The Portrait That Held Its Breath
(2026)(A book in the Haunted Small Town Secret series)
A novel by Skye Howell
Some paintings don't capture the past. They paint what comes next.
When a forgotten gallery opens its doors in Willowbrook, illustrator Eliza Moore expects dusty canvases and forgotten history—not portraits that change overnight, memories that vanish without warning, and paintings that seem to know her better than she knows herself.
As the mysterious artwork spreads through town, grief disappears... along with the memories that made people who they are. Happy marriages replace broken ones.
Old wounds simply vanish. But perfection comes at a terrifying price, and Eliza soon discovers that every brushstroke steals something no one realizes is missing.
When a single untouched painting survives the gallery's destruction, it reveals an impossible black lighthouse floating beyond the stars—and someone inside is watching Willowbrook.
Who painted the impossible lighthouse?
Why has it finally found Willowbrook?
And when the light reaches the town... who will still remember who they are?
Genre: Cozy Mystery
When a forgotten gallery opens its doors in Willowbrook, illustrator Eliza Moore expects dusty canvases and forgotten history—not portraits that change overnight, memories that vanish without warning, and paintings that seem to know her better than she knows herself.
As the mysterious artwork spreads through town, grief disappears... along with the memories that made people who they are. Happy marriages replace broken ones.
Old wounds simply vanish. But perfection comes at a terrifying price, and Eliza soon discovers that every brushstroke steals something no one realizes is missing.
When a single untouched painting survives the gallery's destruction, it reveals an impossible black lighthouse floating beyond the stars—and someone inside is watching Willowbrook.
Who painted the impossible lighthouse?
Why has it finally found Willowbrook?
And when the light reaches the town... who will still remember who they are?
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Skye Howell's The Portrait That Held Its Breath