Scarlet in Blue

Praise

“Murphy dazzles…. This novel will leave readers questioning what is real and how mental health can affect generations in kaleidoscopic ways…. Luminous writing… while those who enjoy a plot-driven mystery will also find what they are looking for.”
—Booklist (starred)

“This engrossing book’s latter half delivers surprises all the way to the end . . . A riveting story of family and the unease of harboring dark secrets.”
—Kirkus

“The characters of mother and daughter and the bonds between them are beautifully drawn… The author’s lovely prose flows effortlessly, flavored by her wide knowledge of art and her ability to engage the reader in the techniques of the artist. This is a psychological drama that is unique and captivating, making it both an impressive and engrossing novel.”
—Mystery & Suspense

“[Scarlet in Blue] is ultimately a love story between a mother and a daughter as well as an examination of how trauma shapes our lives and choices.”
—Library Journal

“Just like a beautiful and complex painting, Scarlet in Blue pulls readers in—and then captivates them with a story that is part mystery, part thriller, and wholly gripping and fascinating. The perfect dark escape.”
—Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost

“I don’t think I breathed from start to finish, but Scarlet in Blue was worth every breathless moment. A haunting, heart-tugging page-turner.”
—Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe

“Set in the early 1960s, this is a noir movie lover’s book. It’s for fans who don’t quite want a mystery to read. Just put Scarlet in Blue in your lap and color yourself sunny yellow.” 
—The Bookworm Sez
 
“Scarlet In Blue examines family ties that bind so tightly….This story of running from abuse is beautifully suffused with the majesty of music and the chimera of art. Once you begin this tale, you will stay until the final note.”
—Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of Waisted

“From word one the chase is on. And it’s Jennifer Murphy’s rapid-fire delivery that sets the pace, the mysterious ‘Shadow Man’ one step behind. But it is the fluid portrait of the world Scarlet and Blue inhabit that is the real art here, and Murphy’s language is the perfect canvas. Within this mind-labyrinth, Murphy has created a work that rightly takes its place among the best novels to explore the psychology of the mother-daughter relationship while offering a mystery with the riches of a meticulously crafted painting.”
—Douglas Cole, author of The White Field, a winner of the American Fiction Award