Customer Reviews

Blue Smoke and Murder

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I am a devoted Elizabeth Lowell fan and own everyone of her books that I can find. I am sorry to say that this book was really hard to finish because the story was not all that interesting.

In her usual voice, Lowell does a fantastic job of describing her main characters. Jill and Zach are an interesting couple who have a palpable attraction for each other. Lowell has shows you how they meet and gives you circumstances that unite the couple for a good cause (i.e., staying alive long enough to unravel the mystery of Jill's art inheritance).

I lost interest in this book about 50% of the way into it. At that point, the story didn't really leave any mysteries for the reader as I had already figured out the rest of the book. Instead, I felt like I was waiting for Lowell to get on with it so I could go to my next book.

This book is probably the least satisfying read out of all her books. Since Lowell doesn't publish very often, I was pretty disappointed in how uninterestingly this book was written.

For other Lowell readers, I would recommend checking this book out at your local library and not spending money on it until it comes out in paperback.

While "Blue Smoke and Murder" is an interesting story it is a tale that Lowell has already told readers. The art theme is very interesting but Lowell needs to learn to use it differently regarding the overall plot. The story was so formulaic that I could predict the "twists" within the first 3-5 chapters, for me that does not make an interesting book. I also felt that some of the information about the art world was overdone and was reminiscent of the beginning textbooks I used in my one and only art history course in college. Despite the negatives of the book I did give it three stars because it was a fast paced moving story and many elements are interesting. I don't recommend buying it in hardback, either borrow it from the library or buy it in paperback.

I have read every thing Miss Lowell has written, including what she used to write in the category series. I have to say that I was disappointed in her making the character an ex-Mormon Fundamentalist. That's a contradiction. "Mormons" are LDS and haven't practiced polygamy since 1890. About the only thing we have in common with Fundamentalists is sharing part of a name (FLDS). And the only time I have ever heard of "Mormon" tea, was when as a child my Dad steeped Chaparral brush to drink to clear his sinuses. I call diet Coke....diet Coke. Course, I was raised in Las Vegas. To me the character spent too much time distrusting all men and there wasn't much time to develop a romance between the characters. I will forget this book, except to remember its' inaccuracies, but I will look forward to her next one.

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.

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.

I've read every Elizabeth Lowell book (including those under other pseudonyms).

I read this book in one afternoon. I didn't want to put it down. So, I would have to say it was worth reading.

The quailty of an Elizabeth Lowell book is very high and the story and background is always very intersting.

Why not more stars? I kept waiting for something more in this book that did not materialize.

This book reminded me way too much of Die in Plain Sight.
Female inherits paintings from relative
Paintings may be forgeries
Female(who is a talented painter in her own right) is suspected / accused of painting them herself)
Secret reveled by the paintings that someone will kill to keep
Male lead is a colector of something other than traditional art

I found it fairly predictible. I wasn't drawn into the characters as I usually am. In fact, I found the male lead very one-dimensional. Usually, the main charachters (both) have a lot of depth. I didn't feel that way while reading this book.

In short, if you were only going to read one of Elizabeth's Lowells books, pick another one. (Die in Plain Sight was MUCH better in my opinion). Irrigardless of its faults, it is still a better book than most on the book store shelf.

I"m all for learning something when I read a book. However, when I read a "romance" book I expect some romance, especially from EL. How I long for the days of the Donovan clan. There you learned something and still got a very strong romantic story. No so with all the St. Kilda books. I hope EL (once one of my "buy anything she writes" authors) will find better balance in future work.

I've read every book by Elizabeth Lowell and she has always been one of my favorite romance authors. I was disappointed by this book though, I thought the characters were flat and the romance lacking. In addition, as mentioned in some of the other reviews, she waxed a bit too long about the ways and means of the art world - usually these details just fill in her books but this time she took up far more time with it.

I've never said negative things about an Elizabeth Lowell book before but I have to. As a westerner, the religious elements are just too wrong to ignore. In the past she's had very complex story lines involving other cultures, and in my favorite books we learned about gems, yet she can't do her homework and find out that the FLDS and the LDS are as similar as Jews and Muslims? The book lost all credibility when she said the leaders in SLC turn a blind eye to the polygamist. The FLDS care as much what the LDS leaders in SLC think as they do the pope. Plus, Diet Coke is Mormon Tea? I've lived in the west all my life, around SLC most of it, and I've never heard that phrase.
Anyway, in addition tho that, if you pay attention, the question of who the artist is can be figured out before page 100, it just takes 300 pages longer for the characters to figure out what the reader should already know.
The romance wasn't as strong as I expect from Lowell. If the author of the book weren't Elizabeth Lowell I might give it more stars. But since I've come to expect solid storylines and characters from her, I have to say...very disappointing. If you've never read Lowell before start with the Donovans. Those books are fabulous. Also, a personal favorite, Tell Me No Lies. But this one, I can live without.

Jill Breck is a river guide and artist. Zach Balfour is a consultant for St. Kilda. Joe Faroe, from the last Lowell book, become indebted to Jill after she saves his son Lanes life.

Jill never intend to cash in on the offer from Joe until her Great Aunt dies in a fire leaving her with unsigned paintings and death threats. St. Kilda calls in Zach, who is also an art buff, to guard Jill and her paintings.

As the two try to unravel the mysteries involving the paintings and Jill's family history and are thrown into a dangerous game with ruthless art collectors, they learn that they have to rely on each other to survive.

This story has a great plot, even if the issues regarding FLDS and the legitimate LDS church are a bit skewed. If you can make it through the first few chapters and the mistakes in regards to the two religions then the story is worth the time.

I gave the story 3 stars due to the religious issues and that this book just wasn't quite up to par with her last few books. Still it is a good read.