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What Meets the Eye
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. The renowned artist wasn’t the happiest of women. With a troubled past and a closetful of secrets, it looked like she had every reason to off herself. But as Kate digs deeper, she finds that Margot also 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.
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. The renowned artist wasn’t the happiest of women. With a troubled past and a closetful of secrets, it looked like she had every reason to off herself. But as Kate digs deeper, she finds that Margot also 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.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2022
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566 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
February 26, 2023
Thank you Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.
SYNOPSIS
Private Investigator Kate Myles is hired to investigate the alleged suicide of a famous artist. As she dives into the underbelly of the art world, she realizes something scrandy is afoot!!!
MY OPINION
I had to channel all my brainpower to get this image in my review, but it was necessary. This lil meme is the perfect representation of how the book unfolded...
I stormed through like 20% of this book during my bed time reading sesh (I must read or else I have to confront the thoughts in my head which is big yikes). I was clearly vibulating. We had multiple POVs, multiple timelines, and I liked the art angle. Alex Kenna knows her shizz about art; I found some of the project descriptions quite interesting.
She really sets it up for this book to be bangerlicious. You've got a juicy "was it suicide or nah" premise (we all know it's nah, but still, I like to see how it unfolds), you've got conflict with her jerkface ex-husband, you've got motherhood struggles, you've got a backstory that tees up Kate's redemption arc perfectly, and you've got jokey jokes. That's the good part of the horse drawing.
After 40% ish, the good drawing stops and a toddler takes over to lazily slap together the rest. While there was still some good zingers, it felt like the author was losing steam. The writing quality goes from swan dive to belly flop. It's tell, tell, tell. I felt like I was reading the diary of a six-year-old: First we went to the store, and then I threw an absolute tantrum to manipulate my mom into getting me ice cream. I picked mint. Yummy!
On top of the lacklustre writing, all of Kate's interesting traits are yeeted out the window. The ADHD issue is never mentioned again. And homegirl goes from licking an old oxy pill to making condescending remarks about addict behavior ("there was also an assault with a deadly weapon charge that had been pled down to a misdemeanour. Typical tweaker stuff."????) Also we're supposed to believe Kate is "healed" (whatever that means) of her oxy addiction and therefore should have custody of her daughter, but she doesn't see the problem in a former drug addict pounding wine by the bottle on days that end with "y". Ok??
Oh and how could I forget about Kenna using Kate as a vessel to pontificate about the fked up justice system and other social causes that had nothing to do with the plot. There was literally an entire page about how messed up it was that some random guy Kate saw at court kept getting picked up for driving on a suspended license even though he needed to drive to work to support his sick mom? Ok so did the artist kill herself or nah?
As the book progresses, we're subjected to several irrelevant POVs that confirm Kate's hunches. Each POV is more painful than the last. We're treated to uninspired writing such as: "Books in hand, we made our way downstairs and paid for our new reads. Then Jason suggested a cocktail bar nearby. On the way, we talked about books." And then girlwiththepinkskimask jumped out of the alleyway and screamed shut the fk up!!!!
SPOILER SO SCROLL AHEAD
Instead of just sticking with the jealous artist community track, Kenna decides to swing for the fences in her debut by tossing in my absolute least fave trope: Russian mob. FFS. Even the tongue-in-cheek line "what next? Aliens?" couldn't redeem this unnecessary and contrived addition to the plot. I have yet to find a citizen gone rogue thriller with a Russian mob "twist" that worked. There was not one moment during this book where I thought: you know what, this is a great read, but including a Russian mob angle would've made it bangerlicious. Nobody asked for this. I promise you. Wrong audience.
Lastly, there's a huge a** plot hole. During a meet-up with a victim's bf, Kate notes how he threw out his cell phone. BUT THEN, she continues to call said # and leave voicemails with her whole gov name even though the heat is on and mans is supposed to be incognitos, and he eventually calls her back from a blocked # saying sry boo just got your messages. how sway?? I went back and reread the scene where he dumps his phone up until the scene where he calls her back and there was no explanation about how he received her voicemails when his phone was at the bottom of a trashcan on a beach??? Cmon now.
END OF SPOILERS
If Kenna had kept the magic she tapped into in the first 40%ish, this would've been a Honda Civic Reliable popcorn thriller. Alas, she did too much with too little energy and it puttered out. Too bad because the cover is cool.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: started solid, author clearly knows her stuff about art
Cons: falls apart, seems like the author wrote steam and was just pounding it out, contrived twists and ending
SYNOPSIS
Private Investigator Kate Myles is hired to investigate the alleged suicide of a famous artist. As she dives into the underbelly of the art world, she realizes something scrandy is afoot!!!
MY OPINION
I had to channel all my brainpower to get this image in my review, but it was necessary. This lil meme is the perfect representation of how the book unfolded...
I stormed through like 20% of this book during my bed time reading sesh (I must read or else I have to confront the thoughts in my head which is big yikes). I was clearly vibulating. We had multiple POVs, multiple timelines, and I liked the art angle. Alex Kenna knows her shizz about art; I found some of the project descriptions quite interesting.
She really sets it up for this book to be bangerlicious. You've got a juicy "was it suicide or nah" premise (we all know it's nah, but still, I like to see how it unfolds), you've got conflict with her jerkface ex-husband, you've got motherhood struggles, you've got a backstory that tees up Kate's redemption arc perfectly, and you've got jokey jokes. That's the good part of the horse drawing.
After 40% ish, the good drawing stops and a toddler takes over to lazily slap together the rest. While there was still some good zingers, it felt like the author was losing steam. The writing quality goes from swan dive to belly flop. It's tell, tell, tell. I felt like I was reading the diary of a six-year-old: First we went to the store, and then I threw an absolute tantrum to manipulate my mom into getting me ice cream. I picked mint. Yummy!
On top of the lacklustre writing, all of Kate's interesting traits are yeeted out the window. The ADHD issue is never mentioned again. And homegirl goes from licking an old oxy pill to making condescending remarks about addict behavior ("there was also an assault with a deadly weapon charge that had been pled down to a misdemeanour. Typical tweaker stuff."????) Also we're supposed to believe Kate is "healed" (whatever that means) of her oxy addiction and therefore should have custody of her daughter, but she doesn't see the problem in a former drug addict pounding wine by the bottle on days that end with "y". Ok??
