Official Review: A Brush with Death by Jody Summers

daphne_asir · Post by **daphne_asir** » 14 Jun 2020, 23:25

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Brush with Death" by Jody Summers.]

3 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

A Brush with Death by Jody Summers is the first book in the 'Art of the Dead' series. It is a thriller that opens with Kira, a painter living in New Orleans, who is struggling with her mother’s death. She decides to honour her mother by mixing her mother’s ashes with paint in order to create a beautiful painting. Thus, she stumbles upon her new business. She calls it ‘Canvas of Life’ and it turns out to be quite successful. But this form of art sends her into an altered state, causing her to relive significant moments from the life of the deceased. Her art manages to help her clients find peace, comfort and hope. But things take a dark turn when she meets Sean and starts to commemorate his father’s life. Terrible visions and nightmares lead her to believe that she is painting the portrait of a serial killer. But that is not all, there is an evil in her painting that threatens her very life.

This book is an engrossing and haunting thriller with a clear setup for future adventures. The novel is well structured and makes liberal use of foreshadowing to keep the reader hooked. The plot is original and moves at a reasonably brisk pace with a satisfying ending.

I particularly loved the writing style. The descriptions make every scene vivid which offers an almost cinematic experience to the reader. The author’s clever use of words further heightens the horror element of the book. This makes the book a chilling read.

I didn’t enjoy the relationship between Kira and Sean as it felt unreal and rushed. They seem to like each other even before they meet. This was the only problem I had with the plot. But as the story progresses, the mystery takes precedence and makes up for this shortcoming.

I rate A Brush with Death 3 out of 4 stars because of its unique plot, captivating narration and well-developed characters. There is scattered use of profanity throughout the book. The book has mild erotic scenes. The book did have a few punctuation errors. But they didn’t interrupt the narrative or interfere with my enjoyment of the book. I recommend this book to all horror and mystery fans. This book has several terrifying scenes and is not for the faint-hearted. But it will be a perfect read for fans of Stephen King and Jeffery Deaver.

******
A Brush with Death
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

sirbobthewise · Post by **sirbobthewise** » 16 Jun 2020, 23:57

What a unique premise! I was thinking this sounds like something out of a Stephen King novel, but at the same time, like nothing I’ve ever read before. A portrait of a serial killer that is alive in some way sounds super freaky, and I’m wigged out just by reading the summary, but I definitely think that the author has something here and that many people could enjoy this. Great job!

daphne_asir · Post by **daphne_asir** » 17 Jun 2020, 00:04

sirbobthewise wrote: ↑16 Jun 2020, 23:57 What a unique premise! I was thinking this sounds like something out of a Stephen King novel, but at the same time, like nothing I’ve ever read before. A portrait of a serial killer that is alive in some way sounds super freaky, and I’m wigged out just by reading the summary, but I definitely think that the author has something here and that many people could enjoy this. Great job!

Exactly! This was such a unique book. And the author does justice to the plot. Thanks for stopping by.

Adanna Inya · Post by **Adanna Inya** » 17 Jun 2020, 03:16

Wow! The earth, nature and even paintings are powerful. I want to see how things pan out for Kira. I love mystery novels.

daphne_asir · Post by **daphne_asir** » 17 Jun 2020, 04:10

Adanna Inya wrote: ↑17 Jun 2020, 03:16 Wow! The earth, nature and even paintings are powerful. I want to see how things pan out for Kira. I love mystery novels.

This will certainly be a great read! Thanks for stopping by.

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 17 Jun 2020, 04:20

Wow, a mystery thriller with visual arts as a background! I must read it! Thank you for this review

daphne_asir · Post by **daphne_asir** » 17 Jun 2020, 04:36

Ellylion wrote: ↑17 Jun 2020, 04:20 Wow, a mystery thriller with visual arts as a background! I must read it! Thank you for this review

I'm sure you'll enjoy the book! Thanks for the comment. Glad you found the review helpful.

Moh2 · Post by **Moh2** » 17 Jun 2020, 04:45

This one seems like something I would pick up. If the plot is nearly as good as your review suggests, plus commendable characterization, then it's a good read. Thank you!

Kenesha Latoya Fowler · Post by **Kenesha Latoya Fowler** » 17 Jun 2020, 04:58

Chilling. Okay, I'm intrigued. I think I'd have to put on my bravery pants to read this one, because while I'm not a Stephen King fan, I do like Dean Koontz. All the same, I'll be putting this on my shelf. Thanks for a stunning review.

daphne_asir · Post by **daphne_asir** » 17 Jun 2020, 05:02

Kenesha L Fowler wrote: ↑17 Jun 2020, 04:58 Chilling. Okay, I'm intrigued. I think I'd have to put on my bravery pants to read this one, because while I'm not a Stephen King fan, I do like Dean Koontz. All the same, I'll be putting this on my shelf. Thanks for a stunning review.

So glad you found the review helpful! It was an amazing read. Thanks for commenting.

Gabrielle Sigaki · Post by **Gabrielle Sigaki** » 17 Jun 2020, 05:17

I love horror books and this one seems to be great. The plot is indeed unique, I've never heard of something like this, it seems to have some supernatural and suspense aspects. Now I'm pretty interested in reading this book!

Thanks for the great review!

daphne_asir · Post by **daphne_asir** » 17 Jun 2020, 05:21

gabrielletiemi wrote: ↑17 Jun 2020, 05:17 I love horror books and this one seems to be great. The plot is indeed unique, I've never heard of something like this, it seems to have some supernatural and suspense aspects. Now I'm pretty interested in reading this book!

Thanks for the great review!

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. So glad you found the review helpful. Thanks for the comment!

Standor5865 · Post by **Standor5865** » 17 Jun 2020, 05:44

This is not usually the kind of book I like to read, but it seems well executed, especially with well developed characters. Nice review.

daphne_asir · Post by **daphne_asir** » 17 Jun 2020, 05:50

Standor5865 wrote: ↑17 Jun 2020, 05:44 This is not usually the kind of book I like to read, but it seems well executed, especially with well developed characters. Nice review.

Thanks for the comment. Yes, the book was very nicely done.

daphne_asir · Post by **daphne_asir** » 17 Jun 2020, 07:22

Moh2 wrote: ↑17 Jun 2020, 04:45 This one seems like something I would pick up. If the plot is nearly as good as your review suggests, plus commendable characterization, then it's a good read. Thank you!

The plot IS that good! Hope you enjoy the book. Thanks for the comment.