Red Handed: The Fine Art of Strange Crimes by Matt Kindt –NO

Kindt, Matt Red Handed: The Fine Art of Strange Crimes 272 pgs. First Second, 2013. $26.99  Content: Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G. GRAPHIC NOVEL

The city of Red Wheelbarrow has some sneaky criminals. There is a woman with the inability to stop stealing chairs, a photographer who sets people up for tragic moments, a magician who can’t stop using his slight of hand skills, and an elevator repair man who takes pictures when he shouldn’t, and more. Decective Gould is trying to solve these crimes, that is what he is good at, and he just knows there is a common thread between them all.

A homage to old school crime fiction, we are presented with graphic novel art that includes newspaper print, changes in format, and lots of pale washed out figures (like the faded color on old newspaper print). The story is all over the place and I had trouble telling some of the characters apart. I never did bond with the main character of the detective. This book is for a hard core fan of graphic novels, maybe even a bit of a hipster. I don’t think students would seek this one out in a school library unless they were a fan of the author.

HS –NO Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.