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The Cape Mysteries #1
Death In Vermilion
A psychological thriller about murder among friends and enemies. Who do you trust?
Artist Leila Goodfriend is laying down the bones of a painting. When she’s interrupted by Iris, the noisy, unlikeable artist in the studio upstairs, Leila is distracted and annoyed.
When Leila discovers the racket was actually Iris' dead body hitting the floor, she becomes obsessed: Who murdered Iris?
The other Red Barn Cooperative artists—competitive, jealous and hypocritical—are prime suspects. They all hated Iris. “An artist owes his life to his art,” Iris said.
Iris was good for a laugh. But no one is laughing now.
In this gripping mystery, new author Barbara Elle paints a clever, twisted picture of women and sisters, whose lives are entwined by a brutal murder in a charming Cape Code town.
Alibis fall apart. Plot twists multiply. And Leila comes to a dangerous conclusion.
Artist Leila Goodfriend is laying down the bones of a painting. When she’s interrupted by Iris, the noisy, unlikeable artist in the studio upstairs, Leila is distracted and annoyed.
When Leila discovers the racket was actually Iris' dead body hitting the floor, she becomes obsessed: Who murdered Iris?
The other Red Barn Cooperative artists—competitive, jealous and hypocritical—are prime suspects. They all hated Iris. “An artist owes his life to his art,” Iris said.
Iris was good for a laugh. But no one is laughing now.
In this gripping mystery, new author Barbara Elle paints a clever, twisted picture of women and sisters, whose lives are entwined by a brutal murder in a charming Cape Code town.
Alibis fall apart. Plot twists multiply. And Leila comes to a dangerous conclusion.
- GenresMystery
271 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 2018
About the author
Barbara Elle
2 books35 followersIn her stunning debut thriller, Death In Vermilion (The Cape Mysteries Book 1), acclaimed author Barbara Elle paints a clever and twisted picture of women and sisters, whose lives are entwined by a brutal murder in a Cape Cod town. Who can you trust?
Now, Death In Smoke (The Cape Mysteries Book 2) asks what's the connection between a bloodied body buried in a snow bank on a remote island off the Cape and a cold case in Kansas? Can artist and amateur sleuth Leila Goodfriend solve this new mystery?
Death in Cerulean (Book 3) asks what happens when Leila escapes to a Caribbean island for a holiday with her partner in romance and crime. As she descends in to an ocean of greed, money-laundering and murder, she fears who else is involved.
Barbara Elle fell in love with books and writing at a young age, honing her writing chops as a copywriter at major publishers publishers and as a freelance journalist.
Growing up in Boston, but she became a New Yorker as an adult. Her writing draws on people and places she remembers, setting The Cape Mysteries on Cape Cod, a place of memories.
Barbara Elle continues collecting characters and plots, often traveling the world with her touring musician husband, the musical director for rock and roll icon Cyndi Lauper. In her travels, Barbara has explored Buddhist temples in Beijing, crypts in Vienna and Kabuki Theater in Tokyo.
Readers can pre-order Death in Smoke, due for publication on 11/5/2019, a sequel in the compelling mystery series readers love.
Website: https://www.barbaraelle.com
Now, Death In Smoke (The Cape Mysteries Book 2) asks what's the connection between a bloodied body buried in a snow bank on a remote island off the Cape and a cold case in Kansas? Can artist and amateur sleuth Leila Goodfriend solve this new mystery?
Death in Cerulean (Book 3) asks what happens when Leila escapes to a Caribbean island for a holiday with her partner in romance and crime. As she descends in to an ocean of greed, money-laundering and murder, she fears who else is involved.
Barbara Elle fell in love with books and writing at a young age, honing her writing chops as a copywriter at major publishers publishers and as a freelance journalist.
Growing up in Boston, but she became a New Yorker as an adult. Her writing draws on people and places she remembers, setting The Cape Mysteries on Cape Cod, a place of memories.
Barbara Elle continues collecting characters and plots, often traveling the world with her touring musician husband, the musical director for rock and roll icon Cyndi Lauper. In her travels, Barbara has explored Buddhist temples in Beijing, crypts in Vienna and Kabuki Theater in Tokyo.
Readers can pre-order Death in Smoke, due for publication on 11/5/2019, a sequel in the compelling mystery series readers love.
Website: https://www.barbaraelle.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 15, 2023
This story was a moderate paced murder mystery and every character in this story felt very real to me. They were well developed and unique, memorable in their own way. Although this story was indeed a murder mystery, I felt that it was also very much about relationships. There were many different relationships between characters in this book and it gave a depth to the story that you don’t normally find in this genre of fiction. The mystery behind what happened to Iris was nicely done as well and not at all what I was expecting. Death in Vermilion is a story that is equal parts art and mystery and will keep you fully entertained from start to finish!
This review is based on a complimentary book I received from Author, Barbara Elle. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
This review is based on a complimentary book I received from Author, Barbara Elle. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
March 24, 2019
A good Whodunnit novel. The novel starts with a murder and Leila who finds the body is obsessed with finding the murderer when there are no leads and so many suspects. The story is a little slow but progresses continuously. There are many suspects and man motives- greed, jealousy, anger, property, money. There are many subplots - but they in no way hinder the story in fact throw more suspicions and many secrets are uncovered. How Leila weaves through all these trappings and reaches the conclusion makes a good plot. Even Leila's backstoty, failing marriage is also included that adds more colour to the story . In fact a good murder mystery.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 11, 2019
I loved the intrigue in Death in Vermilion.
Leila is obsessed with finding out who murdered her neighbouring artist, Iris.
She suspects all the other artists around her at her at Red Barn, so who can she trust?
I found some parts of the book delightfully sinister, yet there is some clever humour too in this twisty murder mystery,
I also learned a lot about art and it’s history and the various painting techniques which added an extra facet to the story, very interesting. I really enjoyed the format and Barbara Elle’s expressive writing....i can thoroughly recommend this for lovers of crime mysteries and I’ll be looking out for more in this series.
Thank you to Book Sirens for a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
Leila is obsessed with finding out who murdered her neighbouring artist, Iris.
She suspects all the other artists around her at her at Red Barn, so who can she trust?
I found some parts of the book delightfully sinister, yet there is some clever humour too in this twisty murder mystery,
I also learned a lot about art and it’s history and the various painting techniques which added an extra facet to the story, very interesting. I really enjoyed the format and Barbara Elle’s expressive writing....i can thoroughly recommend this for lovers of crime mysteries and I’ll be looking out for more in this series.
Thank you to Book Sirens for a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
May 27, 2019
I absolutely adored this fascinating novel! Barbara Elle showed amazing skill with her attention to detail about life in the art world. I loved the characters that she created and each had their distinctive charms and individual personalities. The great dialogue helped the story move along at a very enjoyable pace. I really appreciated the comedic aspect of this mystery and I loved that, whilst "Death in Vermillion" was primarily a murder/mystery, it was also very character driven. If you favour this genre I recommend that you get a copy of this book.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 17, 2018
A good read and the first in a series. I found it to be well-written with intriguing characters and clever dialogue. Looking forward to more. I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
September 21, 2018
This a good book with interesting characters. There is a group of artist who paint in at the Red Barn recently there had been items missing from all of their individual rooms. Then one of them is murdered and Leila finds the body. There are lots of suspects and motives to go around. There is also an art history lessons thrown which I enjoyed learning. From the point Leila finds the body her life becomes pubic with everyone wondering if she did it.
September 21, 2018
Leila is trying to paint when she hears a noise in the apartment above her. This disrupts her painting mode, so she goes to check out what is going on. She finds Iris laying on the floor...dead! Murdered no less! Who would do such a thing? This is a very original story with some very strange characters. The plot keeps changing to where your not sure who killed Iris and why. Very good story.
December 21, 2018
I found Death in Vermilion to be an intriguing story. Leila’s obsession with finding out who murdered Iris leads her to suspect all of the other artists who work at the Red Barn so, as a reader, you feel as vulnerable as Leila, not knowing who to trust. Sections of the book are sinister, and there is also some humour thrown in to lighten the mood. There were some unexpected twists, and although I had a suspicion of what was coming, there were a lot of red herrings to throw me off, so I wasn’t totally confident of the outcome until it was there in front of me. There are a lot of art references throughout, as well as references to painting techniques, so this novel will appeal to anyone who is an art-lover as well as murder mystery fans. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
December 19, 2018
I absolutely loved Death in Vermilion. Barbara Elle’s ability to paint vivid pictures with her words. Her attention to detail with an art perspective was something to really admire.
I loved the characters, each with their own distinct personality and charm. The dialogue always moving the plot forward. There was some humor mixed in, which I always appreciate. While this story was a murder mystery, I think much of it was about character relationships. It was very character driven, and I love novels like that.
I loved the twists and turns, the characters…everything. I highly recommend checking this out!
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour. All opinions are my own.*
I loved the characters, each with their own distinct personality and charm. The dialogue always moving the plot forward. There was some humor mixed in, which I always appreciate. While this story was a murder mystery, I think much of it was about character relationships. It was very character driven, and I love novels like that.
I loved the twists and turns, the characters…everything. I highly recommend checking this out!
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour. All opinions are my own.*
September 19, 2018
This book plays about with the relationships of a group of so called friends who work in the Red Barn Co-operative for local artists. Leila is one of these artists that spends her spare time, of which she seems to have a lot, in the Red Barn, working on her paintings. She has a studio on the first floor and has only one person up in the attic above her – Iris. Someone that makes a lot of racket, stomping about and leaving Leila frustrated on many an occasion. Iris is also really opinionated and believes that all the others in the Barn are amateurs and that their artwork is of a very poor standard. She doesn’t even take part in shared chores, so has made a few enemies.
One late evening, Leila gets distracted by a loud noise from Iris’ studio and turns her radio on quite loud to shut out anymore interruptions. On leaving herself, she realises she hasn’t heard Iris clomp down the stairs and so goes upstairs to check her door. Iris is the only artist that keeps her studio locked. None of the others do, but maybe they should have, as various items have been going missing recently. On reaching the door, she finds it unlocked and slightly ajar. As she timidly walks in, she spots Iris’ dead body on the floor!
The police have to be called and Leila is stuck there, even later, giving her statement before she can finally go home to her partner, Joe. To a relationship that is somewhat lacking in involvement from both parties and dying a slow death. The rest of the Red Barn artists try to find out from Leila, what has happened and who killed Iris. She is left feeling like a prime suspect and caught between the police and all the other artists.
Alibis are asked for and some are very tenuous in nature, the twists of the storyline continue to move along with plenty of surprises. Leila finds herself in the middle and having to try and solve the death for herself. People’s alibis are falling apart and Leila also feels in danger as some she considered friends are treating her oddly.
A great little crime thriller based in the odd and unusual life of a small group of artists. Always considered as odd in dress and behaviour by many, they are now all under the knife and anyone of them could be guilty of the murder of Iris. Leila sees further evidence that something else might have some responsibility for the death of her fellow artist. The end result is rather shocking and comes as something of a surprise.
The setting of an old Cape Cod town, with its original Italian and immigrant fishing harbour and old pier are very quaint. The story flows well and at times you feel sorry for some of the characters but then get astounded by their actions further on in the book. It’s a small town story, with small time opinions and prejudices raising their heads at times and then the interaction with the ‘outsiders’ as they are classed, having not been born and raised in the town. Add in the ‘outsider’ police officer and you get to add a little bit of spice as well.
I certainly enjoyed reading this book and the setting of a small town and the quirks involved with the people, artists and surroundings bring interest to the story. The mix of characters are quirky and fun to read about. I look forward to reading some more books by this author and maybe something else with Leila and co. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
One late evening, Leila gets distracted by a loud noise from Iris’ studio and turns her radio on quite loud to shut out anymore interruptions. On leaving herself, she realises she hasn’t heard Iris clomp down the stairs and so goes upstairs to check her door. Iris is the only artist that keeps her studio locked. None of the others do, but maybe they should have, as various items have been going missing recently. On reaching the door, she finds it unlocked and slightly ajar. As she timidly walks in, she spots Iris’ dead body on the floor!
The police have to be called and Leila is stuck there, even later, giving her statement before she can finally go home to her partner, Joe. To a relationship that is somewhat lacking in involvement from both parties and dying a slow death. The rest of the Red Barn artists try to find out from Leila, what has happened and who killed Iris. She is left feeling like a prime suspect and caught between the police and all the other artists.
