Review of Base Notes—An Immersive Thriller

Is your art worth killing for? Vic Fowler certainly thinks so in Lara Elena Donnelly’s decadent new thriller Base Notes. This tale of a murderous perfumer, which came out back in February, had me seeing New York City’s struggling artist scene in a whole new light—or rather, through a whole new sense.

Vic Fowler has been running the boutique perfume company Bright House ever since the untimely demise of its founder, Jonathan Bright. But times are hard for a small business owner, and Vic needs to take private commissions on the side to make ends meet. But what makes these commissions so lucrative is that they’re not just for any ordinary perfume—Vic has unlocked the art of using scent to create immersive memories that the client can relive as if experiencing again for the first time. The only catch? The person in that memory is an essential ingredient in the perfume. But Vic’s wealthy clients don’t balk at murder, and are often just as keen to rid themselves of ex-wives, rivals, and colleagues as they are to relive specific moments with them. Just when Vic is despairing over Bright House’s finances, a former client proposes a new commission that comes with the promise of an investment that will allow Bright House to expand overseas. But Eisner’s commission is more intricate and challenging than any perfume Vic has created before. It will also involve murdering three people in quick succession. With a private investigator already breathing down Vic’s neck, it becomes clear that Vic will need to delegate these murders in order to avoid suspicion. Luckily, Vic knows some fellow struggling artists who might all too easily be manipulated into becoming accomplices. What Vic doesn’t expect is to come to view Giovanni, Beau, and Jane as more than just tools in a money-making scheme. But is there anything more important to Vic than art? As Vic’s carefully laid plans crumble and the situation spirals out of control, Vic will have to choose between old ambitions and new relationships.

Lara Elena Donnelly beautifully crafts the world of this book through scent. Each chapter is described with the scent notes of a perfume, with head notes like whiskey and jasmine and base notes like mildew and barbicide that are soon elucidated by the events of the chapter. Moreover, Vic moves through New York City experiencing each new location through its smells, bringing the city to life in a way that is sure to leave any reader who has ever lived in or visited it awash in memories. Indeed, the connection between scent and memory is the central conceit of the novel—brought to supernatural heights by Vic’s craft. Scent’s connection with memory makes it easily linked to death. What better way to remember one passed than to close your eyes, inhale their scent, and find yourself immersed in a reminiscence as if that person was still with you? Vic also uses perfume to communicate, vastly preferring this medium to trying to put feelings into words. Scents can be used to tell a story, and indeed, as the end of the book makes clear, this narrative is yet another of Vic’s concoctions—meant to transport the reader into Vic’s memories of the events, as if you had lived them. Just be warned: the memories of a murderer are not for the faint of heart.

In addition to being a meditation on scent and memory, Base Notes also offers some pointed social commentary, especially on the subjects of art and money—and the strained relationship between the two. Vic proposes an alarming philosophy: We all have a point at which we could be driven to murder, especially the downtrodden working class with thwarted artistic ambitions among us. Vic just has to find what that point is for Giovanni, Beau, and Jane—the three friends Vic has selected for accomplices. Giovanni is a barber who lives a simple life dedicated to his business, but the rising cost of Manhattan rents threatens to take everything he’s worked for. Beau is a tailor, whose eye for lines and color is wasted on arrogant and tasteless clients. And Jane was a photographer, but her practical streak led her to give up her passion for a career that could better pay the rent. Vic sets out to convince each of them that their problems can be solved by committing one little murder. But is the ability to pursue art really worth killing for? What about just the ability to get by, without the rich and powerful tearing you down at every step? Some of the sentiments shared by these characters are just a little bit too relatable.… 

Between Base Notes and Social Creature, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how to dispose of a body in New York City lately. But since all of the options seem to involve renting a car to transport said body across the city (can’t exactly bring your victim onto the subway or in an Uber), I think you’ll all be safe from me (I don’t like to drive). If you aren’t squeamish about this line of thinking, then do check Base Notes out. You can find it on shelves now at your favorite local retailer, or buy it online and support The Gothic Library in the process using this Bookshop.org affiliate link. If you’ve already read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments!