Book Review: Murder in Pastel

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Murder in Pastel     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Colin Dunne
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Art   Gay / Lesbian
Writers Club, Aug 2000, $20.95, 201 pp.

Internationally acclaimed painter Cosmos Bari’s works go for millions. Art critics agree that the great artist’s best painting is the Virgin in Pastel. However, one day about a decade ago, Cosmos and the painting vanished. Even his son Kyle has not heard or seen him since. Kyle believes his famous father is dead.

Kyle lives a serene life in Steeple Hill until Adam MacKinon accompanied by his lover Brett returns home. Kyle has always loved Adam, but the older man looks upon him as a child. Brett is like a serpent in Eden as he stirs up trouble wherever he goes. Someone kills the snake and tries to murder Kyle next. Unable to idly wait for another attempt on his life, Kyle begins making his own inquiries that soon lead him to investigating his missing father and the lost masterpiece.

MURDER IN PASTEL is an exciting mystery that centers on a fascinating human drama. The story line is structurally strong mostly due to the characters that feel genuine and the locale being like a depiction of Fire Island, New York. The underlying love story between Kyle and Adam is a poignant beautiful relationship. Talented author Colin Dunne augments that subplot by allowing the reader to perceptively understand Adam’s emotional thought processes even as he remains a somewhat enigmatic hero.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner