Drawing Conclusions – REVIEW – Valerie's Musings

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Drawing Conclusions is the first book in the Sketch-in-Crime series by Deirdre Verne. I definitely would have enjoyed The Drawing Game more if I had read at least this one first and possibly the 2nd as well.

Drawing Conclusions: A Sketch in Crime Mystery by Deirdre Verne book cover - artist's studio with several canvases in the background with paintings, a table with artist supplies on it, a canvas on an easel with only a thick mop of brown hair painted on it, books & a piece of pie on a plate on another table

Purchase Links: Amazon – B&N – Kobo

Line of blue, red, and green sharpened pencils — © Graphic Garden

Brief Synopsis

While she never saw eye to eye with her father—the ambitious director of a renowned genetics research center—CeCe Prentice always remained close to her brother, Teddy. When Teddy is found dead at the lab where he worked for their father, CeCe’s efforts to mourn the tragic loss are interrupted by several attempts on her own life.

CeCe is naturally drawn in to the investigation, teaming up with Detective Frank DeRosa, the officer assigned to protect her. Together, they begin looking into the circumstances surrounding Teddy’s death, only to discover the truth may be found closer to home than they think—in CeCe’s own paintings.

(Source: Goodreads Book Description)

Line of art supplies - rolled canvas, paint brushes with paint on tips, paint jars, paint tubes, watercolor trays, and paint palettes — © Graphic Garden

Review

I was correct that I would like The Drawing Game more if I had read at least one of the two books before it. I understand so much more about the characters in The Drawing Game now than I did when I first read it!

This is the first book in the Sketch In Crime mystery series and it’s a really great book! There’s a lot of back story that happens in this book which seems essential for understanding the characters better during the rest of the series.

Many of the main characters in this series are Freegans, which are a group of people who work to live as green as possible. They grow much of their own food, create their own energy to feed back into the power grid, barter with people regarding getting things done, and recycle/reuse items as much as they can. The author does a good job of exposing us as the readers to the Freegan lifestyle and explaining what it entails.

Besides just their Freegan lifestyle, the characters are complex, well-rounded, and delightful. I really enjoyed seeing the dynamics between CeCe and her friends, her family, and the police department. I enjoyed watching the beginnings of CeCe’s romance with Frank unfold.

The plot line moves along at a decent pace. It’s not dragging but it’s not going by so fast that you can’t keep up either. I had a little bit of an inkling who the villain was, but I was not totally sure until just before it was discovered at the end of the book.

All-in-all, this is a great start to the series and important, so definitely read it before any other books in the series!

About the Author

Middle-aged woman with slightly longer than shoulder length blond hair, with glasses - wearing a blue turtleneck sweater Deirdre Verne is the author of Drawing Conclusions (2015), Drawing Blood (Feb 2016) and The Drawing Game (Dec 2017). Deirdre’s interest in green living inspired her to create an off-the-grid character, CeCe Prentice, who Dumpster dives her way through the Sketch in Crime mystery series. “Verne’s mystery is a winner…” Kirkus Reviews. A member of Sisters in Crime, Deirdre’s stories appear in all three NY chapter anthologies – Murder New York Style, Murder New York Style: Fresh Slices and Family Matters.