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When Death Becomes Her
A woman is betrayed, a painting is cursed, and lives are changed.
Driven by bitterness and despair after the betrayal of her unfaithful husband, Clara places a curse on her favourite painting. Anyone who owns it after her will encounter tragedy. Determined that no one else should feel joy or happiness, Clara gets a twisted enjoyment from watching other people suffer.
The painting is passed from home to home, where Clara causes devastation while also witnessing deceit, happiness, and even murder. It seems that everybody already has their own personal battles to deal with. After decades of inflicting and witnessing tragedies, Clara’s enjoyment begins to turn to regret as her heart softens for those suffering around her, and the once cursed painting becomes a blessing for some.
Clara watches the world change as time moves on and not for the better. In the new and unfamiliar world of the future, she watches as people struggle to adapt to enforced changes, and wonders if this is still somewhere she wants to be.
Driven by bitterness and despair after the betrayal of her unfaithful husband, Clara places a curse on her favourite painting. Anyone who owns it after her will encounter tragedy. Determined that no one else should feel joy or happiness, Clara gets a twisted enjoyment from watching other people suffer.
The painting is passed from home to home, where Clara causes devastation while also witnessing deceit, happiness, and even murder. It seems that everybody already has their own personal battles to deal with. After decades of inflicting and witnessing tragedies, Clara’s enjoyment begins to turn to regret as her heart softens for those suffering around her, and the once cursed painting becomes a blessing for some.
Clara watches the world change as time moves on and not for the better. In the new and unfamiliar world of the future, she watches as people struggle to adapt to enforced changes, and wonders if this is still somewhere she wants to be.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2024
10 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 13, 2025
Love this book! The concept is so intriguing and was well executed. I found myself connecting to some of the characters too - getting angry for them, sad for them, happy for them. Definitely recommend this especially if you like horror with a little bit of weird thrown in for fun (complimentary, I love weird). The book is character driven and follows different owners of a special painting around throughout time as the painting changes ownership. Don’t want to spoil too much.
October 6, 2024
Out on the 18th October, 'When Death Becomes Her' is another mixed genre tale by Kim Evans. I've never read anything like this before.
Clara's life is thrown upside down and she is defined by rage, anger and hatred towards everyone and anyone. When she is cursed to a painting, she knows one thing for sure: no one else will ever be happy.
A mix of short stories focusing on the lives of different people, they all find themselves in a bit of a pickle. From cheating husbands, to twisted secrets, to personal demons and haunted houses. Clara finds her way in each of these stories when the painting she lives within is put up in the house. Travelling through different lifestyles and very different timelines, she has a big affect on these people.
Each story has well developed characters and lots of mystery! Some people to love and some people to hate! Some people to laugh wickedly at when they meet their karma, and some to feel plenty of sympathy for. My favourite story was Ella as I really felt her emotions coming through the story. I was pretty invested in that particular mystery and how it would play out.
This story really focuses on the idea of what 'sitting with your anger and grief' can do. We really see Clara develop from someone consumed with rage to someone who is carefully considering situations around her, and how they reflect on herself and her past. In some ways, it was like a coming of age story for a ghost.
Riddled with mystery, suspense, the familiar, the unfamiliar... this book will have you thinking about what you believe is right and wrong, and what you would do in these situations if you had the power to change it. It may also make you question the artwork you buy from the charity shop! Don't you love an item with a story behind it though? Just make sure you're not a bad person and you'll probably be alright!
It's a great read for spooky season if you're looking for something on the lighter side of the thriller genre.
Thanks to the author for allowing me an early copy and huge compliments for that stunning cover!
Clara's life is thrown upside down and she is defined by rage, anger and hatred towards everyone and anyone. When she is cursed to a painting, she knows one thing for sure: no one else will ever be happy.
A mix of short stories focusing on the lives of different people, they all find themselves in a bit of a pickle. From cheating husbands, to twisted secrets, to personal demons and haunted houses. Clara finds her way in each of these stories when the painting she lives within is put up in the house. Travelling through different lifestyles and very different timelines, she has a big affect on these people.
