Paint Me Like Your Dead Girls

by Cynthia Murphy

Murder is an art . . . and she's the next masterpiece.

A killer-thriller with a horror twist, following an aspiring crime journalist’s investigation into a case of copycat murders seemingly connected to a ‘cursed’ painting.

When aspiring crime journalist Fliss Keller uncovers a disturbing self-portrait of a man at an estate sale, her Art History professor dad buys it, despite how unsettled Fliss feels. The portrait has been lost for decades and completes a set of four existing paintings of women by the same artist already hanging in the town’s gallery.

That evening, the portrait falls to the floor, revealing paperwork inside the frame that suggests the artist was a serial killer and that the women depicted were his victims. Despite her alarm, Fliss vows to investigate and uncover the truth.

But when a series of gruesome murders rock the community, and some think the resurrection of the self-portrait has unleashed a curse, Fliss knows better than to believe them. There are shocking similarities between the poses of the modern-day murders and the painted women, and she’s sure there’s a copycat killer on the loose.

Racing against time, can Fliss unravel the clues before she becomes the murderer's next muse?

Genres: Thriller, Young Adult, Mystery, Horror, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Crime

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2026

About the author

Cynthia Murphy is the bestselling author of a number of YA thrillers, including the BookTok sensation Win Lose Kill Die.

She has a long-standing love affair with all things scary, reading Point Horrors before graduating to Stephen King in her misguided teens. Studying for a degree in Art History and Archaeology meant that she developed a thirst for anything old, beautiful and very often dead. She tries to combine this with contemporary settings in her writing to make unique and chilling modern stories.

Cynthia lives in her hometown of Manchester with her husband and their rescue dog, Loli, who you will see a lot of on TikTok and Instagram @CynthiaMurphyYA

Reviews

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a really interesting idea, especially with the creepy paintings, old murders, and the connection to new killings. I liked following Fliss as she tried to figure out what was really happening, and the historical parts about the original victims were probably my favorite. That said, the story felt a little slow in places and I didn’t connect much with the characters. The mystery was creative, but I found some parts confusing and the ending didn’t have quite the impact I was hoping for. Still, it was an enjoyable read with a unique concept, so I’m giving it 3 stars.

[joni ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 2.75 stars
gosh this dragged on for so long and was so dreadful, i just wanted to get it over with.

like it sounded so promising but it was so cliche and lacklustre imo


𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
felt a slump so decided to read a thriller! this title immediately caught my attention and ive been dying to read it ever since it came out!! quite literally obsessed with this cover it is so unique!!!

thank you get underlined for the gifted copy!

[Yara’s Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Give me creepy paintings, a possible curse, a serial killer and an aspiring crime journalist trying to figure it all out, and I’m instantly hooked. The premise alone had me wanting to pick this up and for the most part, it delivered.

The mystery was definitely the highlight for me. I loved following Fliss as she went down every rabbit hole, digging through old archives and trying to connect all the clues. It genuinely felt like I was trying to solve the case with her and I kept changing my mind about who was behind everything.

The creepy atmosphere was also done really well. Every time the paintings came up I was like… absolutely not. I also liked that I could never fully decide if there was actually something supernatural going on or if someone was just really good at messing with people.

And the ending?? I definitely didn’t see it coming and I love when a thriller can actually surprise me.

Overall, this wasn’t a new favourite, but it was a really entertaining read. If you like creepy mysteries with true crime vibes, a bit of horror and lots of twists, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a go.

[sophia_thesecond (in my noah kahan era) · Rating 3 out of 5]

started on 4/13 finished on 4/18!

𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨

3.2 stars! this book wasn't bad, but it didn't keep me at the edge if my seat, even at the ending when all the stuff happened. it's definitely more of a mystery than a thriller. the concept is so interesting and I really loved it, and I think it was done well. I love art (can't do it for the life of me but I enjoy looking) and I liked that it played a big role in this book. I didn't really connect to any of the characters and no one really went through any changes. I didn't like the killers reasoning for what they did and that whole scene just felt flat. that's wasn't really any explanation except for like a sentence. and I guessed who it was. I liked the setting of the college. overall, I think this book was ok, there were parts that I really enjoyed, and parts that felt flat.

