DRAW AND ORDER is the second book in the Paint & Shine Mystery series by Cheryl Hollon. Set in the unique location of the Appalachians in Kentucky, protagonist Miranda Trent has the delightful business of hosting Paint & Shine tour groups. Combining hiking to art lessons in the great outdoors along with serving regional cuisine and local moonshine to the groups, she’s carved a successful niche for herself. There is an appealing mix of a lost silver mine, legends, and secretive old classmates of the victim. With plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing, Ms. Hollon parcels out the clues while keeping the plot moving. The only little blip that made me cringe is her use of moonshine in treating a potentially seriously injured man for pain when paramedics were already on their way. Other than that, this is an entertaining cozy mystery!

Draw And Order is the second book in the Paint And Shine Mystery series by Cheryl Hollon.

The story begins with Miranda taking a group of experienced rock climbers who call themselves Risky Business Adventurers(RBA) to climb a rocky trail and then to draw the beautiful vista when they reach the top. The group has taken a lunch break, and Park Ranger Austin Morgan has talked about where they are resting. As they are packing up, one of the hikers cuts her hand as she is getting up. Miranda goes to see what the hiker had cut herself on and finds what might be a bone. A little more searching, and it is a bone. The police are called to the scene, and with more digging, the complete skeletal remains of a body will be discovered. The sheriff initially feels that it was an accidental death. But Miranda will learn that the bones are those of her cousin, Howard. Her aunt will ask Miranda to find out how her son had died and how it could have happened without anyone knowing.

Miranda and Austin will start investigating how Howard happened to be where the bones were found and learn that he had been with RBA on the day he disappeared. They will focus mainly on the members of RBA as their primary suspects. They will contact Austin’s sister, an investigative reporter with a Lexington reporter, to see if she might find anything about the hiking members that will help with their investigation.

The introduction of two new characters will provide a fascinating subplot. Miranda finds a hole in the barn where she will be brewing her moonshine. She hires a handyman, Ron Menifee, to perform the necessary repairs. Several people have warned Miranda that Menifee does good work when sober, plus he is not the fastest worker. Miranda’s mother also shows up for a visit, saying she will be staying a few days. It seems that her mother and Menifee knew each other in high school. It’s too early to tell, but they might be going to renew their friendship. Also, Miranda and Austin’s friendship continues to run smoothly.

The book is well-written and plotted and moves at a nice pace. Characters are well-developed and believable. I particularly enjoyed the new characters, Miranda’s mother and Menifee, the handyman. A friend has read the first book and said the Daniel Boone National Forest description is spot on.

I will be watching for the next book in this interesting series.

Miranda Trent has her Paint & Shine business up and running including a trip to Battleship Rock Trail with a group called Risky Business Adventures. Near the trailhead they find a skeleton which turns out to be Miranda's missing cousin Howard. An experienced outdoorsman it's impossible to think he died so close to the clearly marked trail. As much as I wanted to feel sympathy for Howard, he was not a nice person, and most of his cohorts in the Risky Business Adventure group were not either. I enjoy the concept of this series, but this book wrapped up to quickly and in my opinion, rather unsatisfactorily.

Miranda Trent makes her living leading cultural excursions that pair outdoor painting lessons with traditionally distilled moonshine and local cuisine. Her day trip with the Risky Business Adventurers is cut short by the discovery of skeletal remains near the trailhead and Miranda is afraid that the bones belong to her missing cousin. The second Paint & Shine mystery is almost as fun as the first. The discovery of the skeleton and the events that follow are wonderfully atmospheric and creepy. If there's anything I dislike about the book it's Miranda's constantly voiced opinion that men don't like taking orders from women. I think it's more than possible that the ones she's having trouble with are just jerks.... I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series.

This book, Draw and Order is the follow up to Still Knife Painting which marked the start of a brand new and intriguing cosy mystery series featuring Miranda Trent. Her Uncle Gene left her a remote farmhouse on Pine Ridge, sited in the eastern Kentucky hills. One of the conditions that her uncle stipulated in his will was that Miranda must set up and make a success of a business including a distillery within a specified timescale, otherwise, she would lose the right to her inheritance. So Miranda set up a painting and distillery enterprise called Paint & Shine, pairing outdoor painting classes with sips of local moonshine, followed by a scrumptious homecooked meal. Miranda's Paint & Shine tour group, a bunch of rock climbers called the Risky Business Adventurers, are going on a hiking excursion but the outing abruptly ends when they happen upon a skeleton. The remains are thought to be those of her lost cousin, who disappeared some years ago. When this is confirmed, she sets out to find his killer, along with Austin Morgan, a park ranger.

I adored the premise of Draw and Order and Cheryl Hollon's character development was excellent. Narrator and artist Miranda has grown on me though at the beginning of the first book I found her rather brusque and impatient. The comfortable pacing helped to make this a very pleasant cosy mystery, and the author's portrayal of the locale was terrific. There was a number of suspects to choose from to satisfy my tendency to play armchair detective and the motives were kept under wraps. I enjoyed the inclusion of Miranda's mum in this tale as well as the splashes of humour dotted throughout the story.

For readers who are looking for a fantastic cosy mystery, I think Draw and Order will fit the bill with its surprising ending, hints of romance, and wonderful descriptions of the gorgeous scenery. I'm definitely curious to see how things develop for Miranda in the next book!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my own request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed the latest book in this newer series. I always thought it was a really unique idea for a main character to be both a hiker and an artist combining both those activities into tours of the Daniel Boone National Forest. I'm not sure I'd be much in favor of the hiking/climbing part or even the painting, but the big Southern meal afterward always sounds so yummy!

Miranda's a great character and such a good daughter and friend too. I could tell having her mom around this time both annoyed yet helped her. I have a feeling in the long run that her mom's helpfulness with cooking and just taking care of people in general will win out. I hope she moves there for good. I loved Austin and Doris's characters before too and was glad to see Miranda and Austin getting even closer. Doris Ann was a good friend and a great source of information when Miranda had to sleuth out a case involving her clients, just like the current case where she was trying to find out who killed her cousin.

At one point in the book, I just didn't know who of the Risky Business Adventurers could be trusted, but I was leaning toward one in particular for the killer and ended up being right. The showdown/rescue was pretty cool, and everything at the end was explained once everyone was checked out and fine.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, an my opinions are my own.

I love when old mysteries are solved in the present, and this story had that hook. This was a really good read. I love that her mom has come back to help out. I love that she took a chance on a down-on-his-luck handyman to fix her roof and not manage her still. I'm really excited to see where this series goes.

With a setting of the Daniel Boone National Forest, how could a reader not enjoy this well-crafted mystery series? Miranda is trying to meet the New Year's eve deadline set by her late uncle to have her moonshine distillery in operation by that date. She left New York to take over the family farm and to make moonshine but things have been delayed time and again. To keep herself going, Miranda has started Paint & Shine cultural Adventures, taking groups into the Daniel Boone National Forest to see the beautiful scenery and paint. Turns out that investigating murders has been added to her schedules.
This time she is taking a group called Risky Business Adventurers for a serious hike to the overlook at Battleship Rock. A nice home made picnic of dried chicken with yummy sides, some moonshine and, yes, the unexpected addition of a skeleton. It turns out the skeleton is her cousin and he had connections with the Risky Business Adventurers. Things are going to get very complicate as Miranda works to balance the looming deadline for her moonshine business and uncover the secrets this group is hiding. Put it all together and it makes for a very satisfying mystery.
The regular cast from the first book had a new member, Miranda's mother. I hope we see more of her. There is a touch of possible romance between Miranda and forest ranger Austin Morgan. Plus, what every cozy mystery needs - a cute puppy named Sandy. This series has it all. I'm ready for the next entry.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars
A fun and easy cozy mystery. This will appeal to a broad range of readers. I recommend it. This is part of a series.

Love how this series is progressing. The author does a great job with her characters. This is the second mystery series I read that is set in the Daniel Boone National Forest. I like that Miranda has opened a touring/painting business. The premise is that classes are booked through her that include some type of hike and then learning painting techniques to further the student’s skill set.

This is a standalone book. A little romance with the mystery. Our mystery has to do with Miranda’s missing cousin. He disappeared five years ago.

There were plenty of twist and turns to keep this story interesting. Looking forward to the next installment.

I was given an e-copy advanced reader’s version by Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

Miranda Trent takes a thrilled close knit group of rock climbers, the Risky Business Adventures up the challenging Battleship Rock Trail to paint and sample moonshine. The outing is cut short when they discover a skeleton near the trail head. They come to find out the bones are those of Howard Cable Miranda’s cousin who disappeared on a hike 5 years ago. He was also a classmate of the Risky Business group. The sheriff believes it was just a hiking accident but Miranda isn’t convinced since Howard was an experienced woodsman. With help Ranger Austin Morgan, Miranda sets out on her own investigation and discovers that the Risky Business group is keeping secrets but one of them could be hiding the truth about Howard’s death. A fun who dunnit filled with twists and turns. Keeps the read on the edge of their seat to the end.

An unusual combination of activities. Painting, hiking, and moonshine making. Lots of recipes for drinks, too. An engaging and entertaining cozy mystery. While the ending was exciting, I hoped for more explanation regarding the killer.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

After enjoying book 1 in this series I was excited to pick up book 2. I thought Draw and Order was a great sequel. Main character Miranda is a bit further in her new business and is now working to get her distillery all set up so she can start brewing moonshine, but things keep going wrong. During one of her tours they stumble upon the bones of a dead body who turns out to be Miranda's cousin, so she gets involved into another mystery.

The mystery is a bit slow to start, with them first having to find the bones and figure out who it belongs to. Then the sheriff isn't convinced they need to investigate and Miranda's aunt asks Miranda to solve the mystery. The suspicions fall on the members of his hiking group and Miranda and her friend Austin start investigating them. One by one they look into these characters lives and multiple secrets come to light. The mystery kept me guessing as I wasn't sure who had done it, I was thinking in the right direction for the motive. I felt the ending was a bit anti climactic as another characters figures out the murderer due to insider knowledge the main characters don't have. I also wasn't a fan of how Miranda got involved in the mystery because her aunt asked her too, instead of deciding so herself.

Despite my minor complaints about the mystery I had a great time reading this one. I enjoyed this book and following Miranda along. I liked reading about her fledgling business and how she handles the obstacles on her way. It also has a very realistic vibe with things going wrong and Miranda struggling with relatable things. I like the setting and reading about the scenery and hiking trails. Another thing I like about this author's books is how each chapter starts with the day of the week, time of the day and location, this makes it easy to place where and when this is taking place.

I like following Miranda's point of view as she gets invested in solving this mystery. I also liked seeing her friendship with Austin deepen in this book. I liked how we see more of the sheriff and his wife the coroner as well. There's even a chapter from their point of view. Then there are a bunch of new characters as well. I am still not sure what to think of Miranda's moms and Ron's role in this story as I had a hard time figuring out what Miranda thought of them. I wasn't sure whether she was just being nice or whether she preferred if they weren't there. In some scenes she seems to appreciate their help and in others it feels like she wish they would leave. It just left me confused and the ending leaves open what happens next.

To summarize: this was a solid sequel. The mystery kept me guessing, although by the end unfortunately it gets solved by a side character. There are plenty of secrets that come to light along the way. I liked reading about Miranda's life and her business and see her relationship with Austin deepen. The setting is great too and I like how realistic the story feels. It's nice to see more of familiar characters and meet some new ones. I am not sure what to think of Miranda's mom and Ron, but we'll see what comes of them in the next book. I look forward to seeing how Miranda and her business progress over the course of the series.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Miranda takes a group of rock climbers up a challenging trail to paint and sample some moonshine. But they discover a skeleton near the trailhead, and the victim turns out to be one of Miranda's relatives. The authorities call it a hiking accident, but Miranda isn't sure she agrees, so she does some digging of her own.

This is the second book in the Paint & Shine series by an author whose previous series I really enjoyed. This book is well-written and the descriptions of the setting make me wish I could travel to the mountains of Kentucky and do some hiking and exploring. The characters are people I'd like to get to know, but I'm not sure Miranda's business would be a good fit for me. I don't have an artistic bone in my body, so the "paint" part would be a disaster, but the "shine" half of the venture could be entertaining. The mystery was a good one, and I was surprised when the identity of the killer was revealed.

I really liked Ms. Hollon's glass shop series and was hoping to enjoy this one just as much, but I don't find this to be the case. The first two books have been enjoyable reads, but I don't find myself getting pulled in to the story as quickly as I had expected. That said, I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Risky business for sure. Miranda, who returned to Kentucky when she inherited from her uncle, leads groups on hikes with great places to paint as a way to make some money so she can upgrade his moonshine distillery. This time, though, there's a surprise when they find the skeleton of her cousin Howard, who has been missing. Her aunt Ora (and her mom) prevail upon her to investigate after the sheriff rules it misadventure so of course she does, along with Austin, a park ranger. The members of the Risky Business group have skeletons in their closets and cozy readers know that more than one of them knows something about Howard. It's a good read, with a fine setting and characters. This is the second in the series but will be fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.

When artist Miranda Trent decided life in New York City wasn't working out for her she headed back home to claim an inheritance and subsequently open her own business combining her love of art and the local landscape. Along with her friend, next door neighbour, and local park ranger, Austin Morgan, Miranda now offers local tours and art day trips involving an art and local history lesson, locally sourced meals, and a relaxing location. Finally, she is finally living the dream isn't she?

As Miranda and Austin take a small group of climbers known as the Risky Business Adventurers into the national park the last thing they expect to find is the skeletal remains of her cousin Howard who has been missing for five years. It becomes clear he was murdered and, at her aunt's bidding, but going against the advice of the local sheriff, Miranda and Austin begin to look for Howard's killer.

I really liked this book and found it educational as well as enjoyable. Miranda is a good main protagonist and, along with Austin and her mom, very likeable. Her new business, Paint and Shine, is an original base for her investigations and I would love a holiday like that. The local history and recipes add to the experience and provide another area to get caught up in.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a great second book in an enjoyable series.

An easy to read cozy mystery. Miranda and Austin are an adorable couple that also solve murders. Miranda’s business in KY is called the Paint and Shine and I want to visit and hangout for a while. Cheryl Hollon has created a wonderful cast of characters each unique in their own way. This a great series and I am already looking forward to the next book! Also the recipes at the end of the book are a fantastic bonus! I can’t wait to try some of them! Thank you to NetGalley for this requested advanced copy and the above opinion is all mine.

This is book two in the Paint and Shine series, and can be read as a stand alone (I hadn't read book 1, and was able to get enough info from this one to have an idea what had happened previously, but not the entire plot of the first book!). It is an enjoyable mystery as Miranda finds her current tour getting wrapped in a mystery from years ago, with someone doing everything they can to stop her and Austin from finding out the truth of what really happened, and what is now going on within the group itself. A super quick read, this was an enjoyable afternoon read for me! It will make you want to take a trip up to the mountains tho

DRAW AND ORDER is the second book in the Paint & Shine Mystery series by Cheryl Hollon. Set in the unique location of Appalachians in Kentucky, protagonist Miranda Trent has the delightful business of hosting Paint & Shine tour groups. Combining hiking to art lessons in the great outdoors along with serving regional cuisine and local moonshine to the groups, she’s carved a successful niche for herself. Miranda is friendly and I enjoyed her interaction with her customers and her friends. The author does an admirable job of “painting” the scenery on the page and I felt like I learned quite a bit about the locale. Assisting in educating the groups (along with the reader) is Miranda’s love interest Ranger Austin Morgan. They work well together both on the business side and in helping solving murder cases.

When a skeleton is found on one of her group hikes, and it turns out to be her long-missing cousin, Miranda can’t help but try to find out what happened. She is certain his death couldn’t have been an accident no matter what the sheriff might say. I loved that the author includes so many strong women in the book, including Miranda and the sheriff’s wife who just happens to be the coroner. There is an appealing mix of a lost silver mine, legends, and secretive old classmates of the victim. With plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing, Ms. Hollon parcels out the clues while keeping the plot moving. The only little blip that made me cringe is her use of moonshine in treating a potentially seriously injured man for pain when paramedics were already on their way. Other than that, this is an entertaining cozy mystery!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Artist Miranda Trent returned home from New York after her Uncle Gene died and left her his farmhouse and moonshine distillery, which isn't able to be used until she installs new equipment. Unfortunately, if she doesn't have it all up and running by New Year's, she'll lose everything. So while trying to get that in order, she also needs an income, which she does by leading groups of people up the mountain to paint scenes of their surroundings.

Luckily, she's taking an experienced group who has been here before - The Risky Business Group - and they want to paint the scene where they first traveled. But unfortunately, it ends early when one of the group trips and injures herself, then Miranda discovers that it's the bones of a human which caused the accident. When the sheriff is called by Ranger Morgan, Miranda fears that the bones belong to her cousin Howard who disappeared five years ago.

When Howard's mother, her Aunt Ora, asks her to investigate, she can't say no, especially when her own mother Dorothy, who's visiting Miranda, agrees. Now Miranda is in the middle of yet another murder investigation, this one albeit closer to home. But someone doesn't want her investigating, and they'll go to great lengths to snuff her out...

This is the second book in the series, and I enjoyed it much more than the first (although I did think that telling us three times how she turned her uncle's bedroom into an office was a bit much). I do like the addition of her mother, who isn't a nag, isn't pressuring her to marry and give her grandchildren, and actually loves her daughter and wants to help. It's refreshing and reminds me so much about my own mom, who was a terrific cook and taught me how to cook -- and I love it. Memories are best when they're shared with others and bring out memories in them (smile).

The mystery itself is well-drawn (see what I did there?) giving us more of a glimpse into Miranda's life and what her future is turning out to be. She doesn't attack people when she questions them; nor does she accuse them of being the murderer. She gleans information and turns it over to the sheriff right away. I do like the fact that the almost-boyfriend isn't a cop this time, but a forest ranger, who's actually a likable person himself.

Miranda is trying her best to get her distillery up and running, but also needs to give her aunt closure, which is the reason for her questions. When the climax comes and we discover who the murderer is, the motive is as old as time, but the ending is a bit of a surprise, which is nice. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.