Fatal Brushstroke

Aurora Anderson Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Sybil Johnson

Narrated by: Vanessa Daniels

A dead body in her garden and a homicide detective on her doorstep....

Computer programmer and tole painting enthusiast Aurora (Rory) Anderson doesn't envision finding either when she steps outside to investigate the frenzied yipping coming from her own backyard. After all, she lives in Vista Beach, a quiet California beach community where violent crime is rare and murder even rarer.

Suspicion falls on Rory when the body buried in her flowerbed turns out to be someone she knows - her tole painting teacher, Hester Bouquet. Just two weeks before, Rory attended one of Hester's weekend seminars, an unpleasant experience she vowed never to repeat. As evidence piles up against Rory, she embarks on a quest to identify the killer and clear her name. Can Rory unearth the truth before she encounters her own brush with death?

©2014 Sybil Johnson (P)2017 Tantor

Painful

Unfortunately, there is more wrong than right with this series.
The story jumps around, implausible storyline at times, forgotten and/or underwritten characters, et al.

I stopped with the second book - seeing that the writing wasn’t improving, and the same mistakes continuing throughout the second book.

With some intense rewriting this series could be a light, fun read.

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There are too many things wrong with this book to mention in a brief review. The characters are flat and one dimensional. The reason Aurora gets involved in solving the mystery is forced. The idea that the chief of police would be allowed to blame Aurora for the death of his family and constantly harass her without legal ramifications isn't believable. The very fact that the town seems to think it's ok to tell Aurora over and over that she inherited mental illness from her parents is unacceptable, even in a small town. Aurora should have left this town after a lawsuit against the city years ago.