The Art of Murder
In every art circuit throughout the world the latest trend is "hyper dramatic painting", which consists of the use of human models as a canvas. The murder of Annek, a 14-year-old girl who was used as a canvas in the work "Defloration", in Vienna, puts the Austrian Police and the Ministry of the Interior on their guard, both pressured by the mighty Van Tysch Foundation not to make the crime public - in fear of causing panic among models and mistrust among buyers of hyper-dramatic paintings.
Meanwhile, Clara Reyes, another canvas model working in a gallery in Madrid, is visited by two foreigners who tempt her into a work of a "hard and challenging" nature. The challenge starts at that very moment with the psychological sculpting of the model. This is how Clara steps into a whirlpool of fear and fascination that ultimately affects the reader, opening a debate on the value of art and human life.
Jose Carlos Somoza
José Carlos Somoza is a prominent Spanish author born in Havana, Cuba. In 1960 his family moved to Spain after being exiled for political reasons. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in psychiatry, but he gave up medicine in order to be a full-time writer. Since 1994 he has dedicated his professional life entirely to writing. He is the author of six novels. In 2000 he was shortlisted for the Nadal Prize, one of the most important literary prizes in Spain. Somoza’s works are usually mixture of classic thriller and science fiction, wrapped in enigma. He manages to keep all the mysteries beguiling as they begin to wrap themselves around each other. The stories invariably come to a surprising and satisfying conclusion, leaving no doubt as to the mastery of Somoza's storytelling. Among his best known novels are “The Athenian Murders”, “The Bait”, “The Art of Murder” and “The Key of Doom”, all published in Bulgaria.
