The Short Story: Intricately plotted multilayered mystery

My Review: WWII vet Will Oxley works as an art insurance agent. A stolen Jackson Pollock painting sends him on a wild hunt for the missing painting, diving into the New York art scene, seedy bars, and hobnobbing with elite society all while dealing with a bad case of PTSD. He has no idea what he’s getting into.

For the Minds and Wills of Men is a fast-paced densely plotted thriller; I found it hard to put down. Author Jeff Lanier wields his palette of words to layer his story with art history, McCarthyism and the communist hysteria that swept the nation in the 1940s and 50s, the creation of the C.I.A. and tops it off with a romance! Woven into the story are the leading artists of the day from Pollock to Willem de Kooning, including descriptions of their thought processes and how they executed their art. There’s a deep dive into the anticommunist movement and the lengths groups went to spy on artists and others suspected of communist ties. Lanier does an amazing job of flavoring his story with 1950s culture, the rich, the poor, race relations, and he touches on the effects of war on the men returning from WWII.

It’s an ambitious narrative but it’s clear that the author has done his research and knows his stuff. Well written, entertaining without reading like a dry history lesson, it feels authentic and reads like a trip back in time. I think this would make a fantastic movie. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to readers who enjoy a meaty story they can savor. ( )

Read this book, if not for the compelling mystery, then for the completely immersive atmosphere of the setting!

For the Minds and Wills of Men by Jeff Lanier is a complex and atmospheric mystery set in Manhattan during the House UnAmerican Activities Committee hearings in 1953. The Rosenbergs had been found guilty of espionage, selling national secrets to the Soviets, and their execution was imminent. The country was roiling in fear and distrust, neighbors suspicious of neighbors and willing to point the finger, the frenzy maintained by a sensation-seeking press and politicians all too happy to provide them with their next target. Lanier captures and conveys this tumultuous period perfectly, and I felt like I’d stepped back in time as his protagonist, Will Oxley, unraveled the mystery behind an art gallery burglary.

Like most men of the time, Will is a veteran of WWII, returned home to a changed country, a changed man himself; he suffers from what is now diagnosed as PTSD. He’s a likable guy and successful at what he does. I was frequently reminded how much technology has advanced and our lives have changed since the 50s as Will and his partner, Charlie, conducted their investigation. Information is physically analyzed by hand, and leads are literally chased down in person, at all hours of the day or night, at locations all over the area.

However, while technology was simpler then, the scope of the plot certainly was not. What initially began as stolen artwork evolved into a deeper, far-reaching venture; it was riveting reading. Well-known artists of the time appear among the characters, and Will’s new love interest is decidedly shady. With its atmospherically noir feeling and absorbing storylines, this book would make a great film.

I recommend FOR THE MINDS AND WILLS OF MEN to mystery readers, those who enjoy historical fiction, and readers who would enjoy a thriller set in the art world. ( )