Fatal Brushstroke

Aurora Anderson Mysteries #1

by Sybil Johnson

A dead body in her garden and a homicide detective on her doorstep…

Computer programmer and tole-painting enthusiast Aurora (Rory) Anderson doesn’t envision finding either when she steps outside to investigate the frenzied yipping coming from her own backyard. After all, she lives in Vista Beach, a quiet California beach community where violent crime is rare and murder even rarer.

Suspicion falls on Rory when the body buried in her flowerbed turns out to be someone she knows—her tole painting teacher, Hester Bouquet. Just two weekends before, Rory attended one of Hester’s weekend painting seminars, an unpleasant experience she vowed never to repeat. As evidence piles up against Rory, she embarks on a quest to identify the killer and clear her name. Can Rory unearth the truth before she encounters her own brush with death?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Amateur Sleuth, Whodunit

280 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2014

About the author

My love affair with reading began in kindergarten with "The Three Little Pigs." Visits to the library introduced me to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where I continued reading while studying Computer Science. After a rewarding career in the computer industry, I decided to try my hand at writing mysteries. My short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E and Spinetingler Magazine, among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, I now live in Southern California where I enjoy tole painting, learning ancient languages and spending time with friends and family.

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Rory Anderson is a computer programmer that works from her home in sunny California. As a hobby she enjoys tole painting. Sounds like a quiet idyllic life to me. But when a body is found buried in her garden things become chaotic as Rory is a suspect trying to clear her name.

This was an interesting debut. Rory has a past that the author explains over the course of the story that makes her a very vulnerable main character. She spends a lot of time with her mother but their relationship felt a bit off until more of Rory’s past is revealed and things start to fall into place. At first I thought maybe I missed a novella or a previous story in this series but after double checking found that was not the case I soldiered on. I feel if her past would have been addressed in full at the beginning the flow of the book would have been better and not so choppy.

Disregarding the flow, the theme and substance of the mystery was enjoyable. Painting instructor, Hester Bouquet, killed, but by who? The author gives a several viable suspects, and I had both of my prime suspects cast aside when additional facts were revealed. The police seemed determined Rory was the killer, what they lacked in evidence was trumped by the location of the body and they seemed satisfied. We do learn why the police chief is so determined to prove Rory guilty rather than really investigating the crime, but I really didn’t like him as a character from the start. Thankfully Rory kept digging and digging to prove him wrong. She does hold things back from him and was not always forthcoming but that is just a normal part of cozy mysteries.

I always say first books in a series are difficult because the author has a heavy lift, introducing the characters and giving us a mystery that grabs us and holds us to the last page. While the character introduction was a bit murky at first, the mystery was skillfully composed. The description of the setting, Vista Beach, was pleasing as well.

Now that I have gotten to know Rory’s backstory I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, Paint the Town Dead, which I plan to read very soon as the 3rd book in the series, A Palette for Murder is being released at the end of the month.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatal Brushstroke by Sybil Johnson was a very enjoyable listening experience. The narrator did an excellent job of "reading" the story and made each characters dialogue clear. The plot was a little muddled at first because of a reference to an earlier incident in Rory's past but cleared up quickly. I'm already signed up for the next audio book in this series.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love when I read a book for pleasure and learn new things. I'm not familiar with tole painting, though I've heard of it, and the book has lots of little details about techniques and styles. One of the nice things about cozy mysteries is all the different and sometimes quirky activities and professions that occur in them.

"Fatal Brushstrokes" is the first book of a new series but I was confused at times as there were several references to a previous mystery that Rory was involved in and it seemed as if the reader was expected to be familiar with the details. Rory solves the current mystery with the help of her mother Arika and her good friend Lizzie. The police were presented as being not particularly competent and the chief of police has an unreasonable hatred of Rory because of something her biological parents (she's adopted) did over 20 years ago. Granted, he suffered greatly from their actions but his own behavior in the story was shameful and unprofessional and had a negative impact on the current murder investigation. He partially redeems himself at the end though I expect that his behavior will have repercussions in following stories.

