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Blanco de plomo
«Una de las escritoras estadounidenses más inteligentes y minuciosas de la actualidad».
DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
La conservadora de arte Stella da Silva es un ave nocturna, por eso agradece que la casa de subastas Claiborne’s le permita trabajar en un horario poco convencional. La luz natural puede dañar algunas obras pictóricas de valor incalculable, y, además, su concentración mejora cuando la ciudad descansa. Una noche, mientras se ocupa del más famoso óleo de Diego Velázquez ―despachado en secreto a Nueva York para su restauración―, se ve obligada a interrumpir un momento su tarea y, al volver al estudio, encuentra allí un cadáver vestido como una de las figuras del cuadro. Pero al llegar la policía, tanto el cuerpo como Las meninas se han volatilizado sin dejar rastro. Stella, la última en tener acceso a él, pasa así a convertirse en la principal sospechosa. Para recuperar su reputación y su empleo, ya que Claiborne’s la despide inmediatamente, no tendrá más alternativa que tomar las riendas del caso. Pero no será la única en perseguir algo, ya que también alguien empezará a correr tras ella...
¿Es el arte una razón para vivir? ¿O un oscuro negocio por el que matar? Un thriller diferente, sofisticado, atento al detalle y, claro está, muy negro, ese color que en palabras de Kandinski «es el del silencio del cuerpo tras la muerte, el de la vida que se cierra».
DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
La conservadora de arte Stella da Silva es un ave nocturna, por eso agradece que la casa de subastas Claiborne’s le permita trabajar en un horario poco convencional. La luz natural puede dañar algunas obras pictóricas de valor incalculable, y, además, su concentración mejora cuando la ciudad descansa. Una noche, mientras se ocupa del más famoso óleo de Diego Velázquez ―despachado en secreto a Nueva York para su restauración―, se ve obligada a interrumpir un momento su tarea y, al volver al estudio, encuentra allí un cadáver vestido como una de las figuras del cuadro. Pero al llegar la policía, tanto el cuerpo como Las meninas se han volatilizado sin dejar rastro. Stella, la última en tener acceso a él, pasa así a convertirse en la principal sospechosa. Para recuperar su reputación y su empleo, ya que Claiborne’s la despide inmediatamente, no tendrá más alternativa que tomar las riendas del caso. Pero no será la única en perseguir algo, ya que también alguien empezará a correr tras ella...
¿Es el arte una razón para vivir? ¿O un oscuro negocio por el que matar? Un thriller diferente, sofisticado, atento al detalle y, claro está, muy negro, ese color que en palabras de Kandinski «es el del silencio del cuerpo tras la muerte, el de la vida que se cierra».
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2016
9 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Susan Daitch
17 books54 followersSusan Daitch is the author of four novels, L.C. (Lannan Foundation Selection and NEA Heritage Award), THE COLORIST, PAPER CONSPIRACIES, THE LOST CIVILIZATION OF SUOLUCIDIR and a collection of short stories, STORYTOWN. A novella, FALL OUT, published by Madras Press donates all proceeds to Women for Afghan Women. Her work has appeared in Tinhouse, Lit Hub, Slice, Black Clock, Conjunctions, Guernica, Bomb, Ploughshares, The Barcelona Review, Redivider, Zeek, failbetter.com, McSweeney's, Salt Hill Journal, Pacific Review, Dewclaw, Dear Navigator,
The Library of Potential Literature, The Pushcart Prize Anthology, and The Norton Anthology of Postmodern American Fiction. Her work was featured in The Review of Contemporary Fiction along with William Vollman and David Foster Wallace. She has been the recipient of two Vogelstein awards and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. She has taught at Barnard College, Columbia University, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop and currently teaches at Hunter College.
The Library of Potential Literature, The Pushcart Prize Anthology, and The Norton Anthology of Postmodern American Fiction. Her work was featured in The Review of Contemporary Fiction along with William Vollman and David Foster Wallace. She has been the recipient of two Vogelstein awards and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. She has taught at Barnard College, Columbia University, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop and currently teaches at Hunter College.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 17, 2016
2.5 stars
Don’t call Stella Da Silva an art restorer. She’s a conservator. Instead of adding to a painting, she painstakingly cleans & mends to preserve whats already there. She was lucky to get her job at the Claiborne Auction House & spends her nights working in solitude.
Despite her inexperience, she’s given the chance to work on a famous painting by Velazquez that has been secretly shipped to New York for restoration. To say things don’t go as planned is an understatement. Her first night on the job ends with a dead body, a stolen painting & Stella on the run for her life.
It’s a great premise for an exciting tale & begins well enough. Unfortunately, the story becomes lost in a sea of characters, numerous convoluted subplots, an abundance of technical details about paint & the MC’s tendency for long streams of internal monologue in the middle of a scene.
Stella is a normal woman with a largely unremarkable background & that’s not a bad thing. But there were several things that kept me from connecting with & more importantly, believing in her character. Suffice to say her safe, quiet life is completely trashed by the fallout from the missing painting. She is in mortal danger because she can identify one of the men responsible for the carnage & he knows it. Yet, she has an oddly flat affect when it comes to situations that qualify as full on WTF moments & repeatedly makes decisions the average person would consider suicidal. Add to that a superhero-like ability to survive numerous attacks (plus she knows how to hit someone to cause “just enough head damage to make him lose consciousness”) & I’m afraid the last kernel of credibility quickly exits the stage.
There is a large cast of characters who are all self absorbed by their personal plights & not particularly likeable. The exception is Calvin, the night janitor at the auction house who befriends Stella. A couple of potential love interests pop up but there is little chemistry as both are snugly wrapped up in their own dramas.
A great deal of time & space is devoted to the history & science of paint. Although this tends to freeze action & slow the pace, I have to give the author credit. It’s obvious she did a tremendous amount of research on the subject & knows her stuff.
I really wanted to like this book as it combined 2 things I love, a puzzling murder mystery & art. In the end, it was just too over the top. A pared down story line, fewer subplots, more character development & a believable heroine would have helped me enjoy this more than I did. But hey…that’s just my $0.02.
Recommended for: fans of “Die Hard”
Don’t call Stella Da Silva an art restorer. She’s a conservator. Instead of adding to a painting, she painstakingly cleans & mends to preserve whats already there. She was lucky to get her job at the Claiborne Auction House & spends her nights working in solitude.
Despite her inexperience, she’s given the chance to work on a famous painting by Velazquez that has been secretly shipped to New York for restoration. To say things don’t go as planned is an understatement. Her first night on the job ends with a dead body, a stolen painting & Stella on the run for her life.
It’s a great premise for an exciting tale & begins well enough. Unfortunately, the story becomes lost in a sea of characters, numerous convoluted subplots, an abundance of technical details about paint & the MC’s tendency for long streams of internal monologue in the middle of a scene.
Stella is a normal woman with a largely unremarkable background & that’s not a bad thing. But there were several things that kept me from connecting with & more importantly, believing in her character. Suffice to say her safe, quiet life is completely trashed by the fallout from the missing painting. She is in mortal danger because she can identify one of the men responsible for the carnage & he knows it. Yet, she has an oddly flat affect when it comes to situations that qualify as full on WTF moments & repeatedly makes decisions the average person would consider suicidal. Add to that a superhero-like ability to survive numerous attacks (plus she knows how to hit someone to cause “just enough head damage to make him lose consciousness”) & I’m afraid the last kernel of credibility quickly exits the stage.
There is a large cast of characters who are all self absorbed by their personal plights & not particularly likeable. The exception is Calvin, the night janitor at the auction house who befriends Stella. A couple of potential love interests pop up but there is little chemistry as both are snugly wrapped up in their own dramas.
A great deal of time & space is devoted to the history & science of paint. Although this tends to freeze action & slow the pace, I have to give the author credit. It’s obvious she did a tremendous amount of research on the subject & knows her stuff.
I really wanted to like this book as it combined 2 things I love, a puzzling murder mystery & art. In the end, it was just too over the top. A pared down story line, fewer subplots, more character development & a believable heroine would have helped me enjoy this more than I did. But hey…that’s just my $0.02.
Recommended for: fans of “Die Hard”
November 9, 2016
I'm pretty sure the author should have named the main character in this book Kat or Kitty like a cat with nine lives. I can't believe how many times Stella got away from the people who were trying to kill her. And these people were real thugs, not your amateur types. I mean they kill people,and cut off fingers and toes just for the fun of it. I realize it's fiction, but I think this was stretching it a little too far.
While I did read the whole book, there are still some questions as to what happened to a couple of the characters, namely her two bosses. Did they tell Birdwell's wife about the money? I know she didn't want to know anything, but wouldn't she want to know about the money? Did they get the tapes out of the bakery?
I was entertained, I just thought the way Stella was able to evade the thugs numerous times was just a little far fetched.
Thanks to Random House/Alibi for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
While I did read the whole book, there are still some questions as to what happened to a couple of the characters, namely her two bosses. Did they tell Birdwell's wife about the money? I know she didn't want to know anything, but wouldn't she want to know about the money? Did they get the tapes out of the bakery?
I was entertained, I just thought the way Stella was able to evade the thugs numerous times was just a little far fetched.
Thanks to Random House/Alibi for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2016
The mystery genre is my favorite. This book delivered not only on that, but also taught me a lot about the art world. The main character, Stella, works as an art conservator at Claiborne''s Auction House. One night when she is working, she finds a dead body at the base of a famous painting she is working on. Then the painting and body disappear before the police arrive. Stella is the number one suspect. It is up to her to prove her innocence. We are taken behind the scene of high end art forgery and theft. We learn how pigments and paint are authentically mixed and how deadly they can be if applied improperly. We are taken on a trip to the seedy side of the art world ad learn a great deal along the way. I found the author to be pretty graphic at times. But that added to the authentic feeing of the book.
June 1, 2018
This book made no sense. Fragment sentences were mashed together while the author tried to sound cool and mimic other thrillers, but left out detail and verbs so there is no way to follow the plot.
Whole scenes didn’t flow and the main character has got to be the dumbest most destructive person ever. How is she able to use a crane to mash a glass pool on a skyscraper? That doesn’t even make sense! Those things are huge! How was she able to kill so many people?? And injure even more in totally ludicrous ways!?
I honestly have no idea how she went through her investigation and discovered anything to do with the case. She just bopped around picking up random notes in piles of garbage in offices, making one connection after another. How would she even know one note was more important than the other??
How was this book published!?
Whole scenes didn’t flow and the main character has got to be the dumbest most destructive person ever. How is she able to use a crane to mash a glass pool on a skyscraper? That doesn’t even make sense! Those things are huge! How was she able to kill so many people?? And injure even more in totally ludicrous ways!?
I honestly have no idea how she went through her investigation and discovered anything to do with the case. She just bopped around picking up random notes in piles of garbage in offices, making one connection after another. How would she even know one note was more important than the other??
How was this book published!?
August 26, 2017
Received advanced copy via NetGalley.
I upped this from a 1-star review to a 2-star because occasionally the main character said something funny. And the occasional background on art was interesting.
The story itself, however, was epically far-fetched and convoluted. There were so many subplots that kind of had to do with the main story but it doesn't feel like they tied anything together, it only made it more confusing and hard to follow. You basically follow different tangents (of varying degrees of ridiculousness) that lead you to other involved parties and it kind of comes together at the end but in a sloppy and pretty shrug-worthy way. To be honest, I forgot a lot of the plot points along the way soon after they happened.
Nothing is developed well enough to be surprising or interesting, because the characters are so inconsequential, even the main character herself. I'm still not entirely sure what purpose some of them, especially (but not exclusively) the ones who didn't tie in, served. We are suspicious of characters whose storylines don't get developed. There's an assault on a character that goes unresolved; did it have to do with the case or not? The author never explains this. Or maybe she did and it got lost in one of the 14 other subplots. In fact, there's a lot of things that only get explained as an afterthought, which is only slightly less frustrating than them not being explained at all.
What bothered me most is that nothing feels natural. Everything, from the main character herself, to all of her interactions, seems thrown together. Like the main character goes from point A to point B without any logical or realistic steps between. The author wills it, so it is. That isn't real. That isn't engaging. And it certainly isn't Tana French.
Oh, and there's a chimp. Yeah, you read that right.
I upped this from a 1-star review to a 2-star because occasionally the main character said something funny. And the occasional background on art was interesting.
The story itself, however, was epically far-fetched and convoluted. There were so many subplots that kind of had to do with the main story but it doesn't feel like they tied anything together, it only made it more confusing and hard to follow. You basically follow different tangents (of varying degrees of ridiculousness) that lead you to other involved parties and it kind of comes together at the end but in a sloppy and pretty shrug-worthy way. To be honest, I forgot a lot of the plot points along the way soon after they happened.
Nothing is developed well enough to be surprising or interesting, because the characters are so inconsequential, even the main character herself. I'm still not entirely sure what purpose some of them, especially (but not exclusively) the ones who didn't tie in, served. We are suspicious of characters whose storylines don't get developed. There's an assault on a character that goes unresolved; did it have to do with the case or not? The author never explains this. Or maybe she did and it got lost in one of the 14 other subplots. In fact, there's a lot of things that only get explained as an afterthought, which is only slightly less frustrating than them not being explained at all.
What bothered me most is that nothing feels natural. Everything, from the main character herself, to all of her interactions, seems thrown together. Like the main character goes from point A to point B without any logical or realistic steps between. The author wills it, so it is. That isn't real. That isn't engaging. And it certainly isn't Tana French.
Oh, and there's a chimp. Yeah, you read that right.
November 21, 2016
With White Lead, Susan Daitch’s crime thriller plumbs the depths of Manhattan’s art and auction scene, delivering a thrilling puzzle palace of murder, fraud, forgery and other forms of baroque bad behavior. Once again, Daitch demonstrates her masterly control of research and the world she writes about, seamlessly incorporating fascinating detail about the nature of paintings, the materials that go into creating them, the nature of art conservation – and how forgers and criminals turn this world upside down, beneath veneers and patinas of respectability. One will never look at paintings in a museum or gallery quite the same again.
White Lead’s action-packed plot connects the high and low ends of the art world – from corrupt Upper East Side auction houses to the criminals who steal art and the gangsters who use masterpieces as their aesthetic Bitcoins – with Daitch’s own rogues’ gallery of Manhattan miscreants and global scoundrels. As the plot deepens, exposing multiple layers of sin, deceit and betrayal, the protagonist Stella’s art conservation – using all the tools of her trade to reveal the secrets layered within a canvas – becomes a metaphor for the solving of the murder that launches the novel and the crimes that ensue. As always, Daitch’s writing exhibits a keen and cunning intelligence that revels in unsolved mysteries – as compelling, vivid and insoluble as rare and dangerous paint.
White Lead’s action-packed plot connects the high and low ends of the art world – from corrupt Upper East Side auction houses to the criminals who steal art and the gangsters who use masterpieces as their aesthetic Bitcoins – with Daitch’s own rogues’ gallery of Manhattan miscreants and global scoundrels. As the plot deepens, exposing multiple layers of sin, deceit and betrayal, the protagonist Stella’s art conservation – using all the tools of her trade to reveal the secrets layered within a canvas – becomes a metaphor for the solving of the murder that launches the novel and the crimes that ensue. As always, Daitch’s writing exhibits a keen and cunning intelligence that revels in unsolved mysteries – as compelling, vivid and insoluble as rare and dangerous paint.
November 16, 2016
I really enjoyed reading WHITE LEAD by Susan Daitch. It was an entertaining romp through the seedy New York underworld and the high end art world. Stella, the heroine of the story, a talented art preservationist works her way up through the latter world at a great auction house. Her life seems lonely but exciting with all the interesting pieces she works on and the eccentric people that she meets.
Stella soon finds herself in dire trouble and is the suspect of not only art theft but murder. Rather than try to work her way through to a solution while staying put, she takes to the streets going on a journey through New York's underbelly to find the truth and clear her name. She is a character which makes it a fun and fast read.
Thanks to the writer, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Stella soon finds herself in dire trouble and is the suspect of not only art theft but murder. Rather than try to work her way through to a solution while staying put, she takes to the streets going on a journey through New York's underbelly to find the truth and clear her name. She is a character which makes it a fun and fast read.
Thanks to the writer, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
November 16, 2016
I loved this book. It's more literary suspense that straight up genre thriller/mystery. Susan Daitch's writing is exquisite. She is on par with Paul Auster and Jonathan Lethem. She brings to life a New York underworld that I found completely fascinating. Her heroine, Stella, is a bit of a loner and a talented outsider who worked her way up through the high end art world. She finds herself in over her head when she's suspected of art theft and murder. Stella goes on the run through Manhattan and Brooklyn, uncovering clues that will eventually lead her to the truth. Stella is one part human, one part comic book heroine. That's what makes this a fun read. Could some of these things happen in real life? Probably not, but I'll go anywhere with Susan Daitch's creative mind as my guide.
December 13, 2017
1 estrella. De 0 a 10: 3.
La protagonista, en primera persona, cuenta variadas anécdotas del mundo artístico, hace como que investiga, se mete en líos, en escenas de acción, en múltiples digresiones carentes de interés, y "resuelve" el misterio sin resolverlo en realidad.
