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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
This cozy mystery was a little difficult to follow. It has the requisite amateur female detective (who is being framed throughout the story). It was a quick read, but it didn't really hold my attention.
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I absolutely loved this novel. It was the perfect mix of mystery, small town drama, well developed characters and humour. I enjoyed how the story developed, with each character revealing something about themselves, but still leaving more to be developed in future novels. I look forward to more of Aurora Anderson. Will be put on the must read list for sure.
I'd give this 3 1/2 stars.
This was a good start to a new series. I had my suspicious as to who and what was used to cause the murder, but not from any clues but just something in my gut. Turns out I was right!
The book was well written but it felt like the characters were all over the place in the beginning..I can't put my finger on anything, but it took awhile for me to get into the book. But once I did the book moved along nicely and there was no shortage of characters to pin the murder on!
I do wonder if there will be a romance brewing between Detective Green (aka Dashing D) and Rory. Only future books will tell!
This was a good start to a new series. I had my suspicious as to who and what was used to cause the murder, but not from any clues but just something in my gut. Turns out I was right!
The book was well written but it felt like the characters were all over the place in the beginning..I can't put my finger on anything, but it took awhile for me to get into the book. But once I did the book moved along nicely and there was no shortage of characters to pin the murder on!
I do wonder if there will be a romance brewing between Detective Green (aka Dashing D) and Rory. Only future books will tell!
Computer programmer Rory Anderson is caught up in a murder investigation when her tole painting teacher is found dead in her flowerbed. As the evidence adds up and seems to point to Rory, she starts to investigate what happened while helping her mother run the family crafting and painting store.
This is the first in a series - and in writing this I realised that I'd read the first one last year and not connected the dots between the two. Oops. But this is interesting and quite well done, although there is a lot of backstory to Rory which isn't always set out as clearly as it could be and most of which seems to have been wrapped up to a point where I don't remember it being in the next book (although I should probably go away and check that). Looking at my review of book 2, the complicated backstory was an issue for me there because I hadn't read book one. I will keep an eye out for book 3 though.
This is the first in a series - and in writing this I realised that I'd read the first one last year and not connected the dots between the two. Oops. But this is interesting and quite well done, although there is a lot of backstory to Rory which isn't always set out as clearly as it could be
Spoiler
I was confused between her birth mother and her adopted mother for a while
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I found this book to be okay. I figured out whodunit pretty quickly (which I never do), but I found the characters interesting. I think it's pretty clear that it's an author's first book. I think the pacing needed work. There was a lot of information that I think could have been used more clearly. Although the author seems to have a good grip on her characters and town, which is very good foundation for a series.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fatal Brushstroke was our Book Club pick for January and I was really looking forward to it! I read #4 last October and was looking forward into starting the series from the beginning and I wasn't disappointed! Right from the start it grabbed me, it was so easy to picture the scene; a yappy dog, finding the hand buried in the flower bed and Rory cleaning the kitchen while the police are outside investigating. Hilarious and so relatable, who hasn't pretended to clean while watching activity outside? No one, we've all done it. Too funny!
There was a lot going on in this one; the murder of Hester, an artist and painting instructor that Rory knew from her mother's craft store, recurring alarm problems, plus having to deal with an effort around the town to paint Rory as a murderer. And while I enjoyed it, at some points it was a bit unfocused and meandered around, like Rory and Liz were just going around in circles. Which actually is kind of realistic to have a lull in the investigation but it also got a bit tedious and I flipped through pages in a few places. But in the end, when the killer was finally revealed, the exciting conclusion capped the book off and I loved how Rory's past tied in to all of it.
A great start to this series and it only gets better. Can't wait to read book 2 next month!
There was a lot going on in this one; the murder of Hester, an artist and painting instructor that Rory knew from her mother's craft store, recurring alarm problems, plus having to deal with an effort around the town to paint Rory as a murderer. And while I enjoyed it, at some points it was a bit unfocused and meandered around, like Rory and Liz were just going around in circles. Which actually is kind of realistic to have a lull in the investigation but it also got a bit tedious and I flipped through pages in a few places. But in the end, when the killer was finally revealed, the exciting conclusion capped the book off and I loved how Rory's past tied in to all of it.
A great start to this series and it only gets better. Can't wait to read book 2 next month!
