What do you think?
Rate this book
Red Canvas
In the seaside city of San Marco, Florida, private investigator Lise Norwood spends her days serving papers and her nights spying on cheating spouses. An odd career choice for a woman who studied art history while a student at San Marco University. When local police ask her to consult on a murder case in which the victim was posed to resemble a classic Greek sculpture, Lise dusts off her art history degree and joins the task force.
As the artistic madman known as Michelangelo continues to use the bodies of his victims to copy more works of art, Lise starts her own investigation into the gruesome killings. Homicide detectives accuse her of overstepping her role as consultant and she’s fired from the case, which only spurs her to dig deeper. Her inquiries take an ugly and personal turn when she learns that Michelangelo has chosen her to be his next bloody masterpiece.
As the artistic madman known as Michelangelo continues to use the bodies of his victims to copy more works of art, Lise starts her own investigation into the gruesome killings. Homicide detectives accuse her of overstepping her role as consultant and she’s fired from the case, which only spurs her to dig deeper. Her inquiries take an ugly and personal turn when she learns that Michelangelo has chosen her to be his next bloody masterpiece.
274 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2020
69 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 26, 2020
They say art imitates life, but what if death mimics art at the hands of a demented monster whose twisted appetites make even the most beautiful creations ghoulish nightmares?
RED CANVAS by Andrew Nance gruesomely details the depravities of a serial killer with a penchant for recreating some of the most amazing works with the bodies of his victims. Private investigator Lisa Norwood is the perfect heroine with pluck, attitude and a degree in art. I found her to be entertaining, human, a little daring and a desire to see justice done.
Andrew Nance has built a twisted maze of mystery as this tale unfolds and the killer remains deep in the shadows. A little police procedural, a little PI cleverness and even a touch of romance all bundled up in an often gut-clenching tale of murder. There ae a couple of brilliant points that cross paths in this tale and work perfectly to bring it all home, tied in a neat package!
I plan on looking into more from this author!
I received a complimentary copy from Red Adept! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: Lise Norwood Mystery - Book 1
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC (May 4, 2020)
Publication Date: May 4, 2020
Genre: Suspense | Mystery
Print Length: 274 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
RED CANVAS by Andrew Nance gruesomely details the depravities of a serial killer with a penchant for recreating some of the most amazing works with the bodies of his victims. Private investigator Lisa Norwood is the perfect heroine with pluck, attitude and a degree in art. I found her to be entertaining, human, a little daring and a desire to see justice done.
Andrew Nance has built a twisted maze of mystery as this tale unfolds and the killer remains deep in the shadows. A little police procedural, a little PI cleverness and even a touch of romance all bundled up in an often gut-clenching tale of murder. There ae a couple of brilliant points that cross paths in this tale and work perfectly to bring it all home, tied in a neat package!
I plan on looking into more from this author!
I received a complimentary copy from Red Adept! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: Lise Norwood Mystery - Book 1
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC (May 4, 2020)
Publication Date: May 4, 2020
Genre: Suspense | Mystery
Print Length: 274 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
October 25, 2020
This was the first book that I read by this author and it was pretty good. I liked most of the characters and the story moved at a pretty good pace. I normally do not read private detective books so this was a good change of pace. It was nice to read a decent book I have been in a very very bad slump. I was not that crazy about the ending it felt rushed to me and just a little messy. I also do not like to know what the bad guy is doing or what he is thinking-that does not stir my drink lol. In the end it is a good book I would give it around 3.4 stars if I could. I say go ahead and give this one a spin. I am not sure if it will be a series but that is ok.
June 25, 2020
A man who is killing woman and posing them after works of art is targeting Lise. As Lise helps the police in their investigation, she cannot help but think that Michelangelo might be someone she knows. I really enjoyed figuring out how her brain was working. She took clues, made them make sense, and was able to put together a who-dun-it. She was not always right, but her reasoning made sense and she stayed true to who she thought Michelangelo was until it was proven she was wrong. Lise had knowledge, skills, and the ability to think outside the box.
I loved seeing how the case would unfold and how the clues all came together. Andrew Nance did an amazing job of telling a story that stayed true to police work, kept the clues coming while not giving away the who-dun-it, and keeping the storyline intriguing. I felt that the characters were realistic and easy to like. The storyline moved quick enough to keep my interested but gave enough detail that I was able to make my own guesses that were not always right but were not way off course either.
I loved seeing how the case would unfold and how the clues all came together. Andrew Nance did an amazing job of telling a story that stayed true to police work, kept the clues coming while not giving away the who-dun-it, and keeping the storyline intriguing. I felt that the characters were realistic and easy to like. The storyline moved quick enough to keep my interested but gave enough detail that I was able to make my own guesses that were not always right but were not way off course either.
January 17, 2023
The main character is so completely stupid, the officials would never want to work with her. In fact, she would most likely be arrested for leaking so much information during an active investigation. Her boyfriend sucks. It’s all around a mess. Despite the red herrings, the killer was predictable.
The murders are somewhat interesting and saved this book.
The murders are somewhat interesting and saved this book.
November 20, 2021
This is a solid thriller and I was enthralled from the beginning. I really enjoyed the characters, and the plot, and the way everything is paced. Very intriguing thriller, and absolutely makes me want to read more.
May 27, 2020
Let me start with the bottom line: “Red Canvas” is a thrilling, well-plotted and well-written mystery with a captivating new woman PI at the center of the action. Author Andrew Nance, as he did in his prior thriller/mystery “All the Lovely Children,” spins a dark and twisted tale with exceptional skill in the plotting, the characters, the suspense, and the setting.
Set on the northeast coast of Florida, “Red Canvas” is the first book in a new series. The lead character is a woman PI, Analise “Lise” Norwood, who has a background in art history from a local university. Described as an “overachiever,” Lise is a compelling and sympathetic lead. The unsolved murder of her cousin, who was more like a little sister than cousin, haunts and motivates Lise throughout the story.
Lise is working on a private case involving a stolen work of art—a sketch done by Picasso and Dali together on a linen napkin that is worth a small fortune. When a serial killer begins to pose his female victims in grotesque fashions that mimic famous works of art, the local police retain Lise as a consultant because of her art knowledge. The two cases will cross in the story line, but not in the way readers might expect.
Lise is able to identify the art works the killer is copying with his dead victim’s bodies, but she desperately wants to do more to capture the perverse killer. Highly motivated, and not entirely trustful of the police detectives on the case, she takes off investigating on her own--which gets her fired by the police and in the cross-hairs of the killer.
There are no shortages of suspects in the tale, including one of the detectives on the case, an artist/art dealer with a shady Miami past, and Lise’s own boyfriend, an art professor. Nor is there any shortage of suspense—especially when the killer breaks into Lise’s house and leaves her a picture of an artwork to let her know he has targeted her as his next victim. This begins a long game of cat and mouse, with escalating danger for Lise and rising tension for the readers.
One of the police officers, Detective Baker, is an especially intriguing character with his own questionable past to reckon with. Lise notes that his “sense of humor was drier than unbuttered toast.”
There’s violence, so it might not be for the squeamish, but for mystery and thriller lovers, this is a great read. Nance is a fine writer, with a keen appreciation for language and a sharp eye for telling details. He excels at plotting and suspense. I eagerly await the next book in the series.
Set on the northeast coast of Florida, “Red Canvas” is the first book in a new series. The lead character is a woman PI, Analise “Lise” Norwood, who has a background in art history from a local university. Described as an “overachiever,” Lise is a compelling and sympathetic lead. The unsolved murder of her cousin, who was more like a little sister than cousin, haunts and motivates Lise throughout the story.
Lise is working on a private case involving a stolen work of art—a sketch done by Picasso and Dali together on a linen napkin that is worth a small fortune. When a serial killer begins to pose his female victims in grotesque fashions that mimic famous works of art, the local police retain Lise as a consultant because of her art knowledge. The two cases will cross in the story line, but not in the way readers might expect.
Lise is able to identify the art works the killer is copying with his dead victim’s bodies, but she desperately wants to do more to capture the perverse killer. Highly motivated, and not entirely trustful of the police detectives on the case, she takes off investigating on her own--which gets her fired by the police and in the cross-hairs of the killer.
There are no shortages of suspects in the tale, including one of the detectives on the case, an artist/art dealer with a shady Miami past, and Lise’s own boyfriend, an art professor. Nor is there any shortage of suspense—especially when the killer breaks into Lise’s house and leaves her a picture of an artwork to let her know he has targeted her as his next victim. This begins a long game of cat and mouse, with escalating danger for Lise and rising tension for the readers.
One of the police officers, Detective Baker, is an especially intriguing character with his own questionable past to reckon with. Lise notes that his “sense of humor was drier than unbuttered toast.”
