A Portrait to Die For by Radine Trees Nehring - Review and Guest Post

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: April 22, 2016

Number of pages: 284

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: To Die For Mystery #8

Synopsis:

Carrie McCrite, a volunteer librarian at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, discovers two versions of a portrait on loan to the museum. When a reporter writing about that portrait disappears, Carrie must choose between honoring Henry's request that she stop jumping into danger on behalf of people in trouble--or work to find the woman who was a college friend of her son's.

My thoughts:

This is a new author and mystery series for me. I wanted to give it a chance as it centers around a museum and I am a fan of mysteries and museums. This is a part of a series but it was able to be read as a stand alone. I do not usually read books out of order but made an exception for this one.  One thing that you have to play catch up on is Carrie's personal life and on that note I will have to go back and read the entire series in order. This book was an enjoyable mystery story. I enjoyed the setting of this book as I am from the midwest and it kind of reminded me of home. It seems Carried can not help but find trouble and she must help to figure out what is going on. I liked that her husband helped her even though he asked her to not get involved with thing and stay out of trouble. This is a good for for those who enjoy a good, clean mystery without a lot of violence or gore. An enjoyable way to spend the day would be reading this book. 

About the author:

For more than twenty years, Radine Trees Nehring's magazine features, essays, newspaper articles, and radio broadcasts have shared colorful stories about the people, places, events, and natural world near her Arkansas home.

In 2002, Radine's first mystery novel, A VALLEY TO DIE FOR, was published and, in 2003 became a Macavity Award Nominee. Since that time, she has continued to earn writing awards as she enthralls her original fans and attracts new ones with her signature blend of down-home Arkansas sightseeing and cozy amateur sleuthing by active retirees Henry King and Carrie McCrite King.

Website URL: www.RadinesBooks.com
Blog URL: http://radine.wordpress.com
Facebook URL: www.facebook.com/RadineTreesNehring
Twitter: @RTNehring
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/radine-trees-nehring

Buy link for Portrait to Die For
http://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Die-Radine-Trees-Nehring/dp/1610092228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457470278&sr=8-1&keywords=Portrait+to+die+for+nehring

Guest Post:

LISTENING TO THOSE VOICES INSIDE YOUR HEAD 

As a writer, I hear my book people speak while I write--oh maybe not in recognizable voices--but I am there, standing where they are, and my mind is telling me what they are thinking or saying. Unlike actual words coming from me or other real people, I listen to and edit book words until they sing and swing, conveying the emotion I want to create.

Perhaps this quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet will explain in part: "Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue." Hamlet wanted those words to sing, and therefore, to gain notice so they could accomplish their intended purpose.

This small excerpt from my novel, A Portrait to Die For may show what I mean.

The action:
Catherine gets out of her car and walks slowly toward the open door. There is no one around, but she knows Maylynn could be hiding. Once inside the building she hesitates. There is no sound, and she wonders if she should call Maylynn's name. Starting to walk again, she sees blobs of oil on the concrete floor. Then she sees their color. Blood. Panicking she turns around to run toward Carrie and Henry and safety.

What the voice in my head said:
. . . Zero hour. Catherine opened her car door and slid out, putting her cell phone in her pocket.
. . . .
Twenty steps to the open door, and Catherine was inside. Should she say something? Call Maylynn's name?
Two steps. Lots of stuff, but no person, no sound, no movement except her own. Would Maylynn be hiding behind that stack of boxes over there?
Two more steps.
Something on the concrete floor caught her attention. Blobs of oil? She stopped to stare, bent over to look more closely.

Drops of blood, fresh enough to be red. Oh, dear God, NO.
Catherine started to turn back toward her car and run. Panic had her breathing like a steam engine though she was trying to be quiet, to give no sign that she was there. She must get to her car and hurry to safety, to be with Carrie and Henry. Get away. Get away! Get to Carrie and Henry, get them to come back here with her.
A groan stopped her, freezing her steps as she started toward the door . . . .
* * *
What the voice in my head said ended up on page 141 of the novel.