I picked this up looking for a mystery about art. While I did enjoy the main protagonist and most of the storyline, I found the 'wealthy collector' a bit superfluous and irritating. Almost unnecessary. I think the author was going for an American version of the British high society guy with 'street smart' assistant (valet/man Friday/etc.) a la Sayers and Allingham (among others). It just didn't work for me here. The ending was a bit of a letdown, too (maybe the issue with the painting is resolved in future books).
Do You like book Harmony In Flesh And Black (1995)?