Paint by Murder series continues with ‘Easier Dead Than Drawn’ | Book Talk

“Easier Dead Than Drawn,” second in the Paint by Murder mystery series by Green author Bailee Abbott, continues the combination of art and murder in a small New York town.

A floating amphitheater was important to Whisper Cove’s tourist economy but wasn’t bringing in enough cash, so it was relinquished to Mayville, another tourist town on Lake Chautauqua. Now it’s back, thanks to a town booster who insists business will be better this time and who has invested his own money in the project.

Chloe Abbington owns the art studio Paint with a View with her sister Izzie. She has recommended that the town commission Lana, a famous artist and friend, to paint a mural promoting the theater. The decision isn’t popular with some residents, nor is the return of the amphitheater; they worry that the added traffic and noise will spoil their peaceful community.

Lana arrives with her boyfriend Nick and two assistants. They are doing a little preliminary work when the ladder Lana is using collapses, though she is not injured. The team calls it quits for the day and agrees to meet later for drinks, but Lana remains to continue working. When Chloe goes to pick her up, she discovers Lana on the ground by the mural, with a broken neck.

Chloe’s ex-boyfriend is getting married; even though Chloe has a new love interest, she’s not sure how she feels about this. Still, he may be the only person who’s not a suspect — including Chloe herself. The small-town setting, with its bickering and politics, is well drawn, as is the relationship between Chloe and Izzie. Their employee Willow rounds out the sleuthing trio (they like to use the word “sleuthing”).

“Easier Dead Than Drawn” (238 pages, softcover) costs $16.95 from Level Best Books . 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.

‘Pizza, Pickles and Apple Pie’

“Pizza, Pickles and Apple Pie: The Stories Behind the Food We Love,” a middle-grade nonfiction book by Columbus cartoonist David Rickert, is a mix of history, silly social studies and some poop jokes.

Rickert has chosen a baker’s dozen common foods and traced their origins, going back as far as 5,000 years to Indigenous peoples who threw corn kernels into fires and waited for them to pop. The development of commercial popcorn, pizza, ice cream and even salad is presented in bright illustrations. (Did you know that Thomas Jefferson loved waffles so much he held “waffle frolics?”)

Rickert notes that several foods, like breakfast cereal and yogurt, became more popular and less healthful when manufacturers began adding sugar and artificial flavorings.

The multicultural bites of history are followed by information about becoming a food historian, creating a food comic and a couple of recipes.

“Pizza, Pickles and Apple Pie” (128 pages, hardcover) costs $19.99 from Kane Press and is recommended for ages 8-12. A second book, “Checkups, Shots and Robots: True Stories Behind How Doctors Treat Us,” is scheduled for November.

Events

The William N. Skirball Writers Center Stage Series has announced its 2024-2025 season. Authors include Julia Quinn (the “Bridgerton” series), Abraham Verghese (“Cutting for Stone”), Shelby Van Pelt (“Remarkably Bright Creatures”) and Erik Larson (“The Devil in the White City.” Series tickets cost $175; single event tickets are $35 and will be sold later in the season. Events will be at Maltz Performing Arts Center at Case Western Reserve University. Go to https://case.edu/maltzcenter.

Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library (Willoughby Hills branch, 35400 Chardon Road): Elizabeth Acevedo reads from “The Poet X,” which won the National Book Award and a Carnegie Medal, and talks about “The Power of Poetry” in a virtual event for grades 9-12, from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Gail Bellamy signs “Cleveland Summertime Memories.” Register at we247.org.

Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma Heights branch, 6206 Pearl Road): Vince Guerrieri talks about “Ten-Cent Beer Night: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy,) 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Ashland Public Library (224 Claremont Ave.): Allison Lawrentz Barnhart talks about “The Record Keeper: The Unfolding of a Family Secret in the Age of Genetic Genealogy,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Register at aaashland.lib.oh.us.

Cuyahoga County Public Library (Middleburg Heights branch, 16699 Bagley Road): Douglas Westerbeke discusses his debut novel “A Short Walk Through a Wide World,” 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Lakewood Public Library (15425 Detroit Ave.): LaTonya Fