Chloe Abbington and her sister Izzie live with their parents in small town Whisper Cove, New York, near the finger lakes. They own a paint-your-own shop and also do events, hoping to make enough money to expand a little.

A man in town has brought the floating amphitheater back, and has just hired Chloe's muralist friend to paint it. Lana Easton and Chloe were roommates in Paris, before Chloe decided to give up her art there and help her sister. She's happy with her choice, but will having Lana here make her also have doubts?

Lama is accompanied by her boyfriend Nick, and employees Tate and Audrey, who each have their own skills. Everything seems to be going nicely until one night while Chloe is going to pick up Lana for an evening out, hears a scream, and finds her lying dead below the art lift. Now the lead detective on the case, Winsell, thinks Chloe, along with others, might be a viable suspect. Chloe and her sister have no choice but to do a little investigating themselves, or Chloe might be looking at the inside of a jail cell instead of outside her shop window...

I read the first two books in this series and I enjoyed them very much. But this one is a little different for some reason. First, there is a huge issue with continuity. Chloe was talking about an argument between two of the townspeople, and I thought I missed something, so went back to check. But I found out the argument hadn't happened yet! This is just one example, but I won't list the others. There are also a lot of grammatical errors that should have been caught by an editor. These things detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

Anyway, Chloe and her sister Izzie are trying to gather clues in between running their business, and it keeps them busy. They have four main suspects of their own, but need to question them and weed through everything to get to the truth. There are plenty of red herrings, and pointing to the actual killer isn't easy. But in the end, it comes with unexpected help from someone to find out everything they want to know. It's rather sad, but it all comes together nicely.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

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.

A great addition to an incredible series! Wonderful characters in an incredible setting. This book will keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book!

This was my first visit to this series about a wine and painting shop and the the three women who run it. It follows traditional cozy themes; small town murder with high stakes for one of the main characters if they can’t work out whodunnit, and fast.

Now, my main problem is that things don’t exactly move at a fast pace throughout this book. In fact, most of the middle book and almost all the way to the end kind of muddle along pointlessly until we finally reach a conclusion. The four main suspects all remain equally suspicious right until the end, so much so that when three of them are cleared you don’t actually like any of them anymore anyway and don’t think they deserve a happy ending.

The three amateur detectives are most definitely that. They just go around in circles for so long finding red herring after red herring that as a reader you no longer feel invested in who the murderer is. It’s a tangled web but it never feels like it gets untangled.

Not my favourite cozy, but the ideas behind the series have potential. More fleshing out of the characters as the series progresses will be good too. Three stars.

Entertaining and well developed cozy mystery, I was glad to catch up with characters and the solid mystery kept me hooked
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The tranquil town of Whisper Cove on Chautauqua Lake in New York is the setting for this story. The town's council has given the green light for the return of the floating amphitheater and enlisted the help of Chloe Abbington's friend, the renowned mural artist Lana Easton. However, not all residents of Whisper Cove are thrilled about the proposal. Some are concerned about potential noise disturbances from concerts and an influx of tourists, as well as the allocation of the town's funds towards hiring an outsider instead of supporting local artists.

Chloe is on her way to pick up Lana for their planned dinner date, but she arrives to find Lana dead from a fall. Due to the unfortunate timing of Chloe's discovery, Detective Winsell immediately places her at the top of the suspect list. In order to clear her name and prove her innocence, Chloe must embark on a quest to uncover the real truth behind Lana's untimely demise.

The portrayal of this town is admirable, a tranquil and bustling community of skilled craftspeople who support one another. With a small town setting, there are several intriguing characters involved. Among them are possible suspects like Miles, the organizer of the event; Frank, who protests against the return of the floating amphitheater; Rita, a local artist vying for Lana's position; Audrey, Lana's intern artist; and Nick, Lana's boyfriend.

Max, a delightful Maltese poodle mix, brings a level of cuteness to the ensemble. His innate ability to fetch and explore serve as tools in advancing the plot, adding a touch of sleuthing expertise to his already endearing character.

