Jason West and Sam Kennedy are back!All those late night conversations when Sam had maybe a drink too many or Jason was half falling asleep. All those playful, provocative comments about what they’d do when they finally met up again.Well, here they were.The last thing Jason West, an ambitious young FBI Special Agent with the Art Crimes Team, wants–or needs–is his uncertain and unacknowledged … wants–or needs–is his uncertain and unacknowledged romantic relationship with irascible legendary Behavioral Analysis Unit Chief Sam Kennedy.
And it’s starting to feel like Sam is not thrilled with the idea either.
But personal feelings must be put aside when Sam requests Jason’s help to catch a deranged killer targeting wealthy, upscale art collectors. A killer whose calling card is a series of grotesque paintings depicting the murders.
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I’m just going to start this review at the peak: I love Josh Lanyon. No one writes a book like her. She’s a solid and unmovable cornerstone of the genre for good reason. The Monet Murders is the second book in the FBI mystery series, Art of Murder, and once again, Lanyon absolutely shines in her ability to deftly craft a powerful and thrilling plot, interwoven with a delicate and uncertain romance between two workaholic agents who desperately need to let down their guards and grow as humans.
In the time that’s passed since The Mermaid Murders Jason West of Art Crime and Sam Kennedy of Behavioral Analysis haven’t seen each other in person once. There’s been phone calls and late-night flirting via long distance between California and Virginia, but an actual relationship? Jason hasn’t been so sure. Hopeful, yes, but certain? He never feels certain when it comes to interacting with Kennedy. At least, certain of nothing except the idea of never seeing Kennedy again hurts more than he’d ever be able to admit. So when Jason is called away from a museum dedication to his grandfather to a scene of a dead German national under a pier, the only thing that makes the situation better is that Kennedy is there. Jason doesn’t know what the BAU would have to do with a run-of-the-mill murder, for that matter he’s not sure why he’s involved either, but then the night ends with a painting reflective of Monet’s style, representing the victim in what was clearly a premeditated killing, and Kennedy calling it quits between them.
One of my favorite things in this series is Lanyon’s ability to construct a story that is unique and believable when it comes to Art Crime and BAU working together. Those two departments are on such extreme opposites ends of the spectrum, and yet the murder mystery element successfully pulls legitimate art concerns into the mix so that the story can’t be told without both worlds clashing—which brings Jason and Kennedy into each other’s orbits time and time again. As for the relationship aspect of the book, I loved the ups and downs so much. It was so vivid, so heavy, so heartbreaking, and finally—promising. Jason, for all his confidence and ego, is pretty insecure when it comes to a once-in-a-lifetime sort of romance, and God knows Kennedy doesn’t make it easy. But Kennedy’s own reasoning laid bare in this book… be still my heart. He is absolutely, without a doubt, one of my favorite fictional characters. I suspect some readers see him as standoffish or cold, but really, he’s so subtle in his mannerisms, the analytical to Jason’s artistic temperament, and it’s one of my favorite personality types to read. There’s so much happening with him between the lines that no matter how often I re-read or re-listen to this series, there’s always something new to appreciate.
I highly, highly recommend this series! You will not regret it!
This is a review of my fourth or fifth read/listen.
I want to smack Sam. I am so wrapped up in the behavior of the characters in this story that I want to smack Sam. Sigh. I am working my way through every book Josh Lanyon has published because, I end up emotionally connected to almost all the characters in one fashion or another. Sam… Honestly… I probably wouldn’t get so annoyed if I didn’t know a Sam or two in my own life.
Another reason that I really enjoy Josh Lanyon’s books is highlighted in this installment of the Art of Murder series. However improbable a situation might seem, I am convinced that it could happen in Josh Lanyon’s books. Yes, I totally believe that an FBI agent working in art crimes can end up involved in two cases involving murder. Seriously, my mom and I have almost come to blows over who is a ‘better artist’, Da Vinci or Michelangelo. Sigh… They are both amazing.
Once again, Kale Williams has added an extra bit of tasty spice to the book. I very much enjoy his narration of Sam’s voice.