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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39197711-isabella-s-painting” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”Isabella’s Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520913940l/39197711._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39197711-isabella-s-painting”>Isabella’s Painting</a> by <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7377203.Ellen_Butler”>Ellen Butler</a><br/>
My rating: <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6015540690″>5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Karina Cardinal is a very successful lawyer and lobbyist on Capitol Hill. One day she had a long day and just wanted to relax with her boyfriend, Patrick Dunne. The couple is invited to his parents annual holiday bash even though Karina was tired and had achy feet. In hopes of finding a place to rest her weary feet she interrupts the host, Martin Dunne, and a guest and they appear to be hiding something. What was the object that they were being so secretive about? Her curiosity gets the better of her and she goes sleuthing on the internet once she returns home. She feels that she has found the item, a missing painting. She runs into an old friend who works for the FBI, Mike Finnigan. Can he help her? This was a fasr paced but enjoyable book. It was a good start to a series. I’m looking forward to book two.
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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Christine Baranek

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isabella’s Painting
By: Ellen Butler

This is a fantastic fast paced mystery. This book introduces us to Karina Cardinal who is just at the wrong place at the right time to put her in the middle of a mystery. Karina is a fantastically well written character who drives the plot (which happens to be based on a real life mystery). This story sucked me in from the first page and it really delivered. This author gives enough detail to make you feel like you are there but not so much that it bogs down the plot of the story.
I definitely recommend this story and I cannot wait to read more by Ellen Butler.

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Rebeca Elliott Figueiras

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in what has begun as a great series, the Karina Cardinal Mysteries series. I loved this introduction to Karina and the storyline was brilliant! It doesn’t hurt that this is a cosy mystery which is one of my absolute favourite types of books (perfect for a autumn night by the fire).
I enjoyed the writing style of the author; it flowed well and was easy to follow and the links to true events made it feel even more real. I was lost in the storyline almost instantly – it felt unique, and I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. I also liked the section which explained more about the actual crime which this book includes, I find true crime fascinating and having this insight was a brilliant addition.
The characters were great, fun and interesting. I loved Karina, she felt so real, and lovable and strong. Despite the danger, she was determined and came out the other side stronger than ever.
I loved this book so much and had to move onto the next immediately!

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Connie Cranston

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler is a cozy mystery. The author does a wonderful job at submerging the reader into the life of main character Karina Cardinal. The pacing of the storyline is great and I love that it’s based on a true event. The blending of fact and fiction is amazing. I can’t wait to continue reading this series.

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Raylene Green

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Karina Works in DC, and while she keeps busy with her job, she loves it. She loves her life and her boyfriend and one evening, his parents, who are well known in DC, throw their yearly party. She is eager to attend only to discover a painting that ends up being stolenin her boyfriends parenta house! Karina’s character like storyline are well developed a very enjoyable story of fantastic mystery for mystery lovers!!

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this original story, the first in a new series by Ellen Butler, the story introduces us to our heroine Karina Cardinal and is a wonderfully written novel based on a true event and which had me hooked from page one. “In 1990 a Boston museum was robbed of $500 million worth of artwork”, in this novel the author comes up with a storyline based on what could have happened to this stolen artwork. This was an exciting cozy crime mystery novel with a strong female lead in amateur sleuth Karina Cardinal. The storyline was fast paced and had plenty of drama, suspense and twists and turns that kept me guessing and happily turning the pages.
When Karina Cardinal ends a long week lobbying on Capitol Hill, instead of chilling out in front of Netflix, her and her boyfriend, Patrick Dunne head off to his parents’ annual holiday bash. The evening becomes more interesting and more dangerous when Karina sees something she shouldn’t in Patrick’s father, Martin Dunne’s study. The painting she glimpsed before it disappeared behind a secret panel looked suspiciously like one that had been stolen and is infamous, as anyone close to the painting has been murdered, Mafia style. As Karina wonders what to do an old flame and FBI agent Mike Finnegan comes back into her life and she’s tempted to tell her old friend everything, especially as she still has feelings for him. However, Karina is being watched and both her life and others are at risk if she continues to look into the stolen painting.
I was fully immersed in this crime, mystery, thriller and literally could not put the book down. I loved the main character, Karina, as she is a likeable and realistically independently minded women and I look forward to future books with her as the lead. I liked the aspects of romance in the story with both boyfriend Patrick and old flame Mike and how Karina’s relationships changed and developed with each one. I found this to be an original storyline and was gripped until the last page. I found the authors ‘afterward’ section fascinating as Butler tells the reader about the real event that this novel is based on. A five star read and a book which I definitely recommend, I have now discovered a new author who’s books will become ‘must reads’!

