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Larry Witham
Author
Incident at Devil's Finger: A Novel
Larry Witham, author

Adult; Mystery/Thriller; (Market)

On a beautiful June day, the famous performance artist Magnifica is set to jump from a helicopter and parachute down through the Red Rock Pinnacle monuments of Sedona, Arizona. What the large and excited crowd sees instead is the massive explosion and collapse of Devil’s Finger, a thousand-foot Red Rock pinnacle. \tArt sleuth Julian Peale is on the case, looking where the authorities are not—into the mysterious artworld ties to Magnifica. There’s a New York art patron, the Wall Street gambler, a cyberpunk hack, a Russian art dealer with mob ties, two rival tech millionaires, and a wealthy hippy still living in the Age of Aquarius. The artist Magnifica—Mary Saville by birth—has retreated into the shadows with her copter pilot with plans to bolster her fame. She may be heir to a fortune gathered up by her ailing mother, the once-famous artist Sopia Saville. \tIn search for answers, Peale moves through the LA art scene, the tech world of the San Francisco, the gamers conventions in Las Vegas, the underworld of art betting and Russian organized crime, and finally to the famed counter-cultural festival in the desert of Nevada, the Oracle of Fire—where Magnifica has audacious plans to crash the party. As the dust settles in a Chicago courtroom, all the motives in this art world menagerie are revealed—especially, who blew up Devil’s Finger?
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8.75 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Incident at Devil's Finger is a fantastic mystery thriller full of interesting, dynamic characters and a streamlined plot. The storytelling is succinct and convincing, masterfully combining art-world expertise, military insights and technological espionage with aplomb.

Prose: Witham's text is brilliantly realized with an excellent level of detail that enhances the drama and atmosphere of proceedings. His beautifully written language not only emphasizes the dramatic, sweeping Arizona landscapes, but also helps accentuate an excellent level of character depth.

Originality: Incident at Devil's Finger is a well orchestrated mystery thriller that is consistently gripping and dynamic. Witham's very accomplished and confident writing style displays great assurance and promise for future Julian Peale adventures.

Character/Execution: The central character of Julian Peale is brilliantly realized as he navigates the LA art scene and the San Francisco tech world. Peale is bolstered by a vast array of intriguing supporting characters including art patrons, gamblers, hackers, mobsters, millionaires and hippies in an all-encompassing and extremely worthwhile romp.

Blurb: An absorbing mystery thriller.

Date Submitted: May 31, 2024

Reviews
The prolific Witham’s gripping followup to the international art-world thriller The Silk Road Affair finds private investigator Julian Peale now navigating an explosive performance art project in the expansive American Southwest. Peale, tasked by his partner Joe Castelli, delves into just what the title promises, the incident at a monumental red rock near Sedona where the “flying artist” Magnifica, formerly known as Mary Saville, must abort her much-hyped performance, a parachute leap from helicopter through storied rock pinnacles near sedona, when the colossal Devil’s Finger explodes before her eyes. Horrified and suspecting the involvement of the Russian mob, Katherine Grant, heiress and art collector from the east coast art establishment, hires Castelli to probe into the realm of Sophia Saville, the ailing-with-dementia artist mother of Magnifica, who is reported to have a substantial private trust.

The mystery that follows finds Witham weaving lively art-world insight with military expertise, hacker espionage, techking rivalry, and more surprises. Castelli entrusts Peale to investigate who would inherit Sophia’s trust if Magnifica were to die, kicking off an investigation into numerous contenders including Sophia’s former flames, Shawn Byrne and Ethan Ratliff—self-made tech millionaires engaged in a long-standing feud playing out at events like the Oracle of Fire (reminiscent of Burning Man). Their battle over futurism and fantasy, druids versus space cadets, extends across games, festivals, art, and philosophies, building to a wild climax, while Magnifica, driven to surpass her mother’s artistic fame, orchestrates her most audacious stunt yet. The cast is further enriched by underworld figures Cyclops and Cyberpunk, adding layers of intrigue.

Peale’s support network—his wife Priscilla, her son Nathan, FBI agent Jerry Snow, and Las Vegas detective William Jackson—collaborate to uncover the dark underside of art in this twisting, of-its-moment thriller. Witham tells the tale with exquisite language, allowing readers to visualize the captivating panoramas of the Southwest, plus persuasive, entertaining glimpses of these extravagant lives.

Takeaway: Greed and betrayal power this gripping Southwest art-world mystery.

Comparable Titles: Joe Mungo Reed’s Hammer, Brendan Slocumb’s The Violin Conspiracy.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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