Sadly this book wasn’t for me. This psychological thriller had a good concept - an artist proving her innocence to a murder - but somehow it just wasn’t believable . There were too many flaws in the narrative & the protagonist was annoying with the consequence that there was no empathy felt for her.

What's hidden beneath the brushstrokes in a painting? Moments after Nina, an accomplished watercolorist, receives her dream award, she glimpses a man sprawled unconscious through his open hotel room. Images of her father, found in much the same condition, spins Nina's world out of control. Soon she is a person of interest in the man's murder. Nina, driven to clear her name, teams with Jack, the only one who believes in her innocence. Unearthing clues together means diving back into her past and all she believes about her father's role in her devotion to art. The closer Nina gets to discovering the link between her father and the man in the hotel room, the less she trusts herself. The police are connecting the dots. Set in and around the area known as The Galleries, a sprawl of urban kitschy shops and lush gardens, Nina finds secrets hidden in plain sight. And seeing the truth changes everything.

Fast paced and a thrill to read. It combines two of my favorite things art and mysteries. Will recommend to those who love mysteries.

A whodunnit with artists and art and competitions and judging ... and a whole lot more information for those who do and don't know the art world.

It's the story of unforeseen consequences of curiosity and painting and withdrawal into the secret life of an artist. It takes so little to fall from favor, to be blacklisted. And it takes courage and luck and pluck to get back on your feet to succeed and be wanted again.

Recommended if you like mysteries with the quirks and whirls of the art world thrown in.

An interesting combination of mystery and the art world. You can't really put it down, once you started. This is the first book of a series. So more to come.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

This is a fun read for any thriller lovers or any secret artists. I liked the main plot of this book and the artists perspective on the amateur detective story made it interesting and fun.

Synopsis:
Moments after Nina, an accomplished watercolorist, receives her dream award, she glimpses a man sprawled unconscious through his open hotel room. Images of her father, found in much the same condition, spins Nina's world out of control. Soon she is a person of interest in the man's murder. Nina, driven to clear her name, teams with Jack, the only one who believes in her innocence.
Unearthing clues together means diving back into her past and all she believes about her father's role in her devotion to art. The closer Nina gets to discovering the link between her father and the man in the hotel room, the less she trusts herself.
The police are connecting the dots. Set in and around the area known as The Galleries, a sprawl of urban kitschy shops and lush gardens, Nina finds secrets hidden in plain sight. And seeing the truth changes everything.

Odd story.

I requested this book from NetGalley because the cover reminded me of Death in a Pale Hue. That is a cozy mystery, and I thought this might be too (what with the protagonist being a woman that must investigate a murder to prove her innocence). It is not a cozy; it’s more akin to a psychological thriller. Without the thriller part.

Nina is an unapproachable character. She doesn’t do friends (which is a mutual thing, I’m sure). She is a participant in an art exhibit, but also a juror. “A kindergartener could have produced a more interesting painting,” she said about a painting she judged. Which is unnecessary scatting and unprofessional commentary.

Later that evening, Nina passes an open door in the hotel hallway and sees a man slumped in a chair. She approaches, but is pushed aside by EMT. Yet, her presence in the room of a man that died a suspicious death makes her a person of interest.

And though the first detective on the scene barely chats with Nina for more than five minutes, the police disclose her name (or her likeness) to the dead man’s next of kin and to the press. WTF? A reporter approaches her at the funeral of the dead man and asks her if she is aware an autopsy is pending.

Autopsy report, I imagine. Customarily, autopsies are done before the funeral. Particularly when the corpse is going to be cremated after.

Before the reporter can ask anymore silly questions Nina is whisked away by a grounds keeper.

Other than a rumour going round that Nina has killed the dead man, nothing happens for two weeks. There isn’t even a follow-up interview with the police. You’d think that would happen if they didn’t really buy in to her ‘I was just passing’ explanation.

The story lacked urgency. And a proper investigation. The detective shows up again after two weeks to tell Nina that he has put a tail on her. Why? Surely a one hour proper interview is going to be more revealing than a three day stake out.

Day one: suspect did not leave apartment all day, ordered Thai food.
Day two: suspect did not leave apartment all day, lights out at …

Then after a month the detective does a house search and wants her fingerprints. After a month! Even though she was present at the crime scene.

Parts of the story are set in 1985 and reveal what is the connection between Nina and the dead man. Things Nina figures out bit by bit too. This interweaving of storylines is good and there should have been more of it than a few chapters in the beginning and one near the end. It also would have worked a lot better if there actually had been some urgency to the story in Nina’s present.

Lastly, can people in fiction please stop using sharp metal objects to open boxes that contain books? Specially people that supposedly work at bookstores.

What's hidden beneath the brushstrokes in a painting? Moments after Nina, an accomplished watercolorist, receives her dream award, she glimpses a man sprawled unconscious through his open hotel room. Images of her father, found in much the same condition, spins Nina's world out of control. Soon she is a person of interest in the man's murder. Nina, driven to clear her name, teams with Jack, the only one who believes in her innocence.

I didn't know what to expect going in to this one, but I was pleasantly surprised.