Books like The painter by Peter Heller
Jim Stegner is a once‑prominent expressionist who has served a prison sentence for shooting a man in a bar. After rehabilitation, he leads a tranquil life in the Colorado valleys, painting for a prestigious Santa Fe gallery and practicing abstinence, fly‑fishing, and a quiet routine with a model. When Jim witnesses a local hunting outfitter, Dell, beating a horse, he leaps from his truck to intervene. The confrontation leaves Dell wounded, and Jim's vengeance is soon reignited when Dell dies at dawn after a night‑time encounter. Faced with the police and Dell’s avenging clan, Jim must navigate his conscience while continuing to paint, using art as a way to process his actions and past. The novel explores the links between creativity, violence, and the possibility of renewal amid hardship.
First publish date: 2014
Genre: Crime Fiction/Noir
Authors: Peter Heller
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