Shooting Gallery

An Annie Kincaid Mystery #2

by Hailey Lind (Pseudonym), Juliet Blackwell

Modernism isn't Annie's thing, but even she is surprised to discover that the "sculpture" in a prestigious gallery's grisly new exhibition is an all-too-real corpse-the artist's. Meanwhile, a Chagall painting is stolen from the Brock Museum, and Annie's old friend Bryan is accused of being in on the fix. To track down the missing Chagall, she'll need the dubious assistance of a certain sexy art thief. And if Michael-or whatever his real name may be-isn't distraction enough, Annie's mother shows up in town, acting strangely. Annie's got to solve these mysteries, and fast-because art is long, but life can be very, very short.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Art, Cozy, Audiobook, Crime

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2006

About the author

This is a psuedonym for the author Juliet Blackwell and her cowriter/sister Carolyn.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

O - M - G!! I thought the first book in this series was hilarious, but book 2 literally had me cackling with mirth by the end.

If the following passage [which occurs during a pivotal chase scene] isn't sufficient to convince you that you should read this book immediately, well then I honestly don't know what else to say to you:

"They've hijacked the donut mobile and they're coming after us! I stomped on the gas, taken aback at being pursued by a giant doughnut. Sure, I thought, the bad guys got a van full of Kreamy Do-Nuts, while I was stuck with a penitent Catholic, a speechless giant, and a petty criminal who didn't even know where the nearest police station was."

Seriously, this book is a blast in the style of the most delightful farcical capers from 1940's movies. The main characters are smart and funny and irreverent, and continually find themselves in utterly ludicrous situations that are one big pain-in-the-you-know-what for them, but are sparklingly fun for the reader!

One other passage that made me giggle was this, which happens after the main character's mother [who's involved in the craziness going on in ways you will have to read the book to discover] - during a police raid that is reminiscent of the Keystone Kops - invites one of the involved people back to the family home for Thanksgiving dinner. Our main character - Annie - is trying to warn him what he'll be in for if he accepts: "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Frank, I muttered. You really don't. This isn't some walk in the park with gun-toting drug dealers and homicidal sculptors, you know. There are an ex-fiance and Julio Iglesias albums involved."

Honestly, I haven't laughed this long and this hard at a book in a long time. I LOVE THIS SERIES LIKE I WOULD MARRY IT!!!!! So . . . Much . . . FUN!!!

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, really a 2.75, but I am still a sucker for anything to do with art or art history. Now I have narrowed down my issues with this series. When faced with a myriad of crucial decisions, she makes the wrong one- every single time. Why make someone who is supposed to be smart so stupid? It is annoying. How can we be expected to believe that she is attractive to two sexy men, when all she talks about is how awful she looks? Aside from paint-spattered denim overalls and "frizzy" hair, we get no objective description of her appearance. (I am not letting the first person narrator distract me from my annoyance over this one.) and what is it with not being able to choose between two men who are polar opposites? Annoying. Why are you still reading the series, you might ask. Legitimate question. I guess I am just not annoyed enough to stop!

[Diane Vallere · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. This one is like "Thomas Crowne Affair" meets "How To Steal A Million". Pure fun!

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: Absolutely loved the setting in this one, which is my beloved San Francisco Bay Area. I love it when you can follow the mc's journey through the streets and be able to picture those streets in your mind, along with all the turns, landmarks and stops. I'll admit I'm not so comfortable with the theme of art forgery and theft; however, the author did a good job of evening out the bad with justice served to those that were truly nasty. Not to mention presenting us with some fun, quirky and likable main and supporting characters.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie Kincaid is the owner of a successful faux finishing business. She constantly is fighting her inner ‘genetic’ demon. You see her grandfather is the most want art forger in the world. He is always involved in art theft schemes and Annie has an inner voice that tries to push her into the exciting world of her grandfather.

Somehow Annie frequently finds herself in the right place at the wrong time. At the very beginning of the book Annie is at the opening of a “swanky” new art gallery where she spots a body hanging from a tree on the grounds. Close on the heels of this discovery there is a major commotion at the neighboring art museum where a theft has occurred.

Then Annie’s mother comes in to town unexpectedly. Much to Annie’s surprise she has come to go to the funeral of the dead man but is very mysterious as to why other than saying they went to Berkley together. She tells Annie not to worry about it and just stay out of it. Of course, this is a red flag to Annie and now she is determined to find out what is going on.

