This is the second book in the A Paint by Murder Mystery series. There is a lot to like in this series - the setting is good and Chloe and Izzie’s paint party business adds an interesting element. The mystery is straightforward and entertaining. The story does get bogged down with the murder investigation getting a bit dragged out and with Chloe and Izzie’s sleuthing being so scattered. Some of the characters are a little over the top and both Chloe and Izzie could be more mature as business owners. I think this series has a lot of potential. I also think this installment was better than the first book in the series. It’s a work in progress. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

In Kill Them With Cancas by Bailee Abbott Chloe and her sister, Izzie, are hosting a Holloween painting party for their aunt Constance who is president of the local chapter of the Chautauqua Sisterhood. When the director of the sisterhood has a fight with their aunt and is found dround the best morning, it's up to Chloe and Izzy to find out who the muder is to keep their aunt out of jail.

I enjoyed this book better then the first of the series. I like the family dynamics, we get to know other members in their family. I enjoy all the characters and the udea ifthe paint shop. It made me want to go to a paint and sip with my knitting group. I'm enjoying the blooming romance between Chloe and Hunter and hope to see more of it in the next book.

I didn't get how the ghost really fit into the murder. From the beginning I thought it was going have a more prominent role in the story. Also the ending could have been shorter, it ran around a little too much. On a whole I enjoyed the book and will read the next book in the series

Thank you Netgallery and Crooked Lane for the arc

Book wasn't meant for me. Hopefully someone will enjoy it more. I will look into renting it in the future

Chloe Abbington and her sister, Izzie, are running Paint with a View, their paint party business in the 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 event seems to be a success, until Chloe overhears an argument between Constance and Viola Finnwinkle, the Sisterhood director, about the fate of the local chapter. The next morning, Viola’s body is discovered floating face down near the town ferryboat dock. Eerily, the image is an exact replica of a painting Chloe and Izzie had discovered at the event the night before. Then, the police find Constance’s purple hat lying on the ground near the crime scene. Constance pleads innocence, saying the hat went missing during the event. Frantic, she begs Chloe and Izzie to help her. The sisters believe in her innocence, and start investigating.
This was an interesting cozy mystery with characters that are very likeable. I love the main characters’ business and how art plays a role in the story. But this mystery was too long and drawn out. I was getting bored with it, and the slow pace of the story made me want to put it down. The only reason why I wanted to finish it was to see whodunit. And, for once, I wasn’t surprised, I knew who the culprit was from the third chapter. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

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.

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

This cozy was definitely an improvement over book 1. I like Chloe and her dog, Max. The mystery was pretty well paced. The setting was great, and I will continue on with the series.

I read the first in the series and I wasn't a fan but I left the door open to read the next, hoping that the series would improve. Nope. Chloe and Izzie are pretty immature and seem to do everything in ALL CAPS, and it's exhausting. They're constantly annoyed, rude, overly hysterical, and unlikeable. It made it difficult to get into the mystery because of their behavior. I'm done. I give up. No more of these for me.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Bailee Abbott for letting me read and review this book

I really enjoyed this book and the first book in this series. The characters are well written, and the town is somewhere I would love to live and be a part of. This book is set around Halloween in the small town, where everyone goes all out for decorations and activities for the holiday. I loved seeing the town come together to help each other out.

The characters are lovable and fun to follow. The mystery is intriguing and will keep you guessing until the end. There are lots of suspects and clues that pop up throughout the book, and it keeps you wondering what will happen until the end of the book.

This is a great cozy mystery for the fall season. You do not have to read the first book in the series to read this one, but it does help you get to understand the characters and their backgrounds better. Would definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants a nice cozy mystery with the small-town vibes.

This is the second book in Bailee Abbott’s delightful Paint by Murder Mystery series featuring amateur sleuths Chloe Abbington and her sister Izzie, co-owners of Paint with a View, a successful paint party business in upstate New York. This time, Chloe and Izzie are hired for a Halloween painting event at which those attending will be painting pictures of the Lady of Chautauqua Lake, the ghost of a woman named Abigail Bellows who supposedly died over a century ago and rises out of the lake every Halloween. At the event, Chloe overhears two women arguing. The next morning one of the women, Viola, is found dead, floating in Chautauqua Lake, while the other woman, Chloe and Izzie’s Aunt Constance, whose hat is found on the shore in proximity to Viola’s dead body, is the police’s suspect. It’s up to Chloe and Izzie to prove their aunt is innocent.

I love cozy mysteries set on Halloween and this one was no exception. The plot flows nicely and there’s no shortage of red herrings or suspects. There are twists and turns and great characters. I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I absolutely loved this one.

Okay, so here is the thing, I didn’t hate this book, but neither did I love it. It wasn’t the worst book I have ever read, but it certainly isn’t the best. I was not in love with any of the characters. There comes a point when the flaws of the characters outweigh the good. And in Kill Them with Canvas, this certainly holds true. The paint party and legendary ghost sightings simply aren’t enough to cover up the exaggerated characteristic, the crying, fainting, etc… on top of all of that, accusing everyone of the crime diminish the good parts to the point you can’t tell the difference.

The initial murder and evidence point directly at Chloe and Izzie’s aunt. There is no getting around the fact that they argued and were overheard by a room full of people at the paint party, and left at the same time. The ghost portrait that the sisters find after the event points to the victim, even though there hasn’t even been a victim yet. The evidence keeps leading them and the police directly to Aunt Constance. The other suspects are as overblown as the main characters, and there is just too much of everything.

As for the storyline, it was a good idea. The paint party and the Halloween legend of the ghost, the lady of the lake, are as old as time, and for that reason, it is not original but makes for an easy plot to follow. The killer was fairly easy to spot and, in some readers’ cases, may have been too easy. The ending was almost predictable. I had hoped for more growth throughout the book but was disappointed that there was very little overall. Chloe and Izzie need to mature a bit more before this series can be top-notch. On the other hand, Kill Them with Canvas has some interesting chapters, and the entire series holds the promise of better things to come.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

It’s almost Halloween in Whisper Cove and Chloe and Izzie are making the most of the holiday with several events for their Paint with a View painting party business. The first event is for their Aunt Constance and the local chapter of the Chautauqua Sisterhood. They will be painting a picture of the Lady of Chautauqua Lake who died a hundred years ago and has become a legend who rises every All Hallows Eve from the lake to haunt the small lakeside town.

The sisterhood director, Viola Finnwinkle has decided to attend the painting party and the event is going well until an argument between the director and Aunt Constance, president of the local order erupts after she informs Constance the local chapter will be merging with others. Soon both abruptly leave the event while other guests finish their paintings. The next morning Viola’s body is found floating by the ferryboat dock eerily just like a painting Izzie and Chloe found left behind at the Chautauqua Sisterhood party the night before. A piece of evidence found at the crime scene puts Aunt Constance at the top of the suspect list. Their aunt is not a killer! Chloe and Izzie drop their brushes to prove her innocence but will they find the true killer or will they paint their aunt into a corner?

Izzie was hard for me to like in A Brush with Murder. In reading this 2nd installment of the Paint by Murder Mystery she has not grown on me and Chloe is faltering in my affection. Chloe came across as downright rude at times. I was so happy to see Willow is back to work for the sisters Abbington because they spend a lot of time out of their shop trying to clear their aunt’s name. Willow is also the one that paints the pictures of the projects in progress to help painters see the pictures they are trying to paint in steps. I assume Chloe painted those while Willow was away. Chloe worrying endlessly over her love life got to be too much for me too. Adding their cousin Spencer to the mix didn’t help either because we see she has a lot of immature traits and thoughts as well. Aunt Constance has some interesting friends, one who is always extremely close literally which was a little creepy but she added an interesting element to the story. Chloe and Izzie have grown a little since the last book but I hope there is some big development in book three.

The mystery was very nicely plotted with a small group of suspects from members of the Chautauqua Sisterhood, Dewey, the ferry manager, and Aunt Constance. The sisters make a valiant try to solve the mystery but they should be extremely thankful for Max, a fluffy white Maltese poodle mix with and love of sniffing out evidence. He moved the investigation along more than once. Chloe and Izzie’s investigation was very by the seat of their pants impulsively darting from one thing to another but a last-minute plan reveals all. I never truly focused in on the true killer which made the that reveal was super satisfactory for me.

I loved that the story was set during Halloween. The legend of the Lady of Chautauqua Lake was a great theme. I easily pictured the woman from the author’s description and the paintings she was featured in. I would have loved to be part of that painting party.

Kill Them With Canvas was an entertaining cozy mystery marred by some truly over-the-top characters. There were so many good things about the first two books in this series. I think the right character development can make book 3 a Perfect Escape.

Really fun read with lots of twists and turns. Love the family aspect. I really enjoyed this book. Looking forward to the next one!

Release Date: October 11, 2022
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Chloe and Izzie have a store called ‘Paint with a View’. For Halloween the sisters are hosting a paint and sip, painting a notorious lady of Chautauqua Lake! During the party, the pair discover a distrusting portrait of a body float in water. When a body is discovered the next day in exactly the same manner, the sisters are astounded. However when their aunt becomes the lead suspect, the pair set out to uncover the murdering artist.

This is the second book in the #paintbymurdermystery series. I did not read the first one so I don’t know if the characters are consistent. They are all SO over dramatic! Between the fainting, hysterical episodes and all the sobbing I lost a lot of interest. The plot was great and I love that it’s set in western NY! I’d recommend it but know what your going into with the characters.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#bookstagram #netgalleyreads #bookrecommendations #killthemwithcanvas #abruahwithmurder #paintbymurdermystery #crookedlanebooks #mysteryandthrillers

Izzie & Chloe are sisters who own a painting party place in Whisper Cove, NY. Aunt Constance Abbington the president of the Sisterhood of Chautauqua throws an event for the sisterhood. At the event the director Viola Finnwinkle fires Aunt Constance and does away with the chapter. Constance is outraged and leaves the event. Later Viola is found floating in the water. Aunt Constance is the number one suspect. Chloe and Izzy jump in to help clear her of murder.

This is the second book in the series and my first. I was able to read as a standalone. I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. A wonderful cozy mystery.

Chloe and Izzie have a paint party business. Lots of complex interesting and quirky characters. This is a fun read, filled with twists and turns murder and mayhem. A real page turner and a must read!

What can be said about Kill Them with Canvas? It is the second book in the A Paint with Murder series and the first in which the protagonist actually discovers the culprit, although not through the use of her little gray cells, but rather by chance, but anyway, something is something.
It seems that in this book, Izzie has gotten some control over those annoying hiccups that seemed to be her signature in the first book.
The characters have matured and are more defined, the style seems more agile than in the previous book. It makes me want to read the third book in the series, but just a little bit.
I thank the author, publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, and declare that the opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think of this book.

I read the first book, A Brush With Murder, and found the execution choppy. I hoped for better with Kill. Them With Canvas. However, Chloe is impulsive, dramatic and emotional. I have a hard time with the way she investigates and draws sister Izzie along into trouble.
It’s clear why Chloe and Izzie get involved when their aunt Constance is the chief suspect in a murder.
There were so many holes in Constance’s story that I thought it could turn out that she was the murderer.
There are several good suspects. The end to the story is really about the lack of control so many characters in the book have over their emotions and actions.
The setting in Whisper Cove is lovely with a backdrop of autumn and Halloween. I liked the various paint activities.
It took longer than average for me to finish this book mainly due to the main characters lack of appeal. I want to like them but don’t connect well.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the early copy of the book.

Highly recommend for a Halloween Cozy Mystery Read. Two sisters own an unique business: a group event in which each participant paint the same picture under the sisters’ direction. Unfortunately, at an event that their aunt had arranged for them for her Sisterhood group, an argument broke out between the aunt and the head of the Sisterhood. The next morning their aunt discovers she is a suspect in the death of the head of the Sisterhood. Thus begins the sisters’ quest to clear their aunt’s name and locate the real killer among the suspects who just keep suggesting other viable suspects. The village is a place one would like to enjoy as a visitor but even more so as a merchant as each small business throws their heart into the holiday atmosphere and works with one another. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book; this is my honest review.

Kill Them with Canvas: A Paint by Murder Mystery
By Bailee Abbott
Crooked Lane Books
October 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

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.

Complicating matters is that Hunter and Chloe had an almost-relationship that was speedbumped 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.