The Art of Murder {+ Giveaway}

◊ THE ART OF MURDER by Elaine Viets

◊ Series: Dead-End Job Mystery (Book 14)

◊ Hardcover: 304 pages

◊ Genre: Cozy Murder Mystery

◊ Publisher: NAL (May 3, 2016)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 045147613

◊ ISBN-13: 978-0451476135

SYNOPSIS:

From the national bestselling author of Checked Out, Helen Hawthorne must pose as a painter at Fort Lauderdale’s famous Bonnet House Museum to catch an artful killer . . .

          The art world is a happening place—but a brush with death shouldn’t be in the picture. Unfortunately, that’s just what happens to Helen Hawthorne and her friend Margery. While touring gorgeous Bonnet House, a mansion-turned-museum, they observe a painting class and note an up-and-coming artist. When they later see her deadly end, Helen is hired to canvas the crime scene—undercover, of course.
          Sketchy suspects lurk in the victim’s bohemian past. Was the promising painter killed by her jealous husband? Her best friend? A rival using her artful wiles? With her husband Phil busy setting a trap for a gold thief, it’s up to Helen to paint this killer into a corner . . .   

MY THOUGHTS:

Author Elaine Viets has created a protagonist in Helen Hawthorne that readers can relate to. Helen doesn’t back down from pursuing any job and is loyal to her friends. The secondary characters are also well-developed and add depth to the story.

The story flows at a steady pace with twists and turs keeping the suspense high. The vivid descriptions and eye for details brings the fascinating Bonnet House Museum into the reader’s world.

THE ART OF MURDER is the 15^th installment in Viets’ Dead-End Job Mystery series, but can be read as a standalone. New readers will have no problem keep up with Helen, Phil, Margery and the rest of the gang. Returning fans will delight in catching up with some of their favorite characters.

The intrigue of art classes paired with beautiful Fort Lauderdale (FL) landmarks as backdrops makes this a tantalizing cozy mystery. A blend of humor, suspense, friendship and determination make this a must read for murder mystery lovers.

The Art of Murder by Elaine Viets, A Dead-End Job Mystery (Book #14), Obsidian (NAL), @2016, ISBN: 978-0451476135, Hardcover, 304 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Penguin/Random House, I have a print copy of THE ART OF MURDER by Elaine Viets to giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday, May 25.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends to make sure the notification email doesn’t end up there. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decided for whatever reason you don’t want to win (which is fine), once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope I’ve caught your interest in this fun new cozy mystery. Have you ever taken (or given) art classes? Do you enjoy a certain type of art?

a Rafflecopter giveaway