See all titles by Jonathan Santlofer.

Wedging himself stylistically between the gritty works of Michael Connelly and the high-octane plots of James Patterson, noted New York painter Jonathan Santlofer expands his palette to include the written word and cunningly crafts an absorbing portrait of obsession with The Death Artist, his debut thriller.

Former New York cop Kate McKinnon lives a life of wealth and luxury she never would have dreamed possible. Following her marriage to an elite businessman, her post-police career as an art historian has skyrocketed her to fame and fortune. Her life is perfect, until a young woman is murdered and a close friend of Kate's becomes the prime suspect. Kate's old police instincts naturally reemerge as she delves into the case. Soon, two other murders related to the New York art world occur, and Kate finds that the killer -- now known as "the Death Artist" -- is communicating with her, leaving clues such as Polaroids and jumbled pieces of artwork. Somehow, Jacques-Louis David's famous painting The Death of Marat is at the heart of the murder spree, but how so?

There are so many suspects among the large cast of characters, you'll never see the complex twists of plot coming in this intense first novel, which moves so quickly you might suffer friction burns turning the pages to keep up.