Portrait of a Murder

The Art of Murder #1

by Michael Jecks

Join accidental sleuth, Nick Morris, in his first mystery in The Art of Murder series…

Nick Morris is your classic struggling artist. He paints pet portraits to pay the bills but is always just one big commission away from a more comfortable life. Which is why he agrees to paint the reluctant, hot-tempered hotelier, Jason Robart. But Nick gets more than he bargained for when he finds Jason dead from a shotgun blast to the head in an apparent suicide.

No one seems upset about his death except for his girlfriend Elizabeth, and Nick, who has lost the income from the commission. It turns out Jason owed money to everyone – including some unsavoury Russians!

When Elizabeth goes missing, Nick is concerned, but so is Jason’s unpleasant business partner and those persuasive Russians who threaten Nick to reveal everything he knows…. or else! Nick is knee deep in trouble and to escape he must find Elizabeth, uncover the truth of Jason’s death, and stay alive! If only he had stuck to painting cats . .

Genres: Mystery, Art

256 pages, Hardcover

Published April 4, 2023

About the author

Michael Jecks is a best-selling writer of historical novels. The son of an Actuary, and the youngest of four brothers, he worked in the computer industry before becoming a novelist full time in 1994

He is the author of the internationally popular Templar series, perhaps the longest crime series written by a living author. Unusually, the series looks again at actual events and murders committed about the early fourteenth century, a fabulous time of treachery, civil war, deceit and corruption. Famine, war and disease led to widespread despair, and yet the people showed themselves to be resilient. The series is available as ebooks and all paper formats from Harper Collins, Headline and Simon and Schuster. More recently he has completed his Vintener Trilogy, three stories in his Bloody Mary series, and a new Crusades story set in 1096, Pilgrim's War, following some of the people in the first Crusade on their long pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He has also written a highly acclaimed modern spy thriller, Act of Vengeance.

His books have won him international acclaim and in 2007 his Death Ship of Dartmouth was shortlisted for the Harrogate prize for the best crime novel of the year.

A member of the Society of Authors and Royal Literary Society, Jecks was the Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association in 2004-2005. In 2005 he became a member of the Detection Club.

From 1998 he organised the CWA Debut Dagger competition for two years, helping unpublished authors to win their first contracts He judged the CWA/Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for three years.

Michael Jecks is a popular speaker at literary festivals and historical meetings. He is a popular after-dinner and motivational speaker and has spoken at events from Colombia to Italy, Portugal to Alaska.

His own highlights are: being the Grand Marshal of the first parade at the New Orleans 2014 Mardi Gras, designing the Michael Jecks fountain pen for Conway Stewart, and being the International Guest of Honour at the Crime Writers of Canada Bloody Words convention.

Michael lives, walks, writes and paints in North Dartmoor.

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The other night I was perusing my books on Kindle and I came upon this title. I had received some other books from the publisher from one of Michael Jecks prior series, but for some reason I decided I wanted to start his new “Art of Murder” series over the Christmas holiday season. I was very pleasantly pleased with this book, and I thought that the author had a really good plot, a well disguised murderer, some good characters and an interesting setting. The book follows the exploits on small time artist Nick Morris. Nick is approached to paint a portrait of a wealthy individual who really has no desire to have his portrait painted. However, push comes to shove and eventually Nick gets the Commission and becomes involved in not just one but 2 murder investigations along the way. The subject of his painting committed suicide, or was it murder? There are shady characters left and right: Russian mobsters and oligarchs, beautiful prostitutes, a shady attorney and a whole lot more. Meanwhile Nick keeps either getting beaten up, falling in love and trying to help figure out who killed Jason Robart. I found the book to be entertaining, a fast read, well plotted and for the first book of a series I thought he introduced his characters quite well. I know a lot of people are familiar with this author from his prior series of books which are set back in the Renaissance times, but I like what he's done with this series. He has another book coming out in 2024. I really liked the book I give it a solid rating and it was good enough that it makes me want to go back and read more of the author's works.
3.5***

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read and enjoyed Michael Jecks' historical mysteries and was curious about this one, a contemporary.
There's a solid mystery featuring an artist, Nick, and a funny and complex plot that kept me hooked.
I was surprised by the twists, enjoyed the plot and the well developed characters.
I look forward to reading the next one.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Phyllis Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were things I liked about this book and things I didn't like. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the British inclination to understatement, but I DIDN'T like the graphic description of the death scene, (no spoiler, this is mentioned very early in the story.) I also didn't care for the violence detailed. I mean, I realize we're talking about mobsters here, but I really didn't care about reading about the pain inflicted on victims. In fact, I subtracted a star for that. I almost rated it only two stars, but decided to go ahead and give it three because there is a bit of humor, and definitely tension and misleading.
If you generally like the British style of writing, you may like this. However, if violence or graphic descriptions upset you, don't say I didn't warn you.
This is the beginning of a series, but I'm ambivalent on whether I will read any new ones.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the cover design looked eye-catching and interesting.

I found the protagonist amusing, and the book had a general light-hearted tone. The story itself was entertaining, but I found some of the characters a little bit unlikeable, and there was a lot of profanity that I found a little bit unnecessary at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Severn House for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Portrait of a Murder’ by Michael Jecks.

This is Book 1 in Jecks’ new contemporary mystery series titled The Art of Murder.

It features Nick Morris, a classic struggling artist, who paints pet portraits to pay his bills. He dreams of a big commission that will guarantee a more comfortable life. As a result he agrees to paint the reluctant, hot-tempered hotelier, Jason Robart.

While staying at Jason’s hotel and doing preliminary sketches he finds Jason dead from a shotgun blast to the head. No one apart from Jason’s girlfriend, Elizabeth, seems upset by the death. Nick certainly isn’t happy as he now won’t be paid for the commission. 

It also turns out that Jason owed money to everyone - including some unsavoury Russians. Then Elizabeth goes missing. Nick is concerned though so is Jason’s unsavoury business partner as well as the Russians! All this results in Nick being in trouble and so he reluctantly undertakes a spot of amateur sleuthing. He often reflects that he should have stuck to painting cats . . . No further details to avoid spoilers.

I have been enjoying Jeck’s historical mysteries for some years especially his Tudor series featuring the rascally Jack Blackjack. There’s no doubt that Jecks is a skilled storyteller of mysteries no matter if the setting is historic or contemporary.

I found Nick Morris a very accessible lead and enjoyed this mystery, especially the wry humour woven throughout. After this promising opening I am looking forward to the next Art of Murder mystery.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading Michael Jecks for many years. I've read all but the last in his Knights Templar Mysteries series and a couple of his Jack Blackjack series. This is the first one in a contemporary time frame.

Nick Morris is a painter of no particular reputation. Through a mutual friend, Peter Thorogood, he is invited to a party where he meets Jason Robart, a particularly unfriendly person. Jason's girlfriend Elizabeth is the person who wants to hire him to paint a portrait of Jason. Nick needs this commission if he ever wants to get established as a painter.

Jason is habitually late for his sittings, and this day is no exception. While waiting, Jason hears a loud bang. He's used to hearing shotguns as he grew up in the countryside, but he's never heard on so close. Then he hears screaming and runs to find Jason dead of a shotgun blast to the head and the gun at his feet. He thinks he should have stayed a painter of cats!

He decides to do some sleuthing and discovers just how unsavory Jason was, to the point of the Russian mob being after him. Nick's interest puts him in the cross hairs of the same mob who want to know why he's snooping around. I'm going to stop here so as not to give anything away. You'll just have to go on this ride with Nick yourself.

I enjoyed this one, and I think you will, too. It moves along at a fast pace, it has surprises, and it is entertaining. Of course, being Jecks, it is a series. Can't wait to see what the next one brings.

[Patrick Ewen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Jecks' Portrait of a Murder is a gripping mystery novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story follows Nick Morris, a struggling artist who is hired to paint a portrait of Jason Robart, a wealthy hotelier. When Nick arrives at Robart's home, he finds the man dead from a gunshot wound. The police rule it a suicide, but Nick is not so sure. He begins to investigate on his own, and soon discovers that Robart was involved in some shady dealings. As Nick gets closer to the truth, he finds himself in danger. Someone doesn't want him to find out what really happened to Jason Robart, and they're willing to kill to keep the secret.

Jecks is a master of suspense, and he keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and believable, and the plot is full of twists and turns. Portrait of a Murder is a must-read for fans of mystery novels.

Here are some of the things that I liked about the book:

- The plot is well-paced and suspenseful.
- The characters are well-developed and believable.
- The setting is vividly described.
- The mystery is intriguing and keeps you guessing until the very end.

