Painted Death by J.C. Andrew is a murder mystery with twists and turns at every corner. Artist Kira is commissioned to travel to Alaska and paint a mural honoring the captains and crew lost at sea. While many in town support the project, not everybody is so thrilled. It is rumored that the most recent captain’s death, Jason, is surrounded by not-so respectable circumstances. When it is decided that the project will continue as intended, deaths start popping up under suspicious conditions. Are they all connected somehow, and will the killer be caught before taking their fourth victim? Only time will tell, and it’s looking like removing Jason from the mural may be the only way to stop it.

I love that Kira seems to connect with people everywhere she goes. She has a likable personality and seems to get along with practically everybody that she meets. With that being said, she is not a pushover and knows how to stand up for herself. She’s a strong character with many admirable qualities. Two of these relationships were with Angela and Owen. Angela seemed like a sweet woman with determination about her. Kira and Owen had a flirtatious relationship that was on the brink of turning into more.

This truly was a murder mystery in that no one person stood out as the killer. Several times, I was sure of who it was, and none of them turned out to be correct. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering who would turn up dead and the person behind it. I enjoyed the storyline. I felt however that the style it was written in, almost like a movie manuscript, made it difficult to connect with the characters on a deeper level. This aside the plot was strong, it is well-paced, and the characters were believable.

Painted Death is a captivating cozy mystery with a strong female protagonist. This suspenseful novel is a great read with an exciting plot and unique twist that will keep readers guessing who the murderer is untill the end.

Pages: 230 | ASIN : B0792WZS8H