Painted Truth

An Alix Thorssen Mystery #2

by Lise McClendon

Getting ready for the summer crowds that she knows will descend on Jackson Hole, Wyoming - and hoping that they're in the mood to buy some of the fine art available for sale in her gallery on the Square - Alix takes some time to do a little white-water kayaking before settling in for business. Aside from a nasty dumping in the river, everything is as it should be until she gets back to town and discovers the fire that has destroyed her friend Eden's struggling gallery. What's worse is the discovery of the body in the ruins, tentatively identified as that of Ray Tantro. He'd had a brilliant career as an artist and was making a comeback with a show at Eden's gallery. Alix is asked to do an estimate of the value of the paintings for insurance purposes, but Eden may never collect. The fire was clearly arson, and that means Tantro's death is a murder. Picking through the charred remains of the gallery, Alix realizes that something is amiss, but she can't quite put her finger on it. And if a cunning and cold-blooded murderer has his way, Alix not only won't find the answers she's looking for, she won't live to see the beginning of Jackson's ski season.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Cozy, Ebooks

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Lise McClendon is a fiction writer living in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. She has been a film reviewer, a film maker, a journalism professor, and a PR flack. Since her first novel, The Bluejay Shaman, in 1994, she has served on the national board of Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America, as well as on faculty of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference where each year she critiques, speaks, and learns from writers new and old.

Check out the Lise McClendon Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LiseMcClendon

Lise McClendon also writes as Rory Tate in the 2011 thriller, JUMP CUT. Her new novel by Rory Tate is PLAN X, available now. Read her latest novel, Château des Corbeaux, 17th in the Bennett Sisters mystery series that began with Blackbird Fly.

Reviews

[Ginney Etherton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This character is almost like the hard-boiled detectives I like, but a lot less romantic. Those guys always have a soft spot for somebody. Alix doesn't seem to have a passion for anything or anyone in her life, except detecting. I get the Nordic repression aspect, but I wanted a catharsis to come much sooner than it did. It's hard to care about a woman who doesn't even visit her horse very often.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painted Truth by Lise McClendon

This book was beautiful; tragic, mysterious, and beautiful. I felt it all in my bones. In book 2 of the series, Alix is back home running her art business and living her life when a fire across the square draws her into the murder/mystery business again. I really love these characters and cannot wait for more.

*I dropped a star for editing

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex is an art dealer in Jackson Hole. She becomes involved in a mystery with tragic consequences. A tale with some interesting characters.

[Mikaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another book that have remained unread for awhile, before I got around to read it. ( Ok, I forgot add it to Calibre.) It was also a book that didn't hook me immediately. The setting was quaint, and I liked the characters, but it took me awhile anyway.

I think it has to do with the fact that Lise McClendon took her time building the stakes. As they increased, the illusion that small towns are nice faded. Fast. In fact, I think I'll never view small towns as quaint and cozy again.

But what made the book for me was Alix. Alix is stubborn, curious. Some times too curious for her own good. Does she doubt the wisdom of continuing the investigation? Hell yes. Who wouldn't when the bodycount stacks?

I felt for Alix when everything started to collapsing around her. Her friends abandoning her, the police hounding her.


So what I didn't like about this book. First, I had trouble caring about the characters, that and the stakes problem were probably the cause of the problem I had with first half of the book. Second, there were typos. Not a lot, and easy to fix but it was a bit annoying.

In the end, I liked the book and I intend to read more books by Lise McClendon in the future

[Kathleen Hagen]

Painted Truth, by Lise McClendon, b-plus, Narrated by Kris Faulkner, Produced by Books in Motion, downloaded from audible.com.

Alix Thornssen, an art expert who helps the police on occasion, is asked to appraise the art collection of Ray Thornton, which burned with her friend’s art gallery in a fire. The issue becomes more complex when Ray thornton’s body is found in the fire, burned beyond recognition. The police initially think that he committed suicide by taking drugs and then starting the fire. But they ultimately decide that he couldn’t have taken as much drugs as he did and still started the fire that burned the gallery. Alix befriends her friend, the gallery owner, who becomes increasingly more of a suspect in setting her own fire. Alix herself is a suspect because she keeps finding bodies. And the case becomes very complex-one that can only be solved by art experts who can determine whether the art involved is genuine to the artist. A quite good book.

[Julesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been a great mystery with a famous local artist found murdered in an art gallery. However, it failed to follow through for me. I found myself not really caring about the mystery at all and more interested in hearing about the paintings, Alix's kayaking adventures, and romantic interest. I am not sure if this is the fault of the narrator who wasn't able to draw me in or just the writing style. The scenery and wildlife description of Jackson, Wyoming, were beautiful, so I think I think it is a combination of a monotone and boring narrator and a writer who needs refinement on writing mysteries.

I was anxious to get through and just find out "whodunit" and in the end, it was not a surprise to me. The ending was sad, however, so I am surprised I invested some emotion in this book.

I'm giving this a 3.5/5.0 rating.

[Skeeter Jorgensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artists, art galleries art forgeries and murder. Pretty good read, with some bad words, Set in Jackson, Wyo., where the Old West merges with upscale art galleries and white-water rafting, Alix Thorssen is drawn into the case as an appraiser, after a friends gallery burns down. Many twist and turns kept me reading way into the night.

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one just couldn't hold my interest. Too predictable, couldn't connect with main character, just not for me. It wasn't terrible, but there are plenty of better books out there. Jumped to the end, but I had already guessed whodunnit and why.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good Alix Thorssen tale as she must find a murderer and an arsonist. She is having trouble in her various relationships but won't compromise her principles. Recommended to fans of small mysteries.

[scherzo♫ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much time in the mind of a woman who doesn't have a thought worth the attention of a gnat. More mind vomit than mind candy.

[Becky Arundale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A captivating mystery with a touch of romance. Beautiful vivid descriptions of Jackson Hole and the surroundings.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting plot - a mystery/romance