Bailee Abbott

Chloe Abbington returned home, with her dog Max, from New York City to Whisper Cove, where her family still lives. The lakeside town is beautiful, and usually has tourists abound. Her sister Izzie has started a business named Paint With A View, where people come to paint scenes and enjoy company. She's just starting out, and is looking forward to it, although she's worried about a newspaper columnist named Fiona who trashes every business in her articles.

Izzy thinks inviting Fiona to the grand opening will help. But when Fiona receives a text, she abruptly leaves, and Chloe hopes they'll get a good review. Turns out, they won't get a review at all when Chloe finds her body behind their store, with a painting knife sticking out of her neck. Now, she and her sister are suspects in the murder, and unless she can find out the truth, she just might spend the rest of her days in jail...

This is the first book in a new series, and I do like to give new authors the benefit of the doubt. But as far as doubt goes, I wonder if the author knows that painting knives are pliable, and unable to be used as murder weapons. Hmmm...

The second thing that bothered me is Izzie. If she's starting a business, wouldn't you suspect that she'd want to be there? Well, she isn't. She dumps everything on her assistant Willow and sister Chloe. Who does that? She spends about 15% of the time at her business, and disappearing somewhere else the rest of it. I also don't like their parents. Their mother is a nutcase. So what if she wants to go natural and vegan? Why does she push it on her children? They're adults. Let them eat what they want, not what you want to shove down their throats. Seems to me she's more 'hippie' than 'artsy.'

As for Chloe, she can learn to be less snarky to everyone. Get rid of the chip on her shoulder. She also doesn't tell Izzie that she needs to be at her business. Nope. She just does whatever Izzie wants. We also never learn about why Izzie hates the detective. What's up with that? Actually, the only likeable person in the book is Ross, and he's not even a permanent character. Bring him back. At least he makes the book readable.

Unfortunately, while the writing was good and the plot as well, the characters need a lot of work. Less mom and dad. More Izzie being at her store. When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, I felt rather cheated, since there weren't any clues leading up to it. But I will give this author another chance, and perhaps read the second in the series.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.… (más)

Kill Them with Canvas by Bailee Abbott is the second A Paint by Murder Mystery. We travel to Whisper Cove, New York where siblings, Chloe and Izzie Abbington own Paint with a View. The story is easy to read. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town and its shops. It is nearing Halloween and the town goes all out to decorate. They also have a haunted legend (the Lady of Chautauqua Lake). The sisters seem more confident in this book. Their business is doing well, and they did successfully solve one investigation. I do wish that Chloe’s name had been mentioned earlier in the book (make it easier for new readers). Her name is not mentioned until I was a tenth of away into the book (around the 11% mark). I do feel the melodrama was a little over-the-top. A few examples are Aunt Constance fainting every whipstitch, Dewey seemed upset over every incident, and another character sobbing away. The mystery has Chloe and Izzie’s aunt, Constance at the top of the suspect list. She was heard arguing with the victim, Viola Finnwinkle at the painting event. There is some physical evidence as well. It does not help that Constance will not provide a proper timeline for the police. Chloe and Izzie agree to help their aunt when she requests their assistance. There are a limited number of suspects plus a red herring or two. I liked how the author had me doubting who I thought was the killer. The resolution of the crime was okay. Kill Them with Canvas can be read as a standalone, but it will take you just a bit to catch up. Kill Them with Canvas is a colorful cozy with a painting party, a local legend, a collapsing Constance, a minty menace, costumed canines, evident evidence, and a fingered ferryman.… (más)

amateur-sleuth, art, artist, small-business, small-town, family, family-dynamics, friendship, murder, murder-investigation, old-boyfriends, matchmaking, law-enforcement, pets, cozy-mystery, witty, New York State*****

One of the biggest differences between screen and page is that the page gets BETTER with each new episode!
The publisher's blurb does a good job of setting things up, so I wanted to read it, yet it gave away nothing critical. The story is nicely twisty, and the characters are so realistic and engaging. I liked it a lot!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.… (más)