Drawn by Carsen Taite
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2020
- Genre: Mystery, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 240 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Artist Riley Flynn was about to get her big break when Detective Claire Hanlon entered her life, investigating in a murder case that occurred where she was painting. And then came more cases with the same MO (modus operandi). With the escalating stakes as well as mutual attraction, Claire knew it was a horrible idea to get involved with Riley, one of her suspects. But what should they do about the growing bond between them?
I enjoyed the level of intensity in this book: not too nerve-wracking to be a romance fiction and not too fluffy to be a mystery story. While I imagined the book to be much longer, covering more interactions between the characters as well as filling up some unmentioned time gaps, Drawn worked nicely as a shorter novel. The span of the whole story sans the last chapter was just nine days, which was not a very long time period for the multiple homicides that occurred. It certainly was not a very long time for Riley and Claire’s relationship to build either.
The attraction between our two main characters were instant, but it did not read as a shortcut to romance. Initially, both were aloof because of Riley’s distrust in the police and Claire’s suspicion of Riley’s involvement in the murder. It was definitely a conflict of interest. But their relationship was solidly built over time throughout the investigation process and I could see them connecting as friends before venturing into something more. It was believable and both characters were also very relatable and mostly likeable. I think they would have a very balanced relationship, too.
An interesting writing style of Taite’s Drawn was the simultaneous timelines in successive sections. The story was not exactly a linear narrative and it took me a bit to get used to, but we could see what both characters were up to at difference locations at the same time, providing a better picture of the plot.
I liked how the story included police corruption and a second chance for the formerly incarcerated. Unfortunately, a key thing that did not work for me was the last crime scene. It involved some questionable execution that I cannot say more about without giving away the whole story. I am also dubious about the necessity of preceding murders as well as the evidences at the crime scenes. But then again, crimes did not have to make perfect logical sense, so I guess I should not fret.
Despite the horrifying crimes and scare, Drawn is a sweet romance at heart. I also love how the title could mean the sketches and that Riley and Claire where drawn to each other. It was undoubtedly a worthy read. [30 May 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