Now Playing:

heads will roll- yeah yeah yeahs
1:13 ❍─────── 3:55
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Volume: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

characters:

fliss: she was alright. I think she was a good msun character

izzy: I'm sorry but I found her to be annoying

noah: I liked him

ford: I liked him too

scarlett: she was a weirdo

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paint Me Like Your Dead Girls is such a page turner! Murphy combines investigative journalism, art history, tarot, all with a little bit of horror to create this exciting, suspenseful story.

I loved the pacing of this story! I enjoyed how the story slowly unravelled with Fliss’ investigation and how we got to see the steps she took to discover the truth — from the newspaper ads, to deep internet searches, to old library archives…

I liked the mixture of perspectives and how we got to get a glimpse of the women who unfortunately ended up as the subject of the portraits. We got to see their humanity before a killer tried to take it from them.

I didn’t really enjoy any of the romances and I think the book could have done without them. Her friendship with her best friend Izzy was enough, and I wish that had a little more focus than anything else. Their relationship felt very real, with the ups and downs, but with the love always there.

Overall, I really enjoyed this! Such a page turner.

Thank you to Penguin Random House UK Children's | Penguin for the e-arc

[Aaron Todd Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ 2.5 🔪

This was a fast-paced YA mystery with a unique premise that blended investigative journalism, art history, and just enough horror to keep things unsettling. I loved uncovering the truth alongside Fliss, and the creepy paintings added an eerie atmosphere without overpowering the mystery.

A page-turning mystery with serial killers, cursed artwork, and dark academia vibe! Definitely worth picking up.

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Getunderlined and PRHAudio for the gifted copy to read, listen, and review.

The narrators were good with different accents. This book was okay, a bit slow paced for my liking.

This story followed Fliss. Her dad is an art history professor. He took her to an estate sale and bought this painting that looks like a self portrait of the artist himself. Then her dad went on a honeymoon with his new wife and Fliss was to do house sitting for him and attend summer school. While he's away, she was to help out at the art gallery. There, she saw four more paintings, which depicts women who appears bound and dead. It belongs to the same artist as the painting at her dad's house. The mystery puzzled and intrigued Fliss. She decided to dig into the mystery, especially after some paperwork fell out from the painting at her dad's house. Also, someone Fliss met at the art gallery was found murdered the next day. Fliss was shaken but murder investigation also intrigued Fliss. She decided to investigate and stop this modern day copycat murder.

[Gayleeee Middleton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great title and interesting story but here’s what bothered me:

A bunch of folk are being murdered locally and neither of the girls’ parents rush home.

The main character wanted to investigate these cold cases from the 1900s and literally all she did was some Googling and got nowhere. She also then went on a tangent where she planned a house party that was … okay, whatever.

By the 200th page nothing had been figured out and then (spoiler) she just walks in on the killer at the end so none of the first half of the book was even relevant.

Oh yeah and then she needs to phone the police but she left her phone at home - she’s in a public gallery…there will be a phone! Try a desk?

And she also goes to the police early on but she visits her college campus police who aren’t really police and they just give her a rape alarm and send her on her way.

Ughhhh maybe I’m too old for YA. Or I just hate crime novels.

[Stay]

”Oh, great, I’ll be living with a demonic painting for the foreseeable future. What could possibly go wrong?"

DNF @ 50%

Serial Killers! Art! This combined two of my favorite things. Then the author goes even further and connects the two. I dropped dead on the floor. I felt as if my year was going to be made. Sadly, this didn’t do anything for me.

This had a really strong start with the finding of the painting and then death. I was hooked but after that it felt as if I was walking in a field of molasses with some boring flat characters. New characters were popping up all the time and they were all the same. You know they all eat dry biscuits with no drink. They don’t season their chicken.

As of right now, this wasn’t for me. I think younger readers will eat this up. It’s just not for this old head.

