The main character in this novel is DI Grace Archer, she is a leading investigator in a series of very bizarre and very cruel murders. There is a very wide variety of diverse and intriguing characters in this novel, and this book is told from multiple perspectives, including the victims and the killer as well. DI Archer is a very complex character, her childhood had its horrors, and she is an outsider in her new police station. But I really admired her strength, sharp mind and complexity. This book allows me to delve deeper into the characters, especially the victims, I think all the victims were suffering from one thing or another, and it was interesting to read about their lives.

The narrative of this book always changes, from the investigation it jumps to new abductions, to personal character’s lives. All these things made the book very fast-paced and enjoyable for me. Even though it is a debut novel, I felt like this book is a part of a series because of the way the author incorporated the details from DI Archer’s past. I felt like I missed the investigations that happened in the past. 😀 I found the plot very multi-dimensional, absorbing and creepy. The topics discussed in this book were grief and loss, traumatic experiences, workplace discrimination, many mental health issues, drug use, domestic and other violence and many many more.

The writing style is very easy to read and enjoyable, but at the same time, it felt unusual, different. (I can’t describe how though 😀 ) The author has experience in cybersecurity, and it was interesting to see, how he highlights the mistakes people do in their daily lives when it comes to our social media and online presence. There are a lot of gory murder scenes in this book, so it might not be suitable for sensitive readers. The atmosphere and the setting of the novel constantly change, depending on the perspective, and I really enjoyed it. The chapters are pretty short, and the whole novel was a page-turner for me. I really loved the ending, it left me very intrigued, and I can’t wait for another book. 🙂

So, to conclude, it is a very rich novel, full of layered and diverse characters as well as a plot that is fast-paced and always changing. I really enjoyed this book, it highlights so many various topics and social issues, you just need to find it.

highly anticipated and talked about books for the new year and one that does not disappoint its reader. A macabre look at what one person may call art that another will call a murderous act is what the plot line delivers. As well as a tense, fraught, fast paced novel the book shines the light on a new female lead character that could be the basis of a series of books. A strong lead character finding her way in a new role whilst juggling the enquiry adds to the books flavour. Whilst I had guessed the culprit half way through I still enjoyed following the book as it joined all the dots to its ultimate reveal. I wanted to see if I had it right or had I been fooled into the wrong conclusion by the author. Either way it was a book I still wanted to finish and I got a sense of satisfaction from my guess and from a book well read.

What a superb and twisty book, delving into the mind of a street artist and the impact of social media. Features a strong female detective and follows her psychological issues as she struggles with combining a new job with a difficult, horrifying case whilst also trying to care for her elderly and ailing grandfather. Will look forward to reading more by this author.

The Art Of Death is an extremely sinister crime thriller where the victims are displayed as works of art around London. Grace Archer is heading the police team who are trying to find the perpetrator but she has more to deal with than just the crime. She is in a new position, in a station where she doesn’t expect to be made welcome after she had to arrest her predecessor. She also has to care for her ailing grandfather, her only family.

She does have her friends in the team though, Quinn who wasn’t one of her predecessor’s biggest fans and Klara, who is more than capable of ignoring snide comments and smirks.

It was a novel where you got to meet some of the victims rather than their killer. You could see how they were coerced to their deaths and with some of them the horror they experienced when they realised they had been duped. And with the others, I felt sadness at knowing that they wouldn’t have their happy evening.

There were a few times early in the book that I felt I had missed an earlier novel, but it was just a different style of writing. Both Grace’s and Quinn’s past are revealed much later in the novel. Most of the novel does focus on Grace but there poignant scenes that featured another victim. I felt quite tense reading these, hoping for a happy ending.

Not as believable as many crime thrillers but very entertaining and I read it very quickly. I hope that this book will become a series, I see huge potential for Grace, Quinn and a hopefully united team.

The Art of Death is a clever, chilling and visceral thriller that  has a feisty but troubled heroine in Di Archer.  She is assigned to lead a team in a department which she had previously investigated . Despite open hostility from some of the  officers she finds an ally in DS Quinn. Which is fortuitous because the  @nonymous killer  at that moment releases a public  tableaux - 3 dead  homeless people posed in a tank of Formaldehyde. From then on It’s a race against time to catch the killer as evidence shows more victims are in danger of becoming a “work of Art” .

 Before  the conclusion Di Archer must relive and come to terms with  her own traumatic past, not knowing that she has already been selected to be “immortalised”  by the killer.
I very much enjoyed the  central character and her relationship with her sergeant.

Archer is by turns empathetic or ruthless just as the situation requires but she also has a touching vulnerability highlighted through her internal battles against her demons and self doubt, making her a well rounded figure that I hope to see more of in the future.

The story  is extremely well plotted building up to an exciting  and memorable climax, skilfully blending many contemporary issues along the way.

Highly recommended.

This was a dark, messed up thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed reading! When Detective Inspector Grace Archer is made head of the latest investigation, she was certainly not bargaining on it dragging her tragic, traumatising childhood into the public spotlight. A killer who goes by the name @nonymous is publicly framing his murder victims as art installations around London. When Archer begins investigating it doesn’t take long for the press to find out her real identity as a survivor of a child murderer and to splash her secrets all across the papers. Will Archer face her fears again when confronted with another harrowing murderer or will she let it all get the better of her?

This was an interesting premise for a thriller. I found death imitating art super morbid and creepy but a very strong angle to come at a thriller with. Archer was a fun protagonist to spend time with and I found her second in command Quinn very endearing and a good energy to balance the dynamic. This was written very well and structured competently. I would be very happy if he wrote more thrillers for Archer to take the lead in. She is a very nuanced well layered protagonist with much more to give us and I am hungry for more. If you enjoy thrillers/ police procedurals you should 100% be picking this one up!

Thanks to the author David Fennell,Bonnier Books UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Three glass boxes appear as part of an art project. Its a macabre display but they soon realize its also real. There are dead bodies in the boxes. DI Grace Archer has just been moved to a station where she isnt welcome but can she pull the team together and solve these murders before more boxes appear.

This was an interesting story and i enjoyed the mystery but it didnt draw me in as much as I'd hoped it would. I figured out who was behind the murders fairly quickly. The plot was a bit slow but did build to a very dramatic ending which I enjoyed. I liked the back story of Grace but couldn't quite like her enough by the end of the story. I did like Quin though and Klara too. A good crime, thriller.

4 Stars from me

As well as having a cracking cover, The Art of Death is a fabulous debut novel by David Fennell.

I greatly enjoyed meeting DI Grace Archer and her team as they raced - blindly at times - to track down @nonymous.

I had to admire Archer as she joins a team by filling the shoes of a cop that she helped put away... all a bit awkward, especially as her new boss was dating him. Can't say I would have relished that opportunity myself.

I greatly enjoyed the 'art' aspect of the murders and how the killer lured people - a bit of a lesson to us all to think about how much we give away online.

It's always hard meeting a new team at the start of a series (I am presuming this will go on to be a series) but I feel like we know them all now - warts an all - and it will be good to pick them up again in future books.

Archer's relationship with her grandad was a nice touch too.

Overall, very engaging, gripping at times, nicely nutty killer and a great introduction to Archer and her team.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book even though I had already preordered a copy from Goldsboro Books.
When you look at a piece of art do you wonder if it's an imitation of reality or an expression of the artist's emotions? This is one of the final exchanges in this book which is quite appropriate for this book. DI Grace Archer is tasked with catching the killer who treats his occupation as an art form. Her first hurdle is running the team whose previous DI she had arrested, so she is not expecting a warm welcome.
There is plenty of back story that is introduced to add depth to the storyline and whether this is a prelude to a series of books or David will concentrate on selling other authors' book is anyone's guess. I expect he will continue to be successful in both.
This is a very well written book, I would expect nothing less from someone whose day jobs is selling books, with, as I previously said, a killer who treats killing as an artform, selecting his victims electronically. This is story that uses the frailties of humankind to maximum effect.

