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Art of Murder Mystery #1
An Exquisite Corpse
The first book in a new mystery series
When the Cuban painter Wifredo Lam turns up dead in his Greenwich Village studio, the investigation takes Detective Juanita Diaz and her new NYPD counterpart Brian Fitzgerald from Chinatown's underworld to Spanish Harlem's gangland in search of a killer who left a grotesque calling card: an exquisite corpse.
Suspicion soon falls on the tight-knit circle of Surrealist refugees who fled Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. Did one of their bizarre parlor games turn deadly? Set in the sexually liberated New York art world of the 1940s, populated by European artists in exile and the young Americans itching to take over the avant-garde, Harrison's tale is an amalgam of truth and invention.
When the Cuban painter Wifredo Lam turns up dead in his Greenwich Village studio, the investigation takes Detective Juanita Diaz and her new NYPD counterpart Brian Fitzgerald from Chinatown's underworld to Spanish Harlem's gangland in search of a killer who left a grotesque calling card: an exquisite corpse.
Suspicion soon falls on the tight-knit circle of Surrealist refugees who fled Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. Did one of their bizarre parlor games turn deadly? Set in the sexually liberated New York art world of the 1940s, populated by European artists in exile and the young Americans itching to take over the avant-garde, Harrison's tale is an amalgam of truth and invention.
300 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2020
30 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Helen A. Harrison
32 books27 followersHelen A. Harrison is an art historian, museum director and journalist who specializes in modern American art. From 1978-2006, she wrote art reviews and feature articles for the Long Island section of The New York Times. She is currently the director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in East Hampton, New York. The museum, a National Historic Landmark, is the former home and studio of Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
and Lee Krasner (1908-1984), two of the foremost Abstract Expressionist painters.
and Lee Krasner (1908-1984), two of the foremost Abstract Expressionist painters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 6, 2021
An Exquisite Corpse by Helen A. Harrison is a fantastic historical mystery with a touch of noir that does a wonderful job incorporating the real life people and feel of the Surrealist movement in New York during WWII.
The book starts with an explanation of an exquisite corpse and then continues to include interesting facts about the people and time period. I found the short chapters to be perfect because I would get up and go to the computer to find out more about the interesting people and artwork that Harrison had mentioned in the chapter. I think I spent equal amounts of time reading as I did on the computer! You can tell that Harrison really knows what she is talking about.
Now some authors may know a subject really well and give great lectures, but if they tried to write fiction it would be boring, but not Harrison. Her dialogue read how people really talk and the noir elements helped to make this mystery a bit more gritty. The killer was unexpected and helped to add to the realism in the story.
I highly recommend An Exquisite Corpse, and can’t wait to get my hands on book two in The Art of Murder Mysteries, An Accidental Corpse.
The book starts with an explanation of an exquisite corpse and then continues to include interesting facts about the people and time period. I found the short chapters to be perfect because I would get up and go to the computer to find out more about the interesting people and artwork that Harrison had mentioned in the chapter. I think I spent equal amounts of time reading as I did on the computer! You can tell that Harrison really knows what she is talking about.
Now some authors may know a subject really well and give great lectures, but if they tried to write fiction it would be boring, but not Harrison. Her dialogue read how people really talk and the noir elements helped to make this mystery a bit more gritty. The killer was unexpected and helped to add to the realism in the story.
I highly recommend An Exquisite Corpse, and can’t wait to get my hands on book two in The Art of Murder Mysteries, An Accidental Corpse.
July 14, 2021
When I attended college in the early 1960s, I majored in history and minored in art history/appreciation (no drawing classes). When I saw a mention of AN EXQUISITE CORPSE by art historian HELEN A. HARRISON, I was hoping I would like it. In a word, it was awesome.
The story takes place in New York City in October 1943. I lived there then but I was only two years old. The art world of that time is not in my memory. However, the book is populated with artists and historical figures of whom I am familiar.
In the story, Afro-Cuban-Chinese artist Wilfredo Lam is found dead around 10:30 in the evening. His friend Andre Breton is the one who finds the body in Lam’s apartment/studio. Breton is a French-born, Surrealist artist and broadcaster for the Voice of America. He is not fluent in English so he goes to the apartment/studio of another his friends, Robert Matta, who is hosting a party of artists and others. Breton is looking for Marcel Duchamp, another French artist, who speaks fluent English so he can report the death to the police. They go to the police station where they spend hours telling and retelling their story.
New York Police detective, Patrick Dillon of the 6th Precinct (Greenwich Village neighborhood) and officers Brian Fitzgerald (also at the 6th) and Anita Diaz of the 23rd Precinct (Spanish Harlem) are the police leads in the investigation. Anita and Brian also provide a romantic aspect to the story. In addition, Detective Sergeant John O’Connell (the 6th) and Detective Hector Morales (the 23rd) are on the team investigating the murder.
Lam’s body was posed in an artistic way known as “the exquisite corpse” which is based on a game that the Surrealist artists play. One artist will draw a head on a piece of paper. The paper is folded and handed to the next artist so the head is not visible. The second artist draws the body and folds the paper. And so on until the whole body is done without any of the artists knowing what had been drawn previously. This causes suspicion to fall onto Matta, Breton, Duchamp, Max Ernst, Robert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock and other artists of the time and school of Surrealists living in New York.
There are other suspects. One is the Chinese tong (gang) called the On Leong Association of the Chinatown District in New York City. In Spanish Harlem, there is another suspect, Jose (“Joey”) Ramirez, a gang leader who includes drugs and protection in his criminal empire.
Carlos Solana, a Colombian seaman who has been smuggling stuff into New York, also could be the killer. He has a deal pending with Lam. With Lam dead, he takes his goods to Ramirez in Harlem.
This is the first of three books set in the art world. I cannot wait to read the rest of the books. If you are fond of mysteries set in the 1940s, if you are fond of historical fiction, if you like the art of the aforementioned artists, then this is a book/series is for you. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!
The story takes place in New York City in October 1943. I lived there then but I was only two years old. The art world of that time is not in my memory. However, the book is populated with artists and historical figures of whom I am familiar.
In the story, Afro-Cuban-Chinese artist Wilfredo Lam is found dead around 10:30 in the evening. His friend Andre Breton is the one who finds the body in Lam’s apartment/studio. Breton is a French-born, Surrealist artist and broadcaster for the Voice of America. He is not fluent in English so he goes to the apartment/studio of another his friends, Robert Matta, who is hosting a party of artists and others. Breton is looking for Marcel Duchamp, another French artist, who speaks fluent English so he can report the death to the police. They go to the police station where they spend hours telling and retelling their story.
New York Police detective, Patrick Dillon of the 6th Precinct (Greenwich Village neighborhood) and officers Brian Fitzgerald (also at the 6th) and Anita Diaz of the 23rd Precinct (Spanish Harlem) are the police leads in the investigation. Anita and Brian also provide a romantic aspect to the story. In addition, Detective Sergeant John O’Connell (the 6th) and Detective Hector Morales (the 23rd) are on the team investigating the murder.
Lam’s body was posed in an artistic way known as “the exquisite corpse” which is based on a game that the Surrealist artists play. One artist will draw a head on a piece of paper. The paper is folded and handed to the next artist so the head is not visible. The second artist draws the body and folds the paper. And so on until the whole body is done without any of the artists knowing what had been drawn previously. This causes suspicion to fall onto Matta, Breton, Duchamp, Max Ernst, Robert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock and other artists of the time and school of Surrealists living in New York.
There are other suspects. One is the Chinese tong (gang) called the On Leong Association of the Chinatown District in New York City. In Spanish Harlem, there is another suspect, Jose (“Joey”) Ramirez, a gang leader who includes drugs and protection in his criminal empire.
Carlos Solana, a Colombian seaman who has been smuggling stuff into New York, also could be the killer. He has a deal pending with Lam. With Lam dead, he takes his goods to Ramirez in Harlem.