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Now this book grabs your attention! And I mean from the very first couple of pages. I had no idea how it would turn out and was very surprised by the outcome!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Rory Anderson is a computer programmer that works from her home in sunny California. As a hobby she enjoys tole painting. Sounds like a quiet idyllic life to me. But when a body is found buried in her garden things become chaotic as Rory is a suspect trying to clear her name.
This was an interesting debut. Rory has a past that the author explains over the course of the story that makes her a very vulnerable main character. She spends a lot of time with her mother but their relationship felt a bit off until more of Rory’s past is revealed and things start to fall into place. At first I thought maybe I missed a novella or a previous story in this series but after double checking found that was not the case I soldiered on. I feel if her past would have been addressed in full at the beginning the flow of the book would have been better and not so choppy.
Disregarding the flow, the theme and substance of the mystery was enjoyable. Painting instructor, Hester Bouquet, killed, but by who? The author gives a several viable suspects, and I had both of my prime suspects cast aside when additional facts were revealed. The police seemed determined Rory was the killer, what they lacked in evidence was trumped by the location of the body and they seemed satisfied. We do learn why the police chief is so determined to prove Rory guilty rather than really investigating the crime, but I really didn’t like him as a character from the start. Thankfully Rory kept digging and digging to prove him wrong. She does hold things back from him and was not always forthcoming but that is just a normal part of cozy mysteries.
I always say first books in a series are difficult because the author has a heavy lift, introducing the characters and giving us a mystery that grabs us and holds us to the last page. While the character introduction was a bit murky at first, the mystery was skillfully composed. The description of the setting, Vista Beach, was pleasing as well.
Now that I have gotten to know Rory’s backstory I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, Paint the Town Dead, which I plan to read very soon as the 3rd book in the series, A Palette for Murder is being released at the end of the month.
Rory Anderson is a computer programmer that works from her home in sunny California. As a hobby she enjoys tole painting. Sounds like a quiet idyllic life to me. But when a body is found buried in her garden things become chaotic as Rory is a suspect trying to clear her name.
This was an interesting debut. Rory has a past that the author explains over the course of the story that makes her a very vulnerable main character. She spends a lot of time with her mother but their relationship felt a bit off until more of Rory’s past is revealed and things start to fall into place. At first I thought maybe I missed a novella or a previous story in this series but after double checking found that was not the case I soldiered on. I feel if her past would have been addressed in full at the beginning the flow of the book would have been better and not so choppy.
Disregarding the flow, the theme and substance of the mystery was enjoyable. Painting instructor, Hester Bouquet, killed, but by who? The author gives a several viable suspects, and I had both of my prime suspects cast aside when additional facts were revealed. The police seemed determined Rory was the killer, what they lacked in evidence was trumped by the location of the body and they seemed satisfied. We do learn why the police chief is so determined to prove Rory guilty rather than really investigating the crime, but I really didn’t like him as a character from the start. Thankfully Rory kept digging and digging to prove him wrong. She does hold things back from him and was not always forthcoming but that is just a normal part of cozy mysteries.
I always say first books in a series are difficult because the author has a heavy lift, introducing the characters and giving us a mystery that grabs us and holds us to the last page. While the character introduction was a bit murky at first, the mystery was skillfully composed. The description of the setting, Vista Beach, was pleasing as well.
Now that I have gotten to know Rory’s backstory I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, Paint the Town Dead, which I plan to read very soon as the 3rd book in the series, A Palette for Murder is being released at the end of the month.
I bought this book in advance as I hoped it would be a great first to a new series. This is really a cozy but it did not held my interest for long. I liked Rory (Aurora) and her friend Liz but the book dragged after a couple of chapters. Rory is blamed for things her parents (or mother?) did when she was a baby. Rory is adopted and her mother has a store. While Rory has a job working at home (computer stuff) she is in her mothers store a lot (really... a lot) and there were lots of descriptions of what went on in the store. Rory is a suspect in not one but two murders and that is what triggers her being a sleuth. I had hoped there would be something more with the detective, but he disappointed me a bit. I don't know, the book seemed a bit off. I guessed the murderer from the start and I was annoyed at the fact Rory was blamed a lot and her mother did not even get involved. There was never a heart to heart; it was as if her mother did not even know Rory was a suspect. I don't think I will buy another one in this series.