Draw and Order
The Blurb
For her latest excursion, Miranda is thrilled to take a close-knit group of rock climbers, the Risky Business Adventurers, up the challenging Battleship Rock Trail to paint and sample moonshine. But the outing is cut short when they discover a skeleton near the trailhead. Even more startling, the bones belong to Howard Cable, Miranda’s cousin…and a former classmate of the Risky Business group.
The sheriff chalks it up to a hiking accident, but Miranda isn’t convinced that Howard, an experienced woodsman, died within sight of a well-marked trail. So, with the help of Ranger Austin Morgan, Miranda sets out on her own investigation and discovers that the Risky Business group is keeping plenty of secrets. But is one of them hiding the truth about Howard’s death?
The Details
Series: A Paint ‘n’ Shine Mystery – Book #2
Author: Cheryl Hollon
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Business
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 336
Rating: 
The Review
Draw and Order is the second book in the new “A Paint ‘n’ Shine Mystery” series. The main character, Miranda, is still developing but is already interesting enough to make readers want to learn more about her. An artist and soon-to-be distillery owner, Miranda brings readers into a new and exciting world that is as old as time. (In case readers don’t know, “shine” is moonshine, which has been made in those glorious mountains throughout the Appalachians since men took refuge in the forests.) The introduction of Miranda’s mother in this newest addition is wonderful, and I hope she remains a part of the series. Other recurring characters are fun and entertaining, with none of the usual slow-to-grow entanglement. Austin is amazing, and clearly, Miranda is falling for him.
Taking an experienced tour group up the mountain for a paint, southern cooking treat, along with moonshine cocktails, is Miranda’s bread and butter, but finding a body along the way isn’t part of the tour. This isn’t the first time Miranda has found a body, but it becomes personal. She believes that the remains might be those of her lost cousin, who disappeared without a trace many years ago. After having her fears confirmed, she sets out to find his killer, and some of the suspects are members of the tour group.
The suspects are instantly in the picture in this story, but their motives are not. They may love the great outdoors, but it’s too much of a coincidence that they all knew Miranda’s cousin. Seeing each of them as someone who would kill isn’t difficult for readers. Evidence is all around; it just takes a bit of work to filter it out. The killer isn’t hard to figure out, but the tension of uncovering the identity is almost Miranda’s undoing. The paint and shine tour is a delightful premise for Draw and Order and the series, and gives the books a unique way of always bringing in new characters without inventing excuses. If you have never tasted authentic moonshine, I highly recommend that readers travel to the Appalachians and give it a try. There is nothing quite like the original taste or atmosphere, and if you have an artistic bent, you will love to paint those beautiful mountains.
The Author
Cheryl Hollon writes full-time after she left an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling a lifetime dream, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating
glass art. In the small glass studio behind her house, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass, and painted glass artworks. But does she create moonshine? Cheryl and her husband live in downtown St. Petersburg, FL.
Readers will want to read book one in the “A Paint & Shine Mystery” series, Still Knife Painting to get a good feel for the characters and backstory.
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