I’m willing to believe it isn’t the book, it’s me. I did not like this. But it’s also not that I didn’t like it, it’s that nothing about it appealed to me, which is odd since this is 100% my wheelhouse.

I’m a speed reader and this took me a week to finish. The reason for that being that every time I sat down to listen to it, I found literally any excuse to turn it off - an app that will shut off the sound, steaming my carpets, using power tools…you know loud things that aren’t compatible with audiobook listening - until I forced myself to just listen and get it over with so I could move on.

So what about this didn’t do it for me? I have no idea, but not one bit of me could get into it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook!

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an early access to this audiobook.

A mystery, taking place in a small town in Canada - the description really intrigued me. I was invested in the story, but the plot felt disjointed - there were times, where I was lost and needed to go back to see I didn't miss anything.

Very unique mystery taking place in small town in Canada. I loved that the author incorporated clues from a mural to help solve the murder. However, I found there were a lot of side plots which took away from the main plot – the murder.. sometimes it made it a little confusing to listen to. Loved the narration of this book!

I thought this was an okay mystery thriller. The narrator was fantastic, and I loved listening to her tell the story. The overall plot and execution were great, but I didn't like the supernatural aspect. I found that a bit unbelievable. A Cruel Light was a little too fast paced for my taste, and I felt as though the shortness of the book made the story rushed. I think the book needed to be a little longer to convey what the author was trying to do. I can see where she was going, but I felt like it fell flat in some parts.

Overall, I thought this book was interesting and it held my attention while I was reading it. I really liked the main characters job, and I thought the added romance was perfect.

This book definitely was unique. There was a lot of talk about the details or art restoration. The clues were very interesting. It was a slow burn but overall I found the book interesting and I wanted to see what happened in the end.

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
𝑨 𝑪𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝑳𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒚𝒏𝒅𝒊 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒏 ◼️ 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 - 𝑴𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 ◼️

Thank you Cyndi MacMillan, Dreamscape, and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I listened to the audiobook version.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣?

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐⭐⭐ /5

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:

🖤 I loved the cover of this book. I will be honest, it was a huge reason for requesting this book.

🖤 The concept is great. I loved the art restoration aspect and how it was used to uncover the mysterious murder.

🖤 I enjoyed the weaving in of Annora’s past trauma.

🖤 Annora and Mac’s relationship was a nice addition to the story.



𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:

⚫ I wasn’t aware that there was going to be a paranormal element. I wish that I did going in. I may have enjoyed the story more.

⚫ The characters seemed older than intended. I would have rather them be written as older. Just felt a bit out of touch.

⚫ The writing felt a bit pretentious. I suppose it works with the type of person you may picture going into art restoration. I just felt like it dated the characters, and it felt awkward. (Perhaps this is just me needing to expand my vocabulary.)

⚫ I struggled a bit finishing this book. I wanted to love it being my first ARC, but honestly it was just not for me.

A Cruel Light by Cyndi Macmillan was a suspenseful and compelling mystery thriller. It was Cyndi MacMillan’s debut novel and it incorporated the elements of mystery, the supernatural and romance. Although the romance element was not essential to the plot, I believe it added an extra dimension to the plot and made the protagonist more believable. A Cruel Light took place in a small town in Canada. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Nan McNamara whose narration was quite engaging and very well done.

Annora Garde was an art conservator that traveled around the globe restoring art pieces. She loved her profession and as a single woman it suited her. Annora had experienced a devastating trauma when she was younger that had come to influence her to live her life as a single woman. All these years later, Annora still experienced repercussions from the trauma she experienced all those years ago. When Annora’s long time friend and mayor of a small Canadian town asked for Annora’s expertise and help in restoring a long buried mural, Annora acquiesced.

Annora soon found out that the mural had been discovered in the town’s parsonage that was being restored. During the restoration, a large mural was unveiled. It had been covered up for decades and now showed signs of mold and other debris that had to be removed. The people in this town were shocked to see the image of a young girl that had been murdered so long ago on the mural. An indigenous man had been charged with the girl’s murder but was recently acquitted of the charges. If the wrong person had been convicted for the murder, could the real killer still exist and be out there somewhere?

Annora had been brought onto the case to uncover the mural and reveal any clues the mural might hold about the victim and her murderer. Police detective, Mac MacGowan, worked closely with Annora. As she revealed new clues, Annora shared her findings with Mac. Soon it was pretty obvious that Mac and Annora started to develop feeling for one another. Mac also had a secret he was harboring, though. Would Mac and Annora be able to work through their secrets and trauma to allow their feelings for each other to grow and progress? As Annora worked on restoring the mural, someone was trying very hard to prevent her from finishing the task. Would Annora be able to discover enough clues from the mural in time to solve the mystery of what had happened to the young girl all those years ago or would someone successfully be able to prevent her?

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of A Cruel Light by Cyndi MacMillan. It was so engaging and I really enjoyed how Cyndi MacMillan used a mural as the backdrop for this mystery. How clever and creative! I really liked Annora’s character. She was clever, determined and vulnerable in just the right ways. A Cruel Light was well written and fast paced. I appreciated the vivid descriptions of the Canadian landscape Cyndi MacMillan provided throughout the book. She made it easy to visualize the surroundings. The ending was perfect. I was kept guessing throughout the entire book and had not suspected the ending at all. My favorite kind of mystery is one that keeps me guessing and this one definitely did. The ending was a complete surprise for me. I really enjoyed A Cruel Light and l am looking forward to reading more books by Cyndi MacMillan. I highly recommend this audiobook.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of A Cruel Light by Cyndi MacMillan through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

LOVE this narrator! Excellent choice that suited the story well. The story was well paced and kept me listening, sometimes longer than I intended. A great summer listen/read!

Not too cozy, not too thriller; a mystery that's just right, for Goldilocks mystery fans.

A unique facet with art restoration being part of the investigation, in a quirky parsonage, in a quirky village. It's captures the reader and keeps you going until you get to the solution. I didn't even mind the obligatory and unnecessary romantic subplot. Maybe it was necessary, as the plot was slower paced. Interesting characters with a bit of stereotyping and chivalry for lovers of classic tropes.

I'm usually all for fast-paced novels, but this was too fast. There wasn't enough time for development or depth, making the experience less immersive and unbelievable. Also, there was too much telling and not enough showing.

Overall, not for me.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Cyndi MacMillan, and Dreamscape Media
for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

I really enjoyed the first half of the book. I enjoyed the plot but felt a bit lost toward the end. I felt there was a bit too much going on.

First and foremost I would like to thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. I found the narrator very pleasant, and a great voice to listen to. The story for me, was a little lacking. I felt like the love story was under developed and rushed, the story line was slightly confusing and hard to follow, and it was definitely a slow burn. with some events in the story that I felt were not relevant. That being said, I was not able to guess the "who-dun-it" aspect to the story, and the "super natural" effect was a pleasant surprise. Overall, this was not my favorite book, however it was not bad, just not for me.

Tess is greiving the loss of her sister Rosie. Rosie was murdered but it remains unsolved. Tessa is working in the same place Rosie did. She moved into her apartment. She wants answers and she also wants the killer to try to attack her. Tess walks the dark streets of London late at night alone. She thinks maybe the killer will target her. She doesn't trust anyone. Tess is also renting out her sister's bedroom in the apartment to Air B&B guests. She's leaving herself very open and vulnerable, but remains incredibly on edge and guarded as well. She'll stop at nothing to get to the bottom of the murder, even if it risks her own life in the process.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit predictable, yet over the top dramatic. I really enjoyed the development of the surrounding characters. I feel like we got to know more about everyone except Tess. The story progresses well and I really like the way there are many possible suspects right until the actual killer is revealed. I love the ending. Some books don't give you any glimpse into the aftermath and I love that we got that here.

I was so into this book! Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for this ARC. This premise I never even came across before. A cold case with murder and murals. What a strange interesting thing! I loved the banter between Annora and Mac, He calls her egghead all throughout it's so cute. I wasn't expecting the end to end the way it did with the character Jane{I think her name is}. It wasn't too hard into the mystery aspect but there was a lot of stuff I loved about this book. There is arson in this so if you're not a fan then this isn't for you but I really enjoyed the art aspect it was pretty cool! I'd recommend to my mystery reader friends for sure.

The book had a really interesting premise. However, after nearly 1/4 of the story, I did not feel engaged in it or interested. It was almost like they were trying too hard to make the character the “stereotypical” loner cop except in this case, she’s a conservator for art.

I loved everything about this audiobook written by Cyndi MacMillan. Thank you Dreamscape & Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to listen. I am so glad it is published and can't wait to tell my friends about it. The story of a woman going to a town to reconstruct an old piece of art badly damaged by mold who meets the local police force and helps to determine what is hidden in the picture. The story is about a mystery as well as a love story. The narrator did an excellent job. Thank you again.

**3.5 stars rounded up

The premise of this book instantly grabbed my attention - a mural is found while renovating a parsonage and it holds clues to a decades old murder.

What I absolutely loved about A Cruel Light is the author's way of incorporating clues to the murder into a mural. And the fact that it's covered in mold and an art conservator is having to slowly reveal the clues while more mysterious happenings occur was just so, so good. Not to mention the cover is gorgeous.

The blurb for this says it's perfect for Simone St. James lovers - and I can see where Simone St. James could have been inspiration - but I honestly would compare this more to a Sandra Brown novel. There's mystery, a bit of the paranormal, and romance. Although to me the romance really didn't add anything to the story and I would have preferred for the romance factor to be taken out of this.

Overall, if you're looking for a mystery novel that incorporates art, A Cruel Light is a good choice. And the narrator of the audiobook was really engaging and kept my attention throughout the book.

*Thank you NetGalley, Cyndi MacMillan, and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📖Review
Happy Pub Day
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 47/100
A Cruel Light
by Cyndi MacMillan
💫Genre: Mystery/Thriller
🎧ARC🎧
🔎🔎🔎🔎
I was drawn to this gem by the beauty of its cover and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint.
🖤💗🖤💗🖤
A Gothic & Paranormal Murder Mystery which gave me a Simone St. James kind of vibe. Annora is brought in to a small town in Canada to help solve a murder mystery since she is an art conservationist. There’s a mural which has many clues of an old murder embedded into it, and she’s up to the task to bring Justice to the real killer. Love was thrown into the story which made it even better…I love a hint of romance in any genre 😉 I honestly wanted to know who dunnit and it was a very fast paced story. I also loved the imagery which helped me picture and imagine everything so vividly. This was my first book of this author and definitely not my last.
🖤💗🖤💗🖤
🖤Publishing Date:
April 4, 2023
💫Thank you @netgalley & @dreamscape_media for this suspenseful read in exchange for an honest review. The narration was perfectly done by by Nan McNamara.

#NetGalley #ACruelLight
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Title: A Cruel Light
Author: Cyndi MacMillan
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
Rating: 3.5 stars but on Goodreads I rounded down to 3

📚Synopsis
✨Annora is an expert in art restoration and jumps at the opportunity to demonstrate her talents when her long time friend invites her to be involved in solving a decades long homicide. During the renovation of an old parsonage, a painting is discovered and the subject of the painting is the young female homicide victim. Local police are interested in restoring the portrait to its original condition in hopes of uncovering clues of the little girl, long passed. As Annora arrives in the small community things begin to happen very quickly; someone replaces her cleaning materials and supplies with paint thinner - surely to tactic to destroy her restorative efforts. Annora also finds herself the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning and a fire bomb - someone is working hard at making sure Annora is not able to continue with her restorative efforts. Why? What secrets does the painting hold? And who is behind these efforts to stop Annora at all cost?

📚Thoughts/Recommendations
✨While the premise sounded intriguing, it was a swing and a miss for me. Too many events happen within a short time period making conversations and situations seem rushed. For Annora to be fairly new to the area, the level of comfort with which she interacts and inserts herself into the community felt off to me. I appreciate action happening quickly in a story but not when it means character development is sacrificed. I felt I had too little time to become invested in the characters to care one way or the other when events began to unfold.
That being said, I am aware that this very well could be someone’s favorite book or listen for the year. So for those who aren’t bothered the things listed above, I would recommend this for those who enjoy romance, mystery, a little gory and graphic details about crime scenes mixed with elements of the supernatural. It seems to hit a couple of different genres so I’m sure there is a large audience who will appreciate the book.

📚I would like to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape for the opportunity to listen to the novel right before its release in exchange for an honest review.

I had trouble getting into this one. The premise was interesting -- I liked the idea of an art conservator becoming involved in a murder mystery. Unfortunately I found the characters were a bit flat, and I tend to like character-driven mysteries. I wound up deciding not to finish the audiobook at approximately 30%.