Books that Hook: A Dangerous Talent
By Kalie Chamberlain
Our senior book reviews are written with the understanding that mature, sensible, premium-aged people may not want the bother of searching for well-written, sleaze-free reading materials—that’s why we’ve done the searching for you. We hope you enjoy this month’s pick.
This Month’s Fiction Selection: A Dangerous Talent
Author: Aaron Elkins and Charlotte Elkins
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Length: 270 pages
Husband and wife Aaron and Charlotte Elkins merge their writing talents in their newest novel, A Dangerous Talent, introducing new heroine Alix London. Alix seems to have it all—a ritzy East Coast upbringing, a designer wardrobe, and a career restoring art. Yet a look into her past reveals that she left Harvard in her senior year; her clothes are carefully selected from a store selling secondhand fashionable items, and her career is all that she could salvage after her world-famous father went to prison for art forgery.
But it looks like things are turning around when Alix scores a job consulting for Chris, an art collector who is hoping to procure a previously-unknown Georgia O’Keeffe. Alix flies to Santa Fe with Chris—but when she sees the painting, her art antenna starts to vibrate. Something isn’t quite right. Her suspicions are confirmed when the painting’s seller ends up dead, and she finds herself mixed up in an FBI investigation into a string of forgeries.
This fast-moving, well-composed mystery is set in Santa Fe, one of the United States’ premiere art markets. The streets of New Mexico come alive with the spirits of artists and dealers and collectors. The authors spent time researching the real-life locations that appear in the book, and their careful study shows. Aaron Elkins’ years of forensic crime fiction lend credence to undercover FBI agent Ted Ellesworth, and Charlotte Elkins’ successful romance fiction career lays a promising groundwork for future series installments. She plants a seed of hope for Alix—and readers—that there could be a little love in her future.
Aaron and Charlotte Elkins share an Agatha Award for their mystery fiction. Realistic characters engage in believable relationships. Car chases set the blood pumping. Intelligent art talk fills the book—along with poking a little fun at ultra-modern “art” constructed with M&Ms and Ramen noodles. All the elements come together in a not-to-be missed first installment in a series bound to please mystery lovers, art connoisseurs, and everyone in between.
You can borrow A Dangerous Talent from your local library. Purchase it from a local bookseller or at www.amazon.com. Also available in audio book format and e-book (Kindle version).