Se hace eterna, se hace aburrida, se hace lenta. Pérdida de tiempo.
La protagonista, en primera persona, cuenta variadas anécdotas del mundo artístico, hace como que investiga, se mete en líos, en escenas de acción, en múltiples digresiones carentes de interés, y "resuelve" el misterio sin resolverlo en realidad.
Se hace eterna, se hace aburrida, se hace lenta. Pérdida de tiempo.
December 6, 2016
The story is confusing and hard to follow and my mind often wandered elsewhere while reading it. The plot isn't exciting at all, and the characters lack personality which is why I couldn't connect with them.
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
December 10, 2016
Thanks Random House Publishing Group - Alibi and netgalley for this ARC.
Cool art restorer mystery in New York- not everything is as it seems. Likable characters, cool setting, and great puzzle
Cool art restorer mystery in New York- not everything is as it seems. Likable characters, cool setting, and great puzzle
March 15, 2021
Stella Da Silva is an art conservator working at Claiborne’s Auction House in New York City. “Las Meninas” by Diego Velazquez is sent in to get some work done. Stella deals with insomnia and prefers to work at night, and while working on the painting, she hears screams coming from her boss’ office. She goes to investigate but the screaming stops, so she heads back to her studio where she finds a dead body and gets chased down by the murderer. When she returns to her studio with the police, the body and the painting are gone. She is a prime suspect and gets fired, so she decides to investigate and figure out what’s really going on. But the murderer is still tracking her and doesn’t want her to figure it out...
Pros: I was drawn in by “Las Meninas” because Velazquez is a favorite painter of mine, and I’ve seen the painting in person at the Prado Museum. It was really interesting to learn about the art world, the science of paintings and paint mixing, and art conservation. The plot was fast-paced and kept me wanting to find out more.
Cons: The mystery never really fully resolves, which was SUPER frustrating. Too many f-words. Many characters had a very casual attitude about having sex with people they just met. Not usually very descriptive, but it just bugged me how people were just sleeping with people they hardly knew.
My biggest complaint is Stella was kind of an idiot. Even though she knows someone is trying to kill her, she more than once walks straight into extremely dangerous situations without telling anyone or taking backup, and she has no excuse for this because a cop is sort of helping her investigate and is sleeping with her, so she’s got the perfect resource for protection. She should have been murdered more than once. Especially the time she went to see if she had correctly identified the hit men, saw them through the window and realized how violent they were, and rather than get as far away as fast as possible. She walks around the corner and sits down on the ground to compose herself... and then is found and captured. Actually, nothing about this entire section of the book makes sense. The hit men lock her in an office for awhile, where she’s able to find clues in spite of the fact that there’s a ton of files and quite frankly garbage in this room and she doesn’t even really know what she’s looking for. Then the guys take her out and try to kill her (rather than just doing it when they found her snooping? I’m not sure why they waited). She’s able to escape, but later in the book, she and the cop have some VHS tapes they need to watch, so they go back to the office she was held hostage in because she remembered there was a VCR there. Seriously?! That’s the ONLY VCR in the entirety of New York City?! Much of the clue-finding or connecting did not make sense.
This is probably 1 1/2 stars, but I bumped it up to 2 for “Las Meninas.” Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.
Pros: I was drawn in by “Las Meninas” because Velazquez is a favorite painter of mine, and I’ve seen the painting in person at the Prado Museum. It was really interesting to learn about the art world, the science of paintings and paint mixing, and art conservation. The plot was fast-paced and kept me wanting to find out more.
Cons: The mystery never really fully resolves, which was SUPER frustrating. Too many f-words. Many characters had a very casual attitude about having sex with people they just met. Not usually very descriptive, but it just bugged me how people were just sleeping with people they hardly knew.
My biggest complaint is Stella was kind of an idiot. Even though she knows someone is trying to kill her, she more than once walks straight into extremely dangerous situations without telling anyone or taking backup, and she has no excuse for this because a cop is sort of helping her investigate and is sleeping with her, so she’s got the perfect resource for protection. She should have been murdered more than once. Especially the time she went to see if she had correctly identified the hit men, saw them through the window and realized how violent they were, and rather than get as far away as fast as possible. She walks around the corner and sits down on the ground to compose herself... and then is found and captured. Actually, nothing about this entire section of the book makes sense. The hit men lock her in an office for awhile, where she’s able to find clues in spite of the fact that there’s a ton of files and quite frankly garbage in this room and she doesn’t even really know what she’s looking for. Then the guys take her out and try to kill her (rather than just doing it when they found her snooping? I’m not sure why they waited). She’s able to escape, but later in the book, she and the cop have some VHS tapes they need to watch, so they go back to the office she was held hostage in because she remembered there was a VCR there. Seriously?! That’s the ONLY VCR in the entirety of New York City?! Much of the clue-finding or connecting did not make sense.
