Welcome to the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Still Knife Painting (A Paint & Shine Mystery) by Cheryl Hollon. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, spotlights, reviews and more!
Still Knife Painting (A Paint & Shine Mystery)
by Cheryl Hollon
I received this book free to review; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive compensation at no cost to you.
Still Knife Painting (A Paint & Shine Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (June 30, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Miranda Trent has set up a sweet life in a scenic corner of Appalachia—until she stumbles across the trail of a killer . . .
After inheriting her uncle’s Red River Gorge homestead in Eastern Kentucky—smack dab in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest—Miranda comes up with a perfect business plan for summer tourists: pairing outdoor painting classes with sips of local moonshine, followed by a mouthwatering sampler of the best in southern cooking.
To Miranda’s delight, Paint & Shine is a total success—until someone kills the cook. As the town’s outsider, suspicion naturally falls on Miranda. Murdering the best biscuit baker of Red River Gorge is a high crime in these parts. Miranda will have to prove her innocence before she’s moved from farmhouse to jail cell faster than she can say “white lightning” . . .
My review of Still Knife Painting
Have you ever been to a paint & sip event? Or maybe it was something else crafty like yarn art, but you probably had some sort of adult beverage while you were being creative. If you haven’t been to an event like that, you’ll get a taste of what it’s like in Still Knife Painting,..hopefully without the murder!
Miranda has spent the last few years of her life eking out a living as an artist in New York City. When she hears that she’s inherited her Uncle Gene’s home and land, she happily makes the move to Kentucky. The place is paid for, but she’s got to pay the property taxes. Since art is Miranda’s life, she decides to combine art, food, and moonshine to create her new business: Paint & Shine.
The setting of Still Knife Painting couldn’t be more beautiful. I’ve always wanted to live by the ocean, but living in the mountains would be wonderful too (just no bears or snakes please). This setting is perfect for Miranda’s business too. She aims to take tourists to a beautiful spot to paint while they hear a little about the history of the location. After the art excursion, there will be good old home cooking paired with locally made moonshine.
But the best laid plans often go awry… Miranda’s first tourist group ends up in the middle of a murder investigation when one of the cooks winds up dead in the kitchen. Since this is a cozy mystery, we know Miranda is going to wind up as either a suspect or the one who solves the crime…or both! Miranda’s got an advantage over the average amateur sleuth since she’s an artist. She’s got a keen sense of observation and can sketch out suspects and settings to help her keep things straight.
As with lots of first books in new series, we meet a lot of characters with whom we’ve got no to get acquainted. I feel like I’ve got a pretty good grasp on Miranda and a couple of the other characters, though I’m sure as the series progresses, they and others will gain more depth of personality. I’m always drawn to the quirky characters, and there are a few in here that I hope to get to know better.
I think Still Knife Painting is a cozy mystery you’ll enjoy, and the Paint & Shine Mystery Series is off to a good start.
Character Interview
What is your full name?
Miranda Dorothy Trent
Were you close to your uncle? And did you expect to inherit when he died or was it a shock?
My Uncle Gene was my favorite uncle in the whole world. He took over the ancestral farm after my mother’s parents died. He was a confirmed bachelor and didn’t like modern ways. I spent my summers running barefoot through the fields of corn and tobacco. I learned how to fish, climb trees, bake biscuits, and whittle a cedar flower. It was a complete shock to learn that he left the farm to me in his will.
What did you do before you inherited your uncle’s place? Did you live locally or was this a total life change?
I’ve always been fascinated by painting the beautiful foothills and sandstone cliffs in the Daniel Boone National Forest. After I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design, I went to New York City to make my fortune. It was harder than you can believe. So, when I was notified that the farmhouse was mine, I was delighted to return.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, I have a little apricot terrier mix rescue puppy named Sandy. I think its more accurate to say that he has me under his pawsitively adorable control.
What’s your favorite southern treat?
My favorite is hot fresh-out-of-the-oven biscuits slathered with fresh homemade butter and wild clover honey.
Thanks, Miranda, for letting us get to know you a little better!
About Cheryl Hollon
Cheryl Hollon now writes full-time after she left an engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind her house in St. Petersburg, Florida, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass, and painted glass artworks. Visit her online at http://cherylhollon.com, on Facebook or on Twitter @CherylHollon.
Purchase Links:
Amazon
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TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 29
Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST
Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 30
The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
The Book Decoder – REVIEW
July 1
Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
July 2
Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 3
Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT
The Avid Reader – REVIEW
July 4 – OFF
July 5
Cozy Up with Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 6
Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 7
Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
Jane Reads – GUEST POST
July 8
Thoughts in Progress – CHARACTER GUEST POST
StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
July 9
Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 10
MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 11
Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
Here’s How It Happened – GUEST POST
July 12
Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST
July 13
Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT
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I’d love to read this cozy!
Cozy mysteries are my favorites.