"Kill Them with Canvas" By Bailee Abbott: Review/Giveaway

Review by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Having recently opened their Paint With a View painting party business in Whisper Cove, New York, sisters Chloe and Izzie Abbington are hoping that the Fall Halloween season will boost sales and expand their ventures. Halloween has the merchants of Artisan Alley promoting themselves while dressed up as their favorite characters, with Chloe and Izzie going as their favorite witchy siblings, Hocus Pocus’s Sanderson sisters. Before they can take part in the festivities though, they will have to assume their roles as the Snoop Sisters in order to keep their Aunt Constance out of prison. Constance’s position as president of their local Chautauqua Sisterhood is jeopardized by the appearance of their director Viola Finnwinkle, who plans on consolidating and merging chapters. So when Viola is found floating in Chautauqua Lake with Aunt Constance’s knit hat nearby, Detective Hunter Barrett can’t help but place her at the top of his suspect list.

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Image Source Crooked Lane

Complicating matters is that Hunter and Chloe had an almost-relationship that was speed-bumped by his inability to open up, not to mention the Abbington sisters’ habit of getting involved in his investigations. It’s certainly not going to help that Chloe has to call in her ex-boyfriend attorney Ross to represent Aunt Constance as she faces police interrogation, which just happens to be conducted primarily by Hunter. Constance’s daughter Spencer swooping into town to try to coerce her mother into pleading mental incompetence has the cousins all at odds, especially when Spencer plans on moving back and moving in with a new business. There’s a lot going on as the Snoop Sisters plan their Halloween costumes, try to figure out the reason behind a string of strange thefts, and begin hosting on-site paint party events.

This second in the series quickly catches readers up on the events of the first, with Chloe continuing to deal with her frustrating romantic life. Her adorable Maltese-poodle mix Max is always on hand for comfort and support, but it’s really her sister Izzie who insists on helping out in the investigation. Their focus on probable culprits centers on several local characters, but new information continually shifts their suspicion and it leads to a surprising conclusion. The Halloween theme grows stronger as the sisters become enmeshed with the legend of the ghost lady of Chautauqua Lake, which becomes the Chekov’s gun that you know will either impede or enable their plans. The final confrontation with the killer is carried out in a shockingly practical manner, with Chloe actually taking safety and law enforcement into account. Quirky characters and the very relatable interactions between the Abbington sisters make this a charming cozy full of cute pets, artistic crafts, and a blend of romance and mystery.  

To enter to win a copy of Kill Them with Canvas, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "canvas,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 29, 2022. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode went up this week perfect for Halloween listening.

You can use this link to purchase the book or click here. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

 Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.