[iga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moja pierwsza książka po angielsku i napewno nie ostatnia!! Momentami zapominałam że czytam po angielsku…
Nawet ok ale trochę się dłużyła😐
3/5⭐️

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Dr CG · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had really wanted to love Paint Me Like One of Your Dead Girls because the premise immediately grabbed my attention. It felt unique, creepy, and different from a lot of other mystery books I’d picked up lately. I also really enjoyed the true crime vibe woven throughout the story, and the connection to the art gallery and the paintings added an eerie atmosphere that I thought was the book’s strongest element.

Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the concept for me. The pacing was incredibly slow. There were times when it felt like I’d read ten pages and the characters were still sitting in the same place, having conversations without much actually happening. I kept waiting for the story to pick up, but it didn’t really speed up until the very end.

One thing I’d recommend is going into this book with the right expectations. Despite how it’s often marketed, I wouldn’t call it a thriller. It read much more like a slow-burning mystery. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries with a true crime feel and don’t mind a leisurely pace, this might work well for you. For me, though, the intriguing premise and that beautiful cover design weren’t enough to overcome the slow pacing and underdeveloped characters.

Thank you to Cynthia Murphy, #Netgalley, and Penguin for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

[KK Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A twisty little thriller with a throwback to an unsolved crime / mystery artist from the past and a cursed painting (or is it?)

I liked this! Fliss wants to be an investigative journalist and her dad wants her to study art - what better way to combine the two than to research the mysterious painting they find at an estate sale with a questionable and potentially gory past?

This is a YA thriller and there are definitely some YA moments (parents who aren't present, a teen party) and some thoughts from our main character that felt a bit childish (the desire to dislike her dad's new wife even though she has no good reason and acknowledges she is a nice person) but I still found it really enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the mystery of the painting and the glimpse into the past timeline, and the crimes taking place across both. I also loved the tie in to the tarot cards. I found myself going through the possibilities for who the killer could be in the present timeline and did not even consider who it turned out to be, I was completely surprised.

This is my second read by Cynthia Murphy and both were quite different but enjoyable!

Audio: single narrator
Notes: I enjoyed the cadence and the tone the narrator used throughout and it felt very natural and expressive. A great performance.

[Lauren · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Paint Me Like Your Dead Girls is a fun murder mystery that will have you debating whether the entire series of events is supernatural or not right up until the final pages.

The Y.A. horror craze does not seem to be dying down and I am here for it. This one was definitely more on the fun and gory side, a lot of disbelief had to be suspended but it was worth it. I do wish there had been more focus on the murders happening (as they were super creepy and interesting). Cynthia Murphy opted for a 'I love true crime and want to solve this logically' main character in Fliss, and while I did enjoy that for the most part I do wish Fliss' logical side had taken a back seat so more scares could be had.

This kind of novel relies a lot on plot twists to make it or break it, for the most part I am content with where it went, though I do wish it had leaned a lot more into the supernatural side of things. I also worked out one of the bigger parts of the twist, but it took until about 40% in before I did (my suspicions were on a few other factors that ended up being red herrings).

Overall, a fun read for the spooky season and a decent addition to the Y.A. horror craze.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

[pawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to the epilogue, all my current favourite authors apparently go on train rides to Wales together. It’s all making sense now.

[Haley ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

okay someone take my netgalley login away...

I'm really excited for this thriller!!! eeekkk

Eh this one was really such a miss for me. Horror vibes perfect for halloween, creepy paintings which are potentially haunted with the last owner killed. The paintings are known to have a curse, only who would believe in that? It's just a painting, until deaths start..

The audiobook was easy to get into, the beginning I felt was setting up a good foundation, then... I found I couldnt' quite connect with the characters and truthfully found Fliss to be annoying at times.

I was ready for it to be over about halfway through and didn't find it helping with my growing sense of a reading slump coming in.

[Sue Oshin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This month is officially my Thriller & Mystery Month, and this is another book that made me go WOWWWW, I LOVE THIS PREMISE!

Imagine bringing home a mysterious painting from an estate sale in 1911. The painting is creepy, unsettling, and created by a talented but mysterious artist. There are four paintings set collectively known as The Four.

Fliss attends the estate sale with her father and newlywed stepmother. Her father issa university lecturer with a passion for art, immediately becomes fascinated by one particular painting. When they discover that this painting is actually the long lost fourth piece of The Four in decades, he decides to buy it before someone else does and hoping to finally complete the collection for the town’s gallery.

But things start to unravel when the painting begins revealing a disturbing history from decades ago. And no, this isnt a ghost story 😂 Instead, its a misteri surrounding the murders of women depicted in the paintings, with each painting hiding another piece of the puzzle.

What I REALLY loved was Fliss. She only 17, but she completely obsessed with crime & has such an active analytical mind. Every time another mystery unfolds, I loved watching her connect the dots between the clues, motives, events & consequences. She doesnt just stumble into the mystery but she actively thinks her way through it.

I also really enjoyed how the mystery is layered across The Four. Each painting feels like it holds its own secret, while simultaneously being connected to a much bigger story. The whole premise was so clever and atmospheric & I genuily enjoyed uncovering the history behind those paintings alongside Fliss.

A creepy painting, a forgotten history, mysterious murders, and a teenage girl who can’t stop investigating. This one was definitely a WOW, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT kind of read.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fliss Keller is looking forward to the next few weeks. Her dad & his new wife are off on honeymoon, leaving Fliss & her best friend to spend the time attending a summer art class & generally hanging out. Beforehand, she attends an estate sale & uncovers a disturbing self-portrait which gets her Art History professor father's attention as it could be the long-thought lost companion piece to The Four - a set of four paintings of women which are owned by the local gallery. It's also rumoured to be cursed but Fliss doesn't believe in that kind of thing.

That evening the portrait falls to the floor & the damaged frame reveals paperwork suggesting the artist was a serial killer & that The Four are in fact his victims. Fliss decides to investigate as part of her work for the summer class but when murders start to happen which resemble the paintings, it seems there may be a copycat killer on the loose.

This was a really interesting plot with the mystery based around the paintings & the notion of a curse. It was a little slow to get going but I found it grew on me as I continued reading, & the final third was gripping. I liked the main character but her BFF was a bit of 'Debbie Downer' at times. Overall, it was a perfectly acceptable YA thriller with an intriguing concept & I rather enjoyed it.

SUMMARY:
Plot: Good - Really interesting plot which was a little slow to get going, based around a set of 5 paintings & a possible historical serial killer.
Writing Style: Good - I liked the MC but her BFF was annoying. Some reviewers didn’t like the step by step guide to MC’s investigation through the archives but I quite liked it.
Enjoyment Level: Moderately High - A bit slow to get going, but this YA thriller incorporating historical murders grew on me. The final third was gripping.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Random House UK Children's, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

[littlefox · Rating 4 out of 5]

༺⟡༻ 4 stars ༺⟡༻

A big thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am a mystery/horror fiend and one of my favorite tropes is when the story is open-ended enough that the reader can question whether there is a supernatural element or it’s all ordinary - this book has exactly that. A mysterious self-portrait of an artist is found, matching a collection of 4 grotesque portraits of women, painted with a mixture of their hair and blood; the artist is theorized to be a serial killer, and his “muses” the victims. Are the paintings an occultist ritual? A manifestation of psychopathy? This book leaves room for the reader to get creative.

I quite liked the story. Although I guessed the reveal and the ending was a little bit weaker than I would’ve liked, the buildup was great. The murders were creative (especially the connection to the art) and Fliss’s investigation had me invested. I also really liked Fliss and Izzy - I think they’re an accurate representation of 2 teenagers with different coping mechanisms being thrust into a copycat killer’s hunting ground without any trustworthy adults nearby (also I reallyyyy saw myself in Fliss; bbg would love Criminal Minds).

Overall, a really solid, fun YA thriller! It was a quick and entertaining read, and I think if you’re like me and live for Criminal Minds or mysteries that blur the lines between supernatural and natural, you’ll like this one ♡

[Mella aka Maron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is like a 4.5 and normally I would round down in these instances but what the hell is with this low rating???? This book was really well-written, unique, and just overall a blast to read! So to help boost the rating, I rounded up. 🙌

I don’t want to spoil anything but I loved the idea behind this book and I really enjoyed the execution as well. Everything was methodical. Everything made sense!