Oh and how could I forget about Kenna using Kate as a vessel to pontificate about the fked up justice system and other social causes that had nothing to do with the plot. There was literally an entire page about how messed up it was that some random guy Kate saw at court kept getting picked up for driving on a suspended license even though he needed to drive to work to support his sick mom? Ok so did the artist kill herself or nah?
As the book progresses, we're subjected to several irrelevant POVs that confirm Kate's hunches. Each POV is more painful than the last. We're treated to uninspired writing such as: "Books in hand, we made our way downstairs and paid for our new reads. Then Jason suggested a cocktail bar nearby. On the way, we talked about books." And then girlwiththepinkskimask jumped out of the alleyway and screamed shut the fk up!!!!
SPOILER SO SCROLL AHEAD
Instead of just sticking with the jealous artist community track, Kenna decides to swing for the fences in her debut by tossing in my absolute least fave trope: Russian mob. FFS. Even the tongue-in-cheek line "what next? Aliens?" couldn't redeem this unnecessary and contrived addition to the plot. I have yet to find a citizen gone rogue thriller with a Russian mob "twist" that worked. There was not one moment during this book where I thought: you know what, this is a great read, but including a Russian mob angle would've made it bangerlicious. Nobody asked for this. I promise you. Wrong audience.
Lastly, there's a huge a** plot hole. During a meet-up with a victim's bf, Kate notes how he threw out his cell phone. BUT THEN, she continues to call said # and leave voicemails with her whole gov name even though the heat is on and mans is supposed to be incognitos, and he eventually calls her back from a blocked # saying sry boo just got your messages. how sway?? I went back and reread the scene where he dumps his phone up until the scene where he calls her back and there was no explanation about how he received her voicemails when his phone was at the bottom of a trashcan on a beach??? Cmon now.
END OF SPOILERS
If Kenna had kept the magic she tapped into in the first 40%ish, this would've been a Honda Civic Reliable popcorn thriller. Alas, she did too much with too little energy and it puttered out. Too bad because the cover is cool.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: started solid, author clearly knows her stuff about art
Cons: falls apart, seems like the author wrote steam and was just pounding it out, contrived twists and ending
July 24, 2022
A solid crime novel – interesting story, good character development and serious sleuthing. There is a bit of slackness in the middle, but overall, a well written book.
After a serious accident, Kate Myles, a police detective, struggles to get her life back on track. As she takes to drinking, her husband John divorces her and also gains custody of her daughter Amelia. After a period of discipline, she starts private detective work. Margot Starling, a leading and unconventional artist is found dead, hanging, in her home. The police declare it a case of suicide but her dad is not convinced and approaches Kate. As she learns of how the police led by Bennett reached its conclusions, Kate feels this is a case worth revisiting. The only person in the force she can trust is Luke who has been shunted to financial crimes as a result of a run-in with some others on the force. As Kate investigates, she finds a murky underworld, dealing with fake paintings and money laundering.
The strength of the book is in the very credible detective work. I liked the shades to Kate’s character, as also Margot’s. The build-up of the plot, as more of Margot’s life since she graduated from art school is revealed, is very well written. There is a bit of tedious detail in parts leading to some slack in the middle.
Overall, a strong crime novel.
My rating: 4.25 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author & publisher for a free electronic review copy.
After a serious accident, Kate Myles, a police detective, struggles to get her life back on track. As she takes to drinking, her husband John divorces her and also gains custody of her daughter Amelia. After a period of discipline, she starts private detective work. Margot Starling, a leading and unconventional artist is found dead, hanging, in her home. The police declare it a case of suicide but her dad is not convinced and approaches Kate. As she learns of how the police led by Bennett reached its conclusions, Kate feels this is a case worth revisiting. The only person in the force she can trust is Luke who has been shunted to financial crimes as a result of a run-in with some others on the force. As Kate investigates, she finds a murky underworld, dealing with fake paintings and money laundering.
The strength of the book is in the very credible detective work. I liked the shades to Kate’s character, as also Margot’s. The build-up of the plot, as more of Margot’s life since she graduated from art school is revealed, is very well written. There is a bit of tedious detail in parts leading to some slack in the middle.
Overall, a strong crime novel.
My rating: 4.25 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author & publisher for a free electronic review copy.
March 27, 2023
Hmmm… ok!
This book really hooked me in from the start… and felt like it kind of morphed something different by the end of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, it was fun to read, but at the start of the book it seemed more gritty and noir, then it went into like a domestic life description, then a crime thriller and then into high unbelievably undercover witness thing?
I don’t know, it seemed a little all over the place writing wise and topics seemed to change meaning for the narrative, but overall it was an ok read, which was fun (however I did have to suspend my brief in the last 20% a lot) and ended really with an abrupt ending? I just don’t know anymore, but it did keep me reading, so that’s a plus!
It ends somewhere in the middle, let’s say 2.5 stars rounded up!
Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley
This book really hooked me in from the start… and felt like it kind of morphed something different by the end of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, it was fun to read, but at the start of the book it seemed more gritty and noir, then it went into like a domestic life description, then a crime thriller and then into high unbelievably undercover witness thing?
I don’t know, it seemed a little all over the place writing wise and topics seemed to change meaning for the narrative, but overall it was an ok read, which was fun (however I did have to suspend my brief in the last 20% a lot) and ended really with an abrupt ending? I just don’t know anymore, but it did keep me reading, so that’s a plus!
It ends somewhere in the middle, let’s say 2.5 stars rounded up!
Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley
November 17, 2022
What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna gives us everything we expect from a thriller. It’s a twisty and absorbing read, complete with a suitably flawed but very likeable lead. Alex Kenna is the real deal, a true talent. Her prose is stunningly eloquent and characterization masterful. Thematically, Kenna delivers obvious messages about ambition and revenge and the dangers they pose when left unrestrained, along with a powerful theme around sexual exploitation and violence against women that reminds us how infuriatingly endemic both remain within our society.
The book opens with a prologue set six months prior to the present day that ends with a bang. We meet Margot Starling, a beautiful, talented, ambitious, and highly successful artist, but also a tortured soul. We’re learning a little of Margot’s backstory when someone knocks on her door. Peeping out, she gasps and drops the glass of whiskey in her hand, the glass shattering on the floor. And masterfully, Kenna has arrested our attention, leaving us desperate to learn more.
