I love this book! It's like playing Clue but in a book form with my favorite items of art and horses! The author brings the characters to life with vivid descriptions and her wordplay is phenomenal! ( )

A Brush with Murder is Gail Langer Karwoski's first book in The Watercolor Mystery series. Friends Jane, Grace and Donna have travelled to the Horses and Gardens Retreat in South Carolina to participate in a painting retreat "en plein air'. After arriving, they proceed to go for a walk and come across a horse that is dead in a reflecting pool. As other incidents occur to people associated with the retreat, the three friends become interested in trying to figure out why the incidents are happening and who is involved.
The author has done a good job of with the creation of her characters and storyline. As this is set at a retreat where people from different areas are attending, it is not necessary to provide a complete backstory for all involved but the author has given enough information on each character's history to enable the reader to understand the connections within the storyline. As the story unfolds and more incidents occur, the author provides twists that lead the reader down a pathway of certain discovery just to find yet another twist which ultimately leads to a surprising but well written final revelation that is based on some of the foundational motives of all-time great mysteries.
I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing and Black Rose Writing and am leaving this review voluntarily. ( )

I received this book to review for LibraryThing.
Three friends arrive at a hotel called "Gardens and Horses" to attend master classes with a well known artist. The hotel also has a successful stable for race horses about which I knew nothing until I read this book. The friends decide to go for a walk before the classes start only to have the shocking experience of finding a dead horse in a pool.This is just the beginning and attempted murder and murder follow which of course are solved by the police with the assistance of the 3 friends. I enjoyed the unusual setting for a mystery and the advice about painting. I think it was a good first book for this author and I look forward to her next one. ( )

Jane and her friends are looking forward to their watercolor classes at the Gardens and Horses Resort. When they find a dead horse in a pool, the week turns into one of mystery and murder. Jane's notes help solve the murder in the end. I enjoyed the descriptions of the gardens and the watercolor techniques. Although interesting, I thought the discussion of the bonsai collection was a little distracting. I look forward to the next book in the series. ( )

A Brush with Murder: A Watercolor Mystery is the tale of three (then four) middle-aged friends who embark on a painting retreat at a picturesque resort. What starts out as a week of relaxation and creativity quickly becomes sinister, when the women discover a dead horse in a reflecting pool.

Other deaths follow and everyone at the retreat is suspect. Jane Roland and her friends are determined to discover "Who done it?" Will they be able to find the killer before another painter perishes?

The first in a series of cozy mysteries featuring Jane and her Georgian friends, this book is an easy read on a warm summer's day. ( )