This is the first of three books set in the art world. I cannot wait to read the rest of the books. If you are fond of mysteries set in the 1940s, if you are fond of historical fiction, if you like the art of the aforementioned artists, then this is a book/series is for you. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!
July 10, 2021
An Exquisite Corpse is the first in a new series; Art of Murder Mysteries. Detailed and full of description, An Exquisite Corpse gives you a glimpse of the art world in New York City during World War Two. A large cast of characters makes the story fact paced and well developed. But you have to pay attention or you might miss who does what. When does an accident become murder, is this what really happened? You will have to read it to find out. Go back to a bygone era and solve the mystery.
September 26, 2020
2020 bk 318. An excellent, well-crafted, and well-written mystery set during World War II among an artist colony of refugees and former ex-pats of the French Surrileasm scene. For those who do not know, an exquisite corpse is a work of art or writing in which there are at least 4 participants. For the artists, each does a panel connecting to the previous panel which they cannot see. The ultimate painting tends to the grotesque, depending on the theme. When Lam, a Cubano-Chinese artist, is found dead in his New York apartment, the police swing into action. It has been awhile since I've read a mid-century police procedural and awhile since I've experience the delight of a well-written mystery that reveals itself in tiny chunks through the entire of the book. A delight to read, and a delight to learn a little more of the lives of this particular group of artists. Helen A. Harrison reminds me of the best writings of the Jeff and Kelly Roos.
July 2, 2021
This is an intriguing historical mystery. It is set in the WWII era in New York's Greenwich Village, which was home to an enclave of Surrealist and Dadaist expatriate artists who fled Nazi persecution in the late '30s and early '40s. The historical aspects of the book are remarkably detailed. The author shares her knowledge of individual artists such as Duchamp, Pollock, Breton, Ernst, and more. The victim of the murder is Wifredo Lam, another real artist living in the village at this time. An entirely fictionalized element, however, is Lam's murder. According to the biography at the MOMA site, Lam, an Afro Cuban whose father was Chinese study in Madrid and then moved to Paris in 1938. "There he was enthusiastically embraced by the city’s avant-garde, whose members at the time were fascinated with the unconscious, the fantastic, and the non-European cultures of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. As a Caribbean of African descent, Lam held a particular appeal for these artists and poets (especially Pablo Picasso and André Breton), who perceived his race as playing a distinctive role in his work. In 1940, after the Nazis had occupied Paris, Lam escaped via cargo ship for an arduous journey back to Cuba." In this mystery, Lam is not in Cuba, but instead in the thick of the artistic community in Greenwich Village and is the victim of the murder.
Almost all of the book's many suspects are artists (and real people), and the author shares insights about their work, the artistic movements, and the complicated relationships (presumably historically accurate) amongst this group. These details were interesting, but somewhat complicated. I found myself trying to keep track of many artists whose work and personalities I was not familiar with, both trying to learn about them historically as well as trying to glean whether these details had any impact on the mystery.
The historical aspect also extends into descriptions of the setting and the police force of the era. The author shares details about the various precincts in terms of their geography and their demographics. Learning about the different neighborhoods -- Irish, Hispanic, Chinese -- and how their individual politics and alliances impacted police work adds richness to the mystery.
The negatives of this book, if any, are that the richness of details and multiplicity of characters means that there isn't a singular protagonist to root for. In fact, I would say that the mystery lacks a main character whose perspective the reader adopts. Because there are so many characters, none is fully developed or nuanced.
The chapters are very short and the reader needs to continually refocus to keep track of the artist or detective who is currently centerstage and to recall the details about that character.
It's a good read, and I'd definitely recommend it.
Almost all of the book's many suspects are artists (and real people), and the author shares insights about their work, the artistic movements, and the complicated relationships (presumably historically accurate) amongst this group. These details were interesting, but somewhat complicated. I found myself trying to keep track of many artists whose work and personalities I was not familiar with, both trying to learn about them historically as well as trying to glean whether these details had any impact on the mystery.
The historical aspect also extends into descriptions of the setting and the police force of the era. The author shares details about the various precincts in terms of their geography and their demographics. Learning about the different neighborhoods -- Irish, Hispanic, Chinese -- and how their individual politics and alliances impacted police work adds richness to the mystery.
