Rowan Laroche, a successful art dealer, is the victim of a murder during the event dedicated to the introduction of his last purchase. It is a painting called The Crimson Tiger. Rumor has it that the painting is cursed, which doesn't stop the art galleries from fighting for it. Detectives Gordon Daniels and Aaron Remalla, assisted by a detective and an art expert, Phoebe Reinart, must find a killer among many suspects with obvious motives to get rid of Laroche. The case gets even more complicated when Remalla learns that his uncle, Carmine, is on the unveiling party guest list. As the intrigue thickens, the trio of detectives fights with their deepest fears. Murder Unveiled by J. T. Bishop, a prequel to a series, is a thrilling read for fans of crime drama, mystery, suspense, and detective novels with a paranormal twist.

J. T. Bishop's novels are never dull, and Murder Unveiled is no exception. The narrative is intense from the first pages and keeps the tempo until the mind-blowing ending. Not only a realistic and highly entertaining police procedural, the novel is psychologically profound and touches on relevant themes of inner insecurity, manipulation, and PTSD. Although Bishop introduces many secondary characters, their sub-plots are logical and well-developed, which allows us to follow the unfolding events easily. The lively dialogues, hilarious interactions between Daniels and Remalla, and the carefully thought-out plotline are my favorite aspects of Murder Unveiled. Also, the author makes us wonder whether it is a real curse that haunts those who deal with The Crimson Tiger or if it is just an impressive painting that negatively affects the worst traits of human personality. However, the paranormal aspect of Murder Unveiled remains an exciting and integral part of the storyline.

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”- Edgar Degas. In Murder Unveiled by J.T. Bishop, Rowan Laroche, a famous art dealer is found dead shortly after unveiling The Crimson Tiger, a cursed painting. Detectives Daniel and Remalla meet most of the discourteous guests who had motives for wanting Laroche dead. Detective Reinart, an art expert, joins the investigation, and the three reveal how cutthroat the art world can be. Some of the guests resent the detectives, including Isabella, Laroche’s ex, Robert, the security head, and Victoria, his estranged daughter who was writing a tell-all book. The detectives are met with animosity, lies, and threats. Why would anyone want to acquire a painting that only brought bad luck to its owner?

“Truth is the rarest masterpiece.” People seldom tell the truth in Murder Unveiled, which makes J.T. Bishop’s story all the more intriguing and thrilling to read. Most of the characters behaved very suspiciously to me, although Laroche was a ruthless, despicable person. I saw another side of the art world where greed, deception, and forgery are mixed to create realistic masterpieces that can easily fool art lovers. Detectives Daniels and Remalla make a terrific team. I also like Reinart who certainly has her share of personal issues to deal with, while Remalla hasn’t recovered from his. They are witty, even when doing their jobs, and that can provoke the suspects. Murder Unveiled is a fast-paced, riveting murder mystery that readers will find entertaining.