Black Water Lilies

A gruesome murder shatters the peace in Claude Monet’s picturesque hometown of Giverny in this stylish if unsubtle graphic novel adaptation of Bussi’s crime novel. An elderly widow, a married schoolteacher, and a tween girl are all keeping secrets tied to the murder of a wealthy local man, which is being investigated by a pair of handsome, wisecracking policemen. The clever twist the mystery hinges on successfully translates from prose to comics, but the shallow characterizations of the trio at the center of the case (“the first was wicked, the second was a liar, and the third was selfish”) prove less effective. Fanette, nearly 11 years old, loves to paint, but her inner turmoil revolves around two boys in love with her and the father she’s never met. Femme-fatale Stéphanie’s character design borders on pin-up—her Monet-like floral patterned dresses cling to exaggerated curves. And the elderly widow, who serves as the story’s unseen narrator, harbors cruel intentions. The comics are sharply drawn and colored beautifully to pay homage to Monet’s springtime palette, which sets an effective mood. Regrettably, this page-turner speeds past the women ostensibly at its center. (Oct.)