The Fine Art of Murder

Katherine Sullivan Mysteries #1

by Emily Barnes

In this charming and smart series debut retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be.Former police chief Katherine Sullivan has been called brilliant, brave, compassionate, and quirky, but after decades of crime fighting, this resilient grandmother with an artist's soul is discovering that retirement can be just as deadly as being on the job.When Katherine returned to her hometown, her only thought was to comfort her recently divorced daughter. That was before a young woman was found murdered on the estate of the town's richest family. Now, in order to track down the killer, Katherine must uncover the generations of secrets that at least one person as already killed to protect.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Crime

304 pages, Hardcover

First published February 9, 2016

Reviews

[Elizabeth Dragina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars ~

RTC? Maybe? ^.^

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions)]

Marking this as a DNF so that I don't forget about it and try to check it out from the library again in the future. I managed to listen to 20 minutes of it before I had enough of the nonstop "these younger generations are so slovenly, ungrateful, whiny, etc."

1. No one dresses nicely for flights anymore. Gosh, some folks even wear pajama bottoms!

2. The teen granddaughter who's glued to her phone, not properly thrilled that her grandmother is visiting, and not visibly happy about the journal she was just given as a present.

3. The main character's daughter (the mom of the teen) gripes about how her husband doesn't help out, spends ages at work trips and comes back looking happy and rested while she's running herself ragged. According to the main character's private thoughts, this is just how marriages are when you reach a certain point in your life - the woman ends up doing more work, and that's that.

4. Some of the comments about main character's autistic grandson make me think that this aspect will eventually grate as well.

I thought I'd be able to wait this all out and then hopefully enjoy the mystery aspect, but no. And the narrator isn't nearly good enough to make up for the stuff that's bugging me.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was merely...okay. It's truly a 2.5 star (when is Goodreads going to give us half stars!). Considering this the first book in what apparently is a planned series, I got a decent feel for the main character and the world she inhabits. However, it turns out she wasn't very interesting. Yes, she was the chief of police in her mid-size town, but the way she got the job seemed so easy. At least in the way it was explained. Now she's retired, but running around like she still is the chief of police. And everyone still gives her the info she needs and answers her questions like she's still a cop, which is not realistic at all. She also kept saying she was 'old,' she has a daughter in her 30s and grandkids that were pre-teen and teenagers, but her energy levels were misleading. How old is she? I couldn't ever tell and it left me distracted.

The mystery wasn't too engaging either. The victim seemed to do a personality switch mid-stream, which is not an honest thing to do to readers. How are you supposed to 'play along' with the detectives when this whole new side of the victim isn't gradually introduced, but sprung on you in a matter of a paragraph. That's no fun. There was also an attempt at the perpetrator being a surprise, but I wasn't engaged enough with any of the suspects to care who actually committed the crime. Plus the reason the crime was committed wasn't strong.

The last third of the book seemed jumpy and rushed, like the author suddenly realized a deadline was approaching.

I think this book and character would be more interesting if she still was the chief of police, a woman in a field that is still male-dominant. The author also needs to be more fearless in diving into the main character's relationship with the potential love interest--it seemed as if it was there all the time hovering on the side, but not addressed until the book was nearly over, and even then, very lightly.

I don't think I'll be furthering my relationship with Katherine Sullivan mysteries. I'm beginning to think the publishing world has a dearth of good editors. Many books I have read lately should could have benefited from one.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently retired police chief Katherine Sullivan has returned to her home town to see her daughter and grandchildren. When a woman's body is found Katherine is called upon to help using her investigating skills.
I enjoyed the setting as have been to some of those places. I like the relationship Katherine has with her grandchildren, especially her way of connecting with her grandson who had Asperger's syndrome.
This story drew me in and kept me wanting to turn the pages as I got deeper into the mystery.

[Allison Henle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall mystery was OK but not particularly challenging or mysterious. Too many characters for this short a book!

I do have one major complaint: the main character confiscates the cell phone from her grand-daughter, EVEN THOUGH it's clearly stated that this is the grand-daughter's only way of contacting her father, who's traveling overseas. This even causes communications problems late in the book. Yet the main character never gets in difficulty for this decision. I spent the entire book waiting for somebody to really call her out.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable mystery about former police chief Katherine Sullivan. She goes to stay with her daughter and grandchildren and gets involved in a mystery. interesting sidelines about her interactions with her grandchildren really add to the story.

[Dave Hoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A refreshing break from heavy reading. A who-done-it, that can be recommended to any age. Retired Edina Police Chief, works the murder case as a PI. Confusing end, or is it just me...

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up The Fine Art of Murder to just take a look at it when it arrived in the mail. The next thing I knew was I had read about 100 pages. Katharine Sullivan, the main character, is a retired Chief of Police, but that is not what drew me to this book. I truly liked Katharine and the story/mystery. When a new book comes in the mail or I buy one, I immediately begin to look it over: reading the front and back of the book, reading the front flap and the back flap, and looking for any other information about the book such as family trees, maps, or glossaries. This mystery I just end started to read, and I definitely liked what I read. I had fun. Well done, Ms. Emily Barnes.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Very interesting interactions between characters and well developed scenes. Look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Fine Art of Murder - Katherine Sullivan Mystery Book 1
Author: Emily Barnes
Published: 2-9-16
Publisher: Crooked Line Books
Pages: 304
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Women Sleuths; Police Procedures; Cozy Mystery
ISBN: 9781629534770
ASIN: B01A5VHDI0
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley

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Katherine Sullivan recently retired from her position as chief of police and returned to her home town and taken up a paint brush instead of a gun in her new career as an artist. When a young woman's body is found Katherine finds the skills of her previous profession and called into play. As she investigates secrets long buried Katherine find herself chasing a killer who is not afraid to remove anything or anyone who threats to dig up those secrets. Can Katherine bring the killer to justice before he makes sure she retires permanently.



Katherine Sullivan shows us that no matter what our age it is never too late to start over in a new career. Nor is any talent or information learned wasted. She is a strong woman close to her family and not afraid to seek the truth or get justice for victims unable to seek it for themselves. Her feisty personally and bulldog determination make her a character that you will enjoy visiting time and again. Emily Barnes has woven a story that will keep you glued to the pages as you work our way through the maze of clues and events until the climatic end.


Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A...

Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-f...

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/The-Reading-...#

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't as intrigued by this book as I thought I would be. During one of my reading updates I mentioned how the book was a little slow and boring but since it was a first book I was still going to keep reading. I did , keep reading that is, and it was still a bit slow. On the bright side it was an easy read so i wasn't slogging through words and chapters straining to finish. But I'm left with a feeling of meh after completing this. It's not a bad book per-se but I've read better.
Katherine Sullivan was the main character and at first I was excited she's a former police chief she knows what she's doing when she solving crimes, but as time went on I started quirking an eyebrow at her. I get it she may be older but there's being independent and being stupid. You do not go into a potentially dangerous situation alone. You bring back up, as a former officer and chief she should know that. I get it she can take care of herself, but life is freak'n unpredictable even the people who are most able to take care of themselves can get hurt and killed. For such and intelligent woman she was being stupid about it. However I did enjoy her interactions with her daughter and grandchildren. The way she handled each one was very well thought out and I enjoyed the various interactions. Seriously I think more teenagers should get their cell phones taken away for an extended period of time. They'll survive.
The mystery was alright, not mind blowing, not an on the edge of your seat thriller type, but more a slow pace. which matches with Kathy's more advanced age i'm guessing. Still by the end of it was I wasn't feeling any strong emotions about who the killer was. I wasn't feeling any strong emotions in this book period.
Anyway this was a nice book but, not something that's gotten me interested in reading the rest of the series. In this case I would recommend borrowing the book first before buying just in case it leaves you feeling meh like myself.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Sullivan is the retired chief of police for Edina Minnesota. She's moved away but is visiting to be with her daughter, Lizzie, as she goes through her divorce. I, personally, fell in love with Katherine when, on her first night, she confiscated her thirteen year old granddaughter's cell phone during dinner and said she would only get it back when she leaves.

While in town a young woman is murdered out at Buckhorn Manor, home of the Pierce family, the richest family in town. The prime suspect is Randolph Pierce, former town bad boy and Lizzie's current boyfriend, something Kate doesn't find out until after his arrest. Lizzie is also his lawyer and she asks her mom to investigate the murder.

With the help of her old friend, Nathan, and his motley staff of private investigators things start to come together.

Throw in an eccentric old aunt, a muscle bound hulk and a suave Frenchman and you have all the workings of a fun mystery.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways*

This is an okay mystery although I'm still slightly confused at the end (Who all did what?) but it's not scary or intensely gripping. I suppose it would fall closer to "cozy" mysteries, especially considering the main character is a grandmother who paints, but it's not quite that either, it's sort of in the middle. Not scary but not simple, you may or may not be able to guess who did it but not right away.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable mystery with interesting characters and setting.

[Veronica Crain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and hope she writes more-strong woman!

[Nancyduffy13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Run of the mill detective story. The best part was the bonding between the Cameron, the autistic grandson and Catherine, his grandmother.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were several things I liked about this book: Katherine's interactions with her grandson being top of the list. The boy is apparently on the autistic spectrum and her understanding and encouragement are huge. I like that she tries not to interfere in her daughter's life. I like that she's an artist. I like that she's a former police chief who can take care of herself. I like her friend, also a former officer. That's a lot to like. But what I didn't like was the attitude about police procedure. There's an attempt to mask it by making the new chief of police an antagonist who was contemptuous of Katherine as a female police chief but that doesn't change the basic problem: just because you dislike someone personally is not a reason to disregard the law. The sentence that really did it for me was something about how Antagonist was too by the book to get records and other evidence illegally, which was viewed by our alleged heroes as a weakness. I expect this type of thing from ditsy cozy heroines and heroes but from people who were supposed to be enforcing these laws, it hit me very wrong. If nothing else, obtaining the information illegally would get any case thrown out of court-- and Katherine's daughter is even a lawyer. This really spoiled the whole premise for me. I also didn't care that Katherine is deeply judgmental of her daughter and granddaughter. She tries to hide it from her daughter and the author wraps it up as just concern while staying out of it but the bottom line is Katherine Knows Best for Everybody. A minor disappointment in the book is that a painting by Klimt is supposed to be hidden at a house but we're never given any description or even a bit on who Klimt was. (Yes, I do know but with as many people who were supposed to be involved with the arts in this book, Katherine included, I was surprised there wasn't even a sentence of appreciation type of work he did.) So I struggled with the rating. It was well written. I liked some of the characters, even Katherine, all the while thinking I would probably steer well clear of her in real life. Her relationship with her grandson was her saving grace. I see that there is only one other book in the series so I may read it-- so I will up my rating to three stars.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Emily Barnes's The Fine Art of Murder, the first installment in the Katherine Sullivan mystery series, this debut will keep you hooked from the first page. It all started for Katherine Sullivan, a widowed police chief, who returned to Edina Minnesota to visit her daughter Elizabeth and her two grandchildren. When Randolph Pierce, a prominent wealthy son is arrested for Stacey Jordan's murder, she needed to help her daughter and her client out in an unofficial capacity. She teamed up with her late husband's former partner, Nathan Walker, who worked in security with an unique crew. Together, they investigated Stacey's life and unearthed some hidden secrets before she met her untimely demise. While she dealt with the investigation as a private investigator, she talked to her daughter about her family issues, things gotten heated up for Nathan and Katherine to solve this murder in no time.

This delightful mystery debut is captivating and intriguing. I cared for Katherine who wanted to have a normal visit with her family, when it had gotten interrupted by this shocking murder. I loved how she had the balls to go against her former boss and put on her thinking cap as a PI. I also loved how she worked with Nathan and his crew. There's some chemistry brewing between them since they had a long history together. The location of Edina Minnesota made this sleepy small town the perfect play to set a murder. It had picturesque scenic settings from Buckhorn Mansion to her daughter's home pop on the page. The theme of the story is jealousy would lead you to greed when family matters to the heart.

This compelling mystery is a great first start to kick up the series to keep up on reading the other books. I did have one small nitpick, that there were some places when the author should've showed than told more with deep POV, due to some telling words. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no reason. If you love great whodunit murder mysteries, grab a copy of The Fine Art of Murder this summer. This book is recommended for readers who love great capers, cozies, and tons of mysteries like Deborah Crombie, Donna Andrews, and Louise Penny for example.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish this book. I actually couldn’t make more than a few chapters in. First one of the characters refers to her husband as running off to be a doctor in “Africa” followed by sweeping statements about kidnapping risks, safety, etc without every identifying the country or region she’s talking about.
it’s lazy writing to not bother to do basic research about a place you’re referencing but Africa is the only continent where it’s regularly referenced as if it’s a monoculture.
Then in the characters same conversation they reference her child as having “Asperbergers syndrome” and then continue to discuss it as though autism is a rare and unknown disease. At this point I looked up the publication date because the term Asperger’s hasn’t been used in a very long time. It’s all Autism and Dr Asperberger sent children to a Nazi facility for euthanasia so we’re trying to leave him where he belongs, in the past.
This all tells me that the author did not do their research and I knew I couldn’t keep listening.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a new series. Former Police Chief Katherine Sullivan has returned to visit her daughter and grandchildren. While there, a young woman is found murdered in a local mansion. Katherine had met the woman just recently at an art gallery where Miss Stacey Jordan worked. There have long been rumors in town about hidden art in the mansion. Are those rumors about a missing Klimt true? Was the murder committed by a thief or was Miss Jordan targeted? The Pierce Mansion is soon to be turned over to the state, but an elderly female relative of the family is not happy about this. Katherine teams up with her late husband's partner to solve the murder and investigate the rumors about hidden art. He has retired from the police force as well and has his own security company with an interesting group of variously talented employees.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't for me. I was very bored by all the family drama that pervaded the early chapters of the book.

I get that cozy mysteries all have a theme, and that some description or explanation of that theme is part of the fun. This book's theme seemed to be either "bratty kid behaving badly" and/or "family dramas/angst being talked about ad nauseum". I wasn't quite sure which it was supposed to be, but by the end of chapter six the only thing I had learned about Katherine and her family was that I didn't want to hear any more about Katherine and her family.

This was just a bad fit for me. It didn't hold my interest and I didn't feel any connection to any of the characters. I'm moving on.

[Carylanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is OK, not thrilling by any means, the audio was hard to listen to mainly because a man is reading so many women and it shows his less than knowledge of the Minnesotans' voice. Oh My !!!!
The conversations of some of the lesser characters are well, horrible. Who told Emily Barnes that the use of 'ain't' is used in MN.? If you can get beyond this and maybe if you are reading until you can't read another word??, then a 2.5 star is my best. I am going on to read (audio) one more of the series, just because I have some sewing to do , and the story will definitely not need rewinding.. lol

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly solid debut novel. There was more family drama than in a lot of cozy mysteries, but I actually enjoyed it — I felt as though Barnes was setting the scene for the remainder of the series. The writing was relaxing and the plot not overly complicated yet carried out gracefully (for the most part). There were a few places that I found clunky and where I was unable to maintain full suspension of disbelief. But overall, a good first entry in a new mystery series.

[Jessica Gintner · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book in the series and I did enjoy it! She is a former police chief & widow. Her husband died in the line of duty. She comes back to visit her daughter & ends up embroiled in a murder investigation.
You know how some books dilly-dally around and put in TONS of descriptions & other stuff to drag out the story so you have to wait to find out the ending? Not this book! It's straightforward but not rushed and pretty enjoyable. Looking forward to book #2!

[Heidi A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Sullivan is such an interesting ex chief of police now pi. My favorite character was her grandson Cameron. The author did a great job of building characters and giving us the set up for what’s obviously a series. My one criticism would be that for a book with murder in the title, the murder is hardly mentioned and takes a back seat for most of the book. That didn’t stop me from throughly enjoying my reading experience, just felt this book was quite light on the mystery part.

[Libraryassistant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this one to listen to when I exercise, what a talented reading! That being said I really wasn't sure I would like it for the first couple of chapters. Katherine really grew on me after that though, and some of the other characters-- and her relationship with them-- were finely drawn. Ultimately it did what it was supposed to: make me want to work out so I could hear what happened next!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable listen at 1.4 speed, otherwise much too slow. The characters were likable but not quirky and memorable, and it was a little too preachy/opinionated. I liked the background of a retired police chief/grandmother, but was expecting to learn a lot more about art. I may listen to another for walking, but wouldn't pick it up to read.

[N]

(Sampled.)

Nope'd out of this one when it became apparent the author doesn't know the difference between Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. And it's a novel about art! Yiiiiikes.

Also, all the dialogue seems to consist of exposition anvils dropped from a great height. No one talks like this!

[Nancy Brame · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is what I would call an attempt at a “cozy” mystery. I found it boring. There was almost no character development. The dialogue was stilted. Chunks of action were explained in one sentence—or not explained at all. I had to check to be sure I wasn’t reading an abridged version. Not my cup of tea.

[Catsalive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad read, it started off well but petered out a bit towards the end through lack of direction. I found all the MC's family interaction became tedious & would have liked more murder mystery. Seems to be a debut novel that couldn't quite make up its mind what it wanted to be. I did like Katherine Sullivan & would read another if it came my way.