Silent Faces, Painted Ghosts

by Kathy Shuker

Alternate cover edition for ISBN 9780992832759.

Terri is a talented art curator, stagnating in a dead end job in London. Her ex-boyfriend, Oliver, is stalking her. A post curating the retrospective of a famous but reclusive artist seems the perfect escape. Portrait painter, Peter Stedding, lives in the mountains of Provence, in a house he shares with his wife, daughter and eccentric sister, Celia. The setting is idyllic; the atmosphere is not. Peter is rude and obstructive, his household strained and silent.

The place holds secrets, stories no-one is allowed to tell, dark echoes of the past. Looking through Peter's old paintings, Terri finds a tantalising clue and soon she is caught up in a cat and mouse game in search of the truth. But whose past is she searching for? And whose hides the darkest shadows?

Genres: Mystery

378 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2014

About the author

I am a British author of absorbing and compelling mysteries, stories of intrigue and long held secrets. I trained as a physiotherapist but a back injury forced me to change career and, after studying design I worked as a freelance artist.
I started writing many years ago and now write full-time. I have written four stand-alone mysteries as well as three novels in the Dechansay Bright Mysteries, a series featuring two itinerant art restorers who become involved in a range of intrigues on their travels.
I live in Devon in southwest England. Art is still a major passion as are the natural world and music. Sadly, despite years of trying, (and the tolerance of both husband and neighbours) mastery of the piano, guitar and fiddle remains as elusive as ever.

Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathyshukera...

Reviews

[Lorraine Devon Wilke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art of good storytelling demands a number of different talents, and while each writer brings a different style, a different way with words, plot, and the turn of a phrase, that demand always involves fully realized characters, richly evoked time and place, compelling dialogue, and the propulsion of a page-turning plot. This can happen with light fare, dark mystery, literary fiction, or even the latest vampire story, but it must happen. Having read Kathy Shuker’s first book, Deep Water, Thin Ice, I had a certain expectation of excellent storytelling from her, and in this, her latest novel, she does not disappoint!

Once again setting her story in a picturesque corner of Europe – in this case, Provence, France – she brings together an eclectic group of characters that circle in and around the very specific and sometimes arcane industry of fine art. The protagonist, Terri Challoner, an up-and-coming art curator in the market for a new job, gets an unexpected offer to travel to Provence to curate the retrospective of a high-profile painter, Peter Stedding, well known for his irascibility as well as his deep and profound talent. Currently fending off an ex-boyfriend who’s taken to stalking her, and feeling dead-ended in her job in London, Terri accepts the position and the story begins.

What seems a fairly benign set of circumstances – working in the studio and living in the large mansion of Mr. Stedding, along with a new wife, a twenty-something daughter, an eccentric sister, and a coterie of various estate employees – quickly becomes complicated, as personalities chafe, expectations and boundaries are enforced, and mysteries surrounding the many paintings – and their subjects – come to the fore as Terri attempts to pull the necessary elements together for the exhibit.

Before long, it’s clear those mysteries go deep, and involve everyone working and living at the estate. As Terri begins to investigate further, both for reasons of her work and to clarify her own growing confusion about who all these characters are, what they may or may not have done, and just how she might fit into the picture, the plot takes an ominous turn. When the stalking boyfriend thought to be back in London suddenly reappears, and an old friend now working on the estate seems to have ulterior motives both personally and professionally, what had once been a curiosity becomes a matter of urgency, compelling Terri to step beyond her role as art curator to unravel a decades-long mystery that answers all her questions.

Skuker has not only written a true page-turner, but she’s done it with tremendous depth and nuance. It’s clear her knowledge of the art world is extensive, as she pulls readers into its many moving parts with colorful and descriptive details. The characters are distinct and many-layered, and she knows how to bring them together and pull them apart to create just the right amount of tension and suspense. And just as she did in her first novel, her sense of place is lovely; you can almost see the settings she creates, which imbues the narrative with just the right touch of the visual.

If I were to make one note, I might suggest the prologue is not needed, but that is such a minor note in such a well-told tale that had my interest and attention throughout. Another very satisfying read, from a really wonderful storyteller.

[Carol Dobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel darkly twists and turns against the light and color of Provence. The prologue evokes the suggestion of an unknown, traumatic event, of violence, of fear, and of the need to escape; and this sense of mystery hauntingly echoes through the story.
Terri attempts to discover what has happened to the Stedding family. Is there a connection with the sadness of her childhood? At the same time, her own relationships heighten the tension of her quest for the truth. Can she escape the abusive Oliver? Is Luc someone she can trust, and ever, perhaps, love, or will she be betrayed yet again?
The world of art and the atmospheric Luberon, provide a framework for this enticing mystery, which maintains its appeal from beginning to end.

[Allan Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathy Shuker tells a wonderful story. I don't normally give 5 stars but this novel earns it. I know more now about the artworld than I ever did, especially behind the scenes of art shows and exhibitions. I enjoyed the subtle suspense, the uncertainty of the artist and his family her central character - Terri - is working for, the mysterious rooms with their own names, the whimsical Celia, the disturbed former lover and the chance for love again. Overall, a delightful tale, well told. Looking forward to more of Shuker's work.

[Clifford Brody · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the limited time that I have to read anything, I could not be more pleased having chosen and read Kathy Shuker’s newest suspense novel, Silent Faces Painted Ghosts.

Victims to our passion for reading, you and I are like kids in a candy store: we can’t hope to devour all that tempts us in bookstores or on library shelves, simply because there’s not enough time. So we go slightly crazy knowing that we can only grab so little from among so much … and once we do, we still end up hoping but not knowing that the goodies we’ve chosen will taste real good … that is, until we pop one in our mouth … or read the first few pages ...

And so, how did Silent Faces Painted Ghosts satisfy my appetite? Splendidly! If it hasn’t already done so, the world will soon come to realize that Shuker is a master at finding and using just the right words to paint a magical mystery tour of people … what makes them walk, run, loathe, fear, and love.

Like her earlier novel, Deep Water Thin Ice, Silent Faces Painted Ghosts presents us with a complex fabric of people’s lives, loves, triumphs, and sometimes ghastly setbacks … and all those secrets that these protagonists are determined never to reveal. Fair warning: it won’t take more than reading the first few pages for you to be snared in the web that author-as-spider Shuker begins weaving: yup, you are trapped, she is controlling your fate, not just her characters’, and you are loving every minute of it.

It’s not simply the mystery of it all, either. The triplet of adventure stories that Shuker brings to the surface in this fiction-as-fact masterwork reflects deep, personal challenges that, while besetting her three lead characters, Peter, Terri and Angela, also beset you. You may very well find yourself asking: “Aren’t they ‘me’ just a little bit?” Chances are that the answer will be yes. And maybe more than a little bit…

Best not to look to me to recount the Silent Faces Painted Ghosts story line. A few button presses on your laptop, smartphone, or tablet will quickly get you to where you can easily find that out. But when it comes to your own decision on choosing your next read, you won’t do any better than to let your fingertips touch this one … and then start reading it.

[Jackie G Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most of the books I read, I first downloaded a sample of Silent Faces, Painted Ghosts. It then waited patiently on my Kindle until I eventually decided to sink my teeth into it late one evening. Big mistake! The book drew me in and I unfortunately only got to sleep very late that night. The story centers on the experiences Terry, a newly single art curator, encounter when she decides to take on a new job. The decision did not come without reservations, but making a choice between having to deal with her stalker ex-boyfriend and the reported eccentricities of a famous artist, she chose the latter.

What I liked about the book
The majority of the story is told from Terri’s perspective, with only glimpses into the opinion others have about her. I liked this as it enabled me to see her from different perspectives while still maintaining an air of mystery. I enjoyed getting to know Peter Stedding. His grating personality and inability to communicate effectively with people was interesting and I found myself liking him one minute and really disliking him the next. The mystery surrounding events in his past was fascinating, and I couldn’t wait to find out exactly what happened that fateful day so many years ago.
I liked the history behind the relationship between Terry and Luc. It was cleverly done and added to the layers of intrigue. More than once I caught myself hoping they’d work things out.

What I didn’t enjoy that much
There was one thing that niggled me a bit – Terry’s reaction to Oliver’s stalking. She seemed fearful and angst ridden but did not involve the police. One would think that after months of being stalked by a violent, abusive ex that you would at least report him. Having said that, I’ve never been stalked so am not sure what a normal reaction to this type of behaviour would be.

Final thoughts
Silent Faces, Painted Ghosts was a wonderfully enjoyable read. It contained heaps of mystery and intrigue, a nice love story and a great plot. Shuker is truly a gifted storyteller and I would love to read more of her books.

STAR RATING: 4 Stars

This review will also be posted on my blog:
https://jackiegmills.wordpress.com/

[Jack R. Cotner · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Silent Faces, Painted Ghosts” by author Kathy Shuker is a wonderful read!

The protagonist is Terri, an art curator who leaves London and an old boyfriend-turned-stalker. She takes a live-in job with a famous, difficult to work with portrait painter and his family in Provence, France. As she digs through paintings and journals to prepare for the retrospective art exhibit of her employer, she discovers there may be more to her current job, employer and his family than first thought. That’s an understatement! The setting is gorgeous and the descriptions vivid and memorable.

Shuker’s writing style is strong and the story is well constructed. She methodically weaves the intricate suspense slowly, deliciously, tantalizing the reader as the story unfolds, revealing clue after clue, mystery after mystery right up until the surprising, unexpected end.

I couldn’t put this book down once I started reading. I am eager to read the rest of Kathy Shuker’s work and highly recommend it.

[Wendy Percival · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Silent Faces, Painted Ghosts. To start with, it's a great antidote to the wet and rainy weather we're having in the UK at the time of reading, as it's set in Provence and you get a real sense of warmth, the smell of olive groves and the patterns of French culture.

I love the strap-line on the book's cover - Too many secrets; twice as many lies. This gives a flavour of the mystery in which protagonist, Terri, becomes embroiled. She's come to Provence on a whim, taking a job to arrange a painting exhibition for a reclusive artist with a reputation for rude and crotchety behaviour.

Tensions are already bubbling under the surface when Terri arrives at Le Chant du Mistral and it soon emerges that she has issues of her own to resolve, making it inevitable that she'll become entangled in the secret that the Stedding family is hiding.

An engaging story with a good set of characters and a story which draws you in.

[B J Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this well-written novel most enjoyable. It’s a current-day tale of human relationships: sometimes loving, sometimes jealous, sometimes violent. There’s a strong cast of well-drawn characters and the world of the reclusive, but famous, portrait painter felt authentic. The central character is driven by the basic human need to belong and to feel at peace. It all takes place under the shadow of a past tragic event, the truth of which slowly emerges.
The Provence setting is captured beautifully; I could smell the lavender and feel the mistral blowing through what’s left of my hair.
It’s a satisfying read.

[Patricia Bergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads giveaway.

This book was set in Provence, France and is centered around a portrait artist and a young woman from London hired to plan a special exhibit of his work. There is mystery and romance as well as the beautiful setting that is wonderfully described.
I really enjoyed it

[Barbara Luiselli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a pleasure to read! The Provence landscape seems to come to life to as you turn the pages. The smell of lavender… I could almost hear the cicadas singing! The story becomes alive in front of your eyes. You hold your breath while the mystery unfolds. Beautiful!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book: it was a gripping read. The characters are well developed and believable and the story has some nice twists and turns that kept me hooked until the end.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really enjoy this book definitely kept me guessing until the end lots of twists and turns not the outcome I was expecting.