There’s violence, so it might not be for the squeamish, but for mystery and thriller lovers, this is a great read. Nance is a fine writer, with a keen appreciation for language and a sharp eye for telling details. He excels at plotting and suspense. I eagerly await the next book in the series.
April 29, 2023
Surprise! This is a fantastic read! Good pacing, good atmosphere, excellent characters, and a creative plot! I definitely will be looking for more by author.
June 8, 2020
~Highly suspenseful!
~First, I’ll state that I received this book as a gift from the author to read and review.
~I found this to be a very exciting read. The main character was personable and someone that the reader could relate to. There were a number of interesting satellite characters introduced throughout the book…some lasted longer than others. Without giving a spoiler, I will say that I was sad to see one of the characters did not survive.
~There were plenty of twists along the story line. And suspects…oh my! Seems like most everyone in the story, at one time or another, was a suspect. This gave the reader multiple classic ‘red herrings’ to deal with. I enjoyed that there was a story within the story. The primary story is of the murders…however, Lise Norwood is a Private Investigator working her own case dealing with a philandering husband. How she is caught up in a Florida Police Department homicide investigation is one of the great twists in the story.
~There was some romance, but this definitely is not a cozy mystery. The murders were a bit on the gruesome side, but it took a unique criminal mind to pull them off.
~Creative, engaging writing…fast moving plot…good guys, bad guys, and some “gray” characters…enough twists and misdirection to keep the reader on edge.
~I would definitely recommend this book to any murder mystery reader. Looking forward to the sequel.
~First, I’ll state that I received this book as a gift from the author to read and review.
~I found this to be a very exciting read. The main character was personable and someone that the reader could relate to. There were a number of interesting satellite characters introduced throughout the book…some lasted longer than others. Without giving a spoiler, I will say that I was sad to see one of the characters did not survive.
~There were plenty of twists along the story line. And suspects…oh my! Seems like most everyone in the story, at one time or another, was a suspect. This gave the reader multiple classic ‘red herrings’ to deal with. I enjoyed that there was a story within the story. The primary story is of the murders…however, Lise Norwood is a Private Investigator working her own case dealing with a philandering husband. How she is caught up in a Florida Police Department homicide investigation is one of the great twists in the story.
~There was some romance, but this definitely is not a cozy mystery. The murders were a bit on the gruesome side, but it took a unique criminal mind to pull them off.
~Creative, engaging writing…fast moving plot…good guys, bad guys, and some “gray” characters…enough twists and misdirection to keep the reader on edge.
~I would definitely recommend this book to any murder mystery reader. Looking forward to the sequel.
September 20, 2024
Andrew Nance writes a thrilling and mysterious tale with Red Canvas
In Red Canvas, the reader is introduced to Lise Norwood, a private investigator whose cases are mainly about cheating spouses or serving court papers to unsuspecting persons. I read the second book, Green Canvas first, and since I liked it, I knew I had to read this one as well. ed Canvas is part of the Lise Norwood Mystery series, and this is volume one. Once I read Green Canvas, I became a fan of Andrew Nance. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. This one introduces readers to Lise Norwood, who is tenacious and anxious to get to more exciting cases. Then, all of a sudden, bodies start to drop, and because of her knowledge of Greek mythology and art, the police pull her in as a consultant, but that doesn't last too long, as she is determined to dig deeper, and start her own investigation in the Michelangelo killings, which are getting more gruesome as they start piling up. Lise is determined and tenacious and determined to get the job done no matter what. This story is a grand suspenseful story. Nothing except death could hold Lise back, making her realize how good she really is, and yet she could be putting herself into the killer's sights. Red Canvas is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book also write a review.
In Red Canvas, the reader is introduced to Lise Norwood, a private investigator whose cases are mainly about cheating spouses or serving court papers to unsuspecting persons. I read the second book, Green Canvas first, and since I liked it, I knew I had to read this one as well. ed Canvas is part of the Lise Norwood Mystery series, and this is volume one. Once I read Green Canvas, I became a fan of Andrew Nance. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. This one introduces readers to Lise Norwood, who is tenacious and anxious to get to more exciting cases. Then, all of a sudden, bodies start to drop, and because of her knowledge of Greek mythology and art, the police pull her in as a consultant, but that doesn't last too long, as she is determined to dig deeper, and start her own investigation in the Michelangelo killings, which are getting more gruesome as they start piling up. Lise is determined and tenacious and determined to get the job done no matter what. This story is a grand suspenseful story. Nothing except death could hold Lise back, making her realize how good she really is, and yet she could be putting herself into the killer's sights. Red Canvas is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book also write a review.
