On Flashback Fridays I will share with you the books I was not able to review when they were first released that have been screaming at me from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
Paint the Town Dead
(An Aurora Anderson Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – California
Henery Press (December 8, 2015)
Paperback: 264 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1943390335
Kindle ASIN: B0156W71GW
The Ocean Painting Society invites you to join the painting wave…
It’s June in the quiet Los Angeles County city of Vista Beach, the place computer programmer and tole-painting enthusiast Aurora (Rory) Anderson calls home. Decorative painters are flocking to the newly built Akaw hotel to attend the Ocean Painting Society’s inaugural convention.
During the weeklong event, Rory plans on shopping the trade show floor, working in her mother’s booth, taking classes and connecting with other decorative painting fans. She doesn’t expect to witness her childhood friend collapse in class and die. When the police find no evidence of foul play, Rory embarks on her own investigation. Can she brush aside the lies to uncover the truth and bring the killer to justice?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Rory has her hands full this week helping her mother at the Ocean Painting Society’s inaugural convention. She is excited to be able to spend some time with her friends, especially Jasmine, who has moved back to the area. She is devastated when Jasmine collapses and dies during one of the painting classes. The police believe the woman took her own life but Rory isn’t buying that at all. She immediately starts her own investigation.
Sybil Johnson has given us quite a twisted up mystery. Someone attending the convention wanted Jasmine dead and they had to be very sneaky to bring it all about. You see she had a condition that the killer had to know about to pull off their crime and not too many people knew about it. In fact that is why suicide was the immediate cause of death determination. Thankfully Rory was ready to fight to prove that wrong.
I reviewed the first book in this series a couple of weeks ago and I had a problem with the flow of the story. Well I did not have that problem with this story at all. The flow was steady from start to finish. There are several things happening. We start with a brick through a window, then on to protesters picketing the damage the new hotel did to the area, to all the snafus that can go wrong at a big convention, and even Rory’s mom pushing her to get a man in her life. Yes, there is some romantic tension too as we meet someone special in our dashing detective’s life. But all may not be what it seems…..and then of course there is the murder.
I like these characters, Rory and Liz’s friendship is fun and they have each other’s back. I like where the author is heading with all of the characters. The story is very well written and the mystery makes sense. Rory’s job as a website consultant and helping out at her mother’s tole painting and scrapbook store’s booth at the convention give her plenty of opportunity to follow clues and hunt down leads and get herself is some dicey situations too.
This was a strong addition to this series. I am looking forward to the newest book in the series, A Palette for Murder
About The Author –
Sybil Johnson’s love affair with reading began in kindergarten with “The Three Little Pigs.” Visits to the library introduced her to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where she continued reading while studying Computer Science. After a rewarding career in the computer industry, Sybil decided to try her hand at writing mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E and Spinetingler Magazine, among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys tole painting, studying ancient languages and spending time with friends and family.
Author Links
Website Facebook Author page Twitter GoodReads Publisher
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I have the first book in the series. I’m hoping to read it soon. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!