Barista by day, business student by night, Vanessa just wants to keep her head down, ace her exams, and avoid punching her narcissistic boss in the teeth. But when a string of brutal murders rattles her sleepy city, Vanessa’s mundane routine is shattered—and the killer may be closer than she thinks. Juggling bitter coffee, night classes, and a complicated “situationship” with her tattooed best friend Vance, Vanessa thinks she has enough on her plate. But something far darker lurks beneath the city’s surface: women are vanishing, their bodies discovered days later in grotesque crime scenes that scream of sadistic artistry. And Vanessa—scrappy, sharp-tongued, and entirely unprepared—might be the next subject in someone’s twisted masterpiece. Told in dual perspectives between a jaded, caffeine-fueled survivor and the methodical killer hiding in plain sight, The Artist’s Folly is a razor-edged blend of dark humor, suspense, and psychological horror. Equal parts gritty and emotionally raw, it’s a tale of trauma, survival, obsession—and the price of becoming someone’s muse.