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Alex Kenna
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What Meets the Eye: A Mystery Hardcover – December 6, 2022

by Alex Kenna (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 59 ratings
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From debut author Alex Kenna comes a pulse-pounding tapestry of secrets, retribution, and greed for fans of Jeffrey Archer.

Kate Myles was a promising Los Angeles police detective, until an accident and opioid addiction blew up her family and destroyed her career. Struggling to rebuild her life, Kate decides to try her hand at private detective work—but she gets much more than she bargained for when she takes on the case of a celebrated painter found dead in a downtown loft.

When Margot Starling’s body was found, the cause of death was assumed to be suicide. Despite her beauty, talent, and fame, she struggled with a host of demons. But as Kate digs deeper, she learns that Margot had a growing list of powerful enemies—among them a shady art dealer who had been selling forged works by Margot. Kate soon uncovers a dirty trail that leads straight into the heart of the city's deadly underworld.

Margot died for her art—and if Kate doesn't tread lightly, she could be the next to get brushed out.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Crooked Lane Books
  4. Publication date
    December 6, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6.36 x 0.97 x 9.51 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1639101845
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1639101849
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

2023 SHAMUS AWARD: BEST FIRST P.I. NOVEL FINALIST

Praise for What Meets the Eye:
“[An] impressive debut . . . Sara Paretsky fans will be pleased.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A righteous, painful debut. More, please.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Vivid portraits . . . and the absorbing mystery that surrounds them, signal a master in the making.”
—Bookpage

“Dragging the world of high art down into the muck of Los Angeles' criminal underbelly, Alex Kenna has created an engaging mystery buoyed by the heart of its heroine, Kate Myles. Trying to win against stacked decks in her professional and personal lives, Myles' resilience and hustle makes her an easy hero to stand up and cheer for.” 
—James Queally, author of the Russel Avery novels and Los Angeles Times crime reporter.

“With the sure hand of an old master, Alex Kenna’s debut blurs the line between catharsis and crime in this gritty and nimble noir mystery. When a routine investigation into the apparent suicide of art superstar Margot Starling becomes anything but, down-on-her-luck PI Kate Myles must square herself up for the fight of her life or lose it all. Entertaining and provocative, What Meets the Eye reminds us that truth often comes with a price tag much higher—and deadlier—than anything Sotheby's could ever hope to fetch at auction.”
—Katie Lattari, author of Dark Things I Adore

“Kenna gives us the LA crime story we want—a fronded, sun-beaten carousel of depravity and murder, all laced up with tight plotting, sharply hewn characters, and a gripping, original story.”
—Joseph Schneider, author of the Tully Jarsdel Mysteries

“A suspicious death dismissed as suicide leads PI Kate Myles deep into a web of blackmail and deceit, set against an intriguing backdrop of shady dealings in the art world. An all too human character, Kate is determined to piece together the wreckage of her life and career, and salvage her fractured relationship with her daughter. With clever twists & turns, and a host of convincing suspects along the way, the plot delivers a satisfying ending, but leaves us with tantalizing hints of more to come from Kate…”
—Julie Cameron, author of Nameless Acts of Cruelty

About the Author

Alex Kenna is a prosecutor and an avid Sunday painter. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and giant schnauzer.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (December 6, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639101845
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639101849
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.36 x 0.97 x 9.51 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 59 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Alex Kenna

Alex Kenna

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Alex Kenna is a mystery writer, prosecutor, and amateur painter. Her first novel, What Meets the Eye, was a 2023 Shamus Award Finalist for best first P.I. novel. Kirkus Reviews called it a “righteous, painful debut,” and Bookpage called her “a master in the making.”

