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Barbara Elle
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Death In Vermilion: A Gripping Psychological Mystery Full of Twists (The Cape Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Barbara Elle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 80 ratings

A psychological thriller about murder among friends and enemies.
Who can you trust?

Leila Goodfriend is laying down the bones of a painting. When interrupted by Iris, the noisy, unlikeable artist in the studio upstairs, Leila is distracted and annoyed.

When she discovers the racket was actually Iris' dead body hitting the floor, Leila becomes obsessed: Who murdered Iris?

The other Red Barn Cooperative artists — competitive, jealous and hypocritical — are prime suspects. They all hated Iris. “An artist owes his life to his art,” Iris said.

Iris was good for a laugh. But no one is laughing now.

In this gripping psychological mystery, author Barbara Elle paints a clever and twisted picture of women and sisters, whose lives are entwined by a brutal murder in a charming Cape Cod town.

Alibis fall apart. Plot twists multiply. And Leila comes to a dangerous conclusion.

If you're a fan of Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter, you’ll love Death In Vermillion.

Download the ebook today!

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Cape Mysteries
  2. Print length
    273 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    May 1, 2018
  6. File size
    1.6 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Death in Vermilion is a story that is equal parts art and mystery and will keep you fully entertained from start to finish! - The Genre Minx Book Reviews

I found some parts of the book delightfully sinister, yet there is some clever humour too in this twisty murder mystery. - Lel Budge, Goodreads reviewer

I absolutely loved Death in Vermilion. Barbara Elle's ability to paint vivid pictures with her words. Her attention to detail with an art perspective was something to really admire. - Jessica Belmont, Goodreads reviewer

A good read and the first in a series. I found it to be well-written with intriguing characters and clever dialogue. Looking forward to more. - Mary, Goodreads Reviewer

I finished this mystery in two days, and cannot wait for the sequel, Death in Smoke to be released! Five stars and two thumbs up! - Shannon Kant, Goodreads Reviewer

There were twists and turns that I totally did not see coming g and found the book intrigued me. Eleventh thumbs up. - Aisha-Kimberly Hashmi, Goodreads Reviewer

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07C76TXV2
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 1, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 273 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ The Cape Mysteries
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 80 ratings

About the author

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Barbara Elle

Barbara Elle

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In her stunning debut thriller, Death In Vermilion (The Cape Mysteries Book 1), acclaimed author Barbara Elle paints a clever and twisted picture of women and sisters, whose lives are entwined by a brutal murder in a Cape Cod town. Who can you trust?

Now, Death In Smoke (The Cape Mysteries Book 2) asks what's the connection between a bloodied body buried in a snow bank on a remote island off the Cape and a cold case in Kansas? Can artist and amateur sleuth Leila Goodfriend solve this new mystery?

Barbara Elle fell in love with books and writing at a young age, honing her writing chops as a copywriter at major publishers and as a freelance journalist.

She grew up in Boston, moving to New York, but her writing draws on people and places from her childhood.

Barbara Elle continues collecting characters and plots, often traveling the world with her touring musician husband, the musical director for rock and roll icon Cyndi Lauper. In her travels, Barbara has explored Buddhist temples in Beijing, crypts in Vienna and Kabuki Theater in Tokyo.

Death in Cerulean, Book 3 in The Cape Mysteries, is scheduled for publication in 2022.

Website: https://www.barbaraelle.com

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
80 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's plot engaging with enough twists and turns to keep them guessing. Moreover, the writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as extremely captivating. Additionally, the character development is well-received, with customers noting that the characters are well defined.

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7 customers mention "Plot"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, finding it interesting with enough twists and turns to keep them guessing.

"...There was enigma, romance, humor, as well as a special, unexpected twist all within 273 pages...." Read more

"...This didn't bother me because the plot was so interesting, and I just assumed that "Paint" was Elle's first language and it was lucky the..." Read more

"3.5 Stars. The plot was good but weighed down with much unnecessary that distracted me...." Read more

"...The plot grows naturally and just when you think you've figured it out Elle throws you a twisty but tasty curve ball and you'll find that you can't..." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one describing it as extremely captivating.

"...The writing is extremely captivating and kept me reading page after page until the mystery was revealed...." Read more

"Amazing story! Amazing author! Kept me at the edge of my seat. Highly recommend adding to your 'must read' list!" Read more

"A Great Story Written in Paint..." Read more

"A Terrific Read!!!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-defined characters in the book, with one customer noting the intense conversations among them and another mentioning the spot-on dialogue.

