Today’s Cluesletter interview is with Linda Moore. Linda’s debut novel, Attribution, is a story of art and suspense—two of my favorite things! In our discussion, we cover the allure of an art-themed mystery, Hispanic art, and hybrid publishing.
Connect with Linda on Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, and her website. Grab Attribution via various retailers, including IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Amazon
Hi Linda, thanks so much for joining! Attribution follows art historian Cate Adamson as she discovers a potential Baroque masterpiece, and brings it to Spain, hoping to authenticate it. With the help of a duke, Cate uncovers secrets that will rock the art world. Where did you get the inspiration for this story? Are there any real-life paintings or art news that inspired the book?
I got the idea from a lecture by a young curator who was trying to attribute a painting. I found his story fascinating, and ever since have followed newly attributed or reattributed works or a recent find of an unknown work. Once you start paying attention, many examples pop up. I probably see several a week, like the recent story from the National Gallery using the Covid closure to remove a beloved Vermeer entitled Girl with a Flute was determined to be not by Vermeer.
[Inquisitive sleuths—here’s an article on that last point.]
Art and mystery make a great pair. What do you think makes this pairing so irresistible to writers? Can you share some of your favorite art history-themed mysteries?
Anything of high value or potential value, with legitimate and illegitimate markets, draws the crime elements to seize the opportunity. Add to that the notion that with art, not everyone has the expertise to know if the art is real or fake. Even experts can disagree and thus more intrigue or crime opportunities can be introduced. The chance to become very wealthy if the crime succeeds is high.
I enjoy all types of fiction related to art, novels, mysteries, thrillers including books by B.A. Shapiro and Laura Morelli, who write mostly about Italian art. I like Daniel Silva’s character Gabriel Allon, who served with the Israeli intelligence but hides by being an art restorer. I wanted to add the wonderful art from the Spanish Golden Age. I think Attribution is the first work of fiction that has focused on these wonderful artists. Let me know if you hear of another!
Since this is your first book, what have you learned about the publishing process? Can you share any tips or pieces of wisdom to writers hoping to get their first book into the world?
Writing the best book you can is step one for any author. Once the book was finished, I was not prepared for the amount of time and work to learn new skills and develop networks to put a book into the world. It is also very expensive to do marketing and publicity, regardless of the type of publication you have. Very few books are backed by big publicity and marketing budgets. Most authors have to do the marketing themselves.
I went with a hybrid publisher in order to move forward quickly with competent advice, and because I would earn more per book sold if I invested in the project. It has been much more expensive than I expected, especially the publicity component. Fortunately, my background as a gallery owner gave me the background in publicity, marketing, and sales and that has helped with what it takes to sell books.
Your background in Hispanic art as a gallerist and lifelong enthusiast lends expertise to the art in the book. What do you love about Hispanic art? Are there any other genres/specialties that capture your attention?
I love the cultures of the Spanish speaking world, their zest for life, the diversity, the literature, the food, the music . . . I could go on. To connect the Hispanic world to a one-dimensional movement or vision of art is impossible. It’s like saying European Art, when we know that the art of Scandinavia is completely different from the art of Greece.
My gallery exhibited many artists from the Southern cone of South America: Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil. I like the moodiness of the muddy Rio de la Plata palette; the surreal interiority of Montevideo artists, the conceptual installations of the Brazilians—so you see the variety. Of course, every place has its outliers who march to their own drummer. I am also a big fan of Catalan artists from Barcelona, especially abstract expressionists like Antoni Tàpies.
I always like to ask authors about their current projects. Do you have plans for future books? If so, can you share some details or insight into what you’re working on?
I am rewriting the first novel I wrote: Five Days in Bogotá. Here’s the premise: A recently widowed art gallery owner with two small children goes to an art fair in Bogotá during the early 90s drug cartels to find wealthy collectors and earn quick cash. She gets swept into a plan to sell art that is both dangerous, mysterious and potentially very lucrative. What could go wrong?
Thanks so much to Linda for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.