I love discovering new authors and David Fennell is certainly a new author for me. I read that his work is being compared to the work of Chris Carter and M. W. Craven and as I am a huge fan of both authors, I instinctively knew that I was going to love ‘The Art Of Death’. To say that I loved ‘The Art Of Death’ is an understatement- I flipping well adored reading ‘The Art Of Death’ but more about that in a bit.
I loved the character of Detective Inspector Grace Archer and I warmed to her from the start. It didn’t take me long to view Grace as a friend. She is a dedicated police officer, who is rising through the ranks. Grace was promoted from the rank of Detective Sergeant to the rank of Detective Inspector and when we first meet her she is heading for her first posting as a Detective Inspector. There is a bit of trouble on the horizon as it turns out that she had a hand in unseating the previous occupant of the post. I won’t go too far into what happens as I would hate to spoil the book for anybody else. Grace certainly has courage in spades and she isn’t easily fazed, which are two qualities which she certainly needs given the level of animosity she faces. It soon becomes clear that she has been through some pretty tough stuff in her personal life, which affects her to this day. Grace is a determined, courageous, hard working, loyal, kind and compassionate young lady and I am sure that she will go far.
The fact that David’s work is being compared to the work of two of my favourite authors, was enough to grab my attention and draw me in. As soon as I started to read, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to put this book down. That is exactly what happened too. I was so intrigued by the horror of the murders and by the motive of the perpetrator that I had to keep reading. The book wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I simply couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story in case I missed a vital clue or a twist. The more of the book I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of the story and I had to say farewell to Grace Archer.
I had real trouble believing that ‘The Art Of Death’ was the author’s debut crime novel. The author has a polished and confident writing style that makes the reader feel as though they are an active participant in the story. That’s how I felt at any rate. I have to say that this is one of those debut novels that will stay fresh in my mind for a long while to come, especially as the murderer chooses to display his victims in an unusual fashion. For me, ‘The Art Of Death’ was perfectly paced. The story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘The Art Of Death’ felt like being on one seriously scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists, turns and surprises than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board. Just when you thought that you could take a moment to gather your thoughts, let your heart rate settle and reclaim your stomach then off the action would go again. I found ‘The Art Of Death’ to be a tense, dramatic, chilling read, which held my attention throughout and had me on the edge of my seat throughout.
In short, I absolutely, totally and utterly loved reading ‘The Art Of Death’ and I strongly recommend that you read it. It’s still early in 2021 but I can confidently say that ‘The Art Of Death’ will be one of my top reads of 2021. I can’t wait to read more from David Fennell in the future. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Every now and then I get a tingle on the back of my neck that is the signal that I have found a book that is exactly what I wanted and needed to read. The last time was MW Craven’s The Puppet Show and the subsequent series of Washington Poe books has more than lived up to that initial frisson of excitement.

Now David Fennell has come forward with D.I. Grace Archer, the police inspector with a past to overcome and her steady DS, Harry Quinn who is himself carrying a burden that weighs heavily. Archer has recently been promoted and is now based in Charing Cross Station, a station where a number of the detective team and her boss have good reason to resent her presence.

Flawed detectives with pasts to overcome are a trope of crime fiction, but how that is handled can make all the difference and here Fennell uses it lightly enough to make Grace interesting without letting it impinge too much on the plot and leaving sa lot to be revealed in what will hopefully be future books.

Right from the off we are in dark territory. An unknown man in a café is sitting, watching and choosing his victims from those who pass through after first identifying them though their social media profiles. Thus begins a process of catfishing, where our mystery man courts his victims by telling them what they need to hear and they, without much of a second thought, fall for the smooth charm. A slimeball stalker is on no-one’s list of desirable dates, but this one is clever.

Grace Archer’s first day at her new station is a bumpy one. She’s hardly got her coat off when an she is called out to an art installation in Trafalgar Square which is causing a commotion. When she sees it she realises straight away that this is a murder scene. Three men are on display and they are being live streamed across the world on social media.

The artist, self styled as @nonymous has called this gruesome piece, ‘The Forsaken’. So begins an intensely creep, chilling crime novel in which this artist embarks on a killing spree using ever more ‘creative’ techniques for an audience that can’t get enough of it. Fennell’s use of social media shows us that in so many ways we lay ourselves open to abuse and are becoming accustomed to accept anything that is laid before us at face value. Nothing is shocking any more except the very shocking and then it is acceptable if labelled ‘art’.

More of these murderous installations appear and Archer finds herself drawn far more deeply into the investigation than she would have wished, and suffers in her role for that. Fennell gives us lots of suspects to consider many of them unsavoury characters but pleasingly, the victims here are more than cyphers, but are portrayed as family members, friends and partners and their lives you know, counted for someone, making them authentically drawn.

Though many of the chapters are written from the perspective of D.I. Grace Archer, you also get a range of perspectives from some of the victims to the killer, adding to the character depth. Grace’s own closest relationship shows her humanity in a stark contrast to a violent, psychopathic killer.