Moving into present day in the first chapter, Kenna introduces us to the engaging lead, Kate Myer, a former LAPD detective turned private investigator. An on-duty incident not only left Kate with severe back injuries that ended her law enforcement career, but in turn, addicted to pain pills. The addiction cost Kate her already shaky marriage, as well as custody of her daughter, to her cold and unfeeling attorney ex-husband. Kate, after beating the narcotics addiction, is still struggling to pick up the pieces, trying to rebuild her confidence and her life into something approaching normalcy. When Milt Starling comes to Kate, he tells her the police have ruled his daughter’s death a suicide, but insists she wasn’t suicidal. He believes someone murdered her and wants to hire Kate to prove it. Kate is reluctant to take the case. A former police detective, she knows the cops usually get such things right and so believes she would only take Starling’s money to deliver more pain rather than comfort by confirming the death was suicide. The more Starling tells her about his daughter, the more certain Kate is the woman killed herself. But Starling is persistent, and Kate needs to pay her rent. So she relents and accepts the case. The lives of Kaye Myers and Margot Starling then become intertwined. And while she had no way to know it at the outset, Kate’s fateful decision has thrust her into something she doesn’t truly grasp and that comes with personal risks she can’t even imagine.
Time shifts between chapters. Sometimes it’s days. Sometimes months. And sometimes several years pass before we return to the present. Interspersed with the time shifts are multiple narrators offering differing perspectives. I’m not usually a fan of flashbacks, mostly because authors rarely do the technique well and often it causes the pacing of a novel to suffer. But it all works here because Kenna pulls it off seamlessly without detracting from the unfolding events in the present. Also, Kenna’s use of multiple narrators is a creative and effective way of giving readers snippets of the backstory and baggage of the primary characters without it being a distraction.
“And frankly, I’m competent despite my shortcomings. I’m a better-than-average PI. In another life, I was a damn good detective.”
Kate Myers is a deeply flawed character. Flawed protagonists have become a staple in crime fiction, almost an overused trope. And often authors find it hard to balance their characters faults or foibles with relatability and likeability. But in Kate, Kenna gives us a character who we engage with effortlessly, realizing without having to think about it that her flaws help make her feel like a real person, almost like a friend. Someone we feel we know intimately and understand. And she certainly wrings out our emotions by the time this book ends.
What Meets the Eye is a riveting read that deftly entangles the reader in the narrative as it unfolds in the past and present via multiple narrators. Kenna’s writing feels effortless, but we know that reflects the skill required to remove the focus from the words, making them mere vehicles that transport the reader into the story itself. Here the characters become real people, making us forget they exist only because someone clever and talented created them for us.
This is a book that will appeal to lovers of fast-paced thrillers and readers who enjoy novels with strong prose and characters.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
The book opens with a prologue set six months prior to the present day that ends with a bang. We meet Margot Starling, a beautiful, talented, ambitious, and highly successful artist, but also a tortured soul. We’re learning a little of Margot’s backstory when someone knocks on her door. Peeping out, she gasps and drops the glass of whiskey in her hand, the glass shattering on the floor. And masterfully, Kenna has arrested our attention, leaving us desperate to learn more.
Moving into present day in the first chapter, Kenna introduces us to the engaging lead, Kate Myer, a former LAPD detective turned private investigator. An on-duty incident not only left Kate with severe back injuries that ended her law enforcement career, but in turn, addicted to pain pills. The addiction cost Kate her already shaky marriage, as well as custody of her daughter, to her cold and unfeeling attorney ex-husband. Kate, after beating the narcotics addiction, is still struggling to pick up the pieces, trying to rebuild her confidence and her life into something approaching normalcy. When Milt Starling comes to Kate, he tells her the police have ruled his daughter’s death a suicide, but insists she wasn’t suicidal. He believes someone murdered her and wants to hire Kate to prove it. Kate is reluctant to take the case. A former police detective, she knows the cops usually get such things right and so believes she would only take Starling’s money to deliver more pain rather than comfort by confirming the death was suicide. The more Starling tells her about his daughter, the more certain Kate is the woman killed herself. But Starling is persistent, and Kate needs to pay her rent. So she relents and accepts the case. The lives of Kaye Myers and Margot Starling then become intertwined. And while she had no way to know it at the outset, Kate’s fateful decision has thrust her into something she doesn’t truly grasp and that comes with personal risks she can’t even imagine.
Time shifts between chapters. Sometimes it’s days. Sometimes months. And sometimes several years pass before we return to the present. Interspersed with the time shifts are multiple narrators offering differing perspectives. I’m not usually a fan of flashbacks, mostly because authors rarely do the technique well and often it causes the pacing of a novel to suffer. But it all works here because Kenna pulls it off seamlessly without detracting from the unfolding events in the present. Also, Kenna’s use of multiple narrators is a creative and effective way of giving readers snippets of the backstory and baggage of the primary characters without it being a distraction.
“And frankly, I’m competent despite my shortcomings. I’m a better-than-average PI. In another life, I was a damn good detective.”
Kate Myers is a deeply flawed character. Flawed protagonists have become a staple in crime fiction, almost an overused trope. And often authors find it hard to balance their characters faults or foibles with relatability and likeability. But in Kate, Kenna gives us a character who we engage with effortlessly, realizing without having to think about it that her flaws help make her feel like a real person, almost like a friend. Someone we feel we know intimately and understand. And she certainly wrings out our emotions by the time this book ends.
What Meets the Eye is a riveting read that deftly entangles the reader in the narrative as it unfolds in the past and present via multiple narrators. Kenna’s writing feels effortless, but we know that reflects the skill required to remove the focus from the words, making them mere vehicles that transport the reader into the story itself. Here the characters become real people, making us forget they exist only because someone clever and talented created them for us.
This is a book that will appeal to lovers of fast-paced thrillers and readers who enjoy novels with strong prose and characters.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
January 23, 2023
In her debut novel, What Meets The Eye, author Alex Kenna transports the reader to Los Angeles, California, for an intriguing mystery tale that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.
The story centers around Kate Myles, a former LAPD Detective turned private investigator, who is trying to put her life back together, and she agrees to look into the death of renowned artist Margot Starling. The police have declared her death a suicide, but Margo's father believes that she was murdered. Kate is
determined to find out the truth behind her Margot's death,especially when her investigation leads her to believe that not everything is what meets the eye.
Author Alex Kenna weaves a slow building and suspenseful mystery tale written in the alternating first person narratives of several characters that follows Kate's investigation into Margo's death, and her determination to find out if Margo committed suicide or had been murdered.
The reader is easily drawn into this well written story with its richly descriptive plot and setting. It is filled with enough secrets, motives, possible suspects, action, and intriguing twists and turns that definitely keeps the reader guessing until the surprising conclusion.
This was a really intriguing story to read! The author does a wonderful job of providing enough clues to engage the reader, and I found myself so caught up on trying to figure out how Margo really died. I loved how Kate used her former position as an LAPD detective to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to get to the truth, and how Margo's troubled life had taken her down some very dark and dangerous areas beyond the art world. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much Kate's personal life story also had me rooting for her as she tried to put her life back together.
What Meets The Eye will definitely take mystery readers on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Tours.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspo...
The story centers around Kate Myles, a former LAPD Detective turned private investigator, who is trying to put her life back together, and she agrees to look into the death of renowned artist Margot Starling. The police have declared her death a suicide, but Margo's father believes that she was murdered. Kate is
determined to find out the truth behind her Margot's death,especially when her investigation leads her to believe that not everything is what meets the eye.
Author Alex Kenna weaves a slow building and suspenseful mystery tale written in the alternating first person narratives of several characters that follows Kate's investigation into Margo's death, and her determination to find out if Margo committed suicide or had been murdered.
The reader is easily drawn into this well written story with its richly descriptive plot and setting. It is filled with enough secrets, motives, possible suspects, action, and intriguing twists and turns that definitely keeps the reader guessing until the surprising conclusion.
This was a really intriguing story to read! The author does a wonderful job of providing enough clues to engage the reader, and I found myself so caught up on trying to figure out how Margo really died. I loved how Kate used her former position as an LAPD detective to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to get to the truth, and how Margo's troubled life had taken her down some very dark and dangerous areas beyond the art world. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much Kate's personal life story also had me rooting for her as she tried to put her life back together.
What Meets The Eye will definitely take mystery readers on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Tours.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspo...
November 18, 2022
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.
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.
August 26, 2022
With the sure hand of an old master, Alex Kenna’s debut blurs the line between catharsis and crime in this gritty and nimble noir mystery. When a routine investigation into the apparent suicide of art superstar Margot Starling becomes anything but, down-on-her-luck PI Kate Myles must square herself up for the fight of her life or lose it all. Entertaining and provocative, WHAT MEETS THE EYE reminds us that truth often comes with a price tag much higher--and deadlier--than anything Sotheby's could ever hope to fetch at auction. -- Katie Lattari, author of DARK THINGS I ADORE
February 26, 2023
I'm ripping the bandaid off. I hated this. The characters were flat, as was the story. The only character who had any life to them was Margot, which is ironic because she's dead. Genuinely, this story was all over the place. I don't normally give two or one-star reviews, but I feel like I wasted my time. This is after a long string of DNFs of just mediocre books that I didn't like, so maybe that didn't help. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I don't know if I am. This had so much potential but it just went nowhere. There was no way to figure out who the killer was and no suspense at all because it just fell apart. I finished this book weeks ago I just had a very hard time pinning down and articulating what about it that I didn't like besides just.. all of it. 1.5 🌟 rounded up to 2.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review... at least it was honest 🫣
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review... at least it was honest 🫣
November 28, 2022
I received an advanced reader copy of What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna in exchange for an honest review.
What Meets the Eye is about a PI trying to solve the murder of an artist killed in her prime. The death was originally ruled suicide, but as she looks into the case Kate realizes that Margot Starling’s death is part of a much larger plot, and she may be in too deep…
I wasn’t too fond of our protagonist, Kate Myles. The alcoholic protagonist is a tired trope, or at least it gets old. She makes a lot of awful decisions. I feel like she was meant to be a likable protagonist, and that her quirks and failures were meant to make her relatable, but to me they just made her irritating and unlikeable. I don’t mind an unlikable protagonist, but not when we’re supposed to like them.
A personal pet peeve of mine is when a narrator gets too repetitive. In this particular case the issue was with Kate feeling like a terrible mother. Anytime anything happened she started complaining about how bad of a mother she’d been. Yes, we get it. You’re a shit mom. You told us that already, tell us something new.
This review is coming across pretty negative, but I don’t think it was a bad book. It was standard fare, a run of the mill detective thriller. Solid three stars. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced reader copy.
October 16, 2022
What Meets the Eye certainly grabs the reader's attention, has a great plot, an interesting and relentless PI who was a previous opioid addict, and a world where deceit and money might walk hand in hand. Alex Kenna was able to provide the reader with an engrossing story, and fully developed interesting characters, that might certainly resemble those who live and what happens in the somewhat shady contemporaneous art market.
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy of this book; above is my sincere opinion.
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy of this book; above is my sincere opinion.
January 24, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Alex Kenna and Partners In Crime Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced debut thriller. In What Meet the Eye we meet Los Angeles police detective Kate Myles. Her once promising career and family was destroyed by an accident and opioid addiction. She’s trying to rebuild her life as a private detective and takes on more than she can chew when a celebrated painter is found dead.
This book is well written, I appreciated the inside look at the professional art world. I don’t know much about this industry and the book describes it as I imagine it would be. The characters are brilliant. Kate is clearly deeply flawed yet her flaws and the description of them drew me in and brought her to life. The descriptions were vivid and I felt like I was living the story alongside the characters.
Filled with twists and turns you won’t see coming, this is one debut you don’t want to miss!
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced debut thriller. In What Meet the Eye we meet Los Angeles police detective Kate Myles. Her once promising career and family was destroyed by an accident and opioid addiction. She’s trying to rebuild her life as a private detective and takes on more than she can chew when a celebrated painter is found dead.
This book is well written, I appreciated the inside look at the professional art world. I don’t know much about this industry and the book describes it as I imagine it would be. The characters are brilliant. Kate is clearly deeply flawed yet her flaws and the description of them drew me in and brought her to life. The descriptions were vivid and I felt like I was living the story alongside the characters.
Filled with twists and turns you won’t see coming, this is one debut you don’t want to miss!
October 24, 2023
My goodness, what a read! If you like modern mysteries, seedy underbellies, art weirdies, or flawed people trying to do the right thing in an ambiguous world, this is yer book! Or audiobook! Or papyrus – however you enjoy books, try this one.
Alex Kenna went to art school and law school and was a prosecutor; therefore, she is the perfect person to write a mystery set in the L.A. art world about an ex-cop trying to navigate the legal system.
Kate Myles was a cop in the L.A.P.D., but a debilitating car wreck took that away. It took a lot more than that away. Myles got addicted to pills, divorced with limited custody of her daughter, and now faces little economic opportunity after she hung out her own shingle as a private eye. She takes on the usual kind of work to pay the bills (cheating spouses), which doesn’t help her get more time with her daughter. So, when the grieving father or a dead artist who allegedly committed suicide comes into her office, she has to take the case, even if she feels bad about taking the money of a grieving man.
The case of the dead artist sucks Myles deeper into L.A.’s underbelly while also putting her in the company of the city’s elite. With her law enforcement skills and her few tenuous ties to some old peers on the force, she’s determined to follow through with the case, even if it leads to her own destruction.
I can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this book and narrator Caitlin Cavannaugh’s reading. Because of writer Alex Kenna’s background, she makes both the art world and the law enforcement world feel very alive – full of egos, talent, injustices, and gray. The mystery itself surprised me in a very noir way. I saw the ending going two ways, and it did not hit either of those. My understanding is that Kenna is hoping to write a sequel. I’ll be reading!
Alex Kenna went to art school and law school and was a prosecutor; therefore, she is the perfect person to write a mystery set in the L.A. art world about an ex-cop trying to navigate the legal system.
Kate Myles was a cop in the L.A.P.D., but a debilitating car wreck took that away. It took a lot more than that away. Myles got addicted to pills, divorced with limited custody of her daughter, and now faces little economic opportunity after she hung out her own shingle as a private eye. She takes on the usual kind of work to pay the bills (cheating spouses), which doesn’t help her get more time with her daughter. So, when the grieving father or a dead artist who allegedly committed suicide comes into her office, she has to take the case, even if she feels bad about taking the money of a grieving man.
The case of the dead artist sucks Myles deeper into L.A.’s underbelly while also putting her in the company of the city’s elite. With her law enforcement skills and her few tenuous ties to some old peers on the force, she’s determined to follow through with the case, even if it leads to her own destruction.
I can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this book and narrator Caitlin Cavannaugh’s reading. Because of writer Alex Kenna’s background, she makes both the art world and the law enforcement world feel very alive – full of egos, talent, injustices, and gray. The mystery itself surprised me in a very noir way. I saw the ending going two ways, and it did not hit either of those. My understanding is that Kenna is hoping to write a sequel. I’ll be reading!
June 28, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
★★★★/4
Alex Kenna’s debut novel centers around Kate Myles, a promising Los Angeles police detective, until an accident and opioid addiction blew up her family and destroyed her career. While she stuggles to rebuild her life, she tries her hand at private detective work.
When renowned artist Margot Starling's found dead in her apartment, the cause of death was assumed to be suicide. With a troubled past and a closetful of secrets, it looked like it was a chronicle of a death foretold. But his father differs, so, he hires Kate to investigate into her daughter's strange demise.
I was on the edge of my sit while reading this most of the time. Kennas’s writing is accessible and fast-paced, this book despicts a very poignant reflection on what it means to be — an artist and suffer for your art. Specially how the toxic relationships we find along the way shapes us and changes us; sometimes into shapes that we didn't think we were possible.
We get to see our protagonists, both Kate and Margot, navigate through relationships with different men in their lives — boyfriends, ex-husband, coworkers — and these come with their own set of power dynamics. As a character, each of them are individually different: Kate road to recovering through an opiod addiction and learning to deal with cronical pain, while on the other hand Margot a fairly confident woman in her own morality, in the supremacy of it, even despite her position within a flawed art world that she has chosen to opt in to.
One of the aspects of What Meets the Eye that struck me most was our protagonist’s relationship with her past issues and how she deals with them in order to get her case together and find out what happened to Margot. Instead of giving up, she goes ahead and passes all the tests to prove herself, and dismantle an organization that follows a dirty trail that leads straight into the heart of the city's deadly underworld.
The depiction of the characters felt so raw and real, and Kenna did an amazing job of capturing the complexity of the different dynamics between the two female protagonists.
The only thing I wished was different was to only have two point of views: Kate's and Margot's. In between her pov's, we get other characters, that are relevant to the story but that I kinda felt unnecessary. We could as well meet the same information from our two protagonists. But overall, I enjoyed reading this story so much, what Kenna delivers is so much more nuanced and depth that I was expecting, which I loved.
What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna is a smartly crafted thriller mystery set in the art world with an interesting set of morally grey and complex cast of characters. An intriguing look at the art world itself, identity, betrayal and retribution. I was amazed by how Kenna designed each of the characters they felt fleshed out, making them even the most unlikable ones.
I highly recommend this pulse-pounding story filled of secrets, retribution within the art and forgery world, to anyone who wants to read an intense thriller filled with twists and turns and such well crafted characters that made the story unique in its genre.
What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna comes out December 6th 2022!
★★★★/4
Alex Kenna’s debut novel centers around Kate Myles, a promising Los Angeles police detective, until an accident and opioid addiction blew up her family and destroyed her career. While she stuggles to rebuild her life, she tries her hand at private detective work.
When renowned artist Margot Starling's found dead in her apartment, the cause of death was assumed to be suicide. With a troubled past and a closetful of secrets, it looked like it was a chronicle of a death foretold. But his father differs, so, he hires Kate to investigate into her daughter's strange demise.
I was on the edge of my sit while reading this most of the time. Kennas’s writing is accessible and fast-paced, this book despicts a very poignant reflection on what it means to be — an artist and suffer for your art. Specially how the toxic relationships we find along the way shapes us and changes us; sometimes into shapes that we didn't think we were possible.
