by Maria Hummel
First published 2022
Maggie Richter returns to Los Angeles and her position at the Rocque Museum, hoping to rebuild her career and reconnect with old friends. The museum faces mounting pressure to stay open. Then Brenae Brasil turns up dead on the campus of Los Angeles Art College, the nation's most prestigious art school. Brasil was a rising star whose path to art world fame seemed certain. She had just finished a provocative documentary exploring female bodies, coercion, and self-defense. Maggie discovers cryptic clues hidden in Brasil's video art. These clues pull her into the shadowy Los Angeles art scene, where she plays a dangerous game with powerful people. The closer Maggie gets to the truth about Brasil's death, the more lies she risks exposing. She finds herself at the center of another art world mystery when she least needs the distraction. The investigation reveals dark questions about power structures in the art world and the fatal consequences that await those who challenge the established order.
Genres: art, mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: dangerous-game, investigative-journalism, power-dynamics
Setting: Los Angeles, Los Angeles Art College, Rocque Museum
Period: contemporary
320 pages · Paperback · Counterpoint
Content warnings: death, violence