Death a Sketch

Book excerpt: In eastern Kentucky, Miranda Trent runs a unique tour company called Paint & Shine, but sometimes the peaceful mountains play host to murder . . . Miranda’s business—combining Appalachian adventure tours with art and a bit of moonshine—is the perfect place for an outdoor sporting goods company to hold an employee retreat. It’ll be a challenge, but the money they’re paying will definitely help with building her new distillery. Miranda has lots of teamwork-fostering activities planned, from sketching classes to Southern cooking, but the executive running things prefers a more competitive spirit. In fact, after the workers are split into teams, they’re told that only the winners will keep their jobs, and tensions begin to spike. Even after a participant is found dead, the contest continues—while Miranda starts drawing her own conclusions about the ambitious attendees. Now she just has to find the proof . . . Praise for STILL KNIFE PAINTING “With its colorful characters, charming Southern setting, and well-plotted mystery, the Paint & Shine series is the perfect blend of all things cozy.” —Ellery Adams, NYT and USA Today bestselling author “Using a palette of clever plot twists and intriguing characters, Cheryl Hollon creates a richly drawn world that's both bucolic and dangerous in Still Knife Painting. Readers will take a shine to this addictive new series!” —Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron “Set against the blazing backdrop of an Appalachian fall, Still Knife Painting serves up a tasty stew of murder and moonshine. In this series debut, Cheryl Hollon weaves a tale as complex and country as the antique braided rug that figures in the story." —BarbaraRoss, author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries