About the Book:
Murder is an art . . . and she’s the next masterpiece.
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?
Find on Goodreads. Find on Bookshop.org UK (affiliate link).
About the Author:
Cynthia Murphy is the bestselling author of a number of YA thrillers, including the BookTok sensation WIN LOSE KILL DIE. She has a long-standing love affair with all things scary, reading Point Horrors before graduating to Stephen King in her misguided teens. 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 lives in her hometown of Manchester with her husband and their rescue dog, Loli,
Interview:
Pitch your book in 10 words!
Fliss investigates a painter who may be a serial killer.
What inspired you to have portraits – four of murdered women and one of the murderer – at the centre of this book, linking past and present?
I have always been interested in true crime and love the book THE FIVE: THE UNTOLD LIVES OF THE WOMEN KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPER* by Hallie Rubenhold. I really enjoyed how she put the women front and centre, and it definitely inspired the portraits known as The Four in this story.
The main character, Fliss, is a true crime aficionado who wants to be a journalist and is determined to give a name, a voice, and a story to the four women in the portraits known as The Four. Why did you want to give her this focus beyond just solving the mystery of the killers’ identities?
So much in the true crime genre can focus on the killer and forget the people whose lives were taken, and I suppose I wanted to challenge that a little, so I gave Fliss that motivation very early on.
Most of the book is told from Fliss’ perspective, but there is a chapter from each of the historic victims. How early in the process did you know you wanted to include a fragment of their lives and deaths?
As soon as I started writing. I didn’t plan it initially, but I really loved delving into that time period and writing from a historical point of view.
The paintings are technically beautiful (and very arresting) but the painter is a literal murderer. The more Fliss learns about the paintings, her opinion about them changes. Should we be separating the art from the artist? And if we can, how do we do that?
Honestly, I don’t know. I think it’s a good conversation to have, and something that we as consumers of all types of media should be aware of, but I think it’s an age-old dilemma. I am always happy to discuss it though and enjoy hearing other people’s opinions.
Like most of your books, the story has a hint of the supernatural, making the whole situation just that bit more unnerving, especially considering the ingredients of the paints. How do you balance the supernatural elements in order to give that element of doubt and questioning for the reader as to whether they and the characters are imagining it or not?
I think I sow the seeds and it very much lies with the reader and their preferences! To reference a favourite podcast of mine (Uncanny with Danny Robbins) I have the characters of Fliss (Team Sceptic) and her best mate Izzy (Team Believer) to balance one another out. That way I could play with real-life and supernatural threads but very much stay on the fence and let the reader decide!
Fliss’ friendship with Izzy is the emotional core of this book. What did you love most about crafting their relationship?
They just pulled together so naturally. I felt from the beginning that they knew each other inside out and were almost like sisters – they had each other’s backs but could have a blazing row and then make up over a brew. I loved writing artsy, fun-loving Izzy to counteract Fliss’ more serious side, too.
Seven murder mystery and horror books in, your search history has definitely got you on a watchlist or two! What was the creepiest thing you discovered while writing this book?
That Victorian’s would grind up the bodies of Egyptian mummies to use in paint (among other things).
Please recommend a UKYA book you think readers will love.
FOES & CONS* by Georgia Bowers for an excellent (and hilarious) YA romcom to read by the pool – and you can also read an interview we did with Georgia Bowers about the book here!
Thank you, Cynthia!
*Affiliate link
#UKYASpotlight 
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