Title: The Incomplete Artist
Author: Philip Wyeth
Series: Ashley Westgard #2
Genre: Mystery
Date of Publication: March 12, 2021
Publisher: Self-published
Synopsis
An evening at the art gallery… The clinking of wine glasses… The hopeful thrill of a first date… But someone has murder on their mind!
All that Detective Ashley Westgard wanted was a night off—and maybe a little romance later on. But when a body is discovered during an event with dozens of wealthy art collectors in attendance, her fairy tale dream turns into a nightmare for everyone. Now Ash must put her hopes on hold, flash her police badge, and take control of the crime scene… “This is my gallery now!”
In the hi-tech world of 2045, where even artists are threatened by the encroaching tide of automation, a self-proclaimed anachronistic group called Movement 24 both asserts and defends the value of human creativity. But along with popular acclaim come the temptations of greed, and now M-24’s idealistic quirks risk crossing over into fanaticism. Or… have they already gone too far?
While Ash explores this peculiar niche of society to track down a killer, she is also forced to confront some of her own worst flaws. Her heart, her mind, and her instincts all vie for center stage in a battle of conflicting priorities—but can the pursuit of truth and justice coexist with personal ambition and the quest for contentment? An intense, complex, and enigmatic heroine, Ashley Westgard is well on her way to earning a place in the pantheon of famous female sleuths.
Here, in his seventh novel, author Philip Wyeth once again delivers a full-immersion experience complete with polished prose, vividly drawn characters, and an imaginative plot. As always, he balances his prescient visions with touches of humor to remain grounded and digestible for readers.
With The Incomplete Artist, Wyeth offers more than the average murder mystery through a unique blend of police procedural, fairy tale, science fiction, and psychological elements. At the same time, it is very much a treatise on the philosophy of art, and pays tribute to artists of all stripes who engage in that noble and often lonely struggle to bring their creative visions into the world.
My Thoughts
An Agatha Christie murder mystery–but with robots.
The Incomplete Artist is the second in the Ashley Westgard series. While I didn’t read the first, the author provides a nice little note at the beginning that prepares the reader for an unconventional murder mystery. How is it unconventional, you ask? It’s set in the year 2045.
The first half of the book takes place during an art auction. Detective Ashley Westgard is there as a civilian. She’s on a first date with a man named Thomas who’s regaling her with his extensive knowledge of the art world. She spends the evening meeting the artists and other event attendees. But then one of them ends up murdered.
That’s when the book becomes a little more science fiction. As I said before, the year is 2045, and forensic science has changed quite a bit in just 23 years. Despite the sci fi elements, the book still reads like a typical murder mystery – more cozy than procedural, though elements of the latter genre get heavier as the book progresses.
The style of writing and the pacing all reminded me a lot of a Hercule Poirot mystery, many of which I devoured when I was younger. The old style of talking and Wyeth’s narrative style nicely blends the antiquated concept of an in-person art auction with a nice spattering of futuristic content. Ash is a strong female lead who also happens to be a police detective, and in this novel, her profession encroaches on her personal life.
The Incomplete Artist is slow paced, like historical cozy mysteries, and there are a lot of characters to meet and names to learn. Considering the length of the book, I would have liked for a little more action earlier in the story, and maybe for the murder investigation to move a little quicker. That said, Wyeth’s explorations of the future of art and automation was quite interesting, if not what I was expecting from the story when I first started to read it.
I enjoyed getting a snippet of Wyeth’s interpretation of what the art world–and forensic investigations–could look like in 23 years. I recommend this book if you’re a fan of classic whodunits–with a twist.
*Thank you to Blackthorn Book Tours and the author for the ebook to review*

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