‘The Woman in the Painting’ by Jane Adams

Published by Joffe Books,
8 July 2021.
ISBN: 978-1-7817831850-0 (PB)
Originally published as
A Kiss Goodbye.

Robert Carr is an artist, known mainly for his paintings of Anna – he knew her briefly and, though he hasn’t seen her for years, she has remained in his memory.  His agent, Simon, decides to find her and set up a meeting on television.  Rob hadn’t actually wanted to meet her, but he survives the television show, and they meet and talk afterwards.  Despite Anna saying she will phone him in a day or two, she doesn’t, and when he does eventually hear from her, it is a phone call asking for his help.  He finds her dead in her flat and runs away, realising that he literally has her blood on his hands.  DI Vic Maris and his team begin to investigate but all is not as it seems.

Rob is an interesting character:  he doesn’t go out a lot, or indeed keep in contact with the outside world; he’s not a great driver, or indeed controller of a supermarket trolley, and anyway he isn’t keen on shopping.  Simon has known Rob for some time, before he became successful and, though he has ‘an adding machine’ for a brain, he’s on Rob’s speed dial (along with a greengrocer and a take-way service), and he does seem to care about Rob.

DI Marris, the investigating officer, is a calm presence who just wants an end to this ‘petty mystery’, but the investigation moves back through the years, uncovering the truth about half-remembered relationships.  Twists and revelations ensure uncertainty to the very end of the story.
------
Reviewer: Jo Hesslewood
Other books by Jane Adams:  Series featuring:  Merrow & Clarke, Detective Mike Croft, Detective Ray Flowers, Detective Rozlyn Priest:  Standalones:  The Other Woman, Then She Was Dead

Jane Adams was born in Leicestershire, where she still lives. She has a degree in Sociology and has held a variety of jobs including lead vocalist in a folk rock band. She enjoys pen and ink drawing; martial arts and her ambition is to travel the length of the Silk Road by motorbike. Her first book, The Greenway, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Award in 1995 and for the Author's Club Best First Novel Award. Jane writes several series.  Her first series featured Mike Croft. Several books featuring DS Ray Flowers. Seven titles featuring blind Naoimi Blake, and six titles featuring Rina Martin. In 2016 she started a series set between the two World Wars and featuring Detective Inspector Henry Johnstone and his sergeant, Micky Hitchens.  Bury Me deep is the first book in a series featuring Detective Inspector Rozlyn Priest.  Jane has also written several standalone novels. She is married with two children.

Jo Hesslewood. Crime fiction has been my favourite reading material since as a teenager I first spotted Agatha Christie on the library bookshelves.  For twenty-five years the commute to and from London provided plenty of reading time.  I am fortunate to live in Cambridge, where my local crime fiction book club, Crimecrackers, meets at Heffers Bookshop .  I enjoy attending crime fiction events and currently organise events for the Margery Allingham Society.