This is probably 1 1/2 stars, but I bumped it up to 2 for “Las Meninas.” Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.
March 13, 2019
Cirtamente el trhiller no es mi género, no son el tipo de libros que más leo, pero alguno que otro he disfrutado, sin embargo con éste ha sido imposible. He visto que tiene buenas críticas, sin embargo yo no puedo darle una buena calificacción.
La narración es inconexa, las acciones de los personajes no tienen sentido para mí, es prácticamente imposible comprender o empatizar con la protagonista, por otro lado una super - woman que recibe palizas por doquier pero parece no imutarse.
El principio me desconcertó bastante, decidí continuar por si el problema era el estilo pero la historia era buena, no hubo caso, ni el estilo, ni la historia, ni los personajes, ni la narración y mucho menos el final.
Decididamente no lo recomendaría y creo que no voy a probar suerte con otros libros de la autora.
La narración es inconexa, las acciones de los personajes no tienen sentido para mí, es prácticamente imposible comprender o empatizar con la protagonista, por otro lado una super - woman que recibe palizas por doquier pero parece no imutarse.
El principio me desconcertó bastante, decidí continuar por si el problema era el estilo pero la historia era buena, no hubo caso, ni el estilo, ni la historia, ni los personajes, ni la narración y mucho menos el final.
Decididamente no lo recomendaría y creo que no voy a probar suerte con otros libros de la autora.
November 1, 2016
Promising premise, but at times book reads more like an outline than novel. Major plot points are glossed over or happen elsewhere. Overall, I found the book disjointed and perplexing.
Full disclosure: I was provided an ARC of this book from Alibi/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Full disclosure: I was provided an ARC of this book from Alibi/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2017
An exciting mystery.
October 26, 2016
Stella da Silva worked as a conservator of art work at Claiborne's, a major NYC auction house. She preferred to work evenings when the building was closed because she found the lack of sunlight was beneficial on her work. One evening a famous painting arrived for her to repair. It was Las Meninas, a masterpiece by Valesquez painted in 1656. The work was usually on display at the Prado in Madrid but had been secretly transported to the US under heavy security.
After Stella began her work, she heard loud noises from her boss' office nearby. Once she returned to her studio, she discovered an apparently dead man on the floor of the studio. So she left the studio and the empty building to get help. She discover that she was being chased by someone but was able to get out of the building to 24 hour bodega and call the police for help.
When the police arrived, they escorted her back into the building and to her studio. They found no dead body but also no masterpiece. Stella was interrogated and allowed to leave the police station but soon found herself without a job. She also discovered that the person who chased her from her studio was still pursuing her around NYC.
She decided that the only way to clear herself was to find the thieves and murderers on her own. She did enlist the help of Det. Demetrius Pitt, one of the two detectives who had interrogated her. The problem was that Demetrius was being investigated for official misconduct and was soon on leave from the NYPD. Yet he was still willing to help Stella solve the mysteries.
The dead body later turned up on the waterfront in Brooklyn. It was of a transgendered person but still dressed in the costume worn in Stella's studio.
The rest of the story is about solving the mystery of the stolen painting. The reader learns about the work of art conservers and the composition of different types of paints and finishes used by artists centuries ago. Th ebook also deals with money laundering and the shadowy world of art works stolen for sale to secretive tycoons.
I enjoyed the story but found the ending lacking. Most readers will want to know what happens next with Stella and even the result of Demetrius' suspension. I am not sure if the author plans a sequel or just wanted the reader to keep guessing.
After Stella began her work, she heard loud noises from her boss' office nearby. Once she returned to her studio, she discovered an apparently dead man on the floor of the studio. So she left the studio and the empty building to get help. She discover that she was being chased by someone but was able to get out of the building to 24 hour bodega and call the police for help.
When the police arrived, they escorted her back into the building and to her studio. They found no dead body but also no masterpiece. Stella was interrogated and allowed to leave the police station but soon found herself without a job. She also discovered that the person who chased her from her studio was still pursuing her around NYC.