Alex lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and giant schnauzer. Before law school, she studied art and art history, worked as a freelance culture writer for the Atlantic and other publications, and sold paintings in a gallery. When she’s not writing Alex can be found exploring Southern California, toddler-wrangling, and playing string instruments badly.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
59 global ratings
Loved it! Learned a lot about the art world
5 Stars
Loved it! Learned a lot about the art world
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Top reviews from the United States

L115
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced mystery
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2023
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What Meets the Eye is a great fast-paced mystery, with intriguing characters. The protagonist is deeply flawed and yet the reader is still rooting for her. The same can be said for the setting of the book. The city of Los Angeles itself is almost its own character in the book; and it shares the same mix of highs and lows as the protagonist. Perfect read for someone who enjoys a good modern mystery novel.
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John M. Boatman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story Great characters
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
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This had me hooked from the start. I’ll read the next book from Alex Kenna for sure.
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Freddie McKenna
5.0 out of 5 stars Sympathetic sleuth, fast moving plot, fascinating art world milieu
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
Former LA cop Kate Myles is in recovery from an opiate addiction she developed after being injured in a crash during a high-speed chase. The accident and subsequent pain killer problem costs her her marriage and custody of her daughter. Drawing on her police training, Kate reinvents herself as a detective. When art world sensation Margot Starling is found hanging in her studio, the cops quickly dismiss her death as a suicide. Margot's father doesn't believe it and hires Kate to find out the truth. Skeptical at first, Kate soon finds herself mired in a dangerous swamp of blackmail, forgery, and Russian organized crime.

This is a fast, fun read. Kenna makes the most of gritty LA locations and makes you want to check out Kate's favorite watering holes. Kate is a flawed but likable character. Self-aware about her ADD, she has a wry, self-deprecating voice that should lend itself to a terrific series of books.
One person found this helpful
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Readersguide
4.0 out of 5 stars Great characters
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
This debut novel is a great read. I read mysteries for characters (they have to be flawed but likeable) and atmosphere, and this book has both. The gradual reveal of the detective’s backstory (it seems to me the real problem is the ex-husband) and the shady doings in the Los Angeles art world combine to create a world I wasn’t ready to leave when the book ended. Can’t wait for the next one.
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Jersey Girl Book Reviews / Jersey Girl Sizzling Book Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars What Meets The Eye
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2023
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In her debut novel, What Meets The Eye, author Alex Kenna transports the reader to Los Angeles, California, for an intriguing mystery tale that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

The story centers around Kate Myles, a former LAPD Detective turned private investigator, who is trying to put her life back together, and she agrees to look into the death of renowned artist Margot Starling. The police have declared her death a suicide, but Margo's father believes that she was murdered. Kate is
determined to find out the truth behind her Margot's death,especially when her investigation leads her to believe that not everything is what meets the eye.

Author Alex Kenna weaves a slow building and suspenseful mystery tale written in the alternating first person narratives of several characters that follows Kate's investigation into Margo's death, and her determination to find out if Margo committed suicide or had been murdered.

The reader is easily drawn into this well written story with its richly descriptive plot and setting. It is filled with enough secrets, motives, possible suspects, action, and intriguing twists and turns that definitely keeps the reader guessing until the surprising conclusion.

This was a really intriguing story to read! The author does a wonderful job of providing enough clues to engage the reader, and I found myself so caught up on trying to figure out how Margo really died. I loved how Kate used her former position as an LAPD detective to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to get to the truth, and how Margo's troubled life had taken her down some very dark and dangerous areas beyond the art world. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much Kate's personal life story also had me rooting for her as she tried to put her life back together.

What Meets The Eye will definitely take mystery readers on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.
2 people found this helpful
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Taylor Lavender
5.0 out of 5 stars A thriller for art lovers!
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2023
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This was incredibly well written and a quick read (I usually lose interest in books before I finish them). It’s easy to fall into the vivid and layered world that Kenna creates. I love that the book has two complex, intelligent, female leads and that it is set in the art world — with references to art and contemporary art history.
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Kathy
5.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner, with great characters!
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2023
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This is a great read - hard to put down! I liked the somewhat flawed Kate Myles from the very beginning. But I also really enjoyed the other characters, too -- likeable or not, they were well-developed and intriguing. And settings in the LAPD, the modern art world and LA in general, rang true. No matter what you generally read (I mostly read non-fiction), you will really enjoy this book!
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Josh
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, great characters
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2023
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My wife and I loved this book. Living in Los Angeles, we recognized many of the type of characters that would exist in Los Angeles. Indeed, the book was thrilling, full of character, with a great ending. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery crime thriller.
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