We get to see our protagonists, both Kate and Margot, navigate through relationships with different men in their lives — boyfriends, ex-husband, coworkers — and these come with their own set of power dynamics. As a character, each of them are individually different: Kate road to recovering through an opiod addiction and learning to deal with cronical pain, while on the other hand Margot a fairly confident woman in her own morality, in the supremacy of it, even despite her position within a flawed art world that she has chosen to opt in to.
One of the aspects of What Meets the Eye that struck me most was our protagonist’s relationship with her past issues and how she deals with them in order to get her case together and find out what happened to Margot. Instead of giving up, she goes ahead and passes all the tests to prove herself, and dismantle an organization that follows a dirty trail that leads straight into the heart of the city's deadly underworld.
The depiction of the characters felt so raw and real, and Kenna did an amazing job of capturing the complexity of the different dynamics between the two female protagonists.
The only thing I wished was different was to only have two point of views: Kate's and Margot's. In between her pov's, we get other characters, that are relevant to the story but that I kinda felt unnecessary. We could as well meet the same information from our two protagonists. But overall, I enjoyed reading this story so much, what Kenna delivers is so much more nuanced and depth that I was expecting, which I loved.
What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna is a smartly crafted thriller mystery set in the art world with an interesting set of morally grey and complex cast of characters. An intriguing look at the art world itself, identity, betrayal and retribution. I was amazed by how Kenna designed each of the characters they felt fleshed out, making them even the most unlikable ones.
I highly recommend this pulse-pounding story filled of secrets, retribution within the art and forgery world, to anyone who wants to read an intense thriller filled with twists and turns and such well crafted characters that made the story unique in its genre.
What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna comes out December 6th 2022!
November 29, 2024
Absorbing mystery featuring a female PI who was a successful LAPD detective before being sidelined by a car accident.
What Meets the Eye is the first entry in the Kate Myles private detective series and the debut novel for author Alex Kenna. When a well-known painter is found dead in a downtown loft apartment, it appears to be suicide and with her history, it’s plausible. But as PI Kate Myles digs deeper, she uncovers secrets that hint Margot Starling’s death might just be a case of murder. With an engaging and sympathetic main character and a stellar plot, the book grabbed me from the start, and I didn’t want to put it down! I was so glad to see that it was the kickoff for a new series.
Kate Myles, the detective on the case, has a heck of a tragic backstory. Injured in an on-duty accident, she’s still not fully healed physically. Kate is still mentally working through what happened to her and coming to terms with her new future, unable to continue to work for the LAPD. She became addicted to the pain meds she was prescribed during her recovery, and her attorney husband used this during their divorce to win custody of their small daughter.John was not the supportive spouse he could have been during her struggle with pain and later addiction; he was already involved with a colleague at work. He’s also a controlling and petty sort who manipulates Kate by withholding or curtailing her weekends with their daughter. But I liked how Kate had dug herself out of her addiction, had gotten her PI license, and was trying to rebuild her life. Kate is strong-willed, determined, and doesn’t give up. Her investigation is top drawer, and I liked how she is able to reach out to former LAPD colleagues for assistance and reciprocate when she can. She has a good, solid reputation she can still trade on.
The case is an intriguing one and has some unique aspects to it. The art world setting was exotic and fresh, with many big personalities involved. I liked how the author brought in several points of view in addition to Kate, and I enjoyed how the backstories were presented in flashback vignettes. The writing style was easy to read, and the story just flowed. I was swept up in Kate’s investigation and only looked up after I’d read more than half the book.I recommend WHAT MEETS THE EYE to mystery readers who enjoy detective fiction with a strong female protagonist or an art world setting.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.
December 6, 2022
Wow, did I love the beginning of this book and dislike the way it unfolded by the end. The story starts with the suspicious death of a young artist (Margot Starling), who may or may not have died by suicide, being investigated by a disgraced former cop turned private investigator (Kate Myles). Kate is also a recovering opioid addict and a divorced mom who lost custody of her daughter due to the pills.
Kenna made excellent use of multiple timelines and perspectives to build the plot, and Kate Myles seemed like a character with a ton of potential and depth, but she kind of faded out by the end and made a ton of dumb decisions and had some off-putting judgy moments about "tweakers" and drank an awful lot of wine for someone in recovery. I kind of got why her ex husband wasn't super cool with Kate having unsupervised visitation with their daughter. yikes. The ultimate explanation for what happened to Margot felt like a cheat and involved a realllllly uncool twist (SPOILER AT THE VERY BOTTOM IF YOU WANT TO SCROLL DOWN).
That said, this is Kenna's debut, and she's clearly got some great ideas and loads of potential, so I'm looking forward to checking out her next book.
* thanks to Crooked Lane for the NetGalley review copy. What Meets the Eye publishes December 6th.
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THE. RUSSIAN. FUCKING. MOB. WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK.
There were so many potential killers that could have been tied to Margot's artwork and her blackmail, and instead it's the stupid MOB? so lame.
goddammit. I really, really liked a lot of this book, but this mob bullshit ruined it for me.
Kenna made excellent use of multiple timelines and perspectives to build the plot, and Kate Myles seemed like a character with a ton of potential and depth, but she kind of faded out by the end and made a ton of dumb decisions and had some off-putting judgy moments about "tweakers" and drank an awful lot of wine for someone in recovery. I kind of got why her ex husband wasn't super cool with Kate having unsupervised visitation with their daughter. yikes. The ultimate explanation for what happened to Margot felt like a cheat and involved a realllllly uncool twist (SPOILER AT THE VERY BOTTOM IF YOU WANT TO SCROLL DOWN).
That said, this is Kenna's debut, and she's clearly got some great ideas and loads of potential, so I'm looking forward to checking out her next book.
* thanks to Crooked Lane for the NetGalley review copy. What Meets the Eye publishes December 6th.
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THE. RUSSIAN. FUCKING. MOB. WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK.
There were so many potential killers that could have been tied to Margot's artwork and her blackmail, and instead it's the stupid MOB? so lame.
goddammit. I really, really liked a lot of this book, but this mob bullshit ruined it for me.
June 12, 2022
Margot Starling was a super-successful artist, with a reputation for being a difficult person and very financially wealthy. However, Margot's story takes a tragic turn when she is found in her apartment hanging in an alleged suicide.
And I say alleged because her parents don’t believe that was happen and therefore decide to hire P.I. Kate Myles, an ex-cop from Los Angeles to investigate the details of the event and give a more accurate explanation.
