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Andrew Nance
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Red Canvas (A Lise Norwood Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Andrew Nance (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
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In the seaside city of San Marco, Florida, Lise Norwood spends her days serving papers and her nights spying on cheating spouses. But before she became a PI, she was an art major at San Marco University. So when the local police ask her to consult on a murder case in which the victim was posed to resemble a classic Greek sculpture, Lise dusts off her art history degree and joins the task force.

As the artistic madman known as Michelangelo continues to copy more works of art, Lise starts her own investigation into the gruesome killings. When she gets too far, she’s fired from the case.

Being told to step back only spurs her to dig deeper. Her inquiries take an ugly and personal turn when Michelangelo threatens to make her his next bloody masterpiece. And the key to the case might be a stolen piece of artwork very few know exists.
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    A Lise Norwood Mystery
  2. Print length
    278 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    May 4, 2020
  6. File size
    3319 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Nance delivers a tale that's hard to put down. A riveting, rollicking good time."
-Debra Bokur, author of The Fire Thief (Kensington)

"For mystery and thriller lovers, this is a great read."
-Claire Matturo, author of The Smuggler's Daughter

"His characters are engaging. I felt bereft when arriving at the last pages of Red Canvas. I wasn't ready to let them go.
-Reader's Favorite Book Reviews

"Nance did an amazing job of telling a story that stayed true to policework, kept the clues coming while not giving away the who-dun-it, and keeping the story line intriguing.
-A Soccer Mom's Book Blog

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B087BF3VQG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Red Adept Publishing, LLC (May 4, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 4, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3319 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 278 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

About the author

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Andrew Nance

Andrew Nance

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Andrew Nance is a writer, actor, and amateur historian. He spent over twenty years working in the radio industry up and down the east coast and still keeps his hand in as a volunteer at a local college radio station. Though he writes for all age groups, his first book, Daemon Hall, was named an American Library Association Quick Pick for the Reluctant Reader, a New York Library Book for the Teen Age, and was nominated for an Edgar Award in YA, and for the ALA Teens Top 10 for 2008. He lives in St. Augustine, Florida with his family and can be heard playing jazz on Mondays from 5-7pm est on WFCF which is available on iHeartRadio online.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
103 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

JC Moretta
5.0 out of 5 stars A delightfully tasty and twisted Florida mystery!
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2020
Verified Purchase
Like a table full of bar food in a funky dive, this mystery novel satisfies completely. The characters are likable and believable and there are enough surprises that you won’t want to put it down. The ending is like the hot wings that you save for last, blistering and surprising, so hold on! Peppered with connections to art history and tossed with a bit of Florida lore, this mystery ranks right up there with other Florida authors like Carl Hiaasen and James W. Hall.
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Bigfoot in Oregon
4.0 out of 5 stars Really Good read
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2020
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I liked the characters, the storyline and the pacing. My only 'complaint' is how totally unrealistic I found the relationship between Lise and Baker & Ortega. With the search features now available online, I doubt the need for an art expert at all. Plus, Lise behaved badly, interferred in a homicide and was still allowed to continue.

I understand the need of the author to keep her involved in the cases, but even I, notoriously famous for my suspension of disbelief, had to shake my head.

But, that said, I enjoyed the book and would read more offerings by this author.
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Susan Michele
5.0 out of 5 stars Damn! Hated for this one to end!
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2020
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As an artist, the whole premise of Art + murder thriller (my second guilty pleasure) was enthralling. Great characters, dialog and pacing, and the crime scene word pictures were TO DIE for! :D

Write fast, Mr. Nance. I need another fix!
One person found this helpful
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Suzi
5.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to the next installment.
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2020
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My wife and I are both avid readers, and really enjoyed this book. As with his previous novel, this contained twists and turns that kept you wanting to read further to see where it was going. It also seemed well researched, which made for interesting reading. We ordered a send one and gave it as a birthday present to a relative. Definitely recommend.
4 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2020
Verified Purchase
Red Canvas is an outstanding murder mystery with twists and turns throughout and surprises everywhere. I read it in one sitting, couldn't put it down! It's the best thriller I've read in a long time. Andrew Nance is a gifted writer who's storytelling pulls you along at breakneck speed to find the answer to the multiple questions of "who done it". I loved the characters, the storyline, and the ending, I think you'll like them too!
5 people found this helpful
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Stephan Stuecklin
4.0 out of 5 stars Tight plot, gruesome murders
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2020
After Leslie Wolfe's "Girl With a Rose" this Lise Norwood mystery was my second art-related thriller this year. In both cases, an artist in Florida becomes mentally unhinged and turns his murders into art, and our female lead solves the case. (What is it with Florida and fictional serial killers?)

But that's about where the similarities end. Lise Norwood is no Tess Winnett, and as much as I love the Tess Winnett series, that's a good thing. Lise is a PI with an art history background, a volatile temper, and plenty of determination. She's first drawn into the case as a consultant for the local police while working on another case involving a cheating husband, but she can't let go when the first victim reminds her of her murdered cousin. Two cases, a tenuous relationship with the police, and a rocky patch with her boyfriend: Lise is in trouble throughout.

Mr. Nance's narrative isn't for the sensitive, though. Aside from the brutality of the crimes, we get chapters from the point of view of the "artist," i. e. the murderer, and Mr. Nance conveys this criminal's mental instability and total lack of empathy uncomfortably well. Fortunately, we are spared many details as well as nearly all sexual content. Still, I found myself reluctant to read what I knew would be the final showdown, and I'm a reader that doesn't visualize everything. This grimness is my reason for withholding the fifth star: a reflection of my taste, not Mr. Nance's ability. (Let me hasten to add that I'd find it worse if the murders weren't revolting. Taking a life is.)

As for the mystery, I found I was able to guess pretty early on who the criminal was, mostly from my gut feeling, but once the guess was there I was able to substantiate it by looking back at some clues and foreshadowing. While the criminal's plan is a little preposterous and overly complicated, it fits his exalted vision of himself as an artist specializing in art "created in the medium of death," and Mr. Nance has created a tight and complex plot that includes a few moments of levity, such as how to get a CEO to accept a summons.

All in all, a satisfying mystery recommended for those able to stomach the crimes.
2 people found this helpful
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Yvo @ It's All About Books
4.0 out of 5 stars Great start of the series.
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2021
Red Canvas is part crime thriller and part PI thriller, all doused with plenty of art references and multiple pieces of art play a key role in the plot. I really liked that we have the best of both worlds in the main character: Lise Norwood is both a former art student and a PI, giving the story a fresh angle instead of just focusing on the detective investigation of a serial killer. Not that I don't enjoy those type of stories, but having both angles in the same story made Red Canvas that much more interesting... On top of this, we get a glimpse inside the head of a serial killer too with the The Artist chapters, and boy, do we have another twisted serial killer character on our hands!

The art element really gave the story a refreshing angle. It isn't just a prop for the killings, as art has a deeper meaning and is represented in multiple ways in the plot. The missing napkin with a masterpiece, the murders, the suspects, multiple character background references... And even the title of course! It was interesting to see the plot develop over time and try to mislead you along the way... The different POVs will slowly come together as the story escalates towards a big finale. And there were without doubt twists I didn't see coming!

As for the writing... While as a whole it is without doubt engaging, I did have some issues with the tone in certain parts. Especially when things turn steamy or the dialogues in general... There was just something too blunt or crude about it all that started to irritate me, but this might just be because I'm having a hunch Red Canvas would suit a male target audience better. That said, I still had a great time with this first book of a new series, and you will find plenty of action and suspense before you reach that final page.
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Janet Pollock
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good mystery
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
Very entertaining and great mystery. The setting was very familiar and added to the likability of the book. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
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Top reviews from other countries

Lagoon
5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing start to a new series.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
Art and crime fiction make good bedfellows. Set in Florida, private detective Lise Norwood is asked by her local PD to act as a consultant after a macabre murder staged to resemble a classical sculpture. What follows is a rocky ride between Lise and the police detectives as the murderer gets into his or her stride and Lise’s imagination starts working overtime with who could be responsible for the arty killings.

The art aspect is ever present but isn’t pretentious; you never feel as if you are being preached to. What you do have is a smart cookie making a big splash on the Florida crime scene canvas. I’ll be following Lise with interest.
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