About the Book

"Artist Nick Morris is in picturesque Piacenza, Italy to teach at an art retreat. A delightful gig, if only his budding artists weren't so atic! Between the heartbroken, dying and just plain cantankerous, Nick's got his work cut out. Especially with world renowned - and universally despised - author, Gregory Stone swanning about ruffling everyone's feathers. But all is not as it seems with the bestseller. And Nick's horrified when he finds the man dead in his hotel. Another mystery is the last thing Nick wants to get involved in, but having befriended Stone's attractive publicist, he wonders, did Stone's bullying, misogyny and blatant plagiarism finally to push someone too far? As the investigation ramps up, so too does the suspect list. And soon Nick's fighting fires (literally!) all over the piazza. But it's the discovery of a second dead body - one of his students - that really throws him for a loop . . . Can Nick uncover the identity of the murderer before he himself becomes the next victim?"--

Book Synopsis

Artist-turned-amateur sleuth Nick Morris is back, and this time he's swapped the English countryside for beautiful Italy. Only it's not long before another dead body (or two) lands in front of him! This witty mystery is perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz.

Artist Nick Morris is in picturesque Piacenza, Italy to teach at an art retreat. A delightful gig, if only his budding artists weren't so . . . dramatic! Between the heartbroken, dying and just plain cantankerous, Nick's got his work cut out. Especially with world renowned - and universally despised - author, Gregory Stone swanning about ruffling everyone's feathers.

But all is not as it seems with the bestseller. And Nick's horrified when he finds the man dead in his hotel. Another mystery is the last thing Nick wants to get involved in, but having befriended Stone's attractive publicist, he wonders, did Stone's bullying, misogyny and blatant plagiarism finally to push someone too far?
As the investigation ramps up, so too does the suspect list. And soon Nick's fighting fires (literally!) all over the piazza. But it's the discovery of a second dead body - one of his students - that really throws him for a loop . . . Can Nick uncover the identity of the murderer before he himself becomes the next victim?

Nick Morris's keen observance of the people around him takes the reader on a journey, investigating several suspects. But which one has a true motive for murder . . .? Laced with Michael Jecks' signature wit, readers will enjoy this latest addition to The Art of Murder Series.

Review Quotes

A big part of the fun is the nicely drawn setting with its vivid descriptions of local art and architecture. Fans of the series will enjoy Nick's usual clever deductions-- "Booklist"

Atmospheric and cleverly plotted-- "The Observer on The Templar, the Queen and her Lover"

A delightfully realistic protagonist and plenty of madcap scenarios add up to a fun read-- "Kirkus Reviews on Landscape of Murder"

Michael Jecks is a national treasure-- "Scotland on Sunday"

Plenty of action and all-too-plausible suspects hidden in a thicket of duplicity-- "Kirkus Reviews on Portrait of a Murder"

Readers who enjoy a step-by-step crime solution will relish this-- "Booklist on Landscape of Murder"

Superb . . . a fast-moving and gripping plot-- "Publishers Weekly Starred Review of The Merchant Murderers"

The novel's energetic pace never flags-- "Publishers Weekly on The Dead Don't Wait"