She decided that the only way to clear herself was to find the thieves and murderers on her own. She did enlist the help of Det. Demetrius Pitt, one of the two detectives who had interrogated her. The problem was that Demetrius was being investigated for official misconduct and was soon on leave from the NYPD. Yet he was still willing to help Stella solve the mysteries.
The dead body later turned up on the waterfront in Brooklyn. It was of a transgendered person but still dressed in the costume worn in Stella's studio.
The rest of the story is about solving the mystery of the stolen painting. The reader learns about the work of art conservers and the composition of different types of paints and finishes used by artists centuries ago. Th ebook also deals with money laundering and the shadowy world of art works stolen for sale to secretive tycoons.
I enjoyed the story but found the ending lacking. Most readers will want to know what happens next with Stella and even the result of Demetrius' suspension. I am not sure if the author plans a sequel or just wanted the reader to keep guessing.
January 14, 2017
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The Book Cover
I love this cover. This is definitely a cover that would stand out to me while browsing a book store — and the cover was the reason I decided to check it out while browsing the NetGalley website. I enjoy reading books that deal with art, so the art brushes in and of themselves are enough to get me to look twice at this book. That pop of red with the fourth brush fascinated me.
The Review
I had high hopes for this book. I was so excited about this book when I was approved to review it, I sat another book aside so I could read this. I love art history and reading about the art world, both fictionalized and non. I like books that feature strong female protagonists. This should have been a hit for me!
I did not like this book.
I found the story to be fascinating — that is my main positive. What the synopsis promises still sounds so great to me. However, this book is a mess.
It appears that there are multiple — and by multiple, I mean like 15 different — story lines going on and sometimes, it felt like reaching to figure out how each one intertwined with each other. The characters are not believable, the conversations between them are even less believable. I never felt like I was rooting for any character and none of the characters seemed completely thought out. All of them, main character included, felt like throw away characters.
I had to force myself to read this. I started it at the end of October and finished it this past weekend. Almost two months of reading when this should have been a weekend read.
I will say, I did finally get interested in the last few chapters, when the story seems to be coming to an end and it appears we are finding out the truth behind all of this. But even the ending isn’t satisfying.
To say I was disappointed with this read is really an understatement. I feel like this was a very rough draft to what could have been a lovely, interesting book.
The Book Cover
I love this cover. This is definitely a cover that would stand out to me while browsing a book store — and the cover was the reason I decided to check it out while browsing the NetGalley website. I enjoy reading books that deal with art, so the art brushes in and of themselves are enough to get me to look twice at this book. That pop of red with the fourth brush fascinated me.
The Review
I had high hopes for this book. I was so excited about this book when I was approved to review it, I sat another book aside so I could read this. I love art history and reading about the art world, both fictionalized and non. I like books that feature strong female protagonists. This should have been a hit for me!
I did not like this book.
I found the story to be fascinating — that is my main positive. What the synopsis promises still sounds so great to me. However, this book is a mess.
It appears that there are multiple — and by multiple, I mean like 15 different — story lines going on and sometimes, it felt like reaching to figure out how each one intertwined with each other. The characters are not believable, the conversations between them are even less believable. I never felt like I was rooting for any character and none of the characters seemed completely thought out. All of them, main character included, felt like throw away characters.
I had to force myself to read this. I started it at the end of October and finished it this past weekend. Almost two months of reading when this should have been a weekend read.
I will say, I did finally get interested in the last few chapters, when the story seems to be coming to an end and it appears we are finding out the truth behind all of this. But even the ending isn’t satisfying.
To say I was disappointed with this read is really an understatement. I feel like this was a very rough draft to what could have been a lovely, interesting book.
December 6, 2016
I would have liked to have given this book at least 3 stars, but by the end I just couldn't. I realize this is fiction so I realize I have to accept a bunch of otherwise questionable events and of course the main character, Stella, is going to survive, but she shouldn't have survived that many near death encounters. At least one of them should have stuck, so to speak. The story line bounced around a lot without any indication that the story was changing time, location, etc. Stella possibly began a relationship with a person in the book (trying not to give spoilers here) but there was nothing to tell the reader that until they were basically in bed together. And while I did enjoy learning a bit about the art world, there was just too much detail. I almost felt like I might get tested on it later. This feeling didn't make me enjoy the book any more.
A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Random House - Alibi in exchange for an honest review.
A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Random House - Alibi in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2016
This was a decent thriller. The plot was interesting and kept me reading. The characters were very distinct, and to me, appeared fictional (or unlikely that I would all meet within one lifetime within a limited circle of associates) - they were either eccentric or broken or perverted or just strange. They weren’t very likable. The overall feel is dark. The writing shows effort, and it was well edited, but reading it wasn’t comfortable. It is fast-paced though and for its plot and twists, the length was okay.
I was entertained by the story but I am also not gushing about it. It’s short enough for a plane ride and can keep you company.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
I was entertained by the story but I am also not gushing about it. It’s short enough for a plane ride and can keep you company.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
December 15, 2016
This isn't really the kind of book I usually read but I found I couldn't put it down. And there was lots here to capture my personal interests - I have always been interested in art theft and as a painter I appreciated the detail about the artwork and art materials. (Ages ago I even wrote a paper about the dangers of lead paint.) I was also very familiar with many of the locations (used to commute on the elevated F train over the cesspool that was the Gowanus Canal when I lived in Brooklyn) so I also could picture the scenes. However while I was intrigued by the underlying mystery and the side stories, I was also confused in parts and that explains my rating. Overall though very well written and researched...I was hooked.
January 6, 2017
White Lead by Susan Daitch was very fast-paced and exciting. Stella's world gets turned upside down when she discovers a body in her lab at a renowned art house. Things get worse when she ends up fired and considered the police's main suspect in the death of said body. With no job and plenty of time on her hands, Stella starts trying to track down information on her own to save her career and hopefully avoid jail time. Her pursuits lead her right where she doesn't want to be, in the targets of some very dangerous people who have a lot to hide. Will Stella save face and live to tell the tale? I couldn't wait to find out! A job well done!
I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased feedback.
I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased feedback.
November 14, 2016
I received a free advance e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I like murder mysteries but this book didn’t trip my trigger. I found my mind wandering as I read. I did find the info about repairing painted masterpieces and different types of paints and how they were used very interesting. The story was confusing and hard to follow. The story lines didn’t mesh well and there seemed to be too many characters none of which were developed fully. It seemed like it took me forever to finish the book. This was a disheartening read.
November 20, 2016
White Lead by Susan Daitch started off promising, but with too many subplots and characters it was very difficult to finish. Main character Stella Da Silva gets dragged into the New York underworld when she stumbles upon a murder and subsequent art theft. Stella is the main suspect and has to go to great lengths to prove that she isn't involved. It's clear that the author thoroughly researched art to write this novel and it was very interesting to read about the subject. However as a mystery it was lacking direction. I received an ARC via Netgally in exchange for my honest review. 2.5 stars.
November 24, 2016
Convoluted, hard to follow, and drawn out
The main character is hard to relate to. Really, none of the characters are very likable - and that says a lot since there are so many of them. There are also a lot of tangents and sub-plots.
Each chapter started in a new scene in a different location, but until you read a paragraph or so, you weren't really sure what was going great on. This really broke the flow of the story and was confusing.
Note that I received a copy of this book I exchange for an honest review.
The main character is hard to relate to. Really, none of the characters are very likable - and that says a lot since there are so many of them. There are also a lot of tangents and sub-plots.
Each chapter started in a new scene in a different location, but until you read a paragraph or so, you weren't really sure what was going great on. This really broke the flow of the story and was confusing.
Note that I received a copy of this book I exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2017
This book started out strongly, building what promised to be a mystery filled with twists and turns. After the first few chapters, though, everything became somewhat predictable, which tends to happen in an "all of these random occurrences are somewhat related" plot structure. The sections of the novel I enjoyed the most focused on the descriptions of art restoration. That's an area I don't know much about so I found that topic more interesting to read about than the mystery part of the book.
October 23, 2016
Received ARC from NetGalley. This was a quick and fairly enjoyable read. There were probably too many characters and consequently, they felt shallow. The plot could have been given more heft. However, there are a number of interesting tidbits thrown in about art and conservation. Having seen Picasso's Las Meninas this summer, it was fun to read a little more about the original painting.
June 6, 2019
Enjoyable New York-based innocent dragged into criminal conspiracy. Nice backgrounding on the protaganist, scope for sequels.
March 31, 2017
This book started off really fast paced and very interesting. Somewhere in the middle I got lost in the main characters thoughts, and it lagged. She is amazingly capable of surviving any situation! I loved all the art history information. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
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