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Painter's Craft
A mystery set around an artist’s studio in Toronto.A Toronto artist finds herself in the unlikely role of amateur sleuth as she sets about unraveling the strange death of her mentor, a renowned artist, through the tangle of a working art studio and the legacies left behind by the murdered artist’s love of mythology and Shakespeare. “A triple treat for mystery lovers! There’s the murder investigation of a wonderfulartist, his unique legacies, each requiring a knowledge of mythology andin the artist’s studio we discover how paintings are made . . .”—Ted Wood, novelist
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
9 people want to read
About the author
Susan Statham
8 books7 followersA writer and an artist, Susan Statham graduated from and studied at: Algonquin College; The University of Waterloo; OCAD; the National Portrait Academy and Fleming College. She has travelled to and attended workshops in New York,N.Y.; Florence, Italy and London, England.
The inspiration for The Painter’s Craft came from one sentence in one art class -
“Cobalt violet is the most poisonous oil paint.”
The Cover image for The Painter’s Craft is Ms. Statham’s oil painting, ‘Hope’. She has also painted the 6 other oils that provide her protagonist Maud Gibbons with clues to solving the mystery.
The inspiration for The Painter’s Craft came from one sentence in one art class -
“Cobalt violet is the most poisonous oil paint.”
The Cover image for The Painter’s Craft is Ms. Statham’s oil painting, ‘Hope’. She has also painted the 6 other oils that provide her protagonist Maud Gibbons with clues to solving the mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 11, 2020
For those millions of enlightened readers who enjoy cozy murder mysteries “The Painter’s Craft” by writer and portrait artist Susan Statham will satisfy all expectations with its unpredictable, captivating and wholly original characters, circumstances, clues, conjectures, coincidences, crises, and candid confessions all skillfully settled in the sophisticated world of fine art.
Charles, the artist, teacher and studio owner has unexpectedly died. In his will, he has bequeathed one of his own, recently-completed paintings to each of his closest friends and associates – his wife Alissa, his studio assistants Zarina and Rupert, Grace the model, Leona the gallery-owner who displays his work, Teddy his agent, and to the protagonist Maud one of his ex-students.
Maud, the educated and shrewd protagonist, immediately perceives that each painting signifies a unique and critical relationship between the recipient and the painter and offers clues that suggest Charles was aware he was being poisoned and that one or more of the recipients was directly or indirectly involved. Maud believes that her painting represents a symbolic plea from Charles that she seek out the murderer to see justice done.
Maud is the ideal person to take on the challenge -- an aspiring portrait artist, intelligent, independent (unless you count a beloved calico cat named Kora and Sherlock a protective bloodhound desperate for a new owner’s love). She lives first with Kora and then Sherlock in a modest Toronto apartment. Maud works as secretary to her uncle in his private investigation service, possesses greater skills in observation and deduction that in the kitchen, is the reluctant though highly competent owner of a registered handgun, and is a self-reliant woman capable of facing down fear and foe.
Nevertheless, Maud shrinks not from the kindness of Paul, the thoroughly considerate and cooperative policeman responsible for the official legal investigation after it has been confirmed that Charles was murdered.
Susan Statham’s wonderfully-named characters – all known to one another through Charles’ studio -- are consistently and flawlessly drawn. Each is a unique individual; each has a clearly identified role, and crucially for the plot, each and every one of them might have harboured a motive for killing and could certainly have found the opportunity to murder Charles.
All are under deep suspicion until the very last pages.
To investigate Charles’ death, Maud must draw on all her (and of course the author’s) knowledge of techniques associated with drawing and painting and therein lies one of the many charms the reader will find in this mystery. We learn about figure-drawing and transferring the sketch -- ‘cartoon’ is the technical term – onto canvas as the starting point. Most critically to the plot, we learn about the use of ‘tempera’, a painting medium that the artist creates using colored pigments mixed with egg yolk. Maud finds a critical clue in the tempera itself -- a little wine inexplicably laced with arsenic.
Throughout, the author tantalises, taunts and torments the reader as the likelihood and plausibility of each and every character being the murderer escalates, falters and rises once more. I was unable to identify the culprit and I guarantee that you will have no more success than I did.
Susan Statham has established a character in Maud and in her close allies – her protective Uncle Sid, her best friend and confidante Finella, the older gentlewoman Theo, and the emergent Constable Paul Marlow – as well as the intriguing world of art and painters — characters, a setting and milieu that provide her with a firm foundation for a truly singular series of murder mysteries as addictively alluring as any that we are familiar with in print or on television.
Charles, the artist, teacher and studio owner has unexpectedly died. In his will, he has bequeathed one of his own, recently-completed paintings to each of his closest friends and associates – his wife Alissa, his studio assistants Zarina and Rupert, Grace the model, Leona the gallery-owner who displays his work, Teddy his agent, and to the protagonist Maud one of his ex-students.
Maud, the educated and shrewd protagonist, immediately perceives that each painting signifies a unique and critical relationship between the recipient and the painter and offers clues that suggest Charles was aware he was being poisoned and that one or more of the recipients was directly or indirectly involved. Maud believes that her painting represents a symbolic plea from Charles that she seek out the murderer to see justice done.
Maud is the ideal person to take on the challenge -- an aspiring portrait artist, intelligent, independent (unless you count a beloved calico cat named Kora and Sherlock a protective bloodhound desperate for a new owner’s love). She lives first with Kora and then Sherlock in a modest Toronto apartment. Maud works as secretary to her uncle in his private investigation service, possesses greater skills in observation and deduction that in the kitchen, is the reluctant though highly competent owner of a registered handgun, and is a self-reliant woman capable of facing down fear and foe.
Nevertheless, Maud shrinks not from the kindness of Paul, the thoroughly considerate and cooperative policeman responsible for the official legal investigation after it has been confirmed that Charles was murdered.
Susan Statham’s wonderfully-named characters – all known to one another through Charles’ studio -- are consistently and flawlessly drawn. Each is a unique individual; each has a clearly identified role, and crucially for the plot, each and every one of them might have harboured a motive for killing and could certainly have found the opportunity to murder Charles.
All are under deep suspicion until the very last pages.
To investigate Charles’ death, Maud must draw on all her (and of course the author’s) knowledge of techniques associated with drawing and painting and therein lies one of the many charms the reader will find in this mystery. We learn about figure-drawing and transferring the sketch -- ‘cartoon’ is the technical term – onto canvas as the starting point. Most critically to the plot, we learn about the use of ‘tempera’, a painting medium that the artist creates using colored pigments mixed with egg yolk. Maud finds a critical clue in the tempera itself -- a little wine inexplicably laced with arsenic.
Throughout, the author tantalises, taunts and torments the reader as the likelihood and plausibility of each and every character being the murderer escalates, falters and rises once more. I was unable to identify the culprit and I guarantee that you will have no more success than I did.
Susan Statham has established a character in Maud and in her close allies – her protective Uncle Sid, her best friend and confidante Finella, the older gentlewoman Theo, and the emergent Constable Paul Marlow – as well as the intriguing world of art and painters — characters, a setting and milieu that provide her with a firm foundation for a truly singular series of murder mysteries as addictively alluring as any that we are familiar with in print or on television.
March 5, 2012
If you have a “reader” on any of your gift giving lists, then I suggest you check out, “The Painter’s Craft” by Susan Statham. This is a delightful mystery.
This is Susan’s first book, but it’s hard to tell when reading it.
The author is also an artist and has blended both crafts to produce a wonderful read.
Because I work with her husband, I had firsthand knowledge of her very first book launch. (A big success). And to show support - I dutifully arrived at the book launch and was pleasantly surprised by her presentation. It was entertaining and totally unique.
Again, I dutifully purchased the book and stood in line for her signature. By this time, I wasn’t so sceptical. I thought - if her sense of humour shows even a little in the book it should be a good read.
And I was right. It was a great read and her unique sense of humour certainly does shine through.
I figured I had the “inside scoop” since I worked with her husband, but every attempt to get the “who done it” question answered before I finished the book was ignored. You can’t fault a girl for trying!
This is Susan’s first book, but it’s hard to tell when reading it.
The author is also an artist and has blended both crafts to produce a wonderful read.
Because I work with her husband, I had firsthand knowledge of her very first book launch. (A big success). And to show support - I dutifully arrived at the book launch and was pleasantly surprised by her presentation. It was entertaining and totally unique.
Again, I dutifully purchased the book and stood in line for her signature. By this time, I wasn’t so sceptical. I thought - if her sense of humour shows even a little in the book it should be a good read.
And I was right. It was a great read and her unique sense of humour certainly does shine through.
I figured I had the “inside scoop” since I worked with her husband, but every attempt to get the “who done it” question answered before I finished the book was ignored. You can’t fault a girl for trying!
March 5, 2012
An excellent read with multi-dimensional characters, a protagonist readers will identify with and a fascinating marriage between the world of art and intrigue. A book to cuddle up with and spend a day lost in its pages.
March 9, 2012
I enjoyed the character development and look forward to seeing Maude in her next adventure. The painting aspect of the book intrigued me and follows in the belief that the Masters painted secrets into their paintings as messages and secrets for future viewers.
August 22, 2012
An pleasant mystery set in Toronto's art world starring an appealing painter cum sleuth heroine relieved from the cloying sweetness of pet worship and predictable romance by intriguing insights into the worlds of mythology, literature and painting.
March 20, 2012
A unique melding of art and mystery, I found The Painter's Craft to be a wonderfully fulfilling whodunnit.
Great character development and intrigue make this a book I'd definitely recommend!
Great character development and intrigue make this a book I'd definitely recommend!
May 30, 2012
A great read! Enjoyable from start to finish.
January 24, 2013
good work.
September 6, 2016
enjoyed the sleuth mystery with an artistic vein to it; author offers some suggestions on understanding paintings, techniques along the way.
March 5, 2012
its nice and plot is good
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews