Paint the Town Dead

Paint the Town Dead by Nancy Haddock is the second book in A Silver Six Crafting Mystery. Leslie “Nixy” Stanton along with the Silver Six are opening The Handcraft Emporium in Lilyvale, Arkansas. The will be having demonstrations throughout the week, and they will have their very first class. The class is being conducted by Doralee Gordon, gourd artist and instructor. Doralee is teaching the class when it is interrupted by a loud man with two ladies in tow. The man turns out to be Doralee’s ex-husband, Ernie Boudreaux. He brought along his new fiancé, Kim and his sister, Georgine. Ernie states that he taught Doralee everything, and he should be teaching the class. He is going to sit in to make sure she is not using his designs on her gourds (anyone else think he should be locked up). Nixy is glad when the class ends and Ernie and his entourage depart. Then Doralee discovers one of her tools (an awl) is missing. Nixy soon forgets it in the hubbub of the grand opening. The next day Nixy notices a little dog and cat sitting outside her shop in the alley. The two little cuties seem intent upon staying and soon Nixy has two new pets (The Silver Six love them). When Nixy accompanies Doralee to her lodgings, they find Kim Thomason, Ernie’s fiancé, dead in Doralee’s room (along with Doralee’s missing tool). The room has been ransacked. What was Kim looking for or did she interrupt someone else? Someone is intent on setting up Doralee. Nixy and the Silver Six spring into action. They need to find the real culprit and clear Doralee’s name. Can they find the killer? Paint the Town Dead was a charming cozy mystery. I like the characters, the adorable animals, and the setting of Lilyvale, Arkansas. The pace was good and the book held my interest throughout. I wish the mystery had been more complicated. I picked out the killer immediately. I did enjoy reading and following the clues to see if I was right. I give Paint the Town Dead 4 out of 5 stars. The one thing I did not like was the constant mention of lavender. Aster Parsons, a Silver Six member, has lavender in bowls around the shop and has a mist that she sprays quite frequently (to calm people). One or two mentions is acceptable, but at least once a chapter is too much (more like two or three times a chapter). I know I would never be able to enter this store with my allergies (I am highly allergic to lavender). Paint the Town Dead can be a stand-alone book, but I recommend reading the first book Basket Case. It will help you to understand the main characters and their history. I appreciated the descriptions of the various crafts (I love crafting projects). Nancy Haddock is a great descriptive writer. Thanks to her words I could envision the shop and the items in it as well the people. I look forward to reading the next book in A Silver Six Crafting Mystery. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Firstly, author Nancy Haddock has crafted a solid mystery which will hold your attention and provide hours of entertainment. As result you will find yourself totally involved in the life of the Nixy and the Silver Six. Secondly, Ms. Haddock does not rush into murder; she gives the reader time to picture the town of Lilyvale, the citizens, and life in small town USA. The jungle drums in Lilyvale are in top form. Consequently, interaction of the town residents was realistic; noisy, gossipy, and of course, warm and loving. I love small town USA and Lilyvale is small town USA at its finest. Also, Ms. Haddock plotting of this story was very skillful. She does not give away the who, when, how, and why until the end of the book. Needless to say, Ms. Haddock crafted several characters worthy of the title murderer; each could have been the culprit. Furthermore, the inclusion of the two adorable pets, Amber the dog and T. C. the cat, was a stroke of genius. Also, Ms. Haddock gifted the pets with wonderful personalities. As a result, they almost seem human. Ms. Haddock's portrayal of the Silver Six is realistic and charming. She does not depict seniors as people with one foot in the grave. The pacing of the story was correct for the length of the book. Also, the story does not lag or bog down. In concluding the review of Paint The Town Dead, I found Ms. Haddock's writing style clear and fresh without the need for fluff to fill the page. PAINT THE TOWN DEAD, RECOMMENDATION; 4 STARS In conclusion, I do not hesitate to give Paint the Town 4 stars. I found Paint The Town Dead a relaxing clean mystery, which will appeal to anyone that enjoys a solid well-written story. I look forward to book 3 in this series. Finally: I received this book from the author, publisher, and Netgalley in return for an honest book review. Book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion; consequently book reviews on line under my name and on my blog are my opinion,