Alibis are asked for and some are very tenuous in nature, the twists of the storyline continue to move along with plenty of surprises. Leila finds herself in the middle and having to try and solve the death for herself. People’s alibis are falling apart and Leila also feels in danger as some she considered friends are treating her oddly.
A great little crime thriller based in the odd and unusual life of a small group of artists. Always considered as odd in dress and behaviour by many, they are now all under the knife and anyone of them could be guilty of the murder of Iris. Leila sees further evidence that something else might have some responsibility for the death of her fellow artist. The end result is rather shocking and comes as something of a surprise.
The setting of an old Cape Cod town, with its original Italian and immigrant fishing harbour and old pier are very quaint. The story flows well and at times you feel sorry for some of the characters but then get astounded by their actions further on in the book. It’s a small town story, with small time opinions and prejudices raising their heads at times and then the interaction with the ‘outsiders’ as they are classed, having not been born and raised in the town. Add in the ‘outsider’ police officer and you get to add a little bit of spice as well.
I certainly enjoyed reading this book and the setting of a small town and the quirks involved with the people, artists and surroundings bring interest to the story. The mix of characters are quirky and fun to read about. I look forward to reading some more books by this author and maybe something else with Leila and co. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
March 28, 2020
I received Death in Vermilion by Barbara Elle for free in exchange for an honest review as part of a book tour for Love Books Tours. Review also on Book, Blog & Candle.
In Death in Vermilion, our protagonist is Leila GoodFriend an artist who gets swept up investigating the suspicious death of her friend Iris. The only clues being the palette knife left in Iris' chest and a single word written in blood on the wall. Every person in her group of friends at the Red Barn Art Studios is a potential suspect and the key to catching the killer all comes to art.
Leila seems like a very friendly and nice character who is also very curious. She feels guilty as she was in the studio downstairs when Iris was murdered and she wonders whether she could have stopped it. Now she is intent on catching the killer so that she can give Iris some justice. She is determined, resourceful and not going to let anyone keep her off this case. Not even her own grumpy husband or the charming lead detective.
Throughout this process Leila starts to understand Iris more and discovers how much of a mystery she was. It turns out she kept a lot of secrets and she is more than just the eccentric hard worker that everyone knew her to be. I loved Iris' strange little quirks throughout the book for example she liked to paint like the "old masters" meaning painting by natural light only and she was always making loud noises in her studio so nobody had any cause for alarm when they heard the loud bang coming from her studio the night she was murdered.
Even more intriguing is the fact that the whole group have been receiving emails telling them to meet up at the scene of the crime. Somebody knows who the killer is, but who?
Death in Vermilion is a very clever and mind bending book and I loved the opportunity to learn more about different techniques of art! This is the perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars.
In Death in Vermilion, our protagonist is Leila GoodFriend an artist who gets swept up investigating the suspicious death of her friend Iris. The only clues being the palette knife left in Iris' chest and a single word written in blood on the wall. Every person in her group of friends at the Red Barn Art Studios is a potential suspect and the key to catching the killer all comes to art.
Leila seems like a very friendly and nice character who is also very curious. She feels guilty as she was in the studio downstairs when Iris was murdered and she wonders whether she could have stopped it. Now she is intent on catching the killer so that she can give Iris some justice. She is determined, resourceful and not going to let anyone keep her off this case. Not even her own grumpy husband or the charming lead detective.
Throughout this process Leila starts to understand Iris more and discovers how much of a mystery she was. It turns out she kept a lot of secrets and she is more than just the eccentric hard worker that everyone knew her to be. I loved Iris' strange little quirks throughout the book for example she liked to paint like the "old masters" meaning painting by natural light only and she was always making loud noises in her studio so nobody had any cause for alarm when they heard the loud bang coming from her studio the night she was murdered.
Even more intriguing is the fact that the whole group have been receiving emails telling them to meet up at the scene of the crime. Somebody knows who the killer is, but who?
Death in Vermilion is a very clever and mind bending book and I loved the opportunity to learn more about different techniques of art! This is the perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars.
March 31, 2019
Synopsis:
Leila Goodfriend is busy planning out her next painting in her studio when her noisy upstairs neighbor Iris interrupts her concentration. Annoyed by the interruption, Leila blast NPR on her radio, and gets back to her painting. As she's packing up later in the evening to go home, she's startled by a loud crash from Iris's studio. Leila decides to check on Iris on her way out and heads up to Iris's loft. Realization hits Leila as she enters the studio what that noise was, and it horrifies her to discover it was Iris falling to the floor after she was murdered.
Leila and her friends/artist at the Red Barn cooperative soon fall under suspicion by the lead officer handling Iris's murder. Iris, you see, had not been the friendliest neighbor at the cooperative, and everyone held a grudge against her. Leila and her friends set out to find out what really happened that night and to catch a killer. But, can they figure out before one of them is next?
This book has many positive things about it. A lot of detail is given in about the artist and their techniques used in painting. The author does a fantastic job of giving many details about the scene that is unfolding. In my mind, I could picture everything she was telling me.
However, I have to say I wasn't a big fan of the book. I can't quite put my finger on why that is, as I mentioned before it is really well written, and I think other readers would enjoy this immensely.
I rate this a 3/5.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Leila Goodfriend is busy planning out her next painting in her studio when her noisy upstairs neighbor Iris interrupts her concentration. Annoyed by the interruption, Leila blast NPR on her radio, and gets back to her painting. As she's packing up later in the evening to go home, she's startled by a loud crash from Iris's studio. Leila decides to check on Iris on her way out and heads up to Iris's loft. Realization hits Leila as she enters the studio what that noise was, and it horrifies her to discover it was Iris falling to the floor after she was murdered.
Leila and her friends/artist at the Red Barn cooperative soon fall under suspicion by the lead officer handling Iris's murder. Iris, you see, had not been the friendliest neighbor at the cooperative, and everyone held a grudge against her. Leila and her friends set out to find out what really happened that night and to catch a killer. But, can they figure out before one of them is next?
This book has many positive things about it. A lot of detail is given in about the artist and their techniques used in painting. The author does a fantastic job of giving many details about the scene that is unfolding. In my mind, I could picture everything she was telling me.
However, I have to say I wasn't a big fan of the book. I can't quite put my finger on why that is, as I mentioned before it is really well written, and I think other readers would enjoy this immensely.
I rate this a 3/5.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 18, 2018
This was my first time reading anything from this author, and I will say that this is an excellent first book. This book is a fascinating murder mystery that allowed us to get to know all the characters around the lead. With the main character finding the murder victim within the first chapter of the book, it allowed the story to get on the way quickly.
I always enjoy books that allow the readers to get to know the murder victim and this book gave us that. Though Iris is painted with an unlikable brush through most of the book, her past started to develop throughout the book. Her motivations, as well as her history, were brought to light, and even though the people around her didn't find her agreeable, she became a fleshed out characters.
The way that Leila handles the murder was a little brazen, as are most leads in murder mysteries. She does manage to get a lot of information out of the police by just being able to read people. I'm not sure how effective her husband's character was throughout the book, as he just seemed to blend into the background.
Overall, I enjoyed this book.
I was given a complimentary copy of the book for an honest review through Hidden Gem Books.
I always enjoy books that allow the readers to get to know the murder victim and this book gave us that. Though Iris is painted with an unlikable brush through most of the book, her past started to develop throughout the book. Her motivations, as well as her history, were brought to light, and even though the people around her didn't find her agreeable, she became a fleshed out characters.
The way that Leila handles the murder was a little brazen, as are most leads in murder mysteries. She does manage to get a lot of information out of the police by just being able to read people. I'm not sure how effective her husband's character was throughout the book, as he just seemed to blend into the background.
Overall, I enjoyed this book.
I was given a complimentary copy of the book for an honest review through Hidden Gem Books.
September 19, 2018
All that artist Leila Goodfriend wanted was a little peace and quiet so that she could work on her painting. Instead, fellow artist Iris was up in her studio making enough noise to wake the dead. How could one woman make such a racket? Leila did the only thing she could think of, turn up NPR and try to block everything out. What Leila didn’t realize is that while she drowned out all the upstairs ruckus, poor Iris was being murdered.
Now all of the Red Barn Cooperative artists are under suspicion since they all hated Iris. An unexpected call from a lawyer has Leila name curator of the estate, which brings out the amateur sleuth in her to find out what happened to Iris that fateful night and who would want to brutally murder her?
This is not your average cozy mystery where the characters are all likable and you can’t picture any of them as a murderer. Instead, most of the fellow artists are competitive, petty, and a bit jealous of one another. They are also quirky by nature and at points have you wondering how Leila could call them friends. The story has a lot of twists and turns with a much-unexpected ending. What I liked most was that there were a lot of different subplots and red herrings are thrown around to make the book even more interesting.
Now all of the Red Barn Cooperative artists are under suspicion since they all hated Iris. An unexpected call from a lawyer has Leila name curator of the estate, which brings out the amateur sleuth in her to find out what happened to Iris that fateful night and who would want to brutally murder her?
This is not your average cozy mystery where the characters are all likable and you can’t picture any of them as a murderer. Instead, most of the fellow artists are competitive, petty, and a bit jealous of one another. They are also quirky by nature and at points have you wondering how Leila could call them friends. The story has a lot of twists and turns with a much-unexpected ending. What I liked most was that there were a lot of different subplots and red herrings are thrown around to make the book even more interesting.
May 4, 2018
As an avid reader of a vast genre of books, I highly recommend Death in Vermilion.
The writing is extremely captivating and kept me reading page after page until the mystery was revealed. There was enigma, romance, humor, as well as a special, unexpected twist all within 273 pages.
With some intense conversations among the characters, as well as a slight, witty comical aspect, Death in Vermilion kept throwing twists and turns into my suspense of what happened to Iris.
I finished this mystery in two days, and cannot wait for the sequel, 'Death in Smoke' to be released! Five stars and two thumbs up!
The writing is extremely captivating and kept me reading page after page until the mystery was revealed. There was enigma, romance, humor, as well as a special, unexpected twist all within 273 pages.
With some intense conversations among the characters, as well as a slight, witty comical aspect, Death in Vermilion kept throwing twists and turns into my suspense of what happened to Iris.
I finished this mystery in two days, and cannot wait for the sequel, 'Death in Smoke' to be released! Five stars and two thumbs up!
June 23, 2019
Leila was the one to find Iris’s body. The red barn was a community of artists had one of them killed Iris. Leila cares about her friends and the cloud of suspicion is hanging over their heads. Iris is not the struggling artist she had shown everyone. She had an inheritance from her husband and her children are circling like vultures for the money. Leila just wanted to protect the red barn and her friends would she like where that lead. This is a easy to follow mystery which pulls you in from the first page. I received an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2018
Wow. This seems to be the first book for the author and nothing but praise from me. There were twists and turns that I totally did not see coming g and found the book intrigued me. Eleventh thumbs up.
May 6, 2019
This book was recommended to me by an author friend. I am happy that she did. Quite a page turner full of suspense. A great, "who done it." I had a hard time putting the book down and it held my attention throughout. I can not see rating this book anything less than 5 stars. Great author. Looking forward to reading more from her.
June 16, 2019
Whodunit?
A tense murder-mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, complete with a New Culpa from a suspect who didn't commit the murder, but almost did. Gripping, suspenseful, and full of twists, Ms. Elle has hit a home run with her debut novel.
A tense murder-mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, complete with a New Culpa from a suspect who didn't commit the murder, but almost did. Gripping, suspenseful, and full of twists, Ms. Elle has hit a home run with her debut novel.
May 3, 2019
I found it to be well-written with true to life characters. Plot twists had me changing my mind as to who the killer was. Terrific debut.
May 13, 2019
Great suspenseful book suggested to me by an author friend. Loved it!
June 15, 2019
Excellent
If you like mysteries and who done it murders, then you are going to love the twists and turns this one takes you on!
If you like mysteries and who done it murders, then you are going to love the twists and turns this one takes you on!
September 16, 2019
Oh! My! Stars! Usually, it is a good thing when I start a review this way, but not this time. I am so disappointed. This book is a GREAT story, but the execution is beyond pitiful. I'm not sure when I've ever read a book with so many errors on EVERY SINGLE PAGE. For example: Leila guessed she they were about the same age.
Iris was stormed into the Red Barn, sort of like Valkyrie ready to do battle.
It had to be nearly than two feet across.
This book reads like a very rough draft that Ms. Elle forgot to go back and edit or have ANYBODY read before it was published. And it has to tell you how good the story is that I completed it with so many egregious errors. (One of my biggest pet peeves!) The sad thing is that it would not have required a professional editor to catch the majority of these mistakes; my eleven-year-old grandson could have caught them.
