Kill them With Canvas by Bailee Abbott Book Review

About the Book:

Chloe Abbington and her sister, Izzie, are enjoying huge success running Paint with a View, their paint party business in the tranquil western New York lakeside town of Whisper Cove. Now, their aunt Constance—president of the local chapter of the Chautauqua Sisterhood—has hooked them up with a gig hosting a Halloween painting party. The guests will be painting a local ghost legend, the Lady of Chautauqua Lake, who died a hundred years earlier and rises from the lake every October to haunt anyone who dares venture out on All Hallows’ Eve.

The event seems to be going off without a hitch, until Chloe overhears an argument between Constance and Viola Finnwinkle, the Sisterhood director, about the fate of the local chapter. Both women leave and the sisters finish their painting. But the next morning, Viola’s body is discovered floating face down near the town ferryboat dock, her long red hair spread around her. Eerily, the image is an exact replica of a painting Chloe and Izzie had discovered at the event the night before.

What’s more, the police find Constance’s purple knit hat lying on the ground near the crime scene. Constance pleads innocence, saying the hat mysteriously went missing during the event. Frantic that she might be charged with murder, she begs Chloe and Izzie to help her. The sisters believe their aunt is innocent, but if so, who’s the real killer—and when will the next victim turn up?

My Review:

This is the second novel in a series but reads relatively well on its own. The plot was interesting. At a painting party, someone paints the murder scene before it happens. All the evidence points to Chloe and Izzie's aunt. Nonetheless, for an astute reader, the villain will not be a surprise.

Like the first novel, the characters in this one are overly characterized. It seems there are just too many emotional actions. It doesn't seen Chloe and Izzie have matured very much from the first novel. And now their aunt faints at any serious problem.

I did enjoy learning a bit more about the business, teaching paining. This time the business was more mobile. I enjoyed seeing Willow back.

This is an entertaining novel with a decent mystery yet some over the top character actions. I do hope the sisters mature in the next installment.

You can read my review of the first book in the series, A Brush With Murder, here.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

 

About the Author:

 

Bailee Abbott is a retired teacher who now spends her days plotting murder and writing mysteries. She is a member of Sisters in Crime as well as of International Thriller Writers. She lives with her husband and furry friend Max in the quiet suburbs of Green, Ohio. She also writes the Sierra Pines B&B mystery series under the name of Kathryn Long.

Crooked Lane Books, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)