Book Talk: ‘Kill Them with Canvas’ is a portrait of murder
Murder is in the air in “Kill Them with Canvas,” second in the Paint by Murder mystery series by Green author Bailee Abbott. The series is set in Whisper Cove, a touristy town on Lake Chautauqua, with a candle shop, bakeries and a place that sells handmade kites.
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Chloe Abbington and her sister Izzie are well established now with Paint with a View, their art studio that arranges parties for groups, mostly ladies, who paint landscapes or still lifes while they drink wine and chat. This late October week, they’re getting ready for an event sponsored by the Chautauqua Sisterhood, a women’s civic organization, at a historic stone lodge.
One of the ladies is the girls’ Aunt Constance, a high-maintenance and emotional widow who’s the president of the local Sisterhood chapter. Her brother, the Abbington girls’ father, describes her as “spoiled, self-centered, and obnoxious,” but maybe she’s just anxious.
When things are rolling along nicely, Chloe takes a bathroom break and comes across a faceoff between Charlotte and Viola, the director of the Sisterhood’s northern district. Viola tells Charlotte that three chapters are being merged, including Charlotte’s. Charlotte is outraged at the loss of her position as chapter president. Both women leave the building in a rage.
The next morning, the sisters take the ferry across the lake to pick up supplies; on their way, they call Charlotte, who doesn’t answer. When they get to the dock, they find the ferry pilot agitated after finding Viola’s body floating near the shore. Chloe picks up a knit hat from the ground, and it proves to be Charlotte’s.
There is no shortage of suspects, from Dewey, the pilot, to members of the Sisterhood. Charlotte’s daughter arrives in town with sketchy plans to open a craft store next to the art studio and maybe to get a jump start on her trust fund. To defend Charlotte, Chloe reluctantly calls her old boyfriend from New York, a lawyer, despite their breakup and despite her tentative relationship with the detective on the case. It’s a busy plot with lots of red herrings, so the reader will want to pay close attention.
“Kill Them with Canvas” (320 pages, hardcover) costs $26.99 from Crooked Lane. Bailee Abbott also writes the Sierra Pines mystery series, about a bed-and-breakfast in a ski resort, under her real name of Kathryn Long.
‘An Involuntary Traveler’
Yoram Eckstein died in 2020, but his legacy remains in “An Involuntary Traveler: A Memoir from the First 20 Years,” his absorbing account of exile to Siberia during World War II.
Eckstein, who spent 37 years as a geology professor at Kent State University, was born in early 1938 to a Jewish family who lived comfortably in Tarnów in southeastern Poland. In September 1939, they decided to move east, but the Germans were advancing. In June 1940, they were abruptly loaded into boxcars for a two-week train journey.
Life in Siberia is as harsh as expected. In late 1941, they were allowed to leave and made a perilous trip on a homemade raft, ending up in Uzbekistan.
Eckstein ends his memoir with his university studies in Hungary. He includes some eloquent poetry, the last of which is signed “A former Polish Jew.”
“An Involuntary Traveler” (208 pages, softcover) costs $37 from online retailers.
Events
Loganberry Books (13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights): Nick McPherson signs his fantasy “Chosen: The New Order,” 1 p.m. Saturday. At 7 p.m. Thursday, Alice Wong joins the Peculiar Book Club in a virtual discussion of “Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life.” Register at loganberrybooks.com.
Fireside Bookshop (29 N. Franklin St., Chagrin Falls): Mark Darden signs “Elijah Goes to Cleveland,” 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Visible Voice Books (2258 Professor Ave., Cleveland): Poets Brooke Nicole Plummer (“Flyover”) and Tony Brewer (“The History of Projectiles”) read from their work, 4 p.m. Sunday.
Hudson Library & Historical Society: Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, talks about “The Radical Potter: The Life and Times of Josiah Wedgwood” in a Zoom event at 6 p.m. Monday. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, talks about “Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn Your Passion into Profit.” Register at hudsonlibrary.org.
Hower House Museum (60 Fir Hill, Akron): Amanda Flower talks about “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” a historical mystery in which Emily Dickinson’s maid solves a murder, 6:30 p.m. Monday. Reservations appreciated by not required; call 330-972-6909.
Kent State University (Tuscarawas County, Founder’s Hall, 330 University Drive Northeast, New Philadelphia): The One Book, One Community project concludes with two-time National Book Award nominee Deborah Wiles, who will discuss and sign “Kent State,” 7 to 8 p.m. Monday.
Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library: The Online Author Talk Series continues with Bonnie Garmus, who will discuss her debut novel “Lessons in Chemistry,” about a 1960s female chemist who takes an innovative approach to a cooking show, in a virtual appearance at 2 p.m. Thursday. Register at smfpl.org.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma-Snow branch, 2121 Snow Road): Marissa Meyer talks about her young adult fantasy “Cursed,” the sequel to “Gilded,” 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Stark County Public Library (Exploration Gateway, Sippo Lake Park, 5712 12th St. NW, Perry Township): Kimberly Kenney, author of “Stark County Food: From Early Farming to Modern Meals,” presents “The True Story of Thanksgiving,” 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday. Register at starklibrary.org.
Rodman Public Library (215 E. Broadway St., Alliance): Robin Yocum joins the Fogle Author Series, 6 p.m. Wednesday. Register at rodmanlibrary.com.
Brunswick Middle School (1483 Pearl Road): Novelist Mary Kay Andrews (“The Homewreckers,” “Ladies Night”) talks about her many books, 7 p.m. Wednesday. Register at medina.lib.oh.us.
B’Nai Jeshurun Congregation (27501 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland): The 2022-2023 Cleveland Jewish Book Festival kicks off with Israeli actress Noa Tishby, author of “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth.” Admission is $36. Events are scheduled for five venues, plus some virtual appearances; some are free. Early notice for a virtual appearance by Benedetta Jasmine Guetta, author of “Cooking Alla Guetta,” 11 a.m. to noon November 13. Register at mandeljcc.org.
Tuscarawas County Public Library (121 Fair Ave. NW, New Philadelphia): Marty Gitlin, author of many pop culture and sports books, presents “The British Invasion and American Answer: A Musical Journey,” 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Register at tusclibrary.org.
Gospel Book Store (4900 Oak St., Berlin): Brandy Gleason signs “100 Things to Do in Ohio’s Amish Country Before You Die,” 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
Appletree Books (12419 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights): As part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoRiMo), the Writer in the Window event returns every Friday and Saturday in November, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. The featured writer for Nov. 11-12 is Abby VanDiver, who also writes as Abby Collette.
Massillon Public Library (208 Lincoln Way E.): A local author fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St., Hudson): Bob Walker signs his children’s book “Do Kangaroos Have Eyebrows?” 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Akron-Summit County Public Library (Maple Valley branch, 1187 Copley Road): New Franklin resident Clarence Bechter discusses “The Time of My Life with Bubba’s Pampered Pedalers: 3000 Miles from San Diego, California, to St. Augustine, Florida,” about the 52-day bicycle trip he took in 2019 at the age of 67, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Register at akronlibrary.org.
Mac’s Backs (1820 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights): Joelle Presby launches “The Dabare Snake Launcher,” with Marie Vibbert (“The Gods Awoke”) and Patrick Chiles (“Frozen Orbit”), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
Email information about books of local interest, and event notices at least two weeks in advance to BeaconBookTalk@gmail.com and bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com. Barbara McIntyre tweets at @BarbaraMcI.
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Book Talk: ‘Kill Them with Canvas’ is a portrait of murder
