Death in the Picture

Karl Burak was a solicitor in North Vancouver, B.C.

This mystery is hard to read. It grates upon the mind and offends the sensibilities of the reader. It begrudgingly discloses the full identities of its characters, it belabours the thought processes of its detectives, it shifts frequently in point of view, the plot does not flow. And as the reader concentrates attentively to hold in mind the plot, the characters, and their involvements, he becomes annoyed with typographical and grammatical errors — of which there are many.

The story begins with the improbable murder of an improbable artist. The detectives, Inspector Graham of Scotland Yard and Cyress Finnegan, art historian, late of MI-6, are at the scene. They are joined by Sergeant Purvis of Savile Row Station. They set out to solve the crime. Their investigation prods the ties between the many characters: among others, Dr. Hans Edinborough, psychiatrist and gallery owner; Maria Edinborough, his wife; Trudi, the doctor’s daughter by a former marriage; Degara, Maria’s son by a former marriage; Tony Kershaw, a chemist and artist; Mary Kershaw, his wife and sister of Peter Knowles, an art dealer abroad; and Charles Knowles, the bastard son of Peter Knowles. As it turns out, there was a witness to the murder and the doctor is identified as the murderer. He is not apprehended. He too is murdered and the investigation continues. The detectives search for motives. They find them when Finnegan analyses the evidence and deduces the purpose of certain photographs and carefully concealed features of a gallery painting. The first murder was to prevent blackmail or exposure and the second, betrayal. The evidence points to a ring of art thieves. At the end of the book, the master mind of the ring is seen in the United States planning his future; perhaps he is to meet Finnegan again.

As one reads this book and wrestles with the many characters and shifts in point of view, it seems a book is the wrong medium. Perhaps a play (there are some obvious stages and sets) would be ideal. The environment of the story rings true. The author, Moncrieff Williamson, director of the Confederation Art Gallery in Charlottetown, gives us a fascinating setting: a world of great masterpieces, art historians, artists and patrons, and the commerce of art. With dialogue and a stage (or perhaps the screen), the plot would shape and hold. The many characters and their distinctive personalities would capture an audience, very much as the eye is drawn by a good painting.