Robin’s Review of Crimson Canvases

Crimson Canvases

The medium is blood, the result… paintings that speak to Serarosa in hues. A magic she’s figured out seemingly by accident. Most of them are innocent. Until Anna goes missing.

Anna was a promising college co-ed with her whole life ahead of her and big plans of entrepreneurship with her best friends, Serarosa and Maddy. The trio dreamed of opening an art gallery that doubled as a cafe to promote the local community and culture. They all seemed to have a clear direction in life, so when Anna disappeared just weeks before their graduation, everyone was concerned. With detectives unable to prove foul play without Anna’s body, the investigation took a back seat, under the assumption that she was a runaway. Once Anna’s parents passed away, it seemed nobody was pressuring the authorities for answers to her whereabouts. Curiosity and art collide as Serarosa’s paintings begin to reveal something sinister about Anna.

Robin’s Review

Triggers: disappearance, stalking, blood magic, body fluids in art, murder, grief, home invasion vibes

What Did I Just Walk Into?

Art school meets true crime with a side of hemoglobin. Serarosa paints in red, her canvases whisper secrets, and her missing friend Anna will not stay politely in the past.

Here’s What Slapped:

Killer hook, literally. Paintings that snitch about a disappearance is an A grade premise.

Tight novella pacing, no filler, just dread and reveals.

Atmosphere for days, cozy café glow against creeping paranoia makes the scares pop.

Everyone is suspicious, even the protagonist, which keeps the pages flying.

A late scene that made me yelp, minimalist brutality done right.

What Could’ve Been Better:

Thriller mechanics get knotty in a couple spots, a touch more clarity on Serarosa’s counter moves would land cleaner.

I wanted a few extra pages of the trio’s backstory, the heart is here and could handle more beat time.

Perfect for Readers Who Love:

Megan Miranda style small town chills, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s moody magic, Riley Sager’s you-cannot-trust-anyone energy, and mysteries where the gallery lighting is doing as much work as the knife.

Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review

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