The Face on the Wall
The Face on the Wall by Jane Langton, published by Viking in 1998, is a first edition novel comprising 291 pages. This work follows Annie Swann, an illustrator of children’s books and niece of local sleuth Homer Kelly, as she embarks on a new chapter in her life. After enduring a series of disappointments, Annie is excited to begin her most cherished project: a painting on a blank wall in her newly constructed wing. However, her optimism is soon overshadowed by the appearance of a mysterious face that repeatedly emerges on her canvas, leading to a series of unsettling events.
As Annie grapples with the strange occurrences surrounding her artwork, her life takes a tragic turn when the young son of her tenants is found dead beneath her wall. This incident ignites a conflict with the boy’s parents, who hold Annie responsible and seek legal action against her. The narrative unfolds as Annie turns to Homer Kelly for assistance, setting the stage for a gripping mystery intertwined with themes of art, loss, and the quest for truth. Readers will find a blend of fiction and mystery as the story explores the implications of Annie’s artistic ambitions and the dark forces that seem to conspire against her.
Official synopsis Publisher
Things are finally looking up for Annie Swann, illustrator of children’s books and niece of local sleuth Homer Kelly. After years of dead-end romances and broken dreams, one of Annie’s favorite wishes is coming true at last. All she wanted was a new wing on the east end of her house, complete with a blank wall, thirty-five feet long. Here she could begin her most treasured work yet: a painting rich and complex, thick with fairy stories, honoring her lifelong obsession. And now she has it – an enormous empty canvas upon which she has finally begun her masterpiece. But without warning, her luck begins to run dry. There appears on her new wall, over and over again, a mysterious face, no matter how often she paints it out. Is someone trying to send Annie a message? If so, what is it, and who would do such a thing? As if the wicked face were a portent of things to come, Annie’s dreams soon come crashing down. She finds her tenants’ eight-year-old son, Eddy Gast, dead beneath her beautiful wall. Eddy’s parents blame Annie for his death and decide to sue her for all she’s worth. It becomes a case for Homer Kelly as Annie enlists his aid in a deadly showdown.
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