Each story has well developed characters and lots of mystery! Some people to love and some people to hate! Some people to laugh wickedly at when they meet their karma, and some to feel plenty of sympathy for. My favourite story was Ella as I really felt her emotions coming through the story. I was pretty invested in that particular mystery and how it would play out.
This story really focuses on the idea of what 'sitting with your anger and grief' can do. We really see Clara develop from someone consumed with rage to someone who is carefully considering situations around her, and how they reflect on herself and her past. In some ways, it was like a coming of age story for a ghost.
Riddled with mystery, suspense, the familiar, the unfamiliar... this book will have you thinking about what you believe is right and wrong, and what you would do in these situations if you had the power to change it. It may also make you question the artwork you buy from the charity shop! Don't you love an item with a story behind it though? Just make sure you're not a bad person and you'll probably be alright!
It's a great read for spooky season if you're looking for something on the lighter side of the thriller genre.
Thanks to the author for allowing me an early copy and huge compliments for that stunning cover!
November 13, 2024
A really interesting story! It follows Clara as she essentially haunts a painting after her husband betrays her, leaving her bitter and full of anger. She travels through different homes via the painting and follows the stories of the owners of the paintings. There are mini stories about each set of owners and while I preferred some to others, they all shaped Clara and took her to and ending that was bittersweet and impactful. I won’t say anything else because I don’t want to spoil but I recommend this book if you like stories that travel through time and have in depth character studies!!!
June 12, 2025
I'm a sucker for a ghost story, especially one that contains a vengeful ghost. And then, we've got haunted artwork? I. Was. Hooked. If you are a fan of Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca, in particular), I believe you'll thoroughly enjoy this gothic-style novel.
Kim Evans makes use of a truly unique story structure by combining several short stories, giving the reader a complete view of the characters over an extended time period. Each story offers a glimpse into why the protagonist, Clara, is the way she is. Character studies with an emphasis on past trauma are so juicy to read. You can tell a lot of thoughtful work went into constructing this character. When Death Becomes Her proves that even the afterlife can offer opportunity for self-discovery! My opinions of Clara shifted as I read, building my empathy for this scorned woman. The structure and the prose made the story fast-paced. You can easily pick it up and put it down, digesting bite-sized chunks before moving on to the next story.
We get a wide expanse of emotions from Evan's work. Clearly, the gothic tropes are present with vivid descriptions that evoke eerie feelings. But I loved how the character's personal journey gives a nod to the women's fiction genre. This is a novel that will sit with you, beg you to reflect...and question whether that antique painting hanging in your home has an agenda!
Kim Evans makes use of a truly unique story structure by combining several short stories, giving the reader a complete view of the characters over an extended time period. Each story offers a glimpse into why the protagonist, Clara, is the way she is. Character studies with an emphasis on past trauma are so juicy to read. You can tell a lot of thoughtful work went into constructing this character. When Death Becomes Her proves that even the afterlife can offer opportunity for self-discovery! My opinions of Clara shifted as I read, building my empathy for this scorned woman. The structure and the prose made the story fast-paced. You can easily pick it up and put it down, digesting bite-sized chunks before moving on to the next story.
We get a wide expanse of emotions from Evan's work. Clearly, the gothic tropes are present with vivid descriptions that evoke eerie feelings. But I loved how the character's personal journey gives a nod to the women's fiction genre. This is a novel that will sit with you, beg you to reflect...and question whether that antique painting hanging in your home has an agenda!
March 26, 2025
When Death Becomes Her
Many thanks to Indie Visible for introducing me to a new author. What an interesting read of interconnecting short stories from Kim Evans! The premise of a cursed painting really appealed to me and found this more and more intriguing the further I read.
While I enjoyed all the stories I particularly connected to the changing shift of the last few tales and the impact of AI & technology on those character's stories.
Some great themes throughout such as betrayal, infidelity, murderous intentions and ghostly tales.
Highly recommended 👌
Many thanks to Indie Visible for introducing me to a new author. What an interesting read of interconnecting short stories from Kim Evans! The premise of a cursed painting really appealed to me and found this more and more intriguing the further I read.