Rory herself was likable if at times absurdly stupid - she repeatedly withheld important information from the police and naturally each time the information came out, it made her look guilty. I was surprised when she did it a second time as I expected she would have learned after the first incident. Apart from these lapses in good judgement, Rory is smart, capable, compassionate, and with a quirky sense of humor. There was a hint of romance between Rory and the lead detective on the case, Detective Green and also a hint of mystery about Green's background.

"Fatal Brushstrokes" was a fast, easy read with likable characters. The setting was enjoyable and the mystery not too easy to solve. While I did predict some events there were some twists and turns and Johnson did a good job presenting believable red herrings. "Fatal Brushstrokes" had some bumpy moments but it's a good start to a new series and there's lot of room for growth on Rory's part.

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rory Anderson is shocked when the body of a well-respected tole painter, Hester Bouquet, is found buried in her backyard. With a police chief who hates her, Rory knows if she wants to avoid going to jail, she needs to find the killer. But who might it be?

This is a strong debut. The plot was steady with interesting suspects and shifting clues and motives. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times, but it turned out I was wrong. The characters are fantastic as well, and I can hardly wait to visit the series regulars again. Plus I loved the fictional coast town setting.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Lorrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice 'cozy mystery' read. Sometimes a mystery-reading lover needs that escape from the heavy-laden, big-town mystery to the softer, small-town mystery provided by authors like Sybil Johnson.

I enjoyed this story, with the exception of being put off by the way the local police department in Vista Beach was portrayed. They seemed overbearing and ready to pounce on poor Rory without any real concrete evidence. I realize that the incident years earlier with Rory's birth parents played into this, but it still kind of annoyed me.

Regardless, it was a clever 'who-done-it' and I'd recommend.

I received an e-copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Faye Ridpath · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent debut!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The characters were very well developed.

I hope to see more!

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, couldn't guess who the bad guy is. Lots of painting discussions. Full review here www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com

[SarahSmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute cozy mystery and I will definitely check out more of the series. I enjoyed that there wasn't a romance with the detective, especially while Rory was being investigated for the murders, though it seems Rory would definitely been interested in one. The reason I didn't give it more stars was, I was thoroughly confused by the mention of a previous mystery that Rory was involved with, I thought I had picked up the wrong book for the start of the series. After finishing and verifying that this was indeed the first I started looking for a novella or something, but couldn't find anything. Hopefully this all gets cleared up in the next books or a novella, but that was definitely confusing.

[Michele Seigfried · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if a dead body showed up in your yard? That's exactly what happens in this cozy mystery. Although it is told in third person, you get the feel that the story is being told by Rory, the main character. Rory does seem to lie a lot, which makes her seem suspicious. Sometimes this annoyed me, but I also think it's refreshing to see human flaws in the main character. It breathes life to the character. She is not perfect, and her life is not perfect either.

Along with Rory, the author does a great job of leading you to believe that any one of four people could be the murderer. This book had me guessing, though I will say that one character stood out to me about three quarters of the way through the book as the main suspect in my own head. It turned out I was right.

This was a fast moving read. I was compelled to continue turning pages until the end. I also enjoyed how this book was art-related. I was an art minor in college, so I enjoyed the references to the art work and craft projects.

My only complaint is that it is told in fits and starts, meaning sometimes I'm happily reading along, then bam! The story abruptly stops at the end of each chapter and I feel like I'm left hanging, like the chapter wasn't quite finished and the next chapter moved on to a different subject. But, all in all, I enjoyed the book, and I'd give this one four stars. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book written by Sybil Johnson!

Disclaimer: I was given this book in exchange for an honest interview in conjunction with the book tour for this book.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating cozy mystery that will catch your attention so once. The paragraph is unusual. The characters are well developed and area description please you there. RORY Anderson is living in Vista Beach CA and her past is interfering with her life. The Chief of Police feels she is agility because of what her biological parents did as she is the image of her Mother. Rory must do her own investigation to clear herself as the police won't. Rory works at home solving software problems. One day she hears the neighbor's barking in her backyard. Inspecting the barking Rory finds a finger burried in her flower garden plot and calls 911. Later she learns the victim is person with whom she had recent disagreement. Rory is the only person of interest in the murder. Her close friend Liz and her adopted Mom, Arika worked with her to clear her of all charges against her. The story keep me turning the pages as the subplots are brought together nicely. This the first in a new series, I will look for the next .