March 24, 2021
When I first saw this mystery dealt with art, I immediately thought of a few others I’ve read. They were dry. Don’t know any other way to describe it. Not this one, though. This one is fast moving and easy to read. It’s humorous and has plenty of action. Analise, or Lise for short, is a sassy Private Investigator and has a background in art. Is she an investigator dealing in art fraud or theft? Not exactly, she’s still at the “stalking cheating husbands” stage of her business. This death and art case sort of falls into her lap. She most certainly sees art she never thought she’d see and it’s not the kind of art you see walking through a museum.
This is an author that not only creates the kind of characters I like, the kind you can see, the kind you feel you can know. He also keeps you right on the edge of your seat. I was going to tell you that he threw one red herring after another into the story but that would sound as if he added misleading clues. His writing was never unclear. He was just very good at creating turns in the road so fast I lost my balance, at least in my thinking. So did Lise for that matter. At least until the painting made sense.
Rarely do I give 5-star ratings. 5-star books must be special and this book, well…it’s special.
A great story with lots of suspense. This is Book 1 of a series titled “A Lise Norwood Mystery”. I hope we see book 2 soon.
This is an author that not only creates the kind of characters I like, the kind you can see, the kind you feel you can know. He also keeps you right on the edge of your seat. I was going to tell you that he threw one red herring after another into the story but that would sound as if he added misleading clues. His writing was never unclear. He was just very good at creating turns in the road so fast I lost my balance, at least in my thinking. So did Lise for that matter. At least until the painting made sense.
Rarely do I give 5-star ratings. 5-star books must be special and this book, well…it’s special.
A great story with lots of suspense. This is Book 1 of a series titled “A Lise Norwood Mystery”. I hope we see book 2 soon.
May 2, 2023
There are many crime novels in the market and expected, they strive to be noticed. In Red Canvas, the author chose an intriguing premise for his murder scenes for which they play homage to museum curated paintings. Also, I appreciate the choice of lesser known masterpieces in a world where museums should accommodate certain artists or they will be off the grid~ a shameful reality when museum visitors think that Picasso, Monet, Da Vinci, and selected others represents an exclusive elite category of painters.
In Red Canvas, the police request the assistance of an art expert due the nature of recent murder crime scenes. Nick, an expert who can��t accept the request recommends no other than his girlfriend Lise who happens to be Private PI, and an ex art lecturer as she majored in Art. Murders pile up, close friends are suspected, and the FBI is taking over the case, then the novel descends into a predictable scenario to uncover the murderer. I guessed the murderer when I was 60% in.
I believe the author; Andrew, struggled to write the final third of the novel as he ran out of ideas to tie some loose and thus the ending was flat.
In Red Canvas, the police request the assistance of an art expert due the nature of recent murder crime scenes. Nick, an expert who can��t accept the request recommends no other than his girlfriend Lise who happens to be Private PI, and an ex art lecturer as she majored in Art. Murders pile up, close friends are suspected, and the FBI is taking over the case, then the novel descends into a predictable scenario to uncover the murderer. I guessed the murderer when I was 60% in.
I believe the author; Andrew, struggled to write the final third of the novel as he ran out of ideas to tie some loose and thus the ending was flat.
March 9, 2024
Not a bad book necessarily. There were just a few things I didn't really like. The main character is a woman PI and she just seemed kind of .... stupid. She just didn't make good decisions or even seem like she was good at her job. For example, one time she was trying to take a discreet picture with her cell phone and left the flash on and nearly got caught. Another time she was "under cover" and completely forgot the code phrase that would call for backup. Also, I know it wasn't a romance book, but she had a boyfriend throughout the whole book and their relationship seemed really shallow. They were "in love" anyway because they liked having sex. It also takes you into the mind of the killer a few times including a pretty detailed rape scene. Not really my thing.....I was intrigued enough to finish the book, but I'm not going to read anymore books from this series.
August 8, 2020
Not for the squeamish! Lise was an art major in college but has ended up a private eye. She is working on a case involving a rare sketch by 2 famous artists and is drawn into a murder who poses his victims in an artistic fashion. Not only were the 2 cases interesting, but I found myself going to the internet to see the actual statue or painting that the killer was using. Lise has her suspicions and eventually figures out the killer – just about the same time that I did. I have a feeling this may be the beginning of a new series – I hope so!
