**~~** Brutal Beginnings **~~** (The Brutal Art - Jesse Kellerman)

Member Name: burtybookworm

Product:	The Brutal Art - Jesse Kellerman
Date:	22/04/09 (233 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great characters, a real page turner

Disadvantages: There could be an element of disappointment at the end, lacks substance

New York Art Gallery Owner Ethan Muller discovers a group of drawings that are both brilliant and highly disturbing. The artist seems to have abandoned his drawings, and Ethan takes it upon himself to display and sell the drawings in his gallery to much success. However, when he receives a phone call from a retired policeman about the content of the drawings themselves, they both realise that Ethan could be sitting on the missing pieces of a mystery involving the deaths of small boys during the 1960's and 1970's.

The more Ethan becomes involved with solving the mystery and finding the artist, the more danger he appears to be in, whilst the mystery seems to involve him more than he could ever have imagined.

My Thoughts
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There are two stories that are interwoven throughout, Ethan is telling his story of what happened when he discovered the paintings and the mystery surrounding them and the author, whilst every so often there is an interlude which relates the Muller family history, right from when the first Muller came over to America. As the story wears on, these interludes become much more interesting as you can see that they have a very clear link to what is happening in the present and it really is edge of your seat stuff.

The painting story is just as fascinating; and from page one the book draws you in with interesting and likeable characters. Ethan seems to be hardened to life, brought up in rich surroundings but extremely rebellious. He is young and carefree and concerned only for his business but still, from the first page he admits in the past he wasn't a very likeable character. Through his interactions with the retired officer and his daughter, he becomes extremely warm and likeable and his attachment to the story behind the paintings is enjoyable to read.

One main negative I had with the book is probably a rather gruesome one; I would have liked the paintings to be described more; we are told that they are both beautiful but brutal but little else, so I guess they are left to the reader's imagination. Just to know why the artist drew such pictures would have been enough but the intrigue that develops makes it a great page-turner. In fact, I found myself whizzing through the chapters to find out what happened next.

This really was a fantastic book, and the interwoven story gave it a different twist. It is billed as a thriller, but I am not quite sure you can claim it as such. There is a murder mystery attached to the central story, but it is more of a detective novel with a bit of family drama!

In fact, when I finished the book, I found it amazing that I was thoroughly engrossed in a story when all was said and done lacked so much substance. In fact, I guess some might think it was a huge disappointment and feel a bit ripped off by how little actually takes place and how very little of the story is interesting when it comes to the modern day side to the story. Despite this I was drawn in, the key to the success of this book was the author's knack for suspense and good characterisation which made this a real page turner. The plot as I've mentioned, although good, is something that seemed a bit thin on the ground when I think back to what I read. The front of the book likened this to that of "The Interpretation of Murder" which I have read and enjoyed, but I cannot see how they were similar apart from geographically. However, this was a satisfying read, thought provoking, utterly intriguing and one that I would recommend.

Summary: A good debut.