The negatives of this book, if any, are that the richness of details and multiplicity of characters means that there isn't a singular protagonist to root for. In fact, I would say that the mystery lacks a main character whose perspective the reader adopts. Because there are so many characters, none is fully developed or nuanced.
The chapters are very short and the reader needs to continually refocus to keep track of the artist or detective who is currently centerstage and to recall the details about that character.
It's a good read, and I'd definitely recommend it.
July 8, 2020
An Exquisite Corpse by Helen A. Harrison is a very unusual tale…..it may take the reader a while to warm up to the story but I encourage you to continue reading it because you will get to a point in the story that will tie everything together, not in a neat bow mind you, and you will thorough enjoy the story.
An Exquisite Corpse is set back in 1943 in New York City and centers around a group of surrealist artists. It is set during a time when telephones were not common in every household, the price to ride the subway was a nickel, maritial affairs were extremely common and overlooked, however, death and murders still occurred, drinking and partying were still common, there were still good and bad people and it seemed like everyone lied.
In An Exquisite Corpse Andre Brenton is going to a party and on the way he stops at his friend Wifredo Lam’s studio to see if he wants to go. Unfortunately he finds Lam dead on the floor. Before he can go to the police, he stops over to the party because he will need someone to interpret what he tells the police. Within this unique circle of artists and friends, it is not uncommon for someone to not speak English.
Not only is Lam who is a Cuban artist dead but he is staged in a very pecular way….as in the surrealist parlor game the artists are known to play. The way that his body is staged points to one of the artists…….
While you read this story Harrison will take you on a crazy rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns and stomach dropping moments. You may begin reading this story and want to stop because of the wierdness but I encourage you to continue…..you will get to a point that you will want to see it through to the end. You will want to know who did it and why.
An Exquisite Corpse is set back in 1943 in New York City and centers around a group of surrealist artists. It is set during a time when telephones were not common in every household, the price to ride the subway was a nickel, maritial affairs were extremely common and overlooked, however, death and murders still occurred, drinking and partying were still common, there were still good and bad people and it seemed like everyone lied.
In An Exquisite Corpse Andre Brenton is going to a party and on the way he stops at his friend Wifredo Lam’s studio to see if he wants to go. Unfortunately he finds Lam dead on the floor. Before he can go to the police, he stops over to the party because he will need someone to interpret what he tells the police. Within this unique circle of artists and friends, it is not uncommon for someone to not speak English.
Not only is Lam who is a Cuban artist dead but he is staged in a very pecular way….as in the surrealist parlor game the artists are known to play. The way that his body is staged points to one of the artists…….
While you read this story Harrison will take you on a crazy rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns and stomach dropping moments. You may begin reading this story and want to stop because of the wierdness but I encourage you to continue…..you will get to a point that you will want to see it through to the end. You will want to know who did it and why.
July 19, 2021
1943 New York City….
Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla
is found dead in his apartment at 10:30 PM.
Wilfredo is an Afro-Cuban-Chinese artist. being
sponsored by Peggy Guggenheim. His body,was
posed and dressed in an unusual way from the
game played by his friends who called themselves
Surrealists. It is a drawing game called le cadavre
exquis in French. Translated English means this
means“ the exquisite corpse.
So the investigation begins.
Mix in Surrealist artists, the On Leong Association
of New York’s Chinatown District plus gang leader,
“Joey”(Jose Ramirez) in Spanish Harlem, Madame
Carmen the spiritualist and Carlos Solana, a
Colombian seaman for wide and diverse suspects.
I enjoyed looking up the artists and their works after
reading about them in this well written, well plotted
book of historical fiction book.
There is a touch of romance brewing when NYPD
Officer Brian Fitzgerald and Detective Juanita Diaz
are assigned to work together on the case.
I also enjoyed getting to know New York and the
various districts. It was interesting learning more
about the people, their backgrounds, their
backstories and their living conditions in 1943 New York.
