Portrait of a Murder

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.

Amateur Sleuth Status..
Artist Nick has a life that seems to be a constant effort. His work just about pays the bills - he just needs that one big break, that one commission that will escalate him to the big time. As such, his decision to agree to paint unlikeable, bad tempered Jason Robart is almost made for him. He could never have foreseen the series of bizarre and murderous events that will follow this decision - nor his newly found amateur sleuth status. A blast of fresh air in this enjoyable, entertaining and well written mystery with a frantically chaotic plot populated with a deftly drawn cast of characters and lashings of humour. The first in what is sure to be a very successful series.

Nick Morris is a divorced Artist living in a small flat in London. He paints mainly treasured family cats for their owners.
He is approached by a lawyer Peter Thorogood. He asks Nick to travel down to Devon to a privately owned hotel. It is owned by his partner Jason Robart. Jason lives with a young woman named Elizabeth. She wants to commission a painting of Jason to be displayed in the hotel.
Although Jason is not keen he reluctantly agrees. Nick is given a room in the hotel and starts to sketch his reluctant subject.
Nick learns that most of the locals hate Jason. He has tempted them with investment schemes and all have lost their money.
Jason's latest scheme is building holiday homes in Columbia. At the village pub are two dark skinned looking men - are they Columbians? The London Russian mafia are also keen to talk to Jason.
Nick believes that Elizabeth is being physically hurt by Jason. She is very beautiful and desirable and Nick falls for her.
When Jason is found dead it is suspected suicide. But Jason is not the suicidal type! Also the money investrments have disappeared and so has Elizabeth!
Nick soon finds the police, the russians and possibly the columbians interested in him. How has he got into this mess? How can he survive?
A lively thriller which keeps you guessing. A good read. You learn all about how an artist views his subject and about colours and tones. Interesting.

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.

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