A BRUSH WITH MURDER

Abbott’s novel features one dead woman and two sisters whose bickering keeps them very much alive in Western New York.

Chloe Abbington has ditched her boyfriend and her life in New York City to return home to Whisper Cove, a charming town on Chautauqua Lake, to help her sister, Izzie, get her shop on Artisan Alley up and running. Both women are talented members of an artistic family who have yet to make it on their own in the highly competitive art world. The opening of Paint Your Shop is marred by murder when unpopular reporter Fiona Gimble is stabbed with a painting knife after insulting a number of local business owners. Chloe, who’s unlucky enough to find the body in the alley behind the store, feels she’s being targeted by Detective Hunter Barrett even though Fiona had many enemies. Many of the business owners are old school friends of the sisters, and some, especially Izzie’s friend Megan, are acting very oddly. Even Izzie refuses to provide Chloe with an alibi. But after Chloe gets a warning to mind her own business, her curiosity and love for Izzie won’t let her ignore the murder. When her former boyfriend shows up in an attempt to win her back, she discourages him but is willing to use his contacts to dig up information. An arson and rumors of someone trying to buy up Artisan Alley to build lakeside condos give Chloe much to think about and threaten her with danger when she gets too close to the truth.

Plenty of local color blends with romance, an intrepid detective, and a tricky mystery.