Color Me Dead

Henry Park, #1

by

Teresa Trent

A talented artist has a secret gift; she has glimpses into the future.

Color Me Dead is the first book in author Teresa Trent’s Henry Park paranormal cozy mystery series and features artist Gabby Wolfe, who returns to her old hometown to illustrate a children’s book being written by a successful local author. While a talented artist, Gabby has another gift she keeps under wraps: she experiences visions of events yet to happen. From the moment she hits town, the frightening images of a woman drowning begin to haunt her steps. 

Gabby Wolfe is the 20-something main character who has moved back to the small mountain town of Henry Park to work as an illustrator on his latest book for Clarence Bradford, the author of a popular kids’ outdoors adventure series. Out of necessity, she has brought along her younger brother, Mitch, and his dog, Luigi, to share the house her mother has rented for her time on commission. Mitch had gotten into some trouble with the law back home in Denver, and the judge had made living with Gabby part of his deal to avoid more serious consequences. Physically, Mitch is a couple of years younger than his sister and much less mature, making a mess of her careful budgeting and planning, partying from the first night in town. Still, he’s an engaging guy. 

The author does a great job creating the community of Henry Park, Colorado, from the ground up, including its residents, businesses, and a vividly depicted setting, without ever slowing the story down. I enjoyed that there are a lot of nice, welcoming people in Henry Park, some known to Gabby from her childhood and teenage years, and some new. However, there are a couple of bitter pills to worry about as well. The story progresses at a nice pace, with a couple of twists and an eye-opening amount of DRAMA: an old boyfriend with a wandering eye and a jealous new girlfriend, a rash of burglaries at the vacated summer homes surrounding the local lake, a surprise baby and baby mama, and, of course, murder. I was completely absorbed in the story, compelled to keep reading with each new revelation that unfolded. The resolution is plausible, but I didn’t narrow down the suspects enough to get there on my own. 

I recommend COLOR ME DEAD to readers of cozy mysteries who enjoy a paranormal aspect in their stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.