Fire Falls, Watercolor, and a Great Mystery

Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett {a review}

A great read for you and an older teen

A young up and coming artist gets the opportunity to paint for the cover of a large, popular magazine. It is 1929 and Olivia Rutherford just got that huge break all artists dream of. But this is a double edged sword for Olivia. Why? To fulfill her contract, she must go to Yosemite.

The stage is almost immediately set for a winding adventure filled with the mysteries of Olivia’s past that engage and intrigue.

The characters are filled with depth and mysterious pasts

As the reader, you are drawn through the story in order to unveil the details of the mystery surrounding the main character, Olivia Rutherford. Is she simply a regular girl creating a glamorous persona to sell more watercolor paintings? Or is her past about to catch up to her?

If you love art or an artist and enjoy the outdoors, you will love this next book in a series by Karen Barnett each of which features a national park. Yosemite was a summer playground for me as a young adult and so I know all the places that the characters travel in the story, which makes it even more vivid and fun. But even if you have never been to see the fire fall, the fantastic writing will take you on a vacation to Yosemite and you don’t even need to get up from your favorite cozy reading chair!

An exciting tale with danger, mystery, and watercolors

Be prepared for loads of twists and turns as this story takes you through the trails and hidden paths of Yosemite National Park with wonderful true-to-life detail in a 1920’s historical mystery full of art, avant-garde, and ultimately love and family.

This was a fabulous read with a highly satisfying ending. You will not be disappointed!

Interested in reading a bit of the book first? Head over HERE to the publisher’s web page and download a sample!

Publisher’s Description

Stunning Yosemite National Park sets the stage for this late 1920s historical romance with mystery, adventure, heart, and a sense of the place John Muir described as “pervaded with divine light.”

Watercolorist Olivia Rutherford has shed her humble beginnings to fashion her image as an avant-garde artist to appeal to the region’s wealthy art-collectors. When she lands a lucrative contract painting illustrations of Yosemite National Park for a travel magazine, including its nightly one-of-a-kind Firefall event, she hopes the money will lift Olivia and her sisters out of poverty.

After false accusations cost him everything, former minister Clark Johnson has found purpose as a backcountry guide in this natural cathedral of granite and trees. Now he’s faced with the opportunity to become a National Parks Ranger, but is it his true calling?

As Clark opens Olivia’s eyes to the wonders of Yosemite, she discovers the people are as vital to the park’s story as its vistas–a revelation that may bring her charade to an end.

About Karen Barnett

KAREN BARNETT, author of Mistaken, Out of the Ruins, and Beyond the Ashes, is a former park ranger. She worked as a ranger naturalist and outdoor educator at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Silver Falls State Park, and Mount Rainier National Park. When not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, and public speaking. She lives in Oregon with her family.