Do what Godmother says

Born poor in South Carolina, Essie is determined to become a painter. Moving to New York in the 1920s, she meets Maude Bachmann, who becomes her "Godmother," promising to help her achieve success--as long as Essie "does what Godmother says." Shanice, whose story takes place in present-day Washington, DC, suffers from terrible anxiety since a car accident years earlier killed her mother. An aspiring writer, Shanice has anxiety that affects both her career and her personal relationships. Then her beloved grandmother gifts her an oddly disturbing painting created decades ago by Essie. But Shanice soon finds that possessing the painting puts her in grave danger and makes her doubt her sanity. When she eventually discovers the shocking and tragic link between the painting, Essie, and her own family, Shanice is stunned but ultimately finds a way not only to ensure Essie's legacy but to find her own peace. Loosely based on Harlem Renaissance patron Charlotte Mason and her relationship with author Zora Neale Hurston, Stratton's thriller featuring two women facing daunting obstacles and danger is dark, twist filled, and suspenseful.

Stratton (Not So Perfect Strangers) interweaves the stories of two budding artists living a century apart in this entertaining chiller. In 1920s New York City, Estelle Johnson's dream of becoming a successful painter appears to come true when she meets eccentric philanthropist Maude Bachmann. Maude becomes Estelle's patron, lavishing her with money and resources and insisting that Estelle call her "Godmother." But when Maude is found murdered in her home, Estelle vanishes. In a parallel story line set in contemporary Washington, D.C., aspiring writer Shanice Pierce loses her magazine internship and is dumped by her long-term boyfriend. In the aftermath, she agrees to help her grandmother clear out her house before she sells it. Among her grandmother's belongings, Shanice finds a painting by Estelle, which has apparently been in her family for generations. Her grandmother insists Shanice take the painting home with her, and shortly after she does, a dealer comes knocking with a lucrative offer. Shanice turns him down, and before long, people she's discussed the painting with turn up dead, leaving her to wonder what makes it so sought-after--and what might have happened to its creator. Some readers may have trouble suspending disbelief as Stratton unveils the grand conspiracy behind the killings, but there's more than enough style and atmosphere on offer to keep the pages turning. This gets the job done. (June)