices than about whether the painting was real or not.

The writing has a steady, almost cinematic rhythm because it is not fast, not slow, just deliberate and vivid. Even in the quieter scenes, there’s this sense that something is about to shift, and that kept me turning the pages.

Overall, it’s a really satisfying mystery with personality, atmosphere, and more heart than I expected. If you enjoy stories where motives, guilt, and desire all collide around a single object, this one is absolutely worth reading.

I received my copy through a Goodreads Giveaway, and I want to thank Goodreads, the author Jim Davidson, and the publisher. Getting the book as a gift was a treat but the review is completely honest.

[Renae Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title immediately sparks curiosity, offering no clear indication of where the story might lead—only a deceptively simple question that invites engagement. Within the opening pages, the subject matter reveals itself with clarity, though the ultimate direction remains deliberately elusive. This is a mystery that unfolds patiently, with art serving as its gravitational center. Clues are dispersed incrementally, chapter by chapter, allowing the narrative to reveal itself rather than announce its intentions.

What most firmly anchored the story for me was its setting. Being familiar with the region in which much of the narrative takes place added an extra layer of authenticity and intrigue. Recognition fostered a deeper connection, making the world feel lived-in and compelling, and heightening my desire to continue exploring its contours.

Equally engaging is the way the narrative threads are interwoven. Art collides with high-stakes business ventures, while deception, fractured friendships, pilfering, and profit operate in close proximity. The result is a textured, immersive experience—one that balances mystery with atmosphere and keeps the reader attentive to what is revealed and what remains just out of reach.
It is an intriguing and thoughtfully constructed read that rewards patience and curiosity, drawing the reader into a world where criminality and artistry blur in compelling ways.

[Welshtribehotmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davidson continues his run of well written and intriguing novels featuring Chris, Sophia and other familiar characters set again in Richmond Virginia.
There is no stagnation of character development as we witness Sophia's skills evolve and heighten even more.
The plot line is complex, but not confusing. It keeps the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat.
Another tour de force for Jim Davidson.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys mysteries, thrillers along with excellent characters and an insight into the underworld of covertly buying, selling and stealing modern art!

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

It Got Better

This book started off slow and boring. Toward the middle it got interesting and I really had to find out what was going to happen