Book Review and Giveaway: For the Minds and Wills of Men by Jeff Lanier

FOR THE MINDS

MANHATTAN, 1953. Fear of communist subversion and espionage are tearing America apart. Abstract expressionism is on the verge of exploding, making New York the cultural epicenter of the world. While recovering a stolen Jackson Pollock for a wealthy client, art insurer Will Oxley falls for the client’s daughter, Liz Bower, who leads him deep into the rebellious and seductive world of the abstract expressionist painters, their Village bar haunts and East Hampton binges. But when Will learns the painting-and Liz-may be hiding communist secrets better left hidden, he finds himself torn between exposing the girl he loves or risking his life by trusting her instead. Realizing nothing is as it seems, Will is caught between communist espionage, secret government programs, and the grip of cold war fear, suspicion, and betrayal where trust is all he has left…

With post-World War II New York, 1950s avant-garde art world, and the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings as background, the novel tells the story of abstract expressionism and mid-century American politics- through the thrilling search for a stolen Jackson Pollock.

PRAISE FOR FOR THE MINDS AND WILLS OF MEN

*2023 INDIEREADER AWARD WINNER: 1^ST PLACE FICTION*

“Lanier brilliantly evokes the energy and excitement of the New York art world in this Cold War thriller with an artistic twist. Along the way, he gives us fascinating insights into Abstract Expressionism and the power of art to communicate values and ideas.”

–Ross King, Acclaimed art historian and New York Times bestselling author of The Judgment of Paris, Brunelleschi’s Dome, and Michelangelo and The Pope’s Ceiling.

War changed Will Oxley. He returned home to a different life, a different world. He has found solace in paintings, found that contemplating them helps keep the nightmares at bay. And now, in 1953 New York, he has created a role for himself as the sole art insurer for All American Insurance. He isn’t a detective, as such, but when an insured piece of art goes missing, he tracks it down.

When a Jackson Pollock painting is purloined from a small art gallery, Will is tapped to find it. This brings him into the circle of Liz Bower. Liz, the daughter of wealthy businessman Frank Bower, is the head of the Bower Foundation, which supports and funds American art and artists and owns the missing painting. She is, naturally, interested in his search for the Pollock, as it’s part of an exhibit traveling to Europe that the foundation is helping fund. She’s also interested in Will himself, and he in her. But Will can tell Liz is holding something back. She asks him to trust her – but can he? Should he?

As Will pursues his search for the painting, Liz ushers him into the rarefied world of the artists themselves – Kline, Pollock, De Kooning. But anti-Communist sentiment is running high, and abstract art and artists are coming under intense scrutiny as potential Communist inroads into the country. The Rosenbergs have been found guilty of espionage, and everyone – the FBI, the House Un-American Activities Committee, the CIA, maybe even the Communists – has eyes and ears in unexpected places.

Jeff Lanier’s story does not read like a debut novel. He perfectly captures the mood and madness of the Red Scare, the unsettling angst of not knowing who might be watching you and of wondering if you’d done anything to land yourself on someone’s list. He also paints (pardon the expression) a vivid picture of the renaissance of abstract art. I’d never really considered the juxtaposition of abstract art with the end of World War II, never really thought of it as an expression of American freedom. That was an interesting point!

The plot dashes from gallery showings to bar brawls and shouting matches between artists to clandestine meetings with informants and Mafia types. Will feels the crosshairs on his back as he works, not only to find the painting, but to figure out who’s on what side and where he’ll end up in all this. Lanier layers plot twists and paranoia like oils on canvas, and does it masterfully.

Mystery, drama, art, romance, action, all wrapped up into one compelling story. If you’re a fan of mysteries, historical fiction, art, or all three, you need to read For the Minds and Wills of Men.

Jeff Lanier is an award-winning author. He earned bachelor’s degrees in history and art History at the University of Texas, Austin, with a focus on the History of American Culture through Art and Literature. He has a master’s from Rice University, is a member of the American Society of Aesthetics, and currently lives in Houston with his wife and three children.

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