I volunteered to read An Exquisite Corpse. Thanks
to the author and publisher via Cozy Mystery Review
Crew. My opinion is voluntary and my own.
Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla
is found dead in his apartment at 10:30 PM.
Wilfredo is an Afro-Cuban-Chinese artist. being
sponsored by Peggy Guggenheim. His body,was
posed and dressed in an unusual way from the
game played by his friends who called themselves
Surrealists. It is a drawing game called le cadavre
exquis in French. Translated English means this
means“ the exquisite corpse.
So the investigation begins.
Mix in Surrealist artists, the On Leong Association
of New York’s Chinatown District plus gang leader,
“Joey”(Jose Ramirez) in Spanish Harlem, Madame
Carmen the spiritualist and Carlos Solana, a
Colombian seaman for wide and diverse suspects.
I enjoyed looking up the artists and their works after
reading about them in this well written, well plotted
book of historical fiction book.
There is a touch of romance brewing when NYPD
Officer Brian Fitzgerald and Detective Juanita Diaz
are assigned to work together on the case.
I also enjoyed getting to know New York and the
various districts. It was interesting learning more
about the people, their backgrounds, their
backstories and their living conditions in 1943 New York.
I volunteered to read An Exquisite Corpse. Thanks
to the author and publisher via Cozy Mystery Review
Crew. My opinion is voluntary and my own.
February 22, 2020
Another very interesting mystery in the Corpse Trilogy, woven in and around art and artists. This particular murder is based on a 1928 Surrealist pen-and-ink drawing. On October 16, 1943, Andre Breton finds the body of this friend Wilfredo Lam dead on the floor of Wilfredo's apartment. Wilfredo has been arranged as an exquisite corpse, and Breton knew exactly what he was looking at.
Enjoyable characters. Unpleasant, seedy locales. Intelligent police. Immensely readable.
I read this EARC courtesy of Poison Pen Press and Edelweiss pub date 07/07/20
Enjoyable characters. Unpleasant, seedy locales. Intelligent police. Immensely readable.
I read this EARC courtesy of Poison Pen Press and Edelweiss pub date 07/07/20
October 16, 2020
What fun! I am a fan of Wilfredo Lam and am familiar with his biography, so I was very curious as to how this author would balance fact and fiction in an historical art mystery. She did not disappoint! For those of you not familiar with the surrealism movement, the Afterword does a good job detailing the literary license taken in the novel, so I won't spoil the mystery by commenting on that aspect here. This book is the perfect blend of history, mystery and art. I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series.
January 4, 2021
Helen A. Harrison blends her knowledge of art/history with murder in an intriguing book. Fascinating read about the Surrealist artists and life in Greenwich Village during 1943. What is an Exquisite corpse and why was it used in murder? A must read to learn. Good build of characters. NYPD officers Juanita Diaz and Brian Fitzgerald meet on the case and use their skills to help with finding out who done it. These two officers will meet again in Harrison's next book.
July 31, 2020
An excellent mystery, well written and gripping.
I love Surrealism and I was happy to read about the characters in this story.
The historical background is vivid and the characters are well thought.
I want to read the other books in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I love Surrealism and I was happy to read about the characters in this story.
The historical background is vivid and the characters are well thought.
I want to read the other books in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
August 16, 2021
I love reading mysteries set in different time periods and parts of the country, so I was thrilled to discover this book! It's set in the art scene of New York City in the 1940s, and I thought it was wonderful.
First, I learned a lot about the art and artists of that time period. This is not something I ever studied in school, so it was nice to round out my education a bit by picking up some insights while enjoying a novel. The murder mystery plot was very well done. It was interesting watching the clues be discovered and pieced together with the art scene as the background.
Once the ending was revealed, it all made sense based on the clues and insights the reader gained throughout the story.
Definitely 5 stars for an excellent historical mystery with terrific characters that kept me intrigued and guessing until the last page!
First, I learned a lot about the art and artists of that time period. This is not something I ever studied in school, so it was nice to round out my education a bit by picking up some insights while enjoying a novel. The murder mystery plot was very well done. It was interesting watching the clues be discovered and pieced together with the art scene as the background.
