CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA 2024 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE FINALIST!
Hidden away and decaying for decades, a cryptic mural holds deadly clues in this intoxicating mix of art, murder, and buried secrets, perfect for fans of Simone St. James.

It was a blood-curdling crime that rocked the town to its core, leaving some with permanent scars and others with deep regrets. A young girl had been brutally slain. Memories were beginning to fade, but during the renovation of the old parsonage, the murder rears its ugly head again when workers discover a time-ravaged portrait of the young victim. Conservator Annora Garde is hired by the local police to clean the painting and expose what lies buried within it.

Inspector Scott ‘Mac’ MacGowan is convinced the mural is a cryptic confession that will solve the cold case—but it’s looking more and more like someone will do whatever it takes to keep the past in the past. Together, Mac and Annora struggle to put the pieces of the puzzle together, in order to provide closure to surviving family members.

Toxic mold obscures blood-chilling clues, and the painting has an eerie life of its own. Annora is haunted by what she reveals, by the dirt she digs up, by her own tragic losses, and perhaps even by the young victim herself. As she closes in on the killer, the killer inches ever closer to her, and she will come face to face with a brutal truth: some murderers never come clean.

Cyndi MacMillan's profile page

Cyndi MacMillan lives in a small town in Ontario that is home to North America’s largest working waterwheel. Her writing has appeared in notable Canadian literary journals and local newspapers. She has been a Jill-of-all-trades, but for as long as she can remember, she has dreamt of being a novelist. When not writing, Cyndi enjoys reading Gothics, scrapbooking and losing horribly at board games.

Praise for A Cruel Light:

CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA 2024 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE FINALIST: HOWARD ENGEL AWARD FOR BEST CRIME NOVEL SET IN CANADA!

“For readers who like more atmospheric menace.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“[An] eerie, atmospheric suspense novel . . . Recommended for fans of Riley Sager, Maria Hummel, and Alice Feeney.”
—Library Journal, audiobook review

“[A] superb debut.”
—Gumshoe Reviews

“An intense small town thriller, with interesting characters, and a story that keeps you engaged.”
—Red Carpet Crash

“Like the heroine of her compelling, suspenseful debut, Cyndi MacMillan exposes the long-concealed secrets of a small town, blending just enough danger and romance and spookiness into the mix to create a terrific page-turner.”
—Susanna Kearsley, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Winter Sea

“Cyndi MacMillan deftly peels away the layers of small town's secrets in this deliciously haunting Gothic mystery. An artful debut!”
—Carol Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of The Lake of Dead Languages and The Disinvited Guest

“Intriguing, compelling, atmospheric . . . I was hooked on A Cruel Light from the opening pages. Annora is a hugely sympathetic protagonist, one you would like to have for a friend. I was fascinated by the details of art conservation, and the concept of restoring a mural to discover the truth about a long-ago murder. MacMillan gives just enough detail to the process without slowing the story. The paranormal aspects are mesmerizing, and work well within the whodunit plot, coming full circle at the end. Mounting danger accompanies the growing attraction between Annora and the local police inspector which will delight lovers of romantic suspense. It did me. Best of all: the ending will bring a smile to any reader with a heart. More please!”
—Melodie Campbell, award-winning author of The Merry Widow Murders

“A Cruel Light is an innovative thriller somehow managing to turn a stationary work of art into a living, breathing character, writhing with secrets and suspense. Cyndi MacMillan so cleverly uses the meticulous restoration of a painted mural to uncover a decades old, unsolved murder case, keeping the reader hanging on with each newly revealed piece of the puzzle. At the same time MacMillan does an amazing job of highlighting the beautiful ruggedness of the Canadian landscape and the culture that exists within it. An inventive approach to the thriller novel, with beautifully detailed description, a fascinating small town on the brink of imploding, and a story that won’t let you go.”
—Jessica Hamilton, author of What You Never Knew

“A unique twist on solving a murder with enough thrilling ups and downs to keep you turning the pages until the final curveball you won’t see coming.”
—Leanne Kale Sparks, author of the Kendall Beck thrillers