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Netania Lim

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an incredible read, an absolute page-turner, and thrilling the whole way through. I loved Karina’s background as a Washington DC lawyer turned policy wonk, as well as the way Karina tries to work out what’s happening even as she makes plenty of mistakes. The mystery of the plot kept me going the whole way through, even with the elements of romance and crime. I love art heist fiction generally, but this one really grabbed my attention. I’ll definitely be reading anything else by this author!

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Finn Cunningham

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler is an amazing mystery book that I thoroughly recommend! I loved this book in its entirety and couldn’t put it down until i had finished it! I was hooked from the blurb, and was very excited to read this book, and I loved it! This is the first book in the Karina Cardinal Mysteries Series, and my first book by Ellen Butler. I very much look forward to reading more from both this series, and from this very talented author!

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler – Review by Faith Jackson

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is historically realistic and the writing captivated me from the very start. The mystery and suspense that takes a hold of this story and the paintings are all fascinating to be a part of as a third eye of the reader. I love a good mystery and a character that’s out to solve said mystery. I’m definitely looking out for the next of this series and where the characters will bring us next!

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler

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Genre – Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, Police Procedurals, Amateur Sleuth, women sleuths, cozy, crime fiction

Page Count – 280 pages

Cover Designer – RLSather

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Peeling back layers of lies could save a masterpiece…or reveal a killer.

After a long week lobbying on Capitol Hill, all Karina Cardinal wants to do is chill with Netflix and her boyfriend, Patrick Dunne. Instead, she’s slipping her aching feet into red stilettos for his parents’ annual holiday bash.

When she accidentally interrupts Patrick’s father in his study, her embarrassment is tempered by suspicion that Martin Dunne and his dapper, secretive guest are hiding something. Maybe the painting she barely glimpses right before it disappears behind a secret panel.

An internet search raises her curiosity to full-blown alarm. If she’s right, Martin is in possession of a stolen masterpiece. Infamous because everyone close to it has turned up dead. As in Mafia-style-execution dead.

As she’s chewing over which instinct to follow—back off while she still can, or dig deeper for the truth—she crosses paths with FBI agent Mike Finnegan. An old friend and not-quite flame from her college days. When she looks into his warm, mocha eyes, she’s tempted to tell him everything.

Trouble is, she’s already being watched. And the next move she makes could destroy innocent lives…including her own.

~ AMAZON BARNES AND NOBLE ~ IBOOKS ~ KOBO ~ 

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Ellen Butler is a bestselling novelist writing critically acclaimed suspense thrillers, and award-winning romance. Ellen holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Policy, and her history includes a long list of writing for dry, but illuminating, professional newsletters and windy papers on public policy. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime and the Office of Strategic Services Society. She lives in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her family.

Author Interview With Ellen Butler

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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery) by Ellen Butler – Review by Sarah Oakes

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great read about doing the right thing. Karina Cardinal is a lawyer in love with her boyfriend Patrick. His family invite her to their Christmas Party and she has a great time. But odd events happen in Martin’s library that fuel fire to her curiosity. When she discovers the secret, she is dragged into an uncertain world of art and smoke and shadows and perhaps she shouldn’t have looked after all.
A great read. Well developed plot with twists and turns that I just couldn’t put down. Well developed characters like Karina loving and kind but also standing up for herself or the eccentric Molly or mysterious Martin. I loved the use of suspense drawn out to perfection that kept you reading to find out with Karina. I loved the use of setting with the large house and tunnel rooms and hidden places for that sense of mysery but the colourful art contrasting with beautifully. Or the visual detail of shops and coffee places for a busy vibrant city. High stakes and fast paced action made for a captivating read with a love of art throughout for a lovely touch.Overall, a great read and I would give it five stars.
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Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1) – Review by Sheri Schrader

Isabella's Painting (Karina Cardinal Mystery #1)Isabella’s Painting by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery by Ellen Butler is the first book in the Karina Cardinal Mystery series. This is one well written mystery that has humor, DC political scene, romance, and mystery. I was first intrigued as an art history student because the Gardner Heist still has so many unanswered questions. Ms. Butler did a great job of a “what if” scenario that is well thought out and logical. I loved the main character Karina Cardinal and how she went about trying to weave her way through the twists and turns. I also appreciated that the mystery was interesting and had lots of different characters to wonder about their intentions. I will be definitely looking for more from this author in the future and look forward to more of the Karina Cardinal series.

Review by @sherimichelle1

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