Once the ending was revealed, it all made sense based on the clues and insights the reader gained throughout the story.
Definitely 5 stars for an excellent historical mystery with terrific characters that kept me intrigued and guessing until the last page!
July 22, 2021
This is the first book in a series about 1940s NYC and the art world. Many of the details are authentic, although I’m sure a lot of the story is fictionalized. There are so many characters introduced, it’s a little overwhelming at first, but since I recognize quite a few as true historical characters, that helped me. I enjoyed the art aspect of the story, as well as the police procedures of the time. The book is well-written and I enjoyed it, but I didn’t find it that relaxing to read. I had to really concentrate to give the story the attention it needed. I would be interested in reading more in the series, though, now that I’ve started it. I was provided a copy of the book, but these opinions are my own.
May 6, 2020
An enjoyable read. Set in NYC in the early 1940s it features real people and an imaginary murder. Gives a good feel of the time and place.
July 30, 2021
This book reminds me of The DaVinci Code in that it references so many other artists and works. It's very interesting to read and then check out more about them outside of the novel. I'm not as familiar with the Surrealists as other artists but this was fascinating. Loved the setting of NYC in the 1940's. Really got a feel for the scene and era. There were lots of characters to keep track of and that was a bit confusing at times but overall, a really good read.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
December 28, 2021
ughhh the ending was so anticlimactic!!! so much tension built and for WHAT!!!! first 250 pages were perfect though
June 20, 2020
Dollycas’s Thoughts
A group of Surrealist refugees has taken up residence in New York after fleeing Europe during World War II. When one of their group, Cuban painter Wifredo Lam is found dead, NYPD officers Brian Fitzgerald and Juanita Diaz catch the case and uncover some eerie things that take them all around New York in search of the truth.
______
Set in the 1940’s I found the author gave a good sense of time and place but there were so many characters to keep track of I found myself lost at times. As the story went on most of the characters were given more definition but I just couldn’t really identify with any of them. They all had their own agendas and not one felt genuine.
The basis of the story was interesting and multifaceted with several twists and I did enjoy the chase for the truth but was disappointed somewhat by the conclusion. I had never heard of an “exquisite corpse” and did enjoy learning about a different way of drawing.
While I had issues with this book, book two in this series features the same detectives and the death of Jackson Pollock and I may just have to give that book a try.
A group of Surrealist refugees has taken up residence in New York after fleeing Europe during World War II. When one of their group, Cuban painter Wifredo Lam is found dead, NYPD officers Brian Fitzgerald and Juanita Diaz catch the case and uncover some eerie things that take them all around New York in search of the truth.
______
Set in the 1940’s I found the author gave a good sense of time and place but there were so many characters to keep track of I found myself lost at times. As the story went on most of the characters were given more definition but I just couldn’t really identify with any of them. They all had their own agendas and not one felt genuine.
The basis of the story was interesting and multifaceted with several twists and I did enjoy the chase for the truth but was disappointed somewhat by the conclusion. I had never heard of an “exquisite corpse” and did enjoy learning about a different way of drawing.
While I had issues with this book, book two in this series features the same detectives and the death of Jackson Pollock and I may just have to give that book a try.
April 10, 2022
The premise of this book is very promising. It’s a mystery set among the ex-pat artists who escaped Hitler before and during the war, plus some well-known American artists also living in New York, along with major figures from the art scene at the time. Furthermore, the corpse in question (and this is not a spoiler, as it is revealed in the first pages) has been dressed in random outrageous outfits, something like the “exquisite corpse” drawings the surrealists were famous for drawing.
However, the execution seemed rather lacking to me, both as a mystery and a novel. The killing’s resolution is presented in a kind of haphazard way that sucked the excitement out of the whodunit part. Furthermore, the use of very famous people limits the potential suspect pool, as one realizes that Andre Breton, for example, was never convicted of murder.