"...With some intense conversations among the characters, as well as a slight, witty comical aspect, Death in Vermilion kept throwing twists and turns..." Read more

"...The character development is organic and genuine and the dialogue was spot on - nary a false note among the 250+ pages...." Read more

"...Her characters are well defined and their reactions credible...." Read more

Lot's Of Art!
3 out of 5 stars
Lot's Of Art!
Synopsis: Leila Goodfriend is busy planning out her next painting in her studio when her noisy upstairs neighbor Iris interrupts her concentration. Annoyed by the interruption, Leila blast NPR on her radio, and gets back to her painting. As she's packing up later in the evening to go home, she's startled by a loud crash from Iris's studio. Leila decides to check on Iris on her way out and heads up to Iris's loft. Realization hits Leila as she enters the studio what that noise was, and it horrifies her to discover it was Iris falling to the floor after she was murdered. Leila and her friends/artist at the Red Barn cooperative soon fall under suspicion by the lead officer handling Iris's murder. Iris, you see, had not been the friendliest neighbor at the cooperative, and everyone held a grudge against her. Leila and her friends set out to find out what really happened that night and to catch a killer. But, can they figure out before one of them is next? This book has many positive things about it. A lot of detail is given in about the artist and their techniques used in painting. The author does a fantastic job of giving many details about the scene that is unfolding. In my mind, I could picture everything she was telling me. However, I have to say I wasn't a big fan of the book. I can't quite put my finger on why that is, as I mentioned before it is really well written, and I think other readers would enjoy this immensely. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Shannon Kant
    5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend Death in Vermilion
    Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    As an avid reader of a vast genre of books, I highly recommend Death in Vermilion.

    The writing is extremely captivating and kept me reading page after page until the mystery was revealed. There was enigma, romance, humor, as well as a special, unexpected twist all within 273 pages.

    With some intense conversations among the characters, as well as a slight, witty comical aspect, Death in Vermilion kept throwing twists and turns into my suspense of what happened to Iris.

    I finished this mystery in two days, and cannot wait for the sequel, 'Death in Smoke' to be released! Five stars and two thumbs up!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Minxy Melissa
    4.0 out of 5 stars A story that is equal parts art and mystery....
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2018
    Death in Vermilion is the kind of read that is deliciously saturated with details. Every scene was painted vividly in my mind and I really appreciated the attention to details from the art perspective. Not being an artist, there were many places in this story where I could have been completely lost, or I would have missed a nuance because I am not familiar with the world of art, but the author did an amazing job of giving me all the details that someone as ignorant as I am needed. Also, it was done in such a way that I did not feel that the story was weighed down with the details. It was masterfully written!

    The characters in this story were eclectic which was rather fitting given their passion. Art cannot be narrowed down to just one thing and neither could these characters. There was much drama taking place between them in this story and that definitely kept things interesting. Iris’s death was very disruptive to their status quo and because she was not liked very well everyone was cast in suspicion for one reason or another. With her death and the subsequent investigation, limitations were placed on all and it felt like an unfair burden to the artists at the cooperative. Everything was especially distressing to Leila Goodfriend because as the person who discovered Iris in her studio, she was invested in figuring out why Iris was killed and wondering if she could have made a difference.

    This story was a moderate paced murder mystery and every character in this story felt very real to me. They were well developed and unique, memorable in their own way. Although this story was indeed a murder mystery, I felt that it was also very much about relationships. There were many different relationships between characters in this book and it gave a depth to the story that you don’t normally find in this genre of fiction. The mystery behind what happened to Iris was nicely done as well and not at all what I was expecting. Death in Vermilion is a story that is equal parts art and mystery and will keep you fully entertained from start to finish!

    This review is based on a complimentary book I received from Author, Barbara Elle. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Sandy
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story Written in Paint
    Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I was fascinated by this story of a group of artists involved in the murder of one of their own. For those who are looking for a new kind of sleuth, this is the book for you. The author may be a painter first, writer second, because there were a few places where the words were out of order. This didn't bother me because the plot was so interesting, and I just assumed that "Paint" was Elle's first language and it was lucky the words were spelled correctly. This book will not disappoint those looking for a change in murder mysteries.
    One person found this helpful
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  • JEANNE, REVIEWER
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Who Dunnit
    Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    3.5 Stars. The plot was good but weighed down with much unnecessary that distracted me. I enjoyed the end but overall feel like the story could've been written with a lot fewer details and been a much better book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • suzybee30
    4.0 out of 5 stars lots of twists and turns to the story
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2018
    All that artist Leila Goodfriend wanted was a little peace and quiet so that she could work on her painting. Instead, fellow artist Iris was up in her studio making enough noise to wake the dead. How could one woman make such a racket? Leila did the only thing she could think of, turn up NPR and try to block everything out. What Leila didn’t realize is that while she drowned out all the upstairs ruckus, poor Iris was being murdered.

    Now all of the Red Barn Cooperative artists are under suspicion since they all hated Iris. An unexpected call from a lawyer has Leila name curator of the estate, which brings out the amateur sleuth in her to find out what happened to Iris that fateful night and who would want to brutally murder her?

    This is not your average cozy mystery where the characters are all likable and you can’t picture any of them as a murderer. Instead, most of the fellow artists are competitive, petty, and a bit jealous of one another. They are also quirky by nature and at points have you wondering how Leila could call them friends. The story has a lot of twists and turns with a much unexpected ending. What I liked most was that there were a lot of different subplots and red herrings thrown around to make the book even more interesting.
    One person found this helpful
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