1st in Series
Setting – Okanagan Valley in BC, Canada
Publisher: Touchpoint Press
Publication Date: June 13, 2023
Paperback: 252 pages
ISBN-10: 1956851623 / ISBN-13: 978-1956851625
Paint Me A Crime is the first book in author Holly Yew’s great new cozy, art-themed Rose Shore Mystery series, and it kept me reading until I went cover to cover in almost a single sitting. With its warm and friendly small-town atmosphere and community art center setting, this promising debut introduces a reluctant amateur sleuth, an enticing love interest, and a gaggle of fun and engaging supporting characters.
Jessamine Rhodes is a recent transplant to Rose Shores from Vancouver. All we know about the circumstances for her move is that she wanted a slower, more relaxed life. She’s an artist but no longer creates art of her own but promotes the works of others, now in a community art center she has purchased. Although an outsider, the locals welcomed her with open arms. She has a few “light bulb” moments when she realizes the unbelievable speed of the small-town rumor mill. I liked this character a lot and felt she honestly understood and knew that she should stay out of investigating the murder herself but consciously decided to look into aspects related to the case to protect her fledgling business, which is suffering an immediate impact from being a crime scene. Her motivations seemed natural.
New to town, Jessamine has already gained a new best friend, Emilia Kent, and a fabulous pair of coworkers in Andrew and Mollie. Emilia, a transplant from across the pond, owns the local tea shop, and there are frequent references to tea blends and scrumptious-sounding foods. Although elusive initially, Jessamine’s next-door neighbor, Jackson Yeung, makes an excellent potential love interest. Character development felt a tad slim, but the plot more than compensates, and I look forward to their growth in any follow-ups.
The mystery is intriguing, with lots of options for suspects and motives. I was kept in the dark until the reveal, but the clues and action had me guessing. The unofficial investigation follows a logical path, as indicated by the clues and bits of information Jessamine and her friends uncover. As is often said, I was glued to the book from start to finish.
I recommend PAINT ME A CRIME to cozy mystery enthusiasts, especially those who enjoy art-themed plots, small towns in Canada, and stories set in the early fall.
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