After all of this, Ms. Elle decided she would stomp on my second pet peeve - gratuitous profanity. I guess I'm showing my Southern, old-fashioned roots when I say that I expect a lady to speak and write like a lady. Well, Ms. Elle has obviously not ever heard of that. She not only uses profanity; she uses it heavily and uses the most vulgar words possible. (Well...not the most vulgar. At least she never used the vulgar speech for a woman's body parts.)
If I could give this book two separate ratings I would be so happy. It would receive a 5-star rating for the storyline and plot and then the 2-star rating for execution. If none of my pet peeves happen to bother you, then, by all means, check out this book because you will probably enjoy it.
I received a review copy of this book from BookSirens and want to thank them for the opportunity to read it. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.
Iris was stormed into the Red Barn, sort of like Valkyrie ready to do battle.
It had to be nearly than two feet across.
This book reads like a very rough draft that Ms. Elle forgot to go back and edit or have ANYBODY read before it was published. And it has to tell you how good the story is that I completed it with so many egregious errors. (One of my biggest pet peeves!) The sad thing is that it would not have required a professional editor to catch the majority of these mistakes; my eleven-year-old grandson could have caught them.
After all of this, Ms. Elle decided she would stomp on my second pet peeve - gratuitous profanity. I guess I'm showing my Southern, old-fashioned roots when I say that I expect a lady to speak and write like a lady. Well, Ms. Elle has obviously not ever heard of that. She not only uses profanity; she uses it heavily and uses the most vulgar words possible. (Well...not the most vulgar. At least she never used the vulgar speech for a woman's body parts.)
If I could give this book two separate ratings I would be so happy. It would receive a 5-star rating for the storyline and plot and then the 2-star rating for execution. If none of my pet peeves happen to bother you, then, by all means, check out this book because you will probably enjoy it.
I received a review copy of this book from BookSirens and want to thank them for the opportunity to read it. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.
July 25, 2019
First of all:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really wanted to like this book because it really was a pretty good story , with lots of intrigue and mystery. However I found the characters a bit off putting and the conversations they had seemed unrealistic and intangible, and sometimes it seemed like pointless chatter just to fill the pages
The mystery itself was well thought out and the plot did thicken as they say It was just a slight miss for me, and I will also point out that Barbara Elle does know a thing or two about art as was conjured up in her details of painting
Leila paints in the studio downstairs and always hears the comings and goings of the upstairs tenant, Iris.. until one day she doesn’t
She ventures upstairs to find Iris has been murdered and this sends her into an obsession to find out who murdered her.
Other artists who live in the co op begin to look shady and all become suspect!
There are a few interesting twists with lots of alibis and excuses
I’m in the middle of the road on this one!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really wanted to like this book because it really was a pretty good story , with lots of intrigue and mystery. However I found the characters a bit off putting and the conversations they had seemed unrealistic and intangible, and sometimes it seemed like pointless chatter just to fill the pages
The mystery itself was well thought out and the plot did thicken as they say It was just a slight miss for me, and I will also point out that Barbara Elle does know a thing or two about art as was conjured up in her details of painting
Leila paints in the studio downstairs and always hears the comings and goings of the upstairs tenant, Iris.. until one day she doesn’t
She ventures upstairs to find Iris has been murdered and this sends her into an obsession to find out who murdered her.
Other artists who live in the co op begin to look shady and all become suspect!
There are a few interesting twists with lots of alibis and excuses
I’m in the middle of the road on this one!
February 27, 2020
Leila works at the Red Barn studio as an artist. It is a co-operative of six artists and one photographer who is the only male. One evening working a little later she hears a thud above her, something she is used to as above is Iris who constantly makes a noise much to the distraction of everyone else. When Leila goes to leave and all has gone quiet, too quiet, she takes herself up the stairs to Iris’ studio and finds her dead on the floor. Despite Iris not being popular they all got along so who would want her dead and why? What is the significance of Fred on the floor and the word on the wall inb paint- or is it blood? This is a cozy crime/whodunit small town mystery. I liked Leila’s character and this was an easy relaxing read. Nothing startling and nothing to put you off your dinner. A clever plot and one possibly only known to an artist or much research. I learnt something from this about pigments and how used in old masters. A read to enjoy and relax with.