The mystery just seems to get more complicated - Who killed the sculptor? - Why steal a painting that wasn‘t worth a lot? Annie jumps right in and gets in the middle of things. This is an enjoyable tale with a wonderful main character. Annie is charming, goodhearted with a wry sense of humor she uses in tight situations and even turns on herself at times. She works persistently through all the clues and false clues to find answers but there are some definite surprises at the end.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 2nd installment of Hailey Lind's Art Lovers cozy mystery series, Shooting Gallery, Annie Kincaid returned to solve another art theft mystery. When she discovered a modern-looking sculpture, she couldn't believe it was the dead body of the artist. That's when a Chagall painting went missing as Annie's friend Bryan was accused of the crime. At the same time Annie's mother showed up acted strange, she needed the assistance of Michael, a sexy art thief to track down the painting and the killer. She needed to solve these mysteries fast, since life can be real short.

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a fine "airport" kind of read but it reminded me way too much of Kate Carlise Bibliophile mysteries. Both in San Fran. Both live in lofts, both have interesting wealthy guys in their lives, both have really oddball family members.......just close enough that if you've read one series, you could probably skip the other, unless of course, you ARE at an airport. Then a perfectly fine choice to while away the hours. ...

[C.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annie Kincaid and modern art do not get along-she admits to not liking Pacasso. However, when a Chagall goes missing and her friend Brian is under suspicion, Annie springs into action. Add in a couple who want her help in getting a sculpture of theirs back from getting cleaned, a dead body, and a surprise visit from her mother and Annie's Thanksgiving will be one to remember.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read mysteries but this series of three books featuring Annie Kincaid, granddaughter of a famous French art forger is really fun. especially because she lives and works in the Bay Area. They're quick reads for those times when you just want to have some fun.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first! More humor, good character development. Great series!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one in this series--will next be reading the final one so far.

[Imjussayin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shooting Gallery: An Art Lover's Mystery 2
Reading in chronological order is recommended.

In A Nutshell: First Annie spots a dead body in a tree at the opening of a prestigious new gallery, then Brian, Annie's friend from book one is accused of stealing a Chagall painting. Then Annie's mother turns up at her home unannounced and acting weird. So, Annie has her hands full plus two romantic attractions to juggle. Another page-turning humorous cosy mystery starring Ms. Annie Kinkade.

The Plot: Annie has to track down the Brock Gallery's missing Chagall and work out if her mother's marriage is alright.

The Protagonists: Annie spent her teenage years forging Old Masters with her grandfather in Europe. After a spell in a European jail, Annie has returned to America setting herself up as a respectable faux finisher in San Francisco. Inbetween fired by the Brock. There is something naive and yet appealing about Annie. She embodies joie de vivre although she is too trusting, a tad frustrating but feisty and comedic.

Annie is out to solve another art mystery that leaves her hanging. Literally. I did find myself laughing out loud and I kinda like Annie's mother. She's got more spunk than her daughter and is a great character. There are fewer supporting cast but more depth and richness to the ones we meet.

I had fun with this book and am off to read book three.

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Book Rating
Sexual Content: U
Language: U
Violent: U
Would I read the next one or reread?: Absolutely

My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A great read. A prominent example of the genre.

[Tracy Blanchard · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a lot of elements I like about this series. I like the main character. I love that each chapter is opened with a quote from her grandfather, who only appears periodically but plays a big role in her brain space. It's great world-building. The mysteries are good. Over all, fun cozy series.

But I can't ignore THE MAN. The "love interest" (well, there are possibly 2 but the art thief guy is who I'm talking about). I hate the way he talks to her. I hate the way he uses her. And I hate the way she lets him. She's smarter than this. And him being really, really good looking is a shitty reason to keep getting used by him. Because he is only a user. Is this true to life? Do women get used by men over and over and over. Yes. The same man, over and over and over, even though they should know better? Yes. Do they get used by the man because he's good looking or talks sweet to her (though I find his sweet talk ridiculous and so obviously fake)? Yes Yes, this all happens in real life. That doesn't mean I want to put up with that shit in a cozy mystery. He's just so smarmy I hate every scene he is in and in no way do I find him romantic. In no way do I want the heroine to get together with him. It is the only thing I really don't respect her for. She's got other flaws, sure, but they are easy to forgive. Her giving him 1 second of her time is not.

I think I swore not to read book #2 in the series because of this very issue, but I went ahead and listened to it (Audible). And I'm guessing I'll listen to #3 because I like all the other parts of the series. But if #3 is like #2 with respect to the art thief guy (he has multiple aliases), then I'll be done.

Writers, please don't make otherwise great female leads dumb idiots by having them unable to get wise to some good looking user!!!

[Adrianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second installment of the series and was another wild story. The action just does not stop in this book; Annie has like no down-time. She is a crime solving, getting-into-trouble-hurricane. The party in the hallway scene in Pascal's building and the chase scene with the doughnut truck was wild. I wish Annie would spend more time working on her art jobs and art restoration projects. I found the scene where she removes the crayon mark from the Picasso fascinating. She is certainly in the middle of everything in this book and the different interconnected storylines are a bit confusing to follow because she is following one lead and then bam! something happens and then that storyline converges and bam! something else happens and more people get involved and the stories converge again.

[Holly Doyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost reached the end of this book and I finally said to myself - "why am I reading this? it's just really not good". So that probably sums it up for me.

This is book #2 in the "Art Lover's Mystery" series. I didn't really care for book 1, so why did I think I would like book 2? Well, I checked them both out from the library at the same time and book 2 had better reviews, so I thought I would give it a try. Nope, still not good.

This poor girl was surrounded by a murder in book 1 and by golly, it happened again in book 2. But she is really just so bad at making good decisions that it makes it hard to like her. The characters are shallow and I just found this book sub-par at best. I do not recommend.

[Jessica Gintner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why, but I'm really enjoying this series! I'm not an artist or knowledgeable about art or classic art, but I really like the character insistence to keep on the straight and narrow even though her grandfather raised her to be an extraordinary art forger! And even thought she doesn't try & is always astounded by it, man are readily attracted to her! I just like the story lines and very descriptive information about San Francisco and it's various neighborhoods and culture. Not sure if I'll ever get there, but because of the excellent descriptions of settings, I feel like I've already been there. Looking forward to book 3!!!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes I liked this. I kind of felt like Annie should confront and defeat the villain herself instead of letting Deus ex Machina do it for her. But Deus Ex Machina has worked for me in the past so why not.
I loved the bit with Bryan and the gang doing the score from My Fair Lady. The car chase made me smile and think of Stephanie Plum. The characters are likeable. I don't really like either of the guys that are the main love interests. She is such a whirlwind of fun and talent and they kind of drag the scenes down. I want her to paint something brilliant.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just picked up this book. The second one in this series. I enjoyed it and found the mystery enjoyable, the main character Anne Kincaid is a former art forger gone straight, now fixing art at a gallery in San Francisco. At the start of the book she finds a body in a piece of art. At first she thinks it apart of the art piece. But it turns out to be an actual corpse, not just any, but that of the artist. And then a painting is stolen from the gallery. That isn't the only mystery, but a missing painting as well. Its something different, but l liked it.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is unexpectedly amazing. Annie is hilarious and resourceful and smart. The cast is amazing. I love the forgery backstory. The plot twists and turns and is filled with action. There is a car chase with a donut truck!!! The heroine has multiple romantic interests and it is great. I will be reading the whole series thank you so much.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shooting Gallery is the 2nd entry in the Annie Kincaid series. It was a good beach read, funny and fast-moving without a lot of unnecessary thought. Annie was raised by her world-class art forger grandfather. She inherited a lot of both his skill and his temperament, serious drawbacks when one is trying to make an honest living in the art world.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not think I would like this series because I knew nothing about the field of art but the laughs drew me in. I had to keep stopping throughout the ending, which is somewhat slapstick, because I was laughing so hard.

[G · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is NOT a cozy mystery. This would have been a fun mystery had there not been filthy language. I quit half way. There was an F word and an S word; lots of G_dam_, and when I got to J_C_ , I quit. Offensive and unnecessary in telling a good story.

[Colored Ink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing, good characters, and the action kept the story moving, non-stop. But the plot was so convoluted and the denouement so confusing that I gave up trying to figure out what was going on (or even who was who). aAt the end, I closed the book feeling let down and disappointed.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. Kind of like the first book. I think I switched to romance because of mysteries like these - woman does stupid thing, love interest or cop or a combination of the two rescues her. The art information is interesting, though.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an entertaining and well crafted book! Strong plot, mystery, humor, hints of romance, evolving characters and relationships. Who knew the art world could be so entertaining! Well done, Juliet and Xe’s narration puts it over the top to 5 stars. Looking forward to next in series.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audiotape. Fantastic! Again, Juliet Blackwell wrote a hands down excellent and entertaining book - fabulous characters, great setting true to the Bay Area, funny funnny situations, twists, turns - I really enjoyed this book. Can’t wait for more!!!!

[Kit Rio Sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm getting to know this world a little more and feeling more comfortable in it and knowing all the recurring characters. I love Annie's struggle to stay on the right side of the law especially when there are people like Michael in her life 🔥

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one even more than the first, but I still found some descriptions to be a little tedious and the amount of characters somewhat confusing.

[Kathy Kennerley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Annie is smart and funny!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series. Excellent book.