Blue Smoke and Murder - Dark Publications

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Product Description

Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events—including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings—culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.

Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information from unlikely and often dangerous sources. Though he's got the skills to be a highly effective bodyguard, being a bullet catcher isn't his preferred way to spend time.

Protecting Jill will take him into familiar territory—among a strange, savagely competitive bunch of collectors who'll do anything to stay at the top. But Jill is in deeper waters than she's ever known; as she soon discovers, the perils of running wild rivers are tame compared with the hidden dangers in the high-stakes game of art collecting.

From the cozy rooms of the Breck homestead cabin to the cold multimillion-dollar galleries of the Western art circuit, Zach and Jill must race against time to unmask a ruthless killer hidden in a blue smoke of money, threats, lies, and death. . . .

Customer Reviews: Read 23 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Suspence at it's finest. May 27, 2008
21 out of 23 found this review helpful

Blue Smoke and Murder - by Elizabeth Lowell (on sale May 27th in hardcover)

Meet Jillian "Jill" Breck. A white-water river guide, ex-Fundamentalist Mormon, artist, new owner to 13 un-signed paintings by a famous Western genre artist, and the woman who once saved the life of the son of two of St Kilda Consulting's premier operators. They now owe her...and it's time for Jill to collect. You see, Jill just had her vehicle totally vandalized, one of the questionable paintings shredded and a death threat issued.

Meet Zach Balfour a part-time consultant for St. Kilda and ready to finish a long awaited vacation. With his expertise in gathering information and analyzing it, he isn't so happy to learn that he is needed to cut short his plans to "baby-sit" Jill. Until he meets her and realizes that this in NOT just another babysitting job. Jill is an earthy, smart, woman who is used to looking out for herself. She can guide people through the tumbling rapids of the Colorado river and discuss Zach's favorite topic. But now people are setting fires and shooting at her.

This fast paced, action driven, very well researched, romantic suspense/ thriller takes us deep into the world of very high priced Western genre art and the people who perpetuate millions of dollars in art fraud each year. While some may say that Ms Lowell over-emphasizes the technical part of painting, collecting art, and the manner in which one may perpetuate a fraud...I found it to be highly interesting; both in learning about the Western genre Masters, of painting and the technical side of collecting. Ms Lowell does a very fine job combining these issues with a wonderfully fast paced cat and mouse game with Jill's life at stake and a blossoming romance between Jill and Zach that never seems to stretch credibility. Jill and Zach, along with the secondary and tertiary characters are very well drawn, well fleshed and believable. The situations that Ms Lowell puts Zach and Jill in, never make me need to fight for the suspension of disbelief.

I loved this book right from the very first chapter until the nail biting conclusion, and I have already ordered the other 2 books in the St Kilda's series. I certainly hope we hear more about these men and women of St. Kilda's.

1 out of 5 stars

Hype for this novel is blue smoke. July 8, 2008
8 out of 10 found this review helpful

I have long been a fan of Elizabeth Lowell's work. A Lowell book is usually a "keeper." However, I wish I'd paid attention to the low-star ratings for Blue Smoke and Murder. The book does not live up to her usual standards. Her characters are not engaging. Both are generic romantic leads with little to distinguish them from others she's written. It's hard to believe that the hot-shot St. Kilda's expert would not immediately check out everything for bugs. Despite all the information on the genre of Western painting and the development of the "positional art market," somehow the basic plot never clicks. Shifts in points of view and many undeveloped characters make it difficult to become absorbed in the book. The resolution is particularly unsatisfying. The revelation of the identity of the person who hired the killer is a throw-away in the last two pages of the book, and by then, I just didn't much care. Don't waste your money.

2 out of 5 stars

Boring! May 30, 2008
5 out of 12 found this review helpful

I was very disappointed in this book. Thought there was no suspense, certainly no romance, no action, I found it beyond boring. Her other St. Kilda books were very good. Wait for the paperback!

5 out of 5 stars

strong romantic suspense June 3, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Jill Breck is a Colorado River guide whose current clients are father and son Joe and Lane Faroe. Jill knows the river like the back of her hand so when Lane goes overboard, she jumps in and saves him from a sure death in the rapids. His grateful father gives a card from St. Kilda's Consulting to her, a top of the line private security firm, and tells her if she ever needs any help call the number.

When her Great Aunt Modesty dies in what the local sheriff claims was an unfortunate accident, Jill goes to Northern Arizona to settle the estate. Everything burned down except the cabin Jill lived in as a child and a note from Modesty directing her to the hiding place only her late aunt, her mom and Jill knew. Inside are twenty paintings and a letter saying she sent one out to be appraised but the response was it was worthless, misplaced, and how about $2000 to make up for the neglect. Jill sends Jpeg pictures of the paintings to various dealers and galleries only to receive a death threat.

Jill calls St Kilda who sends operative Zach Balfour to find out and eliminate the problem. Someone who sees the Jpegs believes they are pictures of originals though unsigned Dunstans. The buzz in the art world reaches an investor who does not want Dunstans on the market or even authenticated. This adversary hires a goon to kill Jill or burn the paintings whichever proves more expeditious. Zach vows no one will harm the woman he loves.

BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER is Elizabeth Lowell at her best as she guides her readers into the dark side of the art world where some players will to do anything to obtain famous works or even destroy masterpieces to keep values high. The heroine is tough but wise enough to know she needs a pro on her side; she is also brave, willing to be the bait to trap a killer. Ms. Lowell provides fans with a strong romantic suspense thriller starring a wonderful heroine and the operative who loves her.

Harriet Klausner

5 out of 5 stars

Elizabeth at the Top of her Game June 5, 2008
5 out of 8 found this review helpful

One of the many things that I love about Elizabeth's writing is the fact that she is real "gutsy" in addressing such an inflammatory topic as religion and laying it on the table for others to chew on. In this story she sheds light upon the misogynistic attitude of Fundamentalist Mormons' toward women living in Utah and Northern Arizona. Speaking through her character Jill Breck, this "can of worms" is opened for viewing as she recounts the religion's patriarchal attitude vis a vis the character of Jill's father.

I also appreciated this author's skill with the characters' dialog which is very amusing at times. Both elastic and crisp; sharp and tender; it is entirely hip to current reality.

The central story line stomps all over the pretentiousness of art trading. The author's vivid imagery "outs" the world of art snobbery and invites one to visualize corpulent, overdressed phonies with their trophy wives/girlfriends as they stroke their double chins while blathering champagne fueled nonsense about art. These nouveau riche buy the artist's signature as "status" or "positional" art rather than entertaining the slightest consciousness or insight toward the esthetics of art itself. One could also imagine greedy owners of ritzy art galleries fondling their wallets while piling on massive amounts of the bull "manure" that fuels the blue smoke.

The story is fast paced, riveting and humorous at times despite the murder and mayhem. St. Kilda Consulting once again rides to the rescue and this time it's hero is agent Zach Balfour. Elizabeth never stoops to soft porn. The potent chemistry between Jill and Zach is revealed with elegance and respect for the intelligence of the characters and readers. You "get" their intimacy in the manner of a connoisseur who appreciates the refinement and understatement of true class.

This book is replete with spying, murder, attempted murder and spine tingling action throughout. Jill takes on the ultimate life or death challenge in trying to help nail the criminals in an "op" orchestrated and run by St. Kilda on her behalf. I have to say that this is another thrilling and excellent book by Elizabeth Lowell.

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