The Art of Death ramps up the tension brilliantly, each gruesome murder building on the last until the final exciting and gripping denouement.

Verdict: I loved The Art of Death with its well-drawn characters, its fast pace and the layered, twisty plotting with loads of misdirection. With a compelling protagonist and a chilling and uber creepy antagonist this book has everything you need to keep you enthralled into the wee small hours. I really hope there’s more of Grace Archer to come.

David Fennell is a debut author who has written a crime thriller with a deranged, unique serial killer, the likes I hadn’t seen before.
An underground and anonymous artist leaves three glass cabinets in Trafalgar Square that contain a gruesome installation - the corpses of three homeless men. With more artistry exhibited, newly-promoted Detective Inspector Grace Archer and her Detective Sergeant Harry Quinn, they must follow the clues to stop the elusive killer before more bodies are discovered. With live streams of the victims ‘art’ being shown on social media, it becomes a desperate search against time. However, Archer realises the killer could be more interested in her and she may well be the masterpiece of his final show.
If you are new to crime thrillers “The Art of Death” is a reasonable read with plenty of gory murders and action to keep the reader on a thrilling ride. However, to the seasoned crime devotee, this as a police procedural is a little suspect and I found a lot of inconsistencies and implausible logistics. If you’re prepared to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the murderous journey, it is a very entertaining read. DI Archer’s character is quite an enigma with a backstory that is rather complex and full on. This does add character to her persona but it is far from a realistic life story. Once again, the premise of the story will have you checking your online securities, as many other books have highlighted recently.
Depending how you read this, you may well find this story creepy and intense, with an ending that’s exciting and fast paced. I like my crime thrillers to be a bit more intelligently plotted but I still enjoyed it and would probably read more in the DI Grace Archer series in the future.

Good LORD this is a belter of a series opener and a book!

Grace Archer not only is stepping into the shoes of a superior officer, these shoes were ones she blasted him out of by exposing him as a corrupt officer. So, hostile team from day 1, added to which an ambitious serial killer is busy decorating the streets of London with glass cases in which human corpses are suspended.

The ultimate statement on the way humans turn on, and abandon each other, this is a major ball ache for Grace who is having to prove herself not just as a woman D.I, but in bringing down a man who is quickly established to have ordered 13 of the same size cabinets.

With 3 people turned into living works of art, another 10 anticipated, and a villain who will kill to cover his tracks, this could make or break Grace and second in command Harry Quinn. Add in her personal life and her connection to another killer, and all you senses begin tingling as you are drip fed details of Grace's childhood. You are fully engaged in the story-whilst being mildly concerned about how easily this @nnonymous artist tracks down people's personal information-and anticipating a slow build of key relationships.

David has captured the multiple aspects and pulls on the time of the modern professional woman without resorting to tropes or type-Grace is articulate, strong and determined to bring those who prey on her patch down, she has zero interest in being anybody's lap dog or pariah. She is out to bring justice and play by the rules, and is a rounded protagonist with room to grow.

I am genuinely excited to see where Grace and Harry go next, as I hastily up all the privacy filters on my everything-and hope I haven't locked myself OUT of everything-and highly recommend this for any police procedural fans. It is dark, violent and with an underpinning social commentary and wry sense of humour that I related to.

Is this killer the most devious and twisted one that you have come across, or,as the newspapers report '..an attention seeking crackpot with a failed GCSE in art'?

Get yourself a copy of 'The Art Of Death' and find out for yourself!

The Art of Death is a brilliant debut novel. A creepy and dark thriller which had me hooked throughout. A real page turner and a definite hit for 2021. Looking forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Art of Death is David Fennell's debut serial killer thriller and one of the most scintillating and exciting crime novels of the past year. It follows DI Grace Archer and DS Harry Quinn of the Metropolitan Police as they race to capture a deranged serial killer before he kills again. It begins with the unnamed killer entering the Lumberyard Cafe on the corner of Upper St Martin's Lane and Tower Street, knowing there's only an hour to go until the show starts. He appears to be watching and stalking the whereabouts of Elaine Kelly who is chatting with a friend. She is his muse and his next exhibit only she doesn't know it yet. He also scouts for other "artworks" including Vietnamese barista Chau Ho whose Facebook page he trawls through. The stalker has been cat-fishing Elaine for 5 weeks - communicating, flirting and generally chitchatting online with her. If only she knew how dangerous he is. It's Grace's first day in her new job as DI at Charing Cross Police Station after she exposed now ex-DI Andy Rees for his part in corruption; he was swiftly arrested and sent down. Her first case in her new position sees Archer and Quinn called out to commissioned street art pieces for the Lord Mayor's show. There has been a complaint by the show director that 3 of the pieces are obscene and should be removed immediately. They head to Trafalgar Square to see what all the fuss is about.

The installation is of 3 glass cabinets each 6 feet tall, filled with liquid and one seems to contain a life-like effigy of a naked man wearing a long scruffy coat, calmly floating in the water. The hands of the men are extended and cupped as if they are begging. Deeply disturbing, to say the least. It's no wonder there's a crowd gathering. Another cabinet holds a man with a tattooed torso. Faded blue skulls are inked onto the chest. His neck is ringed with thick purple bruises. Lifeless grey eyes stare over the heads of the crowd. Archer quickly realises she knows him - it's Billy Perrin. It's then everyone understands that this isn’t some weird artistic effigy. These men are dead. As more bodies and exhibits pop up all over the city Grace certainly has her hands full trying to catch a ruthless and highly intelligent killer. This is a compulsive, scintillating and deeply unsettling read and a book I devoured in a few hours. It's wickedly twisty, deliciously dark and completely macabre right from the outset. With twist after twist the intensity and suspense builds while Archer and Quinn desperately try to stop the murders. This is a real page-turner and the forensics and police procedures added extra interest to the plot. Grace is a believable and relatable character and her new partnership with DS Harry Quinn is brilliantly played out. This was everything I want in a thriller and then some. Highly recommended.

When a serial killer leaves three corpses in glass cases in Trafalgar Square. Detective Grace Archer and her team must race against the clock to bring the exhibitionist killer to justice.
I really loved this creepy thriller, it had all the ingredients for a brilliant read. Atmospheric writing, a fast pace and an intriguing concept.
It really delivered on the horrors that were inflicted on the poor victims and the characters were easy to warm to with interesting stories flowing alongside the main plot.
A great read I found difficult to put down.
Thankyou to Bonnier Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a great start to what I hope will be a series of books.
DI Grace Archer moves to Charing Cross in London, though she’s not welcomed by all. Her first day sees her dropped into a multiple murder investigation where the bodies have been put on display, as if they are a piece of art.
As others have said, it is quite obvious who the murderer is from quite early on, but it is interesting following the investigation as they track him down and get tricked by red herrings along the way.
A great read.
Thanks to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

If this is what this author can do with a debut book I can't wait to read his next one. What a mind he has and imagination .Definitely not a book for those of a delicate or nervous disposition Fans of Chris Carter and other writers who embrace the darker side of thrillers will love this book .This is about as dark as it gets and very well done. It kept me page turning and guessing all the way through, and I loved it .I liked the characters some very interesting ones and I liked the writing style. I can't fault it Cracking book, and it deserves to do well.

I rated this 4 stars purely because I guessed @nonamyous from the start, despite all the twists and turns.
This reminds of the MJ Arlidge Helen Garce series but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I honestly loved this book, it was a fresh approach on a serial killer. I also received Tess Gerritsen vibes from her book The Surgeon but again that isn’t a bad thing.
I hope he intends to make this isn’t a series 🤞🏻

DI Grace Archer’s life is so freighted with problems (kidnapped by a paedophile when young, father a policeman killed on duty, mother committed suicide, dodgy boyfriend, grandfather with incipient dementia) that it’s a wonder she can function at all. Newly promoted on the strength of her arrest of a bent DI she is sent to replace him, thereby ensuring that most of her new colleagues bear a grudge, including her boss, DCI Pierce. Nevertheless, when an art installation set up in Trafalgar Square is unveiled to reveal the bodies of three homeless men, individually pickled in formaldehyde, she persuades Pierce to make her SIO. The killer has already identified his next victims, three young women, and has further plans one of which, unbeknown to her, is Grace. The killer remains a mystery to the investigative team until near the end, but, certainly in my case, seems obvious.
The story is told in the present tense, which is unusual but does give an urgency to descriptions of the race to find the killer and rescue missing persons. The final scenes, in particular, are almost set at ’fast-forward’.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.