Draw and Order

 Draw and Order is the second book in Cheryl Hollon’s Paint and Shine mystery series. I devoured book one in this series, so when I heard there was a book two, I was eager to get my hands on it. Getting back to the little country town that Miranda is now calling home, and getting to know more of the characters was something I was looking forward to.

Miranda’s business is growing, and she’s taking steps to fulfill the requirements for her to keep the property. Things are looking up for her, but it seems that she’s about to be hit with a few potholes along the way. It all starts with a group of rock climbers who call themselves the Risky Business Adventurers. What is supposed to be a simple excursion and meal turns into something more when one of the group literally stumbles across the remains of one of their own. The location of the remains leads Miranda to believe that it’s her long-missing cousin, Howard Cable...and former group member of the Risky Business Adventurers. Due to budget (aka political issues) the sheriff wants to chalk it up to an accident, but there are clues that point otherwise.

Draw and Order, for me, fails to be as good as the first book in this series. While the author gives readers quite a few new characters to be engaged by, the actual mystery falls flat. Cozy mysteries aren’t always chock full of drama and thrills, but I feel that this book needed something to give an energy boost. There are some problems that Miranda deals with that had me really thinking that it was sabotage of some sort to distract her from her investigation. Apparently, they were just...regular problems that she had to deal with? It seemed a bit convenient, these problems, but instead of adding to the mystery/drama...they are just red herrings. It’s a bit disappointing, but not everything needs to be related to the mystery of her cousin, right?

I feel that there was more day-to-day life in this book in comparison to the first. I will say that I like that Miranda and Doris Ann Norriss, the receptionist, has smoothed out their issues and are friendlier now. The relationship between Miranda and Austin is growing, but slowly. Honestly, it’s hard to really tell what’s going on with them (whether they are in a relationship or not). I’m not saying that they should be hot and heavy (lol) I just want something a bit more established that indicates that they are indeed together. Most of the time it comes off more as that they are getting together to eat meals or work the case.

My biggest disappointments with this story come from how flat the storyline is. You get a few blips of excitement, but they are just that...blips. The reveal, similar to book one, is once again disappointing. The lead-up to the reveal, leaves you second-guessing that person is truly the bad guy. The ending is honestly disappointing and leaves me feeling dissatisfied. While this book is overall a page-turner for me, it’s mostly to get back to the mystery and see where it all leads. The whodunit question that demands to be answered.

While we don’t get as much scenery or amusing anecdotes concerning the characters, this book still manages to be an enjoyable novel. I’m hopeful that the next book will be able to recapture that nice balance that book one had so that it becomes truly engaging again. I’m choosing to rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. While it falls more than a little flat on the main mystery, there are several smaller ones that kept me digging deeper. If you enjoyed the first book in this series and are eager to continue the series, I encourage you to do so. I look forward to what the author’s next book.  

Still Knife Painting

Prepare to dive into Cheryl Hollon’s newest cozy mystery novel set in the beautiful rural area of Eastern Kentucky. The author introduces readers to her newest main character Miranda Tolson, who, after inheriting her uncle’s homestead is hoping to be able to make her new business “Paint and Shine” a success in order to meet the requirements of his final will and wishes. The question soon becomes…can she at the very least make ends meet when a murder happens after her first painting class? Things don’t look good for her when she becomes the main suspect as locals are quick to remind her…and the police that she and the murder victim argued…a lot. Miranda is in for a real task in proving her innocence and keeping her business afloat as best that she can. Question is…who killed the cook…and why?

Still Knife Painting is a well –written cozy mystery that is full of tasty food (and recipes, too! Yum!), smooth moonshine, secrets, a touch of romance, and a few close calls of danger. The author gives readers the main character that is coming from the big city back to a small town and the small-time life. You can tell that Miranda isn’t used to small-town life and the complications of it, but she overall handles the whole situation pretty well. I’ll say this; she handles a couple of moments better than I would have when dealing with certain individuals in the story.

I like the way that the author writes the characters overall. You can honestly see them existing in this small town in Kentucky and going about their daily business. The descriptions of the scenery and events in the story are so well done that when the characters are tearing down the dirt roads kicking up dust I can almost taste it. Haha! The author shows the dynamic differences between what Miranda is familiar with and how some more rural towns are towards outsiders. There is some serious tension between two characters with a years’ long grudge. I was honestly surprised that after all this time these two grown men were still holding on to things that should have been let go of a long time ago.

This book is a soft cozy mystery. There is some thrill of danger and a couple moments of where you are pulled to the edge of your seat with the intensity of the moment, but there isn’t a lot of drama and thrills to go with this book. The focus is mostly on Miranda as she goes from having a decent beginning to her business to struggling to keep it afloat as she is painted as a killer by the police and those who don’t approve of the moonshine aspect of her business.

The author writes in some humorous moments throughout the book to help lighten the mood which I really enjoyed. One moment that almost had me waking the whole house was after the murder when the police begin to arrive. When the author has Miranda likens one of the officers to Barney Fife and then he actually SOUNDS like Barney Fife I almost howled. I had to choke back peals of laughter and that was all I could think of and hear when reading about that particular character.

My only real disappointment with this book is the revelation of the killer. I was expecting a bit more. For me, there isn’t a big REVEAL. The build-up is decent, but the revelation is…a bit disappointing for me. I have to say that the lead-up is absolutely tragic and gives readers a view into the past that speaks of unfairness and even cruelty.

All in all, I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. The mystery is well done overall and I love how true to life the characters and settings are. There is a good deal of drama, and even some hints of romance, but the romance never takes over the storyline. The author keeps it on the fringes but hints at more in the future between the two characters. I’m looking forward to reading what new danger Miranda will encounter with future books.