Isabella's Painting 

Ellen
Butler 
Genre: 
Mystery

Karina gets into her old faithful black dress and prepares for a night of holiday schmoozing with her boyfriend's parents. She would rather be in comfy clothes binge-watching tv, but girlfriend duty calls. Nobody is more surprised than she is when she stumbles across an illegal art deal involving her boyfriend's father. Patrick Dunne wants more with his girlfriend and proposes, bringing Katrina further into the family that is full of secrets. When the FBI starts sniffing around, her curiosity turns into a private investigation. The more she finds out, the more she questions whether or not she wants to be a part of the family. When people start turning up dead, she must work quickly to find out what is going on.

"Isabella's Painting" is an intriguing introduction to a new mystery series. The narrative is unique in that it focuses more on illegal paintings than actual murder. Readers will find this to be an excellent change. The creative take on documented historical events enriches the reader, and the descriptions make one feel drawn into the tale. Karina has a lot of spunk and doesn’t put up with a lot of nonsense, making her a character that one can get behind. The relational conflict is riveting, making the reader eager for the next book in the series. The story, overall, lacked depth due to slow pacing and characters that were dull. The mystery could have been a bit more enhanced, with more build-up to keep readers engaged. This fictional piece is a unique mystery.

Jessica Samuelsen