Overall, I really enjoyed Portrait of a Murder. It's a well-written mystery novel that I would definitely recommend to others.

[Geoff Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Morris is a divorced artist living in London. He usually paints treasured cats for their doting owners. He is approached to paint the owner of a Hotel in Devon. Jason Robart is the owner and the work is commissioned by his lover Elizabeth. Even though Robarts is not keen, Nick goes down to Devon to start the work.
Nick soon finds out that Jason is a con man and is hated in the village. There are also a Russian Mafia gang and perhaps disgrunted Columbians interested in "talking" to Jason.
When Jason is found dead, is it murder or suicide. The money for investments have vanished and so has Elizabeth!
Nick now finds that the Russian gang, the Columbians and the Police are keen to talk to him. Can he convince them he has no idea of the whereabouts of the money or Elizabeth?
You learn much about the background of how an artist starts a sketch and then paints using different colours and tones. Fascinating and recommended as a good read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professional story of deceit and greed in Devon.

Nick Morris is a portrait painter in London and is invited to a country spa and hotel to paint the likeness of the owner Jason Robart. Jason is a despicable person, cheating all of his vendors and staff. He is constantly on the prowl for investors as he has projects which need funding and it appears all of his funds have disappeared. When he dies Nick suspects that he would not commit suicide as it is not in his nature. He continues to investigate until all of the participants are revealed.

While most of the villains are caught or killed, one remains. This makes for an unsatisfying ending.

I borrowed a copy from the public library.

[Soozee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is told from the perspective of Nick Morris, a young artist, and initially I didn't like the colloquial style, but it grew on me as the story unfolded. He paints pet portraits while waiting for a big break to show what he can really do, so when he is offered a commission to paint a local hotelier, Jason Robart, he decides to overcome the subject's initial reluctance and goes to Devon to start work.

However, within 24 hours Jason appears to have committed suicide, owing money to some serious parties, and Nick is drawn in to the maelstrom as various people want the money and Jason's beautiful girlfriend disappears.

Its a good read, and by the end I was hooked.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator, Nick, is a rather unsuccessful artist who is engaged to paint a dodgy businessman Jason, and then find him dead, an apparent suicide. We then go back in time for several chapters and learn how Nick met Jason and came to be painting his portrait. Nick finds himself involved in finding Jason’s missing girlfriend, Elizabeth, and becomes convinced that Jason’s death was murder rather than suicide.
This was a fairly entertaining mystery, but marred for me by the fact that I didn’t really like any of the characters vey much, and there was far too much violence for my taste. But it was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end, and I might read the next one.

[Janette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read all of the author's Templar series and really enjoyed them so I was looking forward to reading this start to a new series. Sadly, I found it to be a disappointing read. The protagonist is a struggling artist who becomes involved in a murder investigation when the subject of his latest portrait is found shot dead. The investigation involves dodgy money transfers and Russian enforcers but it all seemed very complicated and I just wasn't that interested in any of the characters. Not a series that I will continue with in the future

[Marnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Word of advice, if your first day with a new client a fight breaks out because they don’t pay their bills…get your money upfront. Secondly, run. If not you may be faced with over the top violence, unethical business dealings, shady Russians and Colombian, rape, suicide/ murder plus so much more. I’m exhausted.

Not my idea of escapist reading. It is just too much.


Thank you Severn House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC

[zoe Hitchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick is a struggling artist who is really down on his luck , until he is asked to paint the unlikeable Jason Robart.
Jason is a hotelier with an ugly temper and a mean streak who manages to upset most of the people he encounters.
The story that follows involves huge amounts of money , lies , guns , Russians and a dash of Colombians too.
The story is ok but it lacked something and it didn’t grab my interest liked I hoped it would.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House .

[Heiro · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I loved the setting and premise but the misogynistic writing put me way off. If you’re the kind of person to look at a woman and imagine what it would be like if she were raped and murdered, maybe this is the book for you. I grew tired of the protagonist musing over what it would be like to wake up next to every woman he met. I feel as though the plot went off on a tangent halfway through and gave up at this point. Not for me!

[Kidlitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horrible people doing horrid things to each other, with the inclusion of art, Russian mobsters and classic noir treatments of love and violence. The plot certainly clips along and the central character of Jack is a sympathetic dupe but ultimately I'd rather have seen his cat paintings than read this.

[Alison Vicary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of Michael Jecks Sir Baldwin Furnshill books and loved them all but was slightly apprehensive about a book written in a modern-day era. I was therefore slightly surprised just how good this book was. I enjoyed the flawed main character and his observations of how people looked and could be conceived as a backdrop for an artist, in normal everyday settings such as a pub was a revelation as this was not something that I had ever taken the time to consider before.
I really enjoyed how all the characters had a back story that interlinked and that the murderer was one of them and not someone that had no part in the story until the last minute. All in all, this was a really good book, if I had one complaint and it is only a small complaint, in my opinion the number of descriptions of sexual longing from the main character Nick towards Elizabeth was not needed in an otherwise thrilling murder mystery book.

[Christi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not the book for me. I struggled to connect to the protagonist and the story did not grab my attention. If you like a more gritty, dark version of a cozy mystery this might be of interest to you.

[Ashley Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuck to my instinct and it turned out right in the end, never once trusted the person.

Could I have solved it? No.
Interesting plot and setting on how he gets robbed into doing things.

But utimately, I didn't have much connection with the book

[John Sargent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Held my interest

[Sandra Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Portrait of a murder

Loved the different characters and the different lines the protagonist went down looking for the truth. Great writing! I would really recommend!

[Cheryl Beseler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an addictingly fun read. The plot was well-crafted and I had trouble putting it down. It was a wild, action packed detective story with an unlikely detective. It would make a great movie.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

"meh, nothing special"

[Heather McAlister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great plot which leaves you guessing until the very end. Easy to read and get hooked. I am looking forward to reading the second in this series. Will there be a third Mr Jecks? Thank you.

[Peter Svensdotter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satisfactory mystery, well written without overly exciting the reader. Paced well, but doubtful at this stage that I would read sequels.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Portrait of a Murder >
My star rating sums it up. It was ok.
2.75/5 stars
PG-13

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of an odd one for me. There were aspects of it I genuinely did not enjoy; the narrator main character is a bit of a sad sack, going through a desperately rough patch both personally and professionally, and I can't say I liked him a whole lot, in general. Really, it's another one of those books where just about everyone is unlikeable, or outright horrible. And the casual violence and inclusion of Russian bad guys are elements that quickly bore me in any book.

But it's a book I'm glad I finished. It's not too often that I read about an artist presented like this, for some reason. I loved the moments when Nick lost himself in a drawing, or sighed and sat down to finally work on one of his pet portrait commissions (been there, done that). This aspect of the art world is familiar to me, almost homey, as opposed to what we're usually shown, the glitz and snobbery.

The mystery of the book - who killed the abhorrent subject of the portrait that was going to keep Nick financially afloat for a while, and which of the many motives was the why - had enough twists and turns to keep me reading. But I'll be honest - it was the art that really held my interest. I'm not sure if I'll pursue the series - if I do, it'll be for that.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

ETA: A quote I enjoyed:

'I'm no strategist, but I'm bloody good at my job. I take a flat sheet of paper and colour it until people think they can see a scene or a face they know. I am a deceiver.'

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this well paced and suspenseful mystery.

Portrait of a Murder started off a cosy mystery, aside from the gruesome depiction of death by shotgun (not a spoiler).

Things quickly descend into dark territory as the main character Nick gets further embroiled in some not-nice goings on. (see spoiler)

The antagonists show a misogynistic outlook, being all round horrible people. However, I did find Nick's view of women as either ball breakers, damsels in distress or sexual objects problematic. Though this can be forgiven and I still give this book a 5***** (see spoiler)

The gritty realism in depiction of violence and graphic injury, and the well developed characters makes the danger palpable. I did empathise with Nick, trying earn a living and do his best by everyone but finding himself in more and more trouble.

I am looking forward to reading the next installment of Nick's escapades an an accidental sleuth.

Echoed in the change of setting from quiet village to seedy London club. I can also see how Nick's shortsightedness regarding women leads up to a plot-twist when misjudging one lady<

[Laurie K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read all of the Sir Baldwin Furnshill series with great enjoyment, I was very much looking forward to reading this first book in a new series. I was therefore unprepared for what was, for me, really an uninteresting read.

The concept was interesting but the story gradually became a complicated tangle that resulted in my putting the book aside over and over.

This was just ok. Maybe Jecks’ idea of a contemporary mystery is just not for me. But I will be reading any and all of his historical mysteries.