While I enjoyed all the stories I particularly connected to the changing shift of the last few tales and the impact of AI & technology on those character's stories.
Some great themes throughout such as betrayal, infidelity, murderous intentions and ghostly tales.
Highly recommended 👌
October 24, 2024
I love it when an author writes something totally different from anything else on the market, and Kim Evans has done just that. Her new book, When Death Becomes Her, is so unique that I’m not sure how to describe it. Is it a short story collection? A novel? Book Two in a series that she began with her poetry collection, Echos of the Past? I’ve now read When Death Becomes Her twice and can say with authority, it’s all those things and much more. The main character is Clara, a woman betrayed by her unfaithful husband and angry at the entire world. Clara exacts revenge by cursing an idyllic painting and at first delights in watching its owners suffer, but as the years pass, her mood tempers until Clara finally sees some good in people. Along the way there are twists and turns and even last-sentence surprise endings, but the truly magical aspect of Evans’ work is the way she structured the book. Each short story alternates with a chapter told from Clara’s point of view. As a result, readers can opt to enjoy When Death Becomes Her as a collection of short stories to read one at a time, as a novel to read straight through, or as both—which was my choice and one I highly recommend. I cannot wait to see what this multi-talented author and poet does next.
January 23, 2025
Love, betrayal, ghosts, murders and mystery a story that transcends time and crosses genres.
For me an absolute gem of a story. Clara is happy living her best life until her beloved Jack commits the ultimate sin. With his betrayal Clara becomes enraged and determines that no one else around her will ever again experience happiness. As her life slips away her soul is able to enter the painting she so adores and she manages to curse all the owners who possess it.
The book, although one continuous tale is split into shorter stories about the people and families whose homes the painting resides in for a while. To begin with Clara is adamant no one will ever be happy around her picture. But she begins to see, as time passes how other people have their dark secrets and she begins to reflect upon her early life.
As time moves along Clara softens with each memory and she finds herself changing and wanting to help people instead of destroying them.
I particularly loved how the author moves the story along into a futuristic world, one where AI and new strict laws come into play. The whole book was for me a rollercoaster ride, spanning genres from stories of love, loss and betrayal. To murder mysteries and ghost stories. Very highly recommended.
For me an absolute gem of a story. Clara is happy living her best life until her beloved Jack commits the ultimate sin. With his betrayal Clara becomes enraged and determines that no one else around her will ever again experience happiness. As her life slips away her soul is able to enter the painting she so adores and she manages to curse all the owners who possess it.
The book, although one continuous tale is split into shorter stories about the people and families whose homes the painting resides in for a while. To begin with Clara is adamant no one will ever be happy around her picture. But she begins to see, as time passes how other people have their dark secrets and she begins to reflect upon her early life.
As time moves along Clara softens with each memory and she finds herself changing and wanting to help people instead of destroying them.
I particularly loved how the author moves the story along into a futuristic world, one where AI and new strict laws come into play. The whole book was for me a rollercoaster ride, spanning genres from stories of love, loss and betrayal. To murder mysteries and ghost stories. Very highly recommended.
November 19, 2024
This is one of the most unique stories I have read in a while, and I enjoyed every minute of it! I felt connected with all the characters we got to meet throughout the story as the painting was passed on through several generations, through all the good and bad they experienced. The first few stories of revenge really kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen, and the later stories of being blessed were really sweet. My favourite had to be Beth and Luke's story of starting their new lives in their new home. Getting a glimpse into the book's future world with AI and restrictions was also an interesting touch and genuinely had me spooked as I found myself imagining our own world turning out the same!
Overall, I enjoyed following Clara's journey so much and highly recommend if you're looking for something unique that touches on betrayal, starting over, a futuristic world and more. 5 easy stars!
Overall, I enjoyed following Clara's journey so much and highly recommend if you're looking for something unique that touches on betrayal, starting over, a futuristic world and more. 5 easy stars!
February 8, 2025
When Death Becomes Her by Kim Evans was an intriguing paranormal novel broken into short stories with a progression of time. The heart of the novel is about a young woman named Clara who decided to leave quite the dark legacy when she passed on.
Told from the POV of a vengeful ghost this was an interesting use of history, ancestral trauma, secrets, a haunting and the ills that plague women who are married or involved with men who don't deserve them. I enjoyed it very much, but would have loved to have a bit more showing than telling to immerse myself more deeply into each era as a haunted painting moves from house to house and a woman scorned metes out her revenge... one unsuspecting person at a time.
My favorite part was when Mia arrived and spilled the beans about a certain someone's nefarious plans. If only all of us had an invisible friend! I also enjoyed the fact that a spirit was shown to have the capacity to learn from life, even after death.
Told from the POV of a vengeful ghost this was an interesting use of history, ancestral trauma, secrets, a haunting and the ills that plague women who are married or involved with men who don't deserve them. I enjoyed it very much, but would have loved to have a bit more showing than telling to immerse myself more deeply into each era as a haunted painting moves from house to house and a woman scorned metes out her revenge... one unsuspecting person at a time.
My favorite part was when Mia arrived and spilled the beans about a certain someone's nefarious plans. If only all of us had an invisible friend! I also enjoyed the fact that a spirit was shown to have the capacity to learn from life, even after death.
January 26, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up.
This book is unusual in a good way, is it a novel, is it a collection of short stories, to me its somewhere in the middle. After Clara finds her husband cheating she decides to curse a painting, we follow each of the people who own the painting and the misfortunes they encounter. I liked the premise of this and the stories were interesting. I feel we spent enough time with each person to get the message and that each story was different enough to avoid repetition. Evans is a very skilled writer who manages to draw you into the story, which has you routing for people to fail or succeed depending on the person. This is a short read and very creepy perfect for fans of character driven stories.
This book is unusual in a good way, is it a novel, is it a collection of short stories, to me its somewhere in the middle. After Clara finds her husband cheating she decides to curse a painting, we follow each of the people who own the painting and the misfortunes they encounter. I liked the premise of this and the stories were interesting. I feel we spent enough time with each person to get the message and that each story was different enough to avoid repetition. Evans is a very skilled writer who manages to draw you into the story, which has you routing for people to fail or succeed depending on the person. This is a short read and very creepy perfect for fans of character driven stories.
April 21, 2025
wow! this book was so incredibly unique and super intriguing. i didn’t quite know what to expect going in and i would definitely recommend going in as blind as possible.
following clara through her journey was so fascinating and i FELT for our characters; their sadness and anger, i was with them!
following clara through her journey was so fascinating and i FELT for our characters; their sadness and anger, i was with them!
November 25, 2024
An interestingly interwoven collection of stories that are thoughtful and interesting. Evans does a great job of changing things up, almost switching genres a little, as the book progresses.
July 3, 2025
very interesting story!
Loved the story and plot line!
Listened to this and was confused at times just due to pauses and or character swaps.
Loved the story and plot line!
Listened to this and was confused at times just due to pauses and or character swaps.
October 24, 2025
4 🌟
Another amazing interconnected short story book from Kim!
I enjoy Kim's writing SO much, its so easy to fall into her world!
Another amazing interconnected short story book from Kim!
I enjoy Kim's writing SO much, its so easy to fall into her world!
February 21, 2025
Death becomes her holds the interesting concept of a haunted painting that curses the owners causing calamity to befall them, because the “ghost” has been hurt herself and wishes to see the same suffering inflicted on others.
It’s told across several different povs - different painting owners and the painting herself. I particularly enjoyed the painting’s segment at the end of each chapter because it showed her growth and emotional development - she was far from just your typical hungry evil spirit.
I’m not normally a fan of multiple POV but it suited this style of story particularly well, and was a refreshing take on the gothic horror genre. It was a quick read and is easy to dip in and out of.
It’s told across several different povs - different painting owners and the painting herself. I particularly enjoyed the painting’s segment at the end of each chapter because it showed her growth and emotional development - she was far from just your typical hungry evil spirit.
I’m not normally a fan of multiple POV but it suited this style of story particularly well, and was a refreshing take on the gothic horror genre. It was a quick read and is easy to dip in and out of.
June 21, 2025
(once again i need goodreads to update their rating system because this is a 2.5 ⭐️ rating, NOT 2 🤺)
i would’ve given this 3 stars just for lizzy’s chapter but it just wasn’t enough for me :(
the concept of this book is quite ingenious, really, it’s just a shame i found the character chapters too short. the endings were too quick or the breaks in paragraphs didn’t flow as well so just as i started to connect with characters, it was over.
i also really struggled with clara’s reasoning for cursing the painting in the first place, especially when comparing it to emma & charles’ situation which immediately follows clara’s introduction 🥲 (although i loved how she changed over time and let go of animosity <3 )
that aside, there were aspects of this i really did enjoy, like clara’s painting having an almost hypnotic affect on people, the complexities of human lives and relationships, and lizzy’s whole chapter (that’s the standout of this book to me 🙂↕️)
i would’ve given this 3 stars just for lizzy’s chapter but it just wasn’t enough for me :(
the concept of this book is quite ingenious, really, it’s just a shame i found the character chapters too short. the endings were too quick or the breaks in paragraphs didn’t flow as well so just as i started to connect with characters, it was over.
i also really struggled with clara’s reasoning for cursing the painting in the first place, especially when comparing it to emma & charles’ situation which immediately follows clara’s introduction 🥲 (although i loved how she changed over time and let go of animosity <3 )
that aside, there were aspects of this i really did enjoy, like clara’s painting having an almost hypnotic affect on people, the complexities of human lives and relationships, and lizzy’s whole chapter (that’s the standout of this book to me 🙂↕️)
October 20, 2024
"When Death Becomes Her" by Kim Evans is about Clara, a woman betrayed by her husband, who curses her favorite painting out of spite.
I loved ⤵️
🌻🎨🖌️Watching Clara go from being totally consumed by bitterness and revenge to slowly softening and feeling regret was such a powerful transformation. It made me feel for her, even when she was the one causing all the chaos.
🌻🎨🖌️ I was hooked on how the painting moved from one owner to the next, bringing tragedy, but also unraveling their personal stories. It was like each person had their own unique battle, and the painting was just amplifying it. So gripping!
🌻🎨🖌️What really surprised me was how something that started as a curse could end up being a blessing for some. That shift from darkness to hope gave the story such a deep emotional layer.
🌻🎨🖌️ And that book cover! 😍 The design is stunning and the mix of haunting elegance and mystery draws you in right away. Definitely one of those covers that drew me in from the start.
Overall, When Death Becomes Her was such an unexpected mix of tragedy, personal growth, and mystery. If you’re into dark stories with a touch of redemption, this one’s a must-read!
I loved ⤵️
🌻🎨🖌️Watching Clara go from being totally consumed by bitterness and revenge to slowly softening and feeling regret was such a powerful transformation. It made me feel for her, even when she was the one causing all the chaos.
🌻🎨🖌️ I was hooked on how the painting moved from one owner to the next, bringing tragedy, but also unraveling their personal stories. It was like each person had their own unique battle, and the painting was just amplifying it. So gripping!
🌻🎨🖌️What really surprised me was how something that started as a curse could end up being a blessing for some. That shift from darkness to hope gave the story such a deep emotional layer.
🌻🎨🖌️ And that book cover! 😍 The design is stunning and the mix of haunting elegance and mystery draws you in right away. Definitely one of those covers that drew me in from the start.
Overall, When Death Becomes Her was such an unexpected mix of tragedy, personal growth, and mystery. If you’re into dark stories with a touch of redemption, this one’s a must-read!
December 2, 2024
This book had a really interesting premise that kept me hooked. I did find it a little hard to follow at times, but I thought the story flowed well and it kept me engaged. Easy reading and a short, fascinating read. Recommended for fans of a creepy mystery with several POVs and characters.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews