Secret of the Painted Lady

Danger Cove #1

by Christina A. Burke, Elizabeth Ashby

If these walls could talk...they'd scream murder.

Alex Jordan, owner of Finials and Facades Renovation and Restoration Services, has been living her dream of restoring Victorian-style homes in the town of Danger Cove. But her recent acquisition of the stately Marlton House has led to a showdown with the town real estate mogul, and now she needs to restore the old house and flip it before time runs out. But Alex gets more than she bargained for when a Hawaiian shirt-clad tourist with a bullet in his head turns up in the home's bathtub. Pairing up with unlikely partner and town florist, George Fontaine, Alex vows to solve the murder before her flip becomes a flop.

As Alex worries over deadlines, she stumbles across another body on the cliffs of Danger Cove. However, this "body" is a super-sexy man with amnesia...or so he says. Throw in a stash of stolen diamonds, a matchmaking grandmother, a foulmouthed parrot, and a mysterious killer with Alex in his sights, and Alex is in a race against the clock to salvage the job, solve the murder, and save her own life.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Chick Lit, Mystery Thriller, Romance

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2015

About the author

Christina wrote her first novel, a time-travel romance, more than 20 years ago. Writing fell by the wayside as family and career obligations took over. She earned a Doctorate in Business Administration, taught for colleges, managed staffing agencies, and started several entrepreneurial ventures, until she found her way back to fiction writing through the unlikely avenue of metastatic breast cancer.

She believed laughter is the best medicine and hoped her readers found a cure for what ails them following the wacky antics of the characters she created. Sadly, Christina passed away in 2016 after losing her battle with cancer.

Reviews

[She · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Burke's books are always a hoot and this one is too! What a fun read and a great introduction to this fabulous series. So many twists and turns along with the laughter, it's perfect!

[Deanie Nelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contractor Alexandra "Alex" Jordan is excited to buy and restore the run-down old Victorian mansion (aka a "Painted Lady") she's admired for years -- until she finds the corpse in the bathtub. This leads her on a wild chase to solve the murder (so she can get renovate her new 'crime scene'), along with her elderly grandmother, her grandmother's crazy best friend, a mysterious florist who wants to be her boyfriend, a cranky parrot, and a man who may (or may not) have amnesia.

Secret of the Painted Lady is a fun cozy mystery, full of secrets and multiple mysteries (bodies, diamonds, secret identities). The chemistry between Alex and her wanna-be boyfriend George is hilarious, as is George's reaction to Alex's other suitor, the amnesiac John (Doe). The mystery will keep you guessing until the last few chapters. It's a fun book and I'd like to read more in this series.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the first of many in the Danger Cove Mysteries. There will be six different series based in Danger Cove including the Renovation series which is featured in the Secret of the Painted Lady. Also, there will be a bakery, quilting, hair salon , cocktail and bed and breakfast mystery series set in this town. In this book we meet Alexandria who specializes in flipping old Victorian homes. In touring her latest purchase she finds a dead man in the bathtub. She finds herself trying to solve the murder with the help of a man with amnesia and a florist while also dealing with a 60 year old parrot, a colony and bats and a search for a diamond theft. This is a great story that will keep you guessing until the end.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and am really excited about the Danger Cove series as a whole. The mystery of who dunnit kept you guessing and suspecting everyone, with a good old fashioned murder mystery party to finish things off!! There was humour and laugh out loud moments in the book which kept it light hearted enough too (I would love to own smitty the parrot!!)
I think I will check out the Queenie Baby series by this author as I loved her style of writing and characters. Read it you won't be disappointed.

[Vicky Coughlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new series for me. I really enjoyed the book, the story line was good but the ending was a bit weak and I felt there were quite a few things left unexplained. Maybe book 2? But it doesn’t look like…. we’ll see. I love the cover art. Still a worth reading book thus my 4 stars.

[Tracie Banister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me on the very first page. I loved the author's voice (She's equally adept at descriptive prose and dialogue.) and was instantly drawn into the story. Tough, independent, and preferring work boots to stilettos, old home restorer Alex Jordan is a far cry from your typical girly girl heroine, which made the story feel fresh. Alex works in a male-dominated field and doesn't shy away from manual labor or any of the icky stuff she runs into while doing renos. At least not until she finds a dead body in the bathtub of the Victorian house she just bought.

That murder and its subsequent investigation impede Alex's plan to restore and flip the house, so she takes it upon herself to figure out what happened to the victim. Adding to the mystery is the unconscious man Alex pulls from the ocean. He can't remember who he is or what he's doing in Danger Cove (Convenient!), but Alex can't help wondering if he's somehow tied to the murder. She also can't help noticing how gorgeous he is. Mr. Amnesia isn't the only man who figures into Alex's life/investigation. Her flirty neighborhood florist, George, is very keen on helping her find the murderer, and his motives aren't altogether clear. Alex is simultaneously suspicious and attracted to both men. Are they good guys, or bad? You'll have to read the book to find out!

What I enjoyed most about Secret of the Painted Lady aside from the peek behind the curtain of what goes on during a house reno (No surprise there since I can't get enough HGTV!) were the characterizations. They were so vivid and unique, even Alex's grandmother's bird had so much personality! (He provides wonderful comic relief as well as some creepy moments when he makes his negative feelings about certain people known.) When all the suspects are rounded up in the final act (on a dark and stormy night natch), it was fun to see them all interacting and spilling their secrets.

The story concludes in a satisfying way, but it definitely left me eager for more. I look forward to the next Danger Cove Renovation Mystery and will be sure to check out more of Christina A. Burke's work. If you're a fan of cozies with entertaining dashes of humor and romance, add this one to your TBR pile!

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cozy moves along pretty quickly...from finding the dead body, to the mystery at hand to solving the crime. There is a motley group of characters and some I liked and some I didn't like...but that is what the authors set out out to do. After all you can't like everyone!

I'm not sure how I feel about George's character. He is holding a lot back, but perhaps he will loosen up. I'm not sure how I feel about the relationship between him and Alex, it seemed to move rather quickly because they have known each other for awhile (Alex picks up flowers for her grandmother each week from George) it seemed to move rather quickly.

There is a funny section involving bats!

I had no clue who the killer was going to be...it was definitely NOT someone on my radar

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the 'Danger Cove Series'. 'Secret of the Painted Lady' is a fun and cozy mystery that had some surprising turns. The storyline was intriguing and full of humor. I love the descriptive nature of these books. Between the scenic area of Danger Cove to the beauty of the painted ladies- the historical houses. The attention to detail was awesome. The characters were great. Alex was not the typical heroine. She's witty, sarcastic and an overall great lead. I wasn't real sure about George at first. I loved the banter between him and Alex. And the there's Smitty- the awesome foul mouthed parrot. I look forward to reading more of the Danger Cove series. A great add to your tbr list.

[K-BRC · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Danger Cove series begins with a home run hit by author Christina A. Burke. The dead body is discovered by a strong female heroine with two handsome fellows who are either suspects or suitors. All this set in an old Victorian mansion straight out of your best Nancy Drew Mystery memories with Nick & Nora reinvented. Alex (Alexandra) Jordan leads an incredible cast of characters in this witty, fast-paced 'Renovation Mystery.' I'm booking my reservation for the another caper in Danger Cove, and I can't wait to go back.

[Linda Quick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A fun mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I especially loved the restoration of old houses - the painted ladies, and the chemistry between Alex and her suitors.

This is a great beginning to what I hope will be a long and successful series. If you enjoy chick lit/cozy mysteries, you will love this.

Thank you to the author for providing a complementary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Dawn Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to love this entire Danger Cove series! This is book one in the series, and it was fantastic. I read the whole book in pretty much one sitting, its hard to put down. Alex Jordan buys and restores houses to flip for a living, and gets herself in the middle of many sticky situations. This book is full of exciting and fun characters and a hilarious bird, and it is a mystery within a mystery. Full of laughs, and I love the references to the Thin Man movies. Don't miss this one!

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and amusing cozy mystery. A romantic triangle, a parrot, a wonderful old house and a murder all add up to a fantastic read. I was given an ARC and am happy to discover this is the first in a series. I look forward to reading more about Alexandra.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a brand new fun loving murder mystery series. I loved every minute of it. Keeps you guessing all the way to the end of the book and suspecting everyone. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy mystery.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

The "Nick and Nora" stuff got really old very quickly. Too much detail on the house renovation for my taste, although I'm sure many readers will enjoy that. And the bats? What was up with that?

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. There was a lot going on with the house restoration disasters, the stranger with amnesia, the missing diamonds and the murder. It was nicely woven together to keep you either chuckling or guessing. The mystery was wrapped up rather differently and made me think of a black and white noir film. I must admit I had no clue who Nick and Nora Charles were and had to Google them as they were mentioned so much. I had my suspicious when everybody sat down for dinner who the killer was but the clues were subtle and had me guessing for a while. The love triangle or which may she should trust got a bit tedious but I liked the characters and knew who I was rooting for. Of course the parrot stole the show. This series of books are written by different authors and about different characters but I would look out for more books involving Mr and Mrs Charles, sorry Alex and her man friend.
When Alex buys a house unseen to refurbish and sell, she had no idea she was buying a house with a dead body in the bathtub. Then she stumbles over a man in the water suffering from amnesia. Are the two strangers connected? Alex hopes not because her grandmother asks him to stay with them while he tries to recover his memory. Alex joins forces with the local florist, who has his own secrets to hide, when the police seem to think she was involved in the murder. The local developer also seems very interested in her new house and keeps getting in her way. Can she finish the house in order to sell it and find a killer? She might if she figure out who to trust and who the diamonds everybody is looking for are.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diamonds

Alex bids on a Victorian house, Marlton House and wins the bid. Right after Carlton tries to buy the house claiming that the sale is illegal. Phil, the auctioneer reminds him that the sale is from four t o five or until all properties are sold. Carlton tries to buy the house directly from Alex. Alex goes to get her Gram's flowers, George offers to go with her to look at the house. She sees she might have water damage upstairs but continue to explore the first floor. They continue to explore and go up to the second floor while exploring George smells lime with a weird sickly smell, they find a dead body covered with lime. They are questioned by the police for three hours then released, this could hold up the renovations on her tight schedule.
Next day she heads back to the house along the beach and spots something on the rocks out in the water, a man. She swims out to the man and pulls him a shore, he has amnesia. Since he's a stranger with no name or money Gram offers to let him stay at their place. Her parrot Smithy doesn't like the new guy. George says they need to solve this case themselves. They decide to help with the case so she can get her house back. Good story with very interesting characters really liked it.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Danger Cove series and I enjoyed it and will probably continue to read
the next book. Alex owns a renovation company and she just bought the Mariton Manor. She can't
wait to start the renovations but when she goes to check it out and make a list of projects that will
need to be done she finds a body in the bathtub. The police close down her work until they can
investigate.Then she discovers a stranger laying on the beach and he has amnesia. Does he have something to do with the victim? With nothing to do she decides to do a little investigating herself with the help of George who owns the local florist shop. George has secrets of his own. Like where did the diamonds come from that he says were stolen and why would you have diamonds in a florist shop. Does he know anything about the victim? So many questions and suspects that Alex is not sure who to trust. This was a great mystery with some wonderful characters like a matchmaking grandmother and a loud-mouth parrot. There were two things I did not like about the book. Too much romance and I didn't care for George. Not sure why. Maybe I don't trust him. Hopefully he will grow on me. Happy Reading.

[Dan Rees · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Painted Lady" is apparently a term used for Victorian era fix-em-ups. The protagonist of the book is a woman who buys up old houses to renovate and then sell ("flip"). On her first inspection of her latest acquisition, she finds a corpse in an upstairs bathtub (shot and then covered with lye to partially cover up the scent of decomposition). Add into the mix a colony of bats in the attic, two different men that seem to be interested in her but have mysterious/unknown pasts, a diamond theft, and the enmity of another contractor that tried to buy the house either by outbidding her or offering her a higher price than she is paying, and you have a hilarious romp with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but there were a couple of things that left me thinking "I don't actually believe this situation/plotline." Hence the 4 stars instead of 5.
Recommended (because of the renovation theme) to fans of Sarah Graves' Home Repair is Homicide series.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st in a new series of cozy mysteries to me, with new authors I've not read before. If the following books are as good as this was then I'm going to love them. I read the 1st book in 2 sittings, I couldn't put it down.

Set in Danger Cove, Seattle, this book centers around Alex, a renovations expert who buys run down houses and does them sympathetically, to sell on. She doesn't expect to find a body in the bath tub when she buys her latest project.

There's lost property, bats, a dishy florist and am amnesiac man in this book.

I've already downloaded the 2nd book, hope it lives up to the 1st book.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery

This is a new author for me and one I will continue to read her books. This book is fun with a good mystery. It gets you from the start and keeps you guessing to the end. Alex likes to restore Victorian homes and she has just bought a great one. She picks up flowers from the florist for her grandmother on her way to look at her next restoration. George, the florist, invites him self along. In the process of looking around, they find a dead body. That's when the fun begins. Add to the dead body, you have a stranger with amnesia, and missing uncut diamonds. All of these are intertwined and will eventually lead to the killer and the diamonds.

[JoAnn Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. I have read a few of the Danger Cove series and liked this one the best so far. I hope they keep this renovation series going. Liked all the characters and loved the bird. I certainly want to know about George's past so there must be a follow up. Art thief? Ex stolen art investigator? The options are endless. Since I have an addiction to HGTV and love watching all things renovation the book was a must for me, though it certainly could have used a little more house description at least for me.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex has a knack for renovating houses, in particular Victorians aka Painted Ladies, the one she has just managed to buy at auction though seems riddled with problems, the main one being a dead body in the bathroom! (mind you a whole colony of bats doesn't help), she ends up being Nora Charles to the local florist's Nick in order to save herself from bankruptcy and prison (add in a matchmaker of a Gran, her Gran;s best friend who is a manic driver, a business man determined to drive her out and an amnesiac and things can only get better!)

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book!

This was so interesting to read due to the many different aspects of this whole situation. I enjoyed having to put the book down occasionally so I could go over the characters and see how each one interacted with each other. Such as to how they added to, subtracted from, or were involved in this story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Keep an eye on George. No, I'm not giving away any secrets, but he sure is a smooooooth character! I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this first in the series. Alex restores and flips houses. When she acquires a home that she is excited about restoring she ends up upsetting a real estate mogul and finds a dead body in the home, not a good start. With the help of George a florist and another man with amnesia, she searches for answers.
I love the characters, the comments that fly between Alex and George had me laughing out loud a few times. The mystery was good and kept me guessing. I will definitely continue on with this series.

[Terri Borkgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret of the Painted Lady Book 2

What does a 'painted lady ',a Queen Ann style home, a contractor/renovation, diamonds and two handsome men, and a dead man in the bath tub have in common? Christina Burke & Elizabeth Ashby explore this tale and invite the reader into the lives of some characters in Danger Cove.From start to finish this adventure keeps the reader turning the pages You won't be able to put it down.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad cozy mystery but the deliberate use by the characters of a tv/book trope to try and solve their mystery was not well done - it just made that portion of the book feel forced and unrealistic. Also wasn't fond of the love triangle though that was very mild and gone by the end. I did like the characters though so I may read the next in the series.

[wayne peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of this book.

Exceptiontally well written mystery story. The story flowed beautifully with a few red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The ending was a shocker. I was totally surprised. I was totally wrong about the murderer. I will definitely read more books in this series.

[Denota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Painted a perfect picture!

I loved the mishmash of characters, all of whom had mysterious back grounds and background baggage. The attention to detail made me feel like I was there seeing this small coastal town and wanting to see more. The who done it, was well covered in the twists and turns. Boy I hated to see this one end, go read , have an adventure and enjoy!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Binge-worthy❣️You are hooked as soon as you start reading...
Very anxious to read more . . . Preferably without blasphemy
Next please🐿️ More and more difficult to put down . . .

Please do not abuse the word HOLY. This word belongs only to Almighty God. Sadly loses 1 🌟 due to the author's abuse of the word *Holy*. This is blasphemy and is NEVER acceptable