March 21, 2023
2.5 ⭐
My main problem with this book was that, the MC was insufferable. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with unlikeable characters but here the MC wasn't written to be unlikeable. She's supposed to be a super successful PI which I find hard to believe with how stupid she behaved in the first half of the book.
The villain of the book felt very flat. We figure out pretty early on who the murder is which wouldn't have been the end of the world if the ending was satisfying.
Very meh book
My main problem with this book was that, the MC was insufferable. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with unlikeable characters but here the MC wasn't written to be unlikeable. She's supposed to be a super successful PI which I find hard to believe with how stupid she behaved in the first half of the book.
The villain of the book felt very flat. We figure out pretty early on who the murder is which wouldn't have been the end of the world if the ending was satisfying.
Very meh book
October 27, 2020
Like a table full of bar food in a funky dive, this mystery novel satisfies completely. The characters are likable and believable and there are enough surprises that you won’t want to put it down. The ending is like the hot wings that you save for last, blistering and surprising, so hold on! Peppered with connections to art history and tossed with a bit of Florida lore, this mystery ranks right up there with other Florida authors like Carl Hiaasen and James W. Hall.
September 22, 2020
A good read! I liked the way the author converged 2 different mysteries into one and paid attention to details without missing out on the minor pieces.
The book could have ended differently, considering that Michelangelo was a psychopathic serial killer, convincing him to take his own life is far from reality.
However, I did find the book fast paced and would recommend this book for a quick read.
The book could have ended differently, considering that Michelangelo was a psychopathic serial killer, convincing him to take his own life is far from reality.
However, I did find the book fast paced and would recommend this book for a quick read.
January 29, 2024
This book is so fast moving. You have many twists and turns as you do in mysteries, but it keeps you on edge and wanting more. You won't figure out who the killer is until the end, and I have to say I was surprised. You don't want to miss this book.
February 7, 2024
the writing style was kind of annoying. the author talked about so many details that literally didn’t matter which annoyed me. however!! the story was very compelling and had a lot of unexpected twists and turns that made me want to keep reading.
November 5, 2024
This novel, while a bit gory in places, is well-written and suspenseful. It includes intrigue, tender relational moments, quick thinking, and surprises. The sex scenes are well executed, with enough left to the imagination. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Nance's series!
May 30, 2020
Really fun book - couldn't put it down. Finished in 3 days, which is fast for me!
August 15, 2020
I just finished it. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. It was a real page turner. I hope to see more by this author!
August 7, 2022
Too Chainsaw Massacre for me. Very tense. So it is effective for those who have the stomach for it.
Red herrings abound.
Red herrings abound.
August 4, 2023
3.5 stars. Good book, good concept but predictable.
July 27, 2024
Nice start to a series. This mystery is one to enjoy when you just want a simple old style story.
August 14, 2024
3.4 Quick and entertaining tale
May 10, 2025
This was a very entertaining book, a good crime thriller
December 29, 2020
Finished reading: December 25th 2020
"Sometimes the harder the life lessons, the better a person emerged."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
September 16, 2023
Called the killer reveal about halfway as I could just *feel* it.
2.5/5
Also the MC for this is just... annoyingly dumb? Like she's one of those characters that ends up messing up everything regularly because she doesn't follow procedure and its a miracle she didn't die. I do not blame the police for being annoyed with her at all lmao and while I think they did push the story forward, i also was not a major fan of the chapters from the killer's POV, idk I just usually don't like that in books.
a lot of the male characters blended together so that even by the end I was confused as to who was who because a lot serve similar narrative purpose. also lack of women as a whole besides a few pretty minor characters.
2.5/5
Also the MC for this is just... annoyingly dumb? Like she's one of those characters that ends up messing up everything regularly because she doesn't follow procedure and its a miracle she didn't die. I do not blame the police for being annoyed with her at all lmao and while I think they did push the story forward, i also was not a major fan of the chapters from the killer's POV, idk I just usually don't like that in books.
a lot of the male characters blended together so that even by the end I was confused as to who was who because a lot serve similar narrative purpose. also lack of women as a whole besides a few pretty minor characters.
March 18, 2021
I enjoyed thinking alongside Lise, as she tried to figure out the identity of the serial killer. Though there were a bunch of red herrings thrown in, I was able to guess who it was quite early. But, I still enjoyed the ride along.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews