A chilling scene. A gruesome murder. Multiple stab wounds and blood drenched everywhere. It’s only a painting.
Ginny Appleby doesn’t create works of art with beauty and happiness. She paints brutality, death, and the pain hidden inside. He’ll never understand that. He’ll never understand her and why she does what she does. Her life has always been filled with terror. And if he sticks around, he’ll die.
Detective Alex Brands can’t assume anything other than Ginny is a killer. Why else would she paint such disturbing images? Why was an innocent woman murdered and the crime scene replicated just as she painted it? None of it makes sense. And his gut is silent. Until it rips through him so sharply he almost falls to his knees. She’s innocent… and in need of his protection. He’ll do everything in his power to keep her safe from a killer, even if she wants nothing to do with him. He knows what he wants. And he wants her with every breath in his body.
*Note: This is a romantic suspense short story inspired by weekly flash fiction I write. There is insta-love. Like, insta-insta-love. When they fall, they fall hard! Doesn’t that sound thrilling? You know it does! Happy reading:)
I’m a USA Today Bestselling Author that loves to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels, although I am partial to romantic suspense. I even dabble in paranormal. Honestly, I love anything that has to do with romance. As long as there's a happy ending, I'm a happy camper. And insta-love…yes, please! I love baseball (Go Twins!) and creating awesome crafts. I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice, working in that field for several years before I became a stay-at-home mom. I have a few more amazing stories in the works. If you would like to connect with me or see important news, head to my website at https://www.amandasiegrist.com. Thanks for reading!
Her art is brutal, bloody and painful to look at, but Ginny uses her canvas to purge her own demons. Now someone is using her work as their muse for murder and Detective Alex Brands must uncover the truth, as obvious as it seems. Is Ginny the murderer re-living her bloody work through her art? His gut says no, it says Ginny is as much a victim as the dead, has his heart clouded his judgement? Should Alex forego the obvious and follow his heart? Never has murder been dark and never has one woman needed to be protected from herself and the secrets she fears.
PAINT BY MURDER by Amanda Siegrist is a short and sinister tale of murder, mystery and finding love at the most inopportune time! Yet, this tale is complete with cringe-worthy details, emotional tension and that glimmer of love that will be tested to its limits and beyond as the ending creeps out of the darkness that you will never see coming. Another hidden gem from Amanda Siegrist, perfect for when you can’t decide between gritty drama and dramas of the heart.
I received an ARC edition from Amanda Siegrist!
Publication Date: September 21, 2017 Publisher: Amanda Siegrist Genre: Romantic Suspense - Short Story Print Length: 61 pages Available from: Amazon For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance, but after reading Follow Me Sweet Darling, I wanted to read more by this author. Paint By Murder seemed a good start because,well, look at that title: kinda creepy, eh? And boy, did it deliver. A short, but well written tale of trust, love, and closets full of skeletons kept me reading this whole thing in one sitting.
What made this even better was reading the foreword and finding out this story was actually a collection of short flash works written around prompts. That something cohesive could come from that is pretty cool.
I absolutely LOVED this book! It was quick, more than slightly dark (because of the underlying issues with Ginny's past) book. I liked the characters and the insta-love aspect of the story. I really liked how Alex and Ginny would both step in front of a bullet for each other. This is a FABULOUS read!!
This was a gripping, action filled romantic short-story that kept my interest from beginning to end. I look forward to reading more books by this author!
Oh my goodness, I love Amanda Siegrist's stories! You get some romance, with the insta-love in there. But what I love is that this story took me away from all the gooey melty type of romance and had me trying to solve the case myself. I really felt for Ginny and gave her kudos for painting her pain on a blank canvas. Granted her art work is not conventional, but it shows her vulnerability.
Detective Alex was my favorite. He knew from his gut that Ginny was innocent. He had this urge to take her under his wing and solve the mystery of who is mocking Ginny's paintings. The drama was intense and the details were amazing which made me feel I was right in the story. I only wish this was a full length novel, but that is okay. I got my "quickie" fix and am still a huge fan of Amanda's writing!
This story sucked me in from the start. The chemistry between Ginny and Alex was steamy and tense. I was disappointed (in a good way) that it wasn't a full length novel. I would have liked to have learned more of Ginny's past and why she painted the way she did. This was a great creation of flash fiction.
Ginny Appleby's paintings are quite horrific and terrifying. Imagine a woman drenched in blood, strangled and beaten and has lifeless eyes. Now imagine that as a painting. Wouldn't you get scared looking at it? But that's how Ginny paints and shows how she feels and what she thinks about. Brutal yes, but honest.
Detective Alex Brands only has his eyes on Ginny Appleby, not because she's attractive, but he suspects her of a murder. A murder that looks exactly like her painting. Woman drenched in blood. He doesn't believe she did it, but he'll go follow her even to the ends of the Earth if it's the last thing he needs to do to uncover the mystery.
Paint by Murder is such a strong, vivid and terrific read. Amanda Siegrist writes with flair, earnest, conviction and brutality. While the author already warns the readers about the insta - love connection between the characters, I don't mind it because there is depth in the story. This has been a short, heart-stopping suspense!
What an amazing short story. I'm always apprehensive about short stories, because a lot of times I'm left feeling like a lot was left out and skimmed over. However that was definitely not the case with Paint by Murder. You get enough of the stories details and information to be fully engaged the whole time. Awesome characters and story!
loved this short story by a favorite author. This author writes romance with suspense that has you turning the pages for more. This time she paints and he investigates. But when it's clear that she's the victim and not the criminal he knows he needs more of her. Insta-love is in the air and although I am not a big fan of it I do love her style.
I loved this short story which made me wish it wasn't. It messed with my head a little which I liked because I thought one thing for a little bit but it turned out another
Really enjoyed reading this book. Such a page-turner, this story contained murder, danger, mystery, suspense, and romance. Couldn't put down until finished, read in one sitting. Highly recommend