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from HENERY Prees through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.

[Andrea Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. I have to say, if its a Henery Press book, it is going to be good, and this book is no exception.

I like that it doesn't fit the traditional cozy mold. The murder occurred in the first pages, rather than after a few chapters. I also liked that Rory's hobby that isn't really the norm. I had to look up tole painting to figure out what it actually was. Very cool.

Rory is a bit hard to deal with, because she does some pretty stupid things when it comes to keeping the police in the loop. It almost seems like she wants to be arrested, but at the same time, you like her and feel sorry for her.

There is one thing that bugged me about this book, and that's the huge amount of back story attached to Rory. It felt like there should have been a book before this one, to explain a little more about her life.

The novel is short-ish and very fast paced. Its a fun read and a great start to a new series

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley and Henery Press for another great read to read and review!!

This was my first book read by this author, but this publishing house is proving to me to be a GREAT little publishing find. I read a lot of dark mysteries and serial killer books, sometimes I just need to read a little cozy mystery and Henery Press definitely provides that.

This book has lots of suspects and you just know it's the dad and son, but alas, they are committing a different crime, one you do suspect pretty early. However, the real murderer doesn't appear to you until much later in the book. The characters, other than the bad guys are very likable and you spend the whole time rooting for the heroine.

This was definitely a fun and entertaining read, short and fun, it's definitely one to read.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good start to a series. Sometimes I found the plot a little coincidental. I understand the setting was a very small town but things seemed to just happen a little too easily. I also wanted to know more about the main characters - especially Rory. I don't feel like I got to know her at all. The book mentioned her being 6 feet tall, but then never really brought that up again. I would think there would be a lot to add to Rory's character with that trait - hard to buy clothes, never being able to get lost in a crowd, difficult to find dates, clumsy or athletic, the list goes on. I wanted those details into Rory and I didn't feel like I got anything other than her hair color, her height and she used to have a boyfriend. But, overall a cute cozy mystery that I would read another of.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Once I started reading it, didn't want to stop! The characters were all interesting and I felt like I got to know them. The mystery itself was well done, lots of suspects and many clues throughout the story. I look forward to reading further adventures of Aurora Anderson and learning more about her.

[Joann · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book to read and asked to let me know how it was. I hate to say this but it was a very boring story to read. I actually did not find anything in any of the characters that really connected with me. I love to read but I must be fully engaged with the characters and with this one it was not there.

[Lali & Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I gave this book such a low rating, I feel I should say a little about why. The first in a cozy series, Fatal Brushstroke drops us into the life of Rory Anderson who lives in the small town where she grew up. She has loving adoptive parents, but the town sheriff hates her for something her birth parents did when Rory was an infant. There are references to another event that had happened about a year previously where the sheriff tried to prove she was guilty of arson. Since that event explains a lot about her standing in the town it seemed like it should be explained more. Instead, there is a vague allusion to it, then nothing else for most of the book. I actually checked to see if this was the 2nd book in the series, but no.

There were also multiple times at the beginning of the book where the author would skip events and then go forward in time and have the MC think about things that had recently happened. Why can't we just get events in order? Is this supposed to make the writing seem more complex? It was annoying.

But the main issue I had with Fatal Brushstroke was Rory. She finds a dead body in her flower beds and calls the police. Before the police arrive, she is examining the body and almost falls on it when she loses her balance. So all types of contamination of the crime scene. Then, when the police arrive she goes in her house and starts cleaning everything with bleach. Because it was dirty and it would help with her stress? She continually lies to the detective because she knows the fact that the victim called her thirty times in the preceding week is irrelevant to the crime, so why distract him? When she finds another body later on, she starts cleaning the woman's desk. Because it looks messy? I just wanted them to arrest her to make her stop. Her actions made no sense and there's only so much interference in a murder investigation that is acceptable, even in a cozy mystery. Bleh.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the mystery part of the story line, it had me guessing even though there weren't that many suspects. The story gets bogged down by the great deal of time Rory spends helping her mother out in her store though little clues may be sprinkled in the time spent there. Also, there are alarms going off in town and time is spent on that which I pretty much had figured out from the beginning.

I was also bothered a bit by some of the characters. Rory is a more fragile heroine than I am accustomed to. We are given reasons for why she is so skittish, but it just set me off. Also, her father is mentioned, but where was he in all of this? Her mother also seems "off" and why isn't she more concerned about what's happening to Rory? There seems to be a disconnect between them. There is a mention that they apparently only adopted Rory because otherwise she would have gone into foster care. I found that statement weird. If they really didn't want Rory, why would that matter? Rory and her mother never refer to the adoption, especially in a way which would indicate that either felt they weren't in a true mother/daughter relationship. Is the reader supposed to infer that that is the reason I feel there is a disconnect or is that reading too much into the situation?

There are two big events in Rory's life before this one. I think the second one, which was caused by the first when she was 2, would have been a more natural starting point for the series.

I'm starting Paint the Town Dead (book #2) and hope things level out more and that the characters seem more real.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatal Brushstroke is the first book in the Aurora Anderson Mystery series where we meet Rory, a computer programmer and tole-painting enthusiast. Her mother owns a local art supply store and offers classes with local artists. Rory has attended a weekend seminar put on by tole painting expert, Hester Bouquet. She and Hester were not friends and actually had an argument, so when the neighbour's dog discovers her body buried in Rory's garden, she is the first suspect in her death. As evidence piles up against Rory, she has to find the real killer before Detective Green puts her behind bars.

Being the first book in the series, we get a lot of background. Rory is adopted, with her parents being arsonists who started a fire which killed the Sheriff's wife and child. Even though she was a child, he still thinks she must be a bad seed, it's in the blood. Her BFF, Liz, is a real estate broker, and seems to have contacts everywhere. She and Erica, Rory's mother, do whatever they can to help clear her of any suspicion and find the real killer. The mystery is interesting, with a few suspects that have good motives. I didn't really have a suspect during most of the book, and when I decided who I thought the culprit was, I was proved wrong. The mystery was well developed and I enjoyed the setting of Vista Beach. The finale had Rory in danger, but things all worked out. I didn't have any suspicions about the killer, until just before the reveal. I have already read #2 and #3, so this book gave me good background as I continue the series.

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book but guessed fairly early who the killer was and the cause of the other little problems. The story started out good but slowed down in the middle, giving you a lot of information that had nothing to do with the case or repeating things. Otherwise it was a fun listen. The main characters past was unusual and I could see why the police chief had a problem with her but did wonder would he really have taken it that far? There were some oddball characters, that I am still not sure if they were friends of Rory's or just strange. At times Rory didn't help herself either and I was surprised she didn't learn from her mistakes, although she did work who the killer was nicely. The mystery besides being obvious was well worked with the crafting clues and I did finish it in only a few days.
Rory finds her art teacher buried in her back garden. A teacher that she argued with just days before. The police chief already has reason to hate her and doesn't need any more reasons to lock her up, so Rory uses her contacts in the art world to look for a killer. Namely her mother's crafting shop were the dead woman gave lessons. It seems everybody had a problem with the art teacher from her husband, son and even her best friend but who would want her dead? And more importantly frame Rory for the murder?
I liked the narrator. She used different voices to give life to the characters and being the story to life.

[Mystereity Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatal Brushstroke was our Book Club pick for January and I was really looking forward to it! I read #4 last October and was looking forward into starting the series from the beginning and I wasn't disappointed! Right from the start it grabbed me, it was so easy to picture the scene; a yappy dog, finding the hand buried in the flower bed and Rory cleaning the kitchen while the police are outside investigating. Hilarious and so relatable, who hasn't pretended to clean while watching activity outside? No one, we've all done it. Too funny!

There was a lot going on in this one; the murder of Hester, an artist and painting instructor that Rory knew from her mother's craft store, recurring alarm problems, plus having to deal with an effort around the town to paint Rory as a murderer. And while I enjoyed it, at some points it was a bit unfocused and meandered around, like Rory and Liz were just going around in circles. Which actually is kind of realistic to have a lull in the investigation but it also got a bit tedious and I flipped through pages in a few places. But in the end, when the killer was finally revealed, the exciting conclusion capped the book off and I loved how Rory's past tied in to all of it.

A great start to this series and it only gets better. Can't wait to read book 2 next month!

[Krystyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Killing two birds with one stone

A good read. Okay the heroine isn't Miss Marple and her sleuthing skills need sharpening but it a good start. Although the way she failed to link the biggest clue made me want to shake her. The plot is based on the murder of one of the town's elite, an artist and shows how to often the sins of the father are played down onto the children. Regardless of any supporting evidence or lack herewith.
When her neighbour's dog a let's her to a problem in her back garden, she finds a body buried in an unkempt flowerbed. The body of one of the elite in town and a famous artist. Now as a suspect, she and her BFF start investigating. More and more evidence piles up framing her. A 'forged' birth certificate, a button, alarms going off in the dead of night, arson, murder and someone making her the talking point in town. Can she work out who?
The characters still need a bit more body to really become real especially our heroine who seems a bit insubstantial.

[Chaitra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rory, cops might not be the best, in fact they might be completely rotten as well as incompetent, but please at least let them prove it to you. You can do this by not lying constantly or being good enough to keep your multiple lies straight - then let the cops harass you further, which gives you reason to think that the cops are not going to do their jobs.

This despite me also having major issues with cozy mysteries continuing to push the narrative that if you have nothing to hide you don't need a lawyer. If you have to ask (a cop!) if you need a lawyer, you most certainly do. But if they do push non involvement by a lawyer, then at least make the heroine have common sense. (If she had common sense she'd hire a lawyer, so there's that). Apparently we don't even get that.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Fatal Brushstroke. The book starts off with Aurora "Rory" Anderson discovering a body in her flowerbeds within the first couple of pages. Living and working in Vista Beach, California, Rory is close to her mother, the owner of Arika's Scrap 'n Paint and her friend Elizabeth "Liz" Dexter, who works at Vista Beach Realty. The author does a nice job of describing the setting and the characters so that they are easy to visualize. Rory and Liz are determined to figure out who the murderer is so Rory will no longer be the number one suspect. Working the case is the attractive Detective Green. This cozy is filled with action, family secrets, surprises, and dangerous situations. It looks like the beginning of a fun cozy series.

[Debbie (Doc) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was a fun cozy read! I am a crafter and found the painting and craft store to be an extra bonus. I really liked Rory and her adopted mother, but the other characters fell short for me. At first impression, I thought that Rory worked in her mother’s store, which ended up not the case. At times, I felt that the plot was confusing and over the top. Rory was ostracized for her birth parent’s illegal activities from the local sheriff as well as from her neighbors. The narrator did an excellent job moving this story along and the inflection of her voice made the book even more fun!

Thanks to Tantor Media for supplying me with this audio in exchange for a honest review.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the fourth book in this series and really liked it, but this one drove me nuts.
Rory came off as a complete airhead. Constantly lying to the cops. And ladies, if you live alone, make sure all your doors have locks and all your outside lights are working. I can’t believe she was to lazy to fix her porch light and garage door lock.
I was also annoyed by how everyone in town assumed the worst of her because of something her parents had done 30-something years ago.
Also, people in their thirties don’t walk around with cell phones clipped to their belts. I’m tempted to quit this series because one of the characters mentions how Trump’s books are good. Thumbs down.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have rarely hated a main character as much as Rory. After about a quarter of the way in, I was hoping she would be the next victim. Her internal dialogue is ridiculously ignorant, as is everyone around her. Maybe a little character development would have helped, but with internal dialogue like that, nothing could.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick paced with loads of suspects. Fatal Brushstroke by Sybil Johnson is an entertaining and quick read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read

An entertaining read, with fully developed characters and plenty of twists and turns in the plot. A great first book in the series. I definitely recommend to all cozy mystery fans.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry but this one disappointed me throughout because I could find nothing likeable about Rory’s character. Lies appeared to spew from her every time the detective questioned her when if she had told him the truth from the beginning he wouldn’t have suspected her.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up