Murder is an art . . . and she's the next masterpiece. From the bestselling author of BookTok sensation Win Lose Kill Die comes an addictive killer-thriller with a horror twist, following an aspiring crime journalist’s investigation into a case of copycat murders seemingly connected to a ‘cursed’ painting. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Naturals series and Bill Wood's Let's Split Up. ‘A thriller author to watch!’ Karen M. McManus, international bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying When aspiring crime journalist Fliss Keller uncovers a disturbing self-portrait of a man at an estate sale, her Art History professor dad buys it, despite how unsettled Fliss feels. The portrait has been lost for decades and completes a set of four existing paintings of women by the same artist already hanging in the town’s gallery. That evening, the portrait falls to the floor, revealing paperwork inside the frame that suggests the artist was a serial killer and that the women depicted were his victims. Despite her alarm, Fliss vows to investigate and uncover the truth. But when a series of gruesome murders rock the community, and some think the resurrection of the self-portrait has unleashed a curse, Fliss knows better than to believe them. There are shocking similarities between the poses of the modern-day murders and the painted women, and she’s sure there’s a copycat killer on the loose. Racing against time, can Fliss unravel the clues before she becomes the murderer's next muse? PRAISE FOR CYNTHIA ‘Bold, thrilling, and wickedly addictive. Your next obsession.’ Karen M. McManus, author of One of Us is Lying ‘An intricately crafted YA thriller that I cannot wait to read again.’ Bill Wood, author of Let’s Split Up ‘A taut and twisty read that takes no prisoners. This captivatingly murderous book will keep you up all night and leave you unsure who you can trust.’ Kathryn Foxfield, author of Good Girls Die First ‘Twists, turns and heartstopping tension, Cynthia Murphy is a thriller author at the top of her game.’ Benjamin Dean, author of How to Die Famous
Author
Cynthia is a YA writer from the North-West of England. She has always enjoyed writing and when her English teacher accused her of plagiarism in Year 8, she thought she might actually be quite good at it. She has a long-standing love affair with all things scary, reading Point Horrors at primary school before graduating to Stephen King in her misguided teens. Classic 90s and 00s horror movies are definitely her pub quiz strong point and her first love may well have been Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Studying for a degree in Art History and Archaeology meant that she developed a thirst for anything old, beautiful and very often dead. She tries to combine this with contemporary settings in her writing to make unique and chilling modern stories. Cynthia is married to her best friend and they share (are ruled by) a Romanian rescue dog called Loli, who loves to steal socks.