As a novel, it is very lacking. The characters don’t come to life very well, and many of the non-famous people are mere clichés. The book relies too much on name checks: Look, there’s Marcel Duchamp! Look, Peggy Guggenheim is sleeping with an artist she’s not married to!! Wow, they snuck Alfred Barr into the story! Also, it is written in very short chapters (many 3-4 printed pages) that give the impression of a story that is moving along quickly, but this does not translate into much actual suspense. Yes, I did want to find out how it all turned out, so the author accomplished that. But I can’t say that the journey there was very enjoyable.
It seems that this is the first of a series. I guess my review can be summed up by saying that I don’t feel the desire to keep reading the series.
However, the execution seemed rather lacking to me, both as a mystery and a novel. The killing’s resolution is presented in a kind of haphazard way that sucked the excitement out of the whodunit part. Furthermore, the use of very famous people limits the potential suspect pool, as one realizes that Andre Breton, for example, was never convicted of murder.
As a novel, it is very lacking. The characters don’t come to life very well, and many of the non-famous people are mere clichés. The book relies too much on name checks: Look, there’s Marcel Duchamp! Look, Peggy Guggenheim is sleeping with an artist she’s not married to!! Wow, they snuck Alfred Barr into the story! Also, it is written in very short chapters (many 3-4 printed pages) that give the impression of a story that is moving along quickly, but this does not translate into much actual suspense. Yes, I did want to find out how it all turned out, so the author accomplished that. But I can’t say that the journey there was very enjoyable.
It seems that this is the first of a series. I guess my review can be summed up by saying that I don’t feel the desire to keep reading the series.
February 22, 2024
I found this book when I was looking up Tender is the Flesh and accidentally came by this (the original name of TitF is Cadáver Exquisito). It caught my eye as a detective story with surrealist artist, which seemed fun.
It turned out... okay-ish? It's not awful but it just didn't really meet my expectation in any of the direction it baits. It introduces some less known surrealists (I mean people who you don't hear about at highschool) and gives some background of the community during ww2 but it doesn't go that deep. The artists also quickly turn into a bunch of assholes that nonsensically try to make the police work more difficult and confusing, which is frankly the only reason the book go on longer than 50 pages.
The investigation side... well, the book is tagged as mystery rather than detective story, which fits, it's not like you can watch out for clues and guess who the killer is. The mystery side is unfortunatelly pretty weak, the investigation goes into multple directions that go absolutely nowhere and when you find out who did it you go like... uh, okay. There is also quite a lot of characters involved with various degrees of involvement and there are multiple scenes where people exchange information or explain what's going on, which just bogs the story down. I suppose the confusion of various people having different information and taking actions that bring in even more confusion is really a feature of the book, not a bug, but it just didn't sit well with me.
It turned out... okay-ish? It's not awful but it just didn't really meet my expectation in any of the direction it baits. It introduces some less known surrealists (I mean people who you don't hear about at highschool) and gives some background of the community during ww2 but it doesn't go that deep. The artists also quickly turn into a bunch of assholes that nonsensically try to make the police work more difficult and confusing, which is frankly the only reason the book go on longer than 50 pages.
The investigation side... well, the book is tagged as mystery rather than detective story, which fits, it's not like you can watch out for clues and guess who the killer is. The mystery side is unfortunatelly pretty weak, the investigation goes into multple directions that go absolutely nowhere and when you find out who did it you go like... uh, okay. There is also quite a lot of characters involved with various degrees of involvement and there are multiple scenes where people exchange information or explain what's going on, which just bogs the story down. I suppose the confusion of various people having different information and taking actions that bring in even more confusion is really a feature of the book, not a bug, but it just didn't sit well with me.
June 12, 2025
Harrison is an art historian and museum director (including the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center).
The title is a nod to the Surrealist art game, which plays a part in this NY 1943 based mystery novel.
There are numerous characters in here, many just mentioned, or minor players in the Surrealist movement. So it was good to have read it as an ebook - a highlight and a click, and I found out who these people were!
Including the victim - Wilfredo Lam. A Cuban-Chinese artist, who in real life was not murdered, and actually lived to the ripe old age of 79, and died in 1982.
Harrison shows off her knowledge of the art movement and its proponents, but at times the art and people felt a bit forced into the narrative. She has written 3 other books about fictional murders in other art movements (looking forward to the Thomas Hart Benton one, which is a bit out of her wheelhouse). Recurring characters are the two red-headed police officers - one Irish (Brian Fitzerald), one Hispanic (Anita Diaz) who become a couple. They also later become private detectives, and are joined in later volumes in the series by their son.
Fun, and instructional. Looking forward to reading other titles in the series. She does take real biographies and fits them into a fictional world quite well.
My thanks to my local PL and State Library for having this title in their ebook collection.
3 out of 5.
The title is a nod to the Surrealist art game, which plays a part in this NY 1943 based mystery novel.
There are numerous characters in here, many just mentioned, or minor players in the Surrealist movement. So it was good to have read it as an ebook - a highlight and a click, and I found out who these people were!
Including the victim - Wilfredo Lam. A Cuban-Chinese artist, who in real life was not murdered, and actually lived to the ripe old age of 79, and died in 1982.
Harrison shows off her knowledge of the art movement and its proponents, but at times the art and people felt a bit forced into the narrative. She has written 3 other books about fictional murders in other art movements (looking forward to the Thomas Hart Benton one, which is a bit out of her wheelhouse). Recurring characters are the two red-headed police officers - one Irish (Brian Fitzerald), one Hispanic (Anita Diaz) who become a couple. They also later become private detectives, and are joined in later volumes in the series by their son.
Fun, and instructional. Looking forward to reading other titles in the series. She does take real biographies and fits them into a fictional world quite well.
My thanks to my local PL and State Library for having this title in their ebook collection.
3 out of 5.
August 28, 2021
This was good in that it was a real slice of the time. The detail in the artistic scene and lifestyle of the artists was excellent. However, I was never engaged. There were so many chapters, something like 85, so every few pages you were on to another scene and group of people. It was so quick and never quite enough. The mystery was only okay, but I found I was just reading to get through it, because I don’t like to leave books unfinished. I’m disappointed because there was such potential.
November 17, 2021
This was such a fun read!! Intriguing from the first chapter, it has so many characters and so many story lines all converging into one at the end to solve the mystery! The fun part is that all of your favorite surrealist/modernist artists are featured in this whodunnit that you feel like you already know the characters. It's also interesting to hear the author's thoughts on the artist's personalities based on stories and research. A fun, enthralling story that will keep your attention and interest- very well written and I am really looking forward to more of these art themed murder mysteries!! Tying together two of my favorite things is always a plus in my book:)
July 14, 2021
An Exquisite Corpse is a highly enjoyable read into the investigation of who killed Cuban painter Wifredo Lam, whose body has been dressed up as an "exquisite corpse". All the twists and turns were a delight to read and I thoroughly enjoyed getting some insight into the Surrealist refugees who fled Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. As a part of the cast are Surrealist artists, there were enough eccentric characters to amuse me along the way to unravelling the truth of how Lam died. Definitely a big recommendation for anyone liking murder mysteries!
January 12, 2022
This book was easy to get through due to the short chapters. An interesting read with some twists. I would have liked more character development with Breton. I also found there to be too many characters, with them being addressed sometimes by their first name and sometimes their last. This made it hard to keep track of who was who.
September 4, 2020
I got about halfway through this before I decided not to finish it. There were too many characters it was hard to keep track. If you are into the art world, specifically surrealism you would probably enjoy this.
November 2, 2021
Eh. The premise is interesting and I actually enjoyed the writing, but as a mystery fan, the ending was unsatisfying. I kept waiting for the big reveal.....If you are an art lover or history buff, you may find this fun-lots of name dropping.
July 17, 2021
Well, I liked it. A lot!
August 16, 2022
this book was pretty good, but disappointing in some areas (in my opinion). Overall I thought the concept was interesting, i’ve never read a book like this before
October 4, 2022
Historical and beautifully paced. Like the corpse, the story is exquisite.
November 9, 2022
As an art major, this was a fun, easy read. I liked the concept of recognizable names and working in the exquisite corpse game.
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