Reviews

Family turbulence and mysteries, mysterious deaths, urban tales, intrigue, and art history - this book runs the gamut! I quite enjoyed the style, the writing, and the whole feel of the book, and especially enjoyed the bit of art-mystery surrounding Goya's so-called "Black Paintings." It feels somehow Gothic, without being set in an older time, though the old house gives a sort of Gothic, mysteries-abound, feel.

My only criticism is that I felt the characters weren't quite what they could be, and this could be due to the sheer number of them. But I felt like I didn't really know everything about any one character, and was skating over the characters with more of a general, and occasionally more detailed, look at their internal lives. That being said, I quite enjoyed the tale, and would add it to anyone looking for a mystery-creepy tone, without much "boo-scary" feeling.

gilmoreguide's review against another edition

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2.0

An obscure Goya self-portrait is at the center of The Black Painting and the Morse family, who owns it. Or did until it was stolen after which time the family fractured amidst distrust and dysfuntion. Now with their grandfather dead under mysterious circumstances, cousins Teresa, James, Audrey, and Kenny are brought back together for the first time in a decade and things get complicated fast. Too complicated. I finished because it’s a mystery and I wanted to know whodunit, but got the sense that Olson decided the murderer at the last minute by throwing a dart at the list of characters.

skylaramoore's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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