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erosencrantz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Gore
missy_evanko's review against another edition
3.0
I'll confess I listened to this on Audiobook and I kept getting distracted. The mystery part was good, but I'm just not into the fancy LA art world. If you are, this book is for you, but the art references all went over my head. All the famously murdered women that the main artist was depicting? No idea on most of them.
The mystery portion however, had a novice sleuth, a spurned ex-lover, lots of female friends, an intriguing private investigator and suspense. Pay attention to names if you want to follow along with the motive though. Lots of interacting characters.
The mystery portion however, had a novice sleuth, a spurned ex-lover, lots of female friends, an intriguing private investigator and suspense. Pay attention to names if you want to follow along with the motive though. Lots of interacting characters.
annied25's review against another edition
2.0
This was really hard to get through. Too many characters that weren’t very memorable and it was hard for me to follow all the intricacies of the art world. Maybe it just wasn’t for me.
briannethebookworm's review against another edition
3.0
Maggie Richter is the copyeditor for the Roque Art Museum in LA, where Kim Lord, a distinguished female figure in the art world, is about to show her gallery of paintings called "Still Lives," featuring eleven women who were victims of infamous murders in Los Angeles. Many have been anxiously waiting the reveal of these multi-million dollar paintings at the Roque. As the start time gets closer, Kim Lord is nowhere to be found, also neglecting to show up for pre-gala interviews that were scheduled. Even Greg Shaw Ferguson, Kim's current boyfriend and Maggie's ex, has no clue where she might be. Is Kim Lord really missing, or is this a stunt for more publicity? The entire Roque is caught up with Kim's disappearance, and Maggie somehow finds herself at the heart of it.
I was really engrossed with the story up until things started to be solved toward the end. It was an interesting premise, but as a big mystery/thriller reader, I wasn't wowed by the ending. I would recommend this for new mystery readers!
I was really engrossed with the story up until things started to be solved toward the end. It was an interesting premise, but as a big mystery/thriller reader, I wasn't wowed by the ending. I would recommend this for new mystery readers!
artemiscat's review against another edition
Darn- I so wanted to enjoy this one.
Spoiler***
Some of the relationships were really fascinating. Some of the male characters where fleshed out and unpredictable. Sometimes the narrator said and did things that carried her beyond her own past and self deprecation.
But also it felt like a panel on the hatred of women as presented in art was interrupted by a long-winded Q. and A. audience member who wants to say, like, misogyny is bad, but some women are really the worst? Without actually asking a question of our panelists. And I don’t want that to be the last quarter of a novel any more than I want to be impaled on my Mother-In-Law’s pseudo Dia: Beacon installation.
Spoiler***
Some of the relationships were really fascinating. Some of the male characters where fleshed out and unpredictable. Sometimes the narrator said and did things that carried her beyond her own past and self deprecation.
But also it felt like a panel on the hatred of women as presented in art was interrupted by a long-winded Q. and A. audience member who wants to say, like, misogyny is bad, but some women are really the worst? Without actually asking a question of our panelists. And I don’t want that to be the last quarter of a novel any more than I want to be impaled on my Mother-In-Law’s pseudo Dia: Beacon installation.
missbibliography's review against another edition
4.0
HEY FRIENDS!!!! I recently started a book review blog featuring more in depth reviews! Please check it out : rainybookreviews.wordpress.com
Still Lives is a story within a story – your usual “crime novel”, this time having an existential crisis. Starring a would-be journalist who has failed at almost everything she has done – relationships, career, etc – the protagonist takes us on a journey of self-discovery, while simultaneously solving the disappearance of a brilliant art genius. Much like the graphic, intersecting cover image, the crime intersects with real life in a believable way; murder and art are one – an allegory for the still, dead lives that one can find themselves in after a failure.
Still Lives is a story within a story – your usual “crime novel”, this time having an existential crisis. Starring a would-be journalist who has failed at almost everything she has done – relationships, career, etc – the protagonist takes us on a journey of self-discovery, while simultaneously solving the disappearance of a brilliant art genius. Much like the graphic, intersecting cover image, the crime intersects with real life in a believable way; murder and art are one – an allegory for the still, dead lives that one can find themselves in after a failure.
tortoiseshelly's review against another edition
3.0
Decent read. Feel like the book spent too much time setting up numerous potential suspects to keep the reader guessing, and as a result, the story, the thrill, and some of the thought-provoking aspects suffered somewhat.
joc_tiger's review against another edition
4.0
I am a big fan of art books so I was really excited to read this one and I was even more excited when I realized it was a murder mystery. Although I found this book to be a little overly descriptive at some points, with some strange unnecessary characters involved, I really liked the central theme of the story. It really got me thinking about how women's bodies are often treated like art instead of actual bodies. The manipulation and destruction of a woman's body is frequently the center piece of famous art. I think this book does a really good job of addressing the fetishization of it all and turns the typical murder mystery on it's head.