Myles has her own story to tell, while she was a police officer, she was involved in a terrible accident that affected her spine, which led to a medical retirement. Then she became a painkillers addict, her marriage went down the drain and she managed to lose custody of her little daughter.
Searching for the truth of the Starling case will lead Myles to look beyond the appearances of many people, including her former co-workers.
Mystery in every chapter of this first book by Alex Kenna is fully present and fascinating. I don't think there is ever a moment when the reader gets bored and stops concocting a thousand theories.
Two factors prevent me from rating it with 5 stars, the use of the word now when narrating in the past tense doesn’t make sense. Also, the use of several narrators, I think this story should have been told only by Kate and Margot.
However, I will continue to keep an eye out for upcoming Ms. Kenna releases.
And I say alleged because her parents don’t believe that was happen and therefore decide to hire P.I. Kate Myles, an ex-cop from Los Angeles to investigate the details of the event and give a more accurate explanation.
Myles has her own story to tell, while she was a police officer, she was involved in a terrible accident that affected her spine, which led to a medical retirement. Then she became a painkillers addict, her marriage went down the drain and she managed to lose custody of her little daughter.
Searching for the truth of the Starling case will lead Myles to look beyond the appearances of many people, including her former co-workers.
Mystery in every chapter of this first book by Alex Kenna is fully present and fascinating. I don't think there is ever a moment when the reader gets bored and stops concocting a thousand theories.
Two factors prevent me from rating it with 5 stars, the use of the word now when narrating in the past tense doesn’t make sense. Also, the use of several narrators, I think this story should have been told only by Kate and Margot.
However, I will continue to keep an eye out for upcoming Ms. Kenna releases.
September 15, 2022
A detective novel with a bite. I loved this book and the main character in it. Kate was a very interesting character to follow, and I thought the Mystery at the heart of this was really well done and interesting. I found the characters really well written, and I instantly was in the story. The plot and the twists and turns were really well developed, and I loved Margot and her wit, and the time jump chapters seeing hoe everything was started in motions in some ways years before what ultimately happened. Really great book.
Kate is trying to keep her head above water and put the past behind her. Now as a PI she has taken on a new case of a father confined his daughter did not as the cops assume commit suicide. Who's the daughter Margot a very famous artist in LA who is notoriously known in the art scene Kate agrees to investigate honestly thinking not much will be there to find but God is she wrong what awaits her is murder, the Mob, art forgery, scandal and a cover up years in the making and Kate will soon learn nothing is what meets the eye.
Kate is trying to keep her head above water and put the past behind her. Now as a PI she has taken on a new case of a father confined his daughter did not as the cops assume commit suicide. Who's the daughter Margot a very famous artist in LA who is notoriously known in the art scene Kate agrees to investigate honestly thinking not much will be there to find but God is she wrong what awaits her is murder, the Mob, art forgery, scandal and a cover up years in the making and Kate will soon learn nothing is what meets the eye.
November 25, 2022
Kate's struggling to rebuild her life after losing her LAPD job and even worse, custody of her daughter as a result of her opioid addiction. She's trying to create a PI business- not easy- but she's especially intrigued when Milt Starling comes to her claiming that his daughter Margot, an artist, did not, as the police have concluded, commit suicide. Little does Kate know how dark the art world can be and little did Milt know what Margot was dealing with. Kate's more or less on her own with this case with the exception of a former colleague now working financial crimes. As with so many mysteries, there are good twists so no spoilers from me. Know that it does move around in time (might take a second to place where you are) but that works as Margot's story unfolds. I liked this for the strong female characters and the tricky case. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read, a nice debut, and here's hoping we see more from Kenna soon.
November 27, 2022
Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Kate Myles is an ex police officer an now a Private Investigator, she has taken on the task of investigating the suicide of a famous artist, Margo Starling.
Kate has a lot going on in her personal life, conflict with her ex who has full custody of their young daughter, and then struggling to be a good mum, and recovery from an injury which left her addicted to pain medication.
There is obviously some shady dealings going on in the art world, forgery is at the forefront., we have a lot of tedious detail relating to the art world which I felt was unnecessary.
Half way through I lost interest in both the plot, which was ver far fetched and the characters, I didn’t like any of them
There were different narrators telling the story, might have been a smoother read if it had just been Kate and Margo.
Started with lots of intrigue but didn’t hold my attention.
Kate Myles is an ex police officer an now a Private Investigator, she has taken on the task of investigating the suicide of a famous artist, Margo Starling.
Kate has a lot going on in her personal life, conflict with her ex who has full custody of their young daughter, and then struggling to be a good mum, and recovery from an injury which left her addicted to pain medication.
There is obviously some shady dealings going on in the art world, forgery is at the forefront., we have a lot of tedious detail relating to the art world which I felt was unnecessary.
Half way through I lost interest in both the plot, which was ver far fetched and the characters, I didn’t like any of them
There were different narrators telling the story, might have been a smoother read if it had just been Kate and Margo.
Started with lots of intrigue but didn’t hold my attention.
December 30, 2022
⭐Stars: 1.5/5
Kate Myles is a private detective who somehow ends up working on a case of a young artist who committed suicide. But as she digs deeper she realises it there's something much deeper to the case.
The start of the book was really intriguing and had me reading nonstop till it got the middle of the book where it started getting sloppy and too descriptive. There are so many characters in this book and by the time you get over a long descriptive paragraph or even chapter you forget who is who.
One thing I liked about this book was the different POV's used to draw you in and fill you in on all the missing information.
Altogether, this was a nice read and I totally recommend it for those who like a little suspect.
#WhatMeetsTheEye #AlexKenna
Kate Myles is a private detective who somehow ends up working on a case of a young artist who committed suicide. But as she digs deeper she realises it there's something much deeper to the case.
The start of the book was really intriguing and had me reading nonstop till it got the middle of the book where it started getting sloppy and too descriptive. There are so many characters in this book and by the time you get over a long descriptive paragraph or even chapter you forget who is who.
One thing I liked about this book was the different POV's used to draw you in and fill you in on all the missing information.
Altogether, this was a nice read and I totally recommend it for those who like a little suspect.