In the crime mystery genre, trust plays a significant role as the characters try to unravel the truth. This is why Detective Winsell follows strict procedures and leaves no stone unturned. However, this makes Chloe restless as she is determined to clear her name and takes matters into her own hands, aided by her sister Izzie and shop assistant, Willow.

There is a trend in cozy mystery novels where the protagonist has a romantic partner who is a detective. This time, however, the detective boyfriend is not initially involved in the case but eventually joins forces with Detective Winsell. The protagonist herself is an artist, offering readers a unique glimpse into the world of art while also satisfying her own curiosity as a sleuth.

There is a sense of foreboding in an early chapter which could be missed but would make sense after reading the end of the story. But if you’re already familiar with how crime mystery goes, you will be able to guess the perpetrator immediately.

The concept of the floating amphitheater and the presence of an art community in the Artisan Alley, featuring various arts and crafts shops, highlight both the advantages and disadvantages of tourism when viewed from a broader perspective.

This book was a quick and enjoyable read. As someone who enjoys mystery novels, I often find myself losing interest due to the repetitive patterns. At first, this was the case with this book as well, and I even considered putting it down. However, I decided to give it another chance. I would give this novel a 3 out of 5 stars.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I enjoy cozy mysteries, not only for the mystery, but for the look into different jobs and hobbies. This book, set with a backdrop of a large scale mural project, is no exception on the latter, but I found the former lacking. Not because the set up wasn't there. Abbott did a great job of leaving clues and making suggestions, but because it almost felt like she'd hit a deadline, and instead of writing the last 1/4 of the book, where the clues come together and there's personal risk to a character or characters you've come to care about, she just wrote a tied up in a bow solution.

I think the author could write an amazing mystery. I don't think this book quite hits the mark for me. Having said that, if you want to read about the logistics and community struggles around a large scale mural project, you may find it quite enjoyable.

An exciting return to Whisper Cove!

The Abbington sister sleuths, family, friends, and love interests all work together to solve the murder of Chloe’s former roommate, who is in Whisper Cove on a commission for the town to create a mural. Their need to catch the killer is critical as Chloe, having discovered the body of her friend, is one of the first suspects of the lead detective on the case.

While EASIER DEAD THAN DRAWN is the third book in author Bailee Abbott’s fun and artsy "Paint By Murder Mysteries" series, it has enough backstory woven into the narrative so readers who are new to the series can easily catch up and enjoy the current adventure. (However, the entire series is charming, full of mystery and suspense, and shouldn’t be missed!)

The plot of the book, besides the murder and the women’s investigation, is enhanced by the conflict among the townspeople over a proposed new amphitheater: some absolutely want it, while some vehemently oppose it. The case focuses on a couple of promising suspects close to the murdered artist, with plot twists that help rule out some or send the investigators in another direction. The resolution was accomplished in a unique manner, which was a great surprise. And, of course, the storyline features the sisters’ business of those fun group painting parties!

I recommend EASIER DEAD THAN DRAWN to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy a craft-themed story.

Have you ever gone to Painting With a Twist or another painting-event business where you get together with friends or on a date and create guided art? My husband and I did that once for our anniversary and, while I had fun, let’s just say that art is not my gifting haha. Sisters Chloe and Izzie run a painting-event business like this together, and I thought it was interesting to get a bit of a behind-the-scenes glance at that.

Chloe and Izzie also solve mysteries in their spare time, and in Easier Dead Than Drawn they have to work around a new detective in their small town – one that reminded me (and them) of Columbo in all the best ways. Like the rumpled ‘one more question’ detective of classic TV, it’s hard to tell exactly where you stand with Detective Winsell – is Chloe really his prime suspect (because of the fallout she’d had with her once-close friend who was murdered) or is his focus on someone else? I enjoyed the layers that the author gave this character and what he added to the story. The mystery itself has several plausible suspects for the murder of Chloe’s former roommate, everyone from town business owners to a local artist and the victim’s boyfriend & coworkers. Various red herrings and misdirections kept me guessing, and an unexpected reveal flipped the script.

Bottom Line: Easier Dead Than Drawn by Bailee Abbott is a murder mystery full of artistic rivalries and small town drama. Likable sisters – and business partners – Chloe and Izzie are a good sleuthing team too, and their respectively different personalities make for entertaining dynamics in all three of those aspects to their relationship. I enjoyed the dash of romance for each sister, and I also liked their family members that we get to meet – including Chloe’s dog Max. The mystery is well-plotted and, even though in the end it did come down to my ‘top two’ suspects, that’s all I got right. The big reveal in this case isn’t the ‘same old, same old’ routine and as a frequent reader of the genre I appreciated the slight change of pace. A nice, light read with relatable characters and interesting layers!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

The town council hires Chloe Abingtons close friend famous wall muralist Lana Easton to paint a mural advertising the return of the floating amphitheater not everyone in Whisper Cove is happy about the theater or Lana. They feel the noise from concerts and visitors will disrupt their quiet community. Things turn more grim when Lana is found dead and since Chloe discovered the body alone makes her the prime suspect. The suspect list grows to include Lana’s boyfriend and her intern as well as a couple of residents. The challenge will be to decide which one is the real killer? I really enjoyed reading this book it was a great story.

Enjoyed the book. I would recommend it. Chloe old roommate from New York City now a famous mural artist is found murdered. Chloe is on the suspect list. She an her sister investigate to find the real murderer.

This is the third in the A Paint by Murder Mystery by Bailee Abbott. Chloe Abbington , Izzie and Willow are investigating the death of Lana, an old friend of Chloe, who was painting a mural and fell to her death. The story plot is good. The characters do get a little annoying at times but overall a nice cozy to curl up with. Thanks #Netgalley and #LevelBestBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

An old friend of Chloe’s is hired to paint the mural for a new town project. Chloe has not seen Lana for years and is looking forward to catching up but soon after her arrival Lana ends up dead. With Chloe among the suspects - she found the body moments after death - Chloe, her sister Izzie and their employee Willow set out to find the murderer. There are lots of suspects - Nick, Lana’s boyfriend; Audrey, Lana’s protégée; as well as various townspeople who were for or against the new town project.
I really enjoyed the first two entries in this series but this one, which is under a different publisher, seriously needs editing and proofing. There are a few typos, words correctly spelled but not the appropriate word for the sentence (“road” instead of “rode”) though presumably those will be caught before the book is released. The real problem comes with the continuity issues. We have Chloe deciding to talk to Aunt Constance about zoning issues Brody told her about before the scene the next day where Brody actually tells her about the issues. We have Chloe deciding to talk to Penny about an argument with Wink, then telling Izzie about the argument before the scene where the argument actually happens. We have a scene where Hunter begins to fix lunch for Chloe because she is too shaky to do so for herself and then, after a pointless phone call from a character we presumably got rid of in the last book, we just lose any mention of lunch or Chloe needing to calm down and they both just go off to work. And to cap it off, police show up to the social event, knowing who the murderer is, talk to him at the party but don’t arrest him, the officer just walks off to talk to someone else.
Overall the story idea was good, but the revelation of the murderer’s identity is pure deus ex machina as up to that point all the suspects are equally viable . I really like the characters and the setting but unfortunately the issues with typos, continuity and a rushed ending made this a less than enjoyable read which is a shame because Ms Abbott’s series deserves better treatment.

Chloe and Izzie, the sister sleuths, and their assistant Willow annoy me. And not just because all three of them happen to have the same nervous tic when they have to deliver some uncomfortable news. They annoy me because they keep calling their investigation into Lana’s death ‘the case’, as if they are actual detectives.

Chloe insists she wants to investigate because she’s a suspect herself, but other than the one mention from detective Winsell that she’s a suspect because she supposedly found the body, there is no further indication he suspects her of anything. Not even of potentially harmfully meddling in his case. After all, he asks her boyfriend to join his investigative team (no conflict if interest there), shares case details with her, and doesn’t even tell her off about removing possible evidence from the crime scene.

Chloe might have been able to claim wanting justice for her friend Lana, but (A) she never claimed wanting justice, and (B) there were so few memories of Lana that I had a hard time believing she and Lana were ever friends. So basically, Chloe is just another nosey person that thinks she’s better at detecting than the actual detectives.

I will say this for the story: there were a lot of red herrings. On the other hand: one of the possible suspects disappeared from the story for no discernable reason.

In all, I did not enjoy this book much, but kept reading for the killer’s reveal.

As a side note: chapter nine references some event (multiple times) that doesn’t happen until chapter ten. Chapter eleven has some mixed up scenes as well. This should have been picked out by proofreaders or editor.

Side note 2: anchoring fists to hips got to stop.

This is a standard cozy mystery. I liked the plot & theme of it, but I found it slow. I also think it is a bit frustrating as it would be talking/do something then it would skip to something else. I feel like there are points/ information missing, I had trouble following the story due to this. #EasierDeadThanDrawn #NetGalley

Easier Dead Than Drawn by Bailee Abbott is another good installment of the A Paint by Murder Mystery. This time main character Chloe Abbington is one of many suspects for the murder of a muralist, spurring her on to find out the identity of the killer of her one time best friend.
The third book in the series is proficiently written, but I found myself skipping over large, overly-detailed sections of it in order to not lose track of the plot. It is also somewhat repetitive, especially in regards to examination of the suspects.
Overall, the mystery itself is intriguing, and any number of characters could be the killer, keeping the reader guessing until the end.
I received an ARC of #EasierDeadThanDrawn from #NetGalley.

When an old close friend of Chloe comes to town to paint a mural, if a chance for the two women to reconnect, Chloe is looking forward to it, and so it appears is Lana. Before the two get a chance to really sit down and catch up, Lana falls to her death while painting the mural.

Chloe herself on the suspect list, she vows to get justice for her friend. Will she be able to uncover clues that the police can’t? Or is the killer a talented artist can cover their tracks without leaving a trace?

There’s always something interesting happening in whisper Cove. And each and every visit delivers a solid whodunit full of red herrings plenty of suspects to keep you guessing.

It seems like I’ve waited forever for Bailee Abbott’s third book of A Paint by Murder Mystery series to be released. The minute I seen it was available as an early read I snatched it up. I loved it. Every single page of it. Abbott always makes her readers wait till almost the end of the book before she reveals the whodunnit. The anticipation kept me flipping the pages. The four sleuths put themselves in harms way as they searched for clues. There were four suspects and every one of them had motive to kill the deceased. The book was unpredictable and the mystery perplexing. It had everything that makes a cozy mystery great.

Since this is the third book in the series I have gotten to know the characters well. This is what makes me wait patiently for the next book in the series. In Easier Dead Than Drawn a close friend of Chloe gets murdered. For Chloe it’s personal but also she finds herself on the suspect list. She and her sister Issie and Willow their shop employee, sift through the clues to find the killer. Who knows that maybe one clue would unlock the mystery. Will justice be done for Chloe’s friend or will her murder end up in the cold case files?

I recommend this book to readers of Cozy Mystery and Suspense. This book can be read as a standalone but for a better reading experience I recommend reading the other two books in the series also.

I read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
#EasierDeadThanDrawn #NetGalley

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received a copy of this digital arc in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

In this book we meet Abigail who runs a paint party shop with her sister Izzie. Abigail invites her best friend to Whisper Cover to paint a mural for the new floating amphitheater. But shortly after arriving Abigail’s best friend dies and the new detective thinks it’s Abigail since she was the one who found her friend. We have quite a few suspects and just as Abigail and friends think they have cleared someone a new motive is revealed. Then finally at the May Fling festival it is revealed to be Nick who stole money from Lena, Abigail’s best friend, in order to save his family’s business. Nick accidentally pushed her while they were arguing. The case is solved and Hunter wants Abigail to meet his mom. I loved the cute names of the town and businesses involved in this cozy mystery. I can’t wait until the next one.