Synopsis
Tess Chase investigates the circumstances surrounding a lost Rembrandt stolen from a hit-and-run victim's briefcase.
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Reviews
Tess Chase is into the arts fine and martial as the heroine of this slender, mildly diverting thriller, in which the allegedly genteel milieu of art dealing intersects with the sleazy world of a notorious New York crime family. When a car deliberately hits and kills Howard Lenz, "a dodgy little art dealer," on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue across from the (fictitious) Empire State Museum of Art, art consultant Tess witnesses the crime. She follows the man who steals Lenz's blood-stained briefcase and discovers it contains a Raphael that was only rumored to exist. The priceless painting is being fought over by warring factions of the Bravanno crime family, one led by the urbane, ruthless Richard Sanborne (who married Jacqueline Bravanno, a Mafia daughter), the other by Antony Bravanno, Jacqueline's estranged brother. Tess finds herself in the middle of a plot that's too complex to unfold seamlessly in a mere 80 pages. She's a great concept for a heroine an intelligent, sophisticated woman who's not afraid of violent confrontation but she remains a concept. Lustbader's attempts to render her humanity seem contrived (as does Tess's short, bittersweet romance with Jacqueline). Similarly, most of the minor characters, such as the Mafiosi lieutenants, are crude, familiar caricatures of their type. Though the prose is at times vivid, nothing is as fully developed as it should be, and the ending feels forced. The book reads as if it were a treatment for a movie, lacking the dramatic unity that would make it a truly satisfying short work. (Jan. 4)Forecast: With rights sold to Britain, France, Germany and Japan, as well as Lustbader's high name recognition, expect initial strong sales, but be prepared for a sudden falling off once readers realize this isn't up to the level of other titles in this quality novella series.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Search results for Art Kills
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Art Kills
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00070316526
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Art Kills
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0786708891I4N00
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Art Kills
Published by
Avalon Publishing, 2001
ISBN 10: 0786708891
ISBN 13: 9780786708895
Used
Softcover
First Edition
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. 1st. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP102810479
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Art Kills
Seller: Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Good. Good - Bumped and creased book with tears to the extremities, but not affecting the text block, may have remainder mark or previous owner's name - GOOD PAPERBACK Standard-sized. Seller Inventory # M0786708891Z3
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ART KILLS
Published by
Carroll & Graf, New York, 2002
ISBN 10: 0786708891
ISBN 13: 9780786708895
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Blackbird Bookshop, Trumbull, CT, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. Appears unread.; Tess Chase, a no-nonsense appraiser with a taste for martial as well as fine arts, is in pursuit of a long-lost painting by Raphael. It entangles her in a case of deadly sibling rivalry between the heirs to the empire of East Coast crime boss Rocco Bravanno, dividing Tess's loyalties between the charismatic Anthony and his stunning sister, Jackie, both of whom have a natural lust for art and palate for murder. Uncovering a web of conspiracy and shifting alliances, Tess strives to rescue the painting from its abductors and to save Jackie from a miserable marriage to a man with betrayal in his blood. More than a Raphael is at stake in this murderous tale of envy and revenge, and Tess has yet to learn who the real traitor is. ; 8 x 5 x 0.5 inches; 87 pages. Seller Inventory # 8568
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Art Kills
Seller: Cronus Books, Carson City, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: New. New Inside and Out! Crisp pages w/no markings! Seller Inventory # 231202065
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ART KILLS
Published by
Carroll & Graf, New York, NY, U.S.A., 2001
ISBN 10: 0786708891
ISBN 13: 9780786708895
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: MURDER BY THE BOOK, Warwick, RI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hard Cover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. First Edition. 1st edition with complete number line beginning with 1. Fine in fine dust jacket, not price clipped, in protective mylar cover. 5.5 x 8.25 inches, part of Carroll & Graf's 'Novella' series, An Otto Penzler Book. 87 pages. From the marbeled precincts of New York's uptown museum scene to the galleries and lofts of trendy Soho to a gated Mafia mansion on the platinum coast of Long Island, Lustbader's novella sweeps Tess Chase into the perilous pursuit of a long-lost painting by Renaissance master Raphael. Book. Seller Inventory # 012273
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Art Kills
Published by
Da Capo Press, 2002
ISBN 10: 0786708891
ISBN 13: 9780786708895
Used
PAPERBACK
First Edition
Signed
Seller: Next Chapter Books SC, LLC, Lexington, SC, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
PAPERBACK. Condition: Collectible; Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. First Edition. This hardcover book is Fine, being square and tight. The boards and spine have no wear with pristine lettering. The pages and endpages are clean, with no markings or folds. The dustjacket is As New; save a tiny chip at the lower rear point. Original Price is intact. Not ex-lib. No remainder mark. This copy is signed by the Author on the title page without inscription. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 006238
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Art Kills: *Signed*
Published by
Da Capo Press, New York, 2002
ISBN 10: 0786708891
ISBN 13: 9780786708895
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Signed
Seller: All-Ways Fiction, DAYTON, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. SIGNED by Eric Van Lustbader on the Title page. Signature only A First edition, First printing. Book is in Near Fine condition. Boards are clean, not bumped. Fore edges have a tiny bit of shelf wear. Interior is clean and legible. Not remaindered. Dust Jacket is in Near Fine condition. Not chipped or crinkled. Not price clipped. Dust Jacket is covered by Mylar Brodart. Thanks and Enjoy. All-Ways well boxed, All-Ways fast service. Thanks. Signed by Author(s). Book. Seller Inventory # 039346
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Art Kills **Signed**
Published by
Carroll & Graf Publishers, New York, 2002
ISBN 10: 0786708891
ISBN 13: 9780786708895
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Signed
Seller: All-Ways Fiction, DAYTON, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. First Edition. Signed by Eric Van Lustbader on title page - signature only - received in person. First Edition, First Printing. With corresponding number line. Book is in Fine condition. Boards are clean, not bumped. Not remaindered. Dust Jacket is in Fine condition. Not chipped or crinkled. Not price clipped. Book is covered by Mylar Brodart. All-ways well boxed, All-ways fast service. Thanks. Signed by Author(s). Book. Seller Inventory # 008912