Cloak of Naivety: Brush with Oblivion: Mystery and Thriller, #3

By Elara Montgomery

"Cloak of Naivety: Brush with Oblivion" is a thrilling mystery novel that follows the story of Dr. Amelia Reed, a brilliant art historian haunted by her own past, who finds herself entangled in a deadly game orchestrated by a cunning serial killer. As a series of gruesome murders unfolds, each victim meticulously staged to resemble a character from a famous painting, the FBI enlists Amelia's expertise in art history to aid in the investigation.

As Amelia delves deeper into the case, she discovers that the killer's motives are deeply rooted in the art world's dark history, intertwining themes of betrayal, revenge, and obsession. With the help of Special Agent Marcus Kane, Amelia follows a trail of cryptic clues left behind by the killer, leading them through art galleries, museums, and hidden archives.

The stakes escalate as Amelia uncovers a shocking connection between the killer and her own family history. Haunted by personal demons and unresolved traumas, she must confront her past to unravel the mystery and stop the killer before more lives are lost.

Throughout the novel, Amelia and Marcus encounter a cast of complex characters, including Vincent Black, an eccentric art collector with a morbid fascination for the killer's work, and Daniel Reed, Amelia's estranged father, whose mysterious past and connections to the art world complicate the investigation.

As the narrative unfolds, the author masterfully weaves together elements of suspense, psychological intrigue, and art history, creating a rich and immersive world that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The story takes unexpected turns, revealing a secret society known as "The Eternalists," who believe that the key to immortality lies within the killer's lost masterpiece.

Amelia and Marcus find themselves in a dangerous race against time to uncover the truth, facing a series of challenges and moral dilemmas that test their resolve and their relationship. The novel explores themes of obsession, the blurred lines between art and madness, and the enduring power of creativity in the face of darkness.

As the story reaches its climax, Amelia must confront the killer in a heart-stopping final confrontation, where she faces an impossible choice that will change the course of her life forever. The novel's conclusion is both emotionally satisfying and thought-provoking, leaving readers contemplating the nature of art, mortality, and the human condition.

"Cloak of Naivety: Brush with Oblivion" is a must-read for fans of mystery, suspense, and psychological thrillers. The author's skillful plotting, vivid characterization, and evocative prose create an unforgettable reading experience that lingers long after the final page is turned. The novel stands out for its unique blend of art history and crime fiction, offering readers a fresh and captivating perspective on the genre.

• Language: English
• Publisher: OBSIDIAN BOOKS
• Release date: Mar 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224141265

Book preview

The Macabre Masterpiece

The Tate Modern, an imposing former power station turned contemporary art mecca, loomed before Dr. Amelia Reed as she stepped out of the black cab onto the bustling streets of London’s Bankside. The evening air carried a hint of rain, the damp pavement glistening under the glow of streetlights. Amelia pulled her coat tighter around her slender frame, her chestnut hair whipping across her face in the biting wind.

Amelia! a familiar voice called out from the crowd of art enthusiasts, journalists, and curiosity-seekers that had gathered for the unveiling. Special Agent Marcus Kane, his sharp features softened by a warm smile, weaved his way through the throng to her side. Glad you could make it. Wouldn’t want you to miss the event of the century.

Amelia returned his smile, a flicker of unease in her hazel eyes. I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Marcus. But you know how I feel about these high-profile unveilings. The hype, the spectacle... it’s all a bit much.

I know, Marcus said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but this one’s different. Trust me, you’ll want to see this.

Together, they joined the flow of attendees streaming into the museum’s cavernous Turbine Hall, a vast industrial space that dwarfed the milling crowd. The air buzzed with anticipation and the low hum of countless conversations as the art world elite mingled with the curious public. Waiters in crisp black uniforms circulated with trays of champagne, their polished shoes clicking on the polished concrete floor.

At the far end of the hall, a massive white cube stood under a single spotlight, its stark simplicity a stark contrast to the organized chaos surrounding it. Amelia and Marcus made their way closer, the crowd parting before them like the Red Sea before Moses. As they neared the enigmatic structure, Amelia’s heart raced, a sense of foreboding settling in the pit of her stomach.

Ladies and gentlemen, a voice boomed over the loudspeaker, silencing the murmuring crowd. Welcome to the Tate Modern. Tonight, we have the distinct honor of unveiling the last masterpiece of one of the most controversial and enigmatic artists of our time. Without further ado, I present to you... ‘Oblivion.’

With a dramatic flourish, the white walls of the cube collapsed, revealing the painting within. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as they beheld the massive canvas, easily ten feet tall and twice as wide. At first glance, the painting appeared to be an abstract swirl of dark colors, a maelstrom of black, midnight blue, and deep crimson. But as Amelia’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, she made out the disturbing details hidden within the brushstrokes.

Grotesque figures writhed in agony, their contorted bodies melting into one another in a nightmarish dance. Faces, twisted in anguish and ecstasy, emerged from the chaos, their mouths open in silent screams. And at the center of the madness, a single figure stood tall, its arms outstretched in a gesture of unholy benediction. The figure’s face was obscured, but Amelia could feel its gaze boring into her soul, a palpable malevolence emanating from the paint.

My God, Marcus breathed, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and revulsion. What the hell is this?

Amelia shook her head, unable to tear her gaze away from the macabre masterpiece. I don’t know, Marcus. But there’s something... something deeply wrong here.

As the crowd pressed closer, clamoring for a better view, Amelia felt a sudden wave of vertigo wash over her. The room tilted and spun, the faces of the onlookers blurring into a sea of indistinct shapes. She reached out for Marcus, but her hand grasped only empty air. And then, in a flash of blinding clarity, she saw it.

Hidden within the swirling chaos of the painting, a series of symbols and glyphs took shape, their edges glowing with an otherworldly light. Amelia blinked, trying to clear her vision, but the symbols remained, pulsing with a hypnotic rhythm. She took a step closer, her eyes straining to make sense of the cryptic message.

Marcus, she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of excitement and dread, there’s something here. Something hidden in the brushstrokes.

Marcus leaned in, his brow furrowed in concentration. What is it? What do you see?

It’s a code, Amelia said, her mind racing as she deciphered the arcane symbols. A series of clues, hidden within the painting itself. And if I’m reading this correctly, it’s pointing us to... to a secret connected to an artist who vanished centuries ago.

Marcus’s eyes widened, a hint of disbelief in his voice. An artist who vanished? Amelia, what are you talking about?

Amelia shook her head, her thoughts whirling with the implications of her discovery. I don’t know, Marcus. But whatever this is, whatever secret this painting is hiding... I have a feeling it’s going to change everything we thought we knew about the art world.

As the crowd continued to marvel at the macabre masterpiece, Amelia and Marcus exchanged a long, meaningful look. They both knew that this was just the beginning, the first brushstroke in a twisted canvas that would lead them down a dark and dangerous path. But for now, in the shadowy heart of the Tate Modern, they could only stand and stare, transfixed by the nightmare vision before them.

Little did they know, as they gazed upon the swirling madness of Oblivion, that the genuine horror was yet to come. For hidden within the painting’s dark secrets, a malevolent force was stirring, an ancient evil that had lain dormant for centuries. And now, with the unveiling of this last masterpiece, that evil had been unleashed upon the world once more.

Amelia and Marcus would soon find themselves at the center of a mystery that would test the limits of their sanity and their will to survive. A mystery that would lead them from the glittering galleries of London to the darkest corners of the art world, where obsession, madness, and betrayal waited around every turn.

As the night wore on and the crowd dispersed, Amelia couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Watched by something ancient and hungry, something that had been waiting in the shadows for just this moment. She shivered, pulling her coat tighter around herself as she and Marcus made their way out of the Turbine Hall and into the cold London night.

Above them, the stars glittered in the clear sky, a thousand points of light against the infinite darkness. But for Amelia, the darkness held no comfort. For she knew, with a bone-deep certainty, that the true darkness lay ahead, waiting to swallow them whole.

As they stepped out onto the streets of Bankside, Amelia took one last look back at the looming bulk of the Tate Modern. The building seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, its windows glowing like the eyes of some great beast. She shuddered, turning away and quickening her pace.

Marcus, she said, her voice barely above a whisper, I have a feeling we’re in for one hell of a ride.

Marcus nodded, his jaw set with grim determination. Whatever it is, Amelia, we’ll face it together. No matter how dark the road gets.

And with that, they disappeared into the night, two lone figures swallowed up by the vast, uncaring city. The secrets of Oblivion burned in their minds, a twisted map leading them ever deeper into the heart of darkness. And though they didn’t know it yet, their brush with oblivion had only just begun.

As the city slept, the painting continued to throb with malevolent energy, its dark power seeping out into the world like a slow poison. And somewhere, in the shadows beyond the light, an ancient evil stirred, its hunger reignited by the unveiling of the macabre masterpiece.

The game was afoot, and the stakes were higher than Amelia and Marcus could ever imagine. The art world would never be the same, and neither would they. For in the twisted landscape of Oblivion, nothing was as it seemed, and the only certainty was that the nightmare was just beginning.

Amelia and Marcus walked on, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets, unaware of the dark forces gathering around them. The night held its breath, waiting for the next move in a game that had been centuries in the making.

And in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern, Oblivion pulsed with unholy life, its secrets whispering to those who dared to listen. The macabre masterpiece had been unveiled, and with it, a Pandora’s box of horrors that would soon unleash itself upon the unsuspecting world.

Amelia and Marcus were the only ones who stood a chance of unraveling the painting’s dark mysteries and stopping the evil that lurked within. But as they walked on through the London night, they couldn’t shake the feeling that they were already too late.

The brushstrokes of fate had been laid down, and the canvas of their lives would soon be splattered with the blood of innocents. For in the world of Oblivion, there was no escape from the darkness that haunted the human soul.

And so, with heavy hearts and a sense of impending doom, Amelia and Marcus walked on, ready to face whatever horrors the night had in store. The unveiling of the macabre masterpiece had set in motion a chain of events that would lead them to the very edge of madness and beyond.

But for now, all they could do was keep one step at a time, into the waiting arms of oblivion.

As the first rays of dawn painted the London skyline in hues of orange and gold, Amelia and Marcus found themselves hunched over a small table in a nondescript café near the Tate Modern. The events of the previous night still weighed heavily on their minds. The macabre masterpiece’s unsettling imagery seared into their memories.

Amelia cradled a steaming mug of coffee in her hands, her eyes distant as she pored over the hastily scribbled notes she’d made after deciphering the hidden symbols within Oblivion. The cryptic message, once assembled, had hinted at a long-forgotten artist whose disappearance centuries ago had been shrouded in mystery and whispered rumors of dark magic.

Marcus, his own coffee untouched, leaned forward, his brow furrowed in concentration. Amelia, what do you make of all this? The symbols, the vanished artist... it’s like something out of a gothic horror novel.

Amelia sighed, running a hand through her chestnut hair. I know, Marcus. It’s hard to believe that any of this could be real. But the clues are there, hidden in plain sight. We can’t ignore them.

She slid a piece of paper across the table, the decoded message scrawled in her neat, precise handwriting. Marcus picked it up, his eyes scanning the words with growing disbelief.

‘In the shadows of the past, a master of the brush, consumed by darkness, vanished in the night. Seek the truth in the pages of history, find the key to unleash the light,’ he read aloud, his voice tinged with a mixture of awe and apprehension. Amelia, this... this is huge. If what you’ve uncovered is true, then we could be on the brink of a discovery that will shake the art world to its core.

Amelia nodded, her hazel eyes glinting with a fierce determination. I know, Marcus. And that’s why we have to follow this lead, no matter where it takes us. We can’t let this mystery slip through our fingers.

As they spoke, the café began to fill with the morning rush of commuters and tourists, the clatter of dishes and the hum of conversation filling the air. But Amelia and Marcus remained oblivious to the surrounding bustle, their minds focused solely on the task at hand.

They spent the next several hours poring over Amelia’s research, cross-referencing historical accounts and obscure art world legends, searching for any scrap of information that might shed light on the enigmatic artist’s disappearance. As the sun climbed higher in the sky and the café emptied, they found themselves no closer to unraveling the tangled web of secrets that surrounded Oblivion.

Frustrated and exhausted, Amelia pushed back from the table, her chair scraping against the tiled floor. Marcus, we’re getting nowhere. We need to dig deeper, go beyond the surface-level accounts. There has to be something we’re missing.

Marcus nodded, his eyes bloodshot from hours of staring at the tiny, faded print of centuries-old documents. You’re right, Amelia. But where do we start? The trail’s gone cold, and we’re running out of leads.

Amelia paused, her mind racing as she considered their options. And then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit her.

The National Gallery, she said, her voice tinged with excitement. They have one of the most extensive collections of 18th-century art in the world. If there’s any information on our vanished artist, it’ll be there.

Marcus grinned, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the face of this new lead. Brilliant, Amelia. Let’s go.

They gathered their notes and research, stuffing them haphazardly into their bags as they hurried out of the café and into the bustling streets of London. The sun was high overhead now, the city alive with the sounds and sights of midday.

As they made their way towards the National Gallery, Amelia couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. She glanced over her shoulder, scanning the crowds for any sign of a pursuer, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Marcus, she said, her voice low and urgent, do you feel that we’re not alone in this? That there’s someone else out there, watching our every move?

Marcus frowned, his hand instinctively reaching for the reassuring weight of his sidearm. I know what you mean, Amelia. Ever since last night, I’ve had this prickling sensation on the back of my neck, like there’s someone just out of sight, waiting to make their move.

Amelia shivered, pulling her coat tighter around herself despite the warm spring air. We need to be careful, Marcus. Whatever we’ve stumbled into, it’s bigger than just a lost painting or a vanished artist. There are forces at work here that we don’t yet understand.

Marcus nodded, his jaw set with grim determination. Agreed. But we can’t let that stop us from uncovering the truth. We owe it to ourselves, and to the world, to see this through to the end.

As they approached the grand, columned facade of the National Gallery, Amelia couldn’t help but feel a sense of trepidation. They were about to step into a world of secrets and shadows, where the line between art and madness blurred until it was almost indistinguishable.

But she knew, with a bone-deep certainty, that there