#WhatMeetsTheEye #AlexKenna
October 6, 2022
Stacked with stellar female characters, this novel is an incredibly immersive mystery. Shifting perspectives and timelines give readers a glimpse into the entire universe of the characters rather than narrowing focus to one viewpoint. Great characters paired with a compelling plot make for a novel I'd recommend to any thriller fan.
*Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review*
*Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review*
April 5, 2023
I loved that this book did everything from pointing out the ridiculousness of artists creating overpriced art to “protest” social issues to the sexist side…yes the more attractive you are the more likely you are to sell art. Throw in the seedy underbelly side of the art world filled with money laundering and selling fakes for lucrative amounts of money and I was hooked. Great book for a first time author.
April 14, 2023
I love a private investigator story (bonus points if the PI is female, as she is here) and this one did not disappoint. Setting the story in the art world and jumping between POVs made the story feel unique and fresh. You can tell the author really knows her stuff, about art, the law, and police procedure. Her expertise was ever-present, but never obscured the plot or the mystery. An excellent page-turner with a satisfying ending!
December 12, 2022
Just finished reading this page turner of a book, which takes you on a deep dive of mystery, downtown LA and the art world. I found myself pointing the finger at several of the characters until the culprit was finally revealed. Loved the characters, too. Perfect for anyone who likes crime, thriller novels.
September 25, 2022
A definite page-turner. Interesting characters, a great plot, and filled with the sorts of small details that make a good mystery feel textured and real. Highly recommended. (And thank you to NetGalley for making digital review copies available!)
June 26, 2022
Brilliant turn pager. Loved it
July 4, 2022
An engrossing thriller from a brilliant offer — highly recommend!
February 6, 2023
This was a fun, interesting read. I enjoyed the insight into the art world. It elevated this from a rather standard crime novel/murder mystery into something a little more different.
February 2, 2023
I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.
Being an avid reader, I enjoy discovering new authors, debut authors, and Ms. Kenna is no exception. If this is only Ms. Kenna’s first/debut novel, I can only imagine what she’ll bring us in the future. If you’re looking for another go-to author to add to your ever-growing list, you may want to give Ms. Kenna a spot.
In What Meets the Eye, Ms. Kenna has created a character by the name of Kate Myles. Kate used to be a police officer and ended up going down another path, that of being a PI. She’s helped solve a few cases, but in What Meets the Eye she is hired by the father of Margot, an artist by trade, whose case the police believed was open and shut. Not so her father. Enter the conflict Kate has with her ex-husband, John, who also used to be a lawyer. John has some harsh feelings toward Kate, especially when it comes to their daughter, Amelia.
The case of Margot leads Kate down some very dangerous paths, but she also reconnects with a former LAPD officer, namely Luke. Against Luke’s better judgment, who also has a story of his own to tell, he decides to give Kate the benefit of the doubt and help her out. There are also numerous other shady characters that we are introduced who help shape this tale of whodunnit. There are avenues that Kate takes that don’t work out and lead her down to a path of destruction until her a-ha moment and she decides to go in another direction.
Again, if you’re looking for a debut/new author, Ms. Kenna is going to be one to follow. It will be interesting to see what she brings us next.
Being an avid reader, I enjoy discovering new authors, debut authors, and Ms. Kenna is no exception. If this is only Ms. Kenna’s first/debut novel, I can only imagine what she’ll bring us in the future. If you’re looking for another go-to author to add to your ever-growing list, you may want to give Ms. Kenna a spot.
In What Meets the Eye, Ms. Kenna has created a character by the name of Kate Myles. Kate used to be a police officer and ended up going down another path, that of being a PI. She’s helped solve a few cases, but in What Meets the Eye she is hired by the father of Margot, an artist by trade, whose case the police believed was open and shut. Not so her father. Enter the conflict Kate has with her ex-husband, John, who also used to be a lawyer. John has some harsh feelings toward Kate, especially when it comes to their daughter, Amelia.
The case of Margot leads Kate down some very dangerous paths, but she also reconnects with a former LAPD officer, namely Luke. Against Luke’s better judgment, who also has a story of his own to tell, he decides to give Kate the benefit of the doubt and help her out. There are also numerous other shady characters that we are introduced who help shape this tale of whodunnit. There are avenues that Kate takes that don’t work out and lead her down to a path of destruction until her a-ha moment and she decides to go in another direction.
Again, if you’re looking for a debut/new author, Ms. Kenna is going to be one to follow. It will be interesting to see what she brings us next.
September 13, 2023
A fine new addition to the pantheon of female PIs investigating unusual cases…
What Meets the Eye: A Mystery by Alex Kenna is a debut novel that creates a new investigator to solve murders in Los Angeles.
Kate Myles (formerly Kate McDaniels) is a lot of things. Divorced, an ex-cop, an ex-addict, and now a private investigator. She’s been rebuilding her life while working for clients to make enough money to get back custody of her daughter…
She also has back problems due to a car accident that led to derailing her life, which is a personal thing that I can sympathize with.
Anyway, when Kate is hired to look into an old suicide by the father of the victim, she gets a refresher course in the LA art scene. As she makes use of her former police and coroner associates, she’s also pointed in the direction of a possible art forgery case.
Would an art forger be capable of forging a suicide of a successful artists?
The case involves illicit surveillance, police corruption, organized crime, and evil exes as we also get the occasional look at the victim and her associates from across the years.
Hopefully Kate will survive this case and have series of mystery novels in her future…
What Meets the Eye: A Mystery by Alex Kenna is a debut novel that creates a new investigator to solve murders in Los Angeles.
Kate Myles (formerly Kate McDaniels) is a lot of things. Divorced, an ex-cop, an ex-addict, and now a private investigator. She’s been rebuilding her life while working for clients to make enough money to get back custody of her daughter…
She also has back problems due to a car accident that led to derailing her life, which is a personal thing that I can sympathize with.
Anyway, when Kate is hired to look into an old suicide by the father of the victim, she gets a refresher course in the LA art scene. As she makes use of her former police and coroner associates, she’s also pointed in the direction of a possible art forgery case.
Would an art forger be capable of forging a suicide of a successful artists?
The case involves illicit surveillance, police corruption, organized crime, and evil exes as we also get the occasional look at the victim and her associates from across the years.
Hopefully Kate will survive this case and have series of mystery novels in her future…
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