August 18, 2019
I really loved this mystery! The pacing was just perfect. It starts off very quickly and each discovery is revealed gradually. The books doesn’t throw the answers at the reader all at once in order to wrap up the story. In my opinion, that is a sign of a writer who knows how to write a well thought out mystery. I loved how funny the group of artists were every time they got together. It made the story that’s much more fun to read. The artists really put a smile on my face. I thought the talk of art and paints was really interesting and made me not only interested in the murder mystery but in the art world as well. I am going to recommend this book to all my mystery loving friends. I cannot wait to read Barbara Elle’s next book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 6, 2019
I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I like cozy mysteries and I live in Massachusetts, so I was looking forward to reading this book set in the Cape. While the story itself had potential, the typos and lack of editing made it difficult to enjoy. Almost every page had an error, the most common being omitted words. Names were mixed up-- Iris Mcneil Thornton becoming Iris Thornton Mcneir, Melinda becoming Melissa, Lie becoming Lei. It was really distracting.
Despite that, I liked the setting and think the Red Barn and Truro are great settings for future mysteries. I am also curious about Leila's marriage and her relationship with Grace.
I like cozy mysteries and I live in Massachusetts, so I was looking forward to reading this book set in the Cape. While the story itself had potential, the typos and lack of editing made it difficult to enjoy. Almost every page had an error, the most common being omitted words. Names were mixed up-- Iris Mcneil Thornton becoming Iris Thornton Mcneir, Melinda becoming Melissa, Lie becoming Lei. It was really distracting.
Despite that, I liked the setting and think the Red Barn and Truro are great settings for future mysteries. I am also curious about Leila's marriage and her relationship with Grace.
March 23, 2020
I wanted to love Death in Vermilion so much more than I did. The potential was there, a good storyline and mystery but for me something just didn't hit the mark.
I found it increasingly hard to read with typos and what I assume to be lack of editing on nearly every page. I think this interfered with my reading and ultimately my love for the book.
However the author really did a great job with descriptions of the scene, the detail of artists and their technique. Without these details I really would have been lost. The setting in Truro was also wonderful.
Unfortunately this book wasn't for me in the end, I can't put my finger on exactly why, I'm very middle of the road with this book. However, that doesn't mean that others won't enjoy it more.
I found it increasingly hard to read with typos and what I assume to be lack of editing on nearly every page. I think this interfered with my reading and ultimately my love for the book.
However the author really did a great job with descriptions of the scene, the detail of artists and their technique. Without these details I really would have been lost. The setting in Truro was also wonderful.
Unfortunately this book wasn't for me in the end, I can't put my finger on exactly why, I'm very middle of the road with this book. However, that doesn't mean that others won't enjoy it more.
July 12, 2019
Boring!
The writer attempts to make conversation among the characters as light, teasing, and sarcastically funny. But to me, it didn’t play that way in my head. Instead it came across as confusing and boring. Too many times, nothing of substance was exchanged in conversation which just lead to prolonging the agony of finishing the book. The author goes off on long tangents about art theory, color theory, etc., which may be interesting to artists, but to non-artists it makes the book non relatable. All of the characters were quirky and not very likable in general, nor were they well developed. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
The writer attempts to make conversation among the characters as light, teasing, and sarcastically funny. But to me, it didn’t play that way in my head. Instead it came across as confusing and boring. Too many times, nothing of substance was exchanged in conversation which just lead to prolonging the agony of finishing the book. The author goes off on long tangents about art theory, color theory, etc., which may be interesting to artists, but to non-artists it makes the book non relatable. All of the characters were quirky and not very likable in general, nor were they well developed. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
June 3, 2019
A delightful surprise to read this Arc by an author I wasn’t familiar with (turns out this is her first novel) and what a wonderful read it was! An unusually well developed and thoughtfully written mystery/psychological thriller about a murder in a artist collective in Cape Code. Filled with artist techniques (I learned a lot I didn’t know) the novel kept getting better and better and I stayed up late to finish all the twists and turns. Recommended for sure! Yes, I received aadvanced review copy for free for an unbiased view, but I would have cheerfully paid for it.
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