What I really liked was that our FMC processed everything very well. She used critical thinking skills! Gasp! 🫢 I was thankful to have a girl who used her brain. She reminded me a lot of Mabel from Only Murders in the Building. 🥰

My only small qualm was that the romance was a little random, but I can look past that since we are mostly here for the friendship and for the mystery. I enjoyed the camaraderie between the two main girls and it was fun to see their relationship and the different way they approached the turmoil.

I would recommend this to fans of mystery shows like Only Murders in the Building! It definitely felt just like that!

[Nico :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC of this book! ⭐️

Paint Me Like Your Dead Girls follows our main character Fliss and her best friend as they work to uncover a series of mysteries surrounding a set of famous portraits, all spurred on from Fliss finding the fifth missing portrait.

What happens when the supposed serial killer artist of the original paintings seemingly comes back to their small town? Is it a curse, a ghost, or something worse?

This book has mystery, murder, and splash of both supernatural and romance. Something for everybody!

I really enjoyed this book, it’s fast-paced and the characters are endearingly relatable in places - I’m used to guessing the ending but with this book there were so many turns I couldn’t!

There were a few parts that felt a little slow or unnecessary, and I do agree with other reviewers that the romance was a bit out of the place but not enough for it to affect my enjoyment.

Overall I give this book 3.5/5 stars 🌟 I’d recommend people to read it as it’s unique and I’ve never read a plot like it!

[Cyd’s Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 3.75 rounded up to 4.0 stars.

I enjoyed this YA thriller that kept you hooked on the clues and moved in a fast paced manner. The story follows Fliss at its core, but we get a couple other pivotal characters, I liked the dynamics and the who done it energy throughout.

I really didn’t guess who the culprit would be, I do think the reasoning everything unfolded made it fall slightly flat for me personally, but I enjoyed the journey. Fliss is quite the detective and I’d love to see the character in another story.

[Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to Penguin Australia for sending me a copy of this one. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a gripping thriller horror combo. I was hooked from the start with the lore around the paintings and it only got more exciting from there.

I thought Fliss was a great main character. She’s got a keen eye for detail and she hyperfixates easily, which made her the perfect person to be investigating this. I loved all her sleuthing even if her best friend didn’t.

The climax to this was excellent. I was on the edge of my seat! So well executed.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had such an interesting premise! The combination of creepy paintings, old murders, a possible copycat killer, and a little supernatural mystery definitely caught my attention.

I really liked the atmosphere and the whole idea behind the paintings. It had that unsettling feeling of wondering whether there was something genuinely supernatural going on or if there was a much darker explanation behind everything. That said, I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I hoped I would. Some parts of the mystery also felt like they took a while to get moving, so I found myself losing interest occasionally.

Overall, it was an interesting and creepy read with a unique concept, but it didn’t completely hook me. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the pacing had been a little tighter and the characters had been developed a bit more.

Still, if you enjoy YA mysteries, creepy artwork, murder investigations, and a touch of the supernatural, this might be worth checking out!

Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy in exchange for honest review.

[Nina Guajardo Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review 3.75 ⭐️ This took me longer than expected to finish .. because I kept putting it down. I wanna thank the author and the publisher for the opportunity. So from the beginning I definitely enjoyed the book. The idea of the mystery of the paintings was something new to me which I enjoyed. The ambition of fliss of solving the mystery definitely was enjoyable for someone who just wants to know answers and the anticipations However, I felt like in the middle it was a bit confusing on what was really happening. Wish the ending was better that anticipated but overall wasn’t too bad.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
Thank you penguin teen and netgalley for an e-arc of this book.
Overall I loved this book. I enjoyed the writing as well as the plot. It was highly suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that main character would get angry every time the police wouldn’t let her get involved in the investigation. Overall a fun and enjoyable read.

[Rosemond Cates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected! It is a double timeline YA novel dealing with the occult and art. Action packed and interesting, Murphy's narrative had me guessing to the end. I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this.

Thank you to Random House Children's Books and Delacorte Press for this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-arc!

Such a good and atmospheric read. I was on the edge of my seat a few times and I loved the shift in perspectives. A really good read!

[GIGGGLES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really enjoyed this book! I had feelings but was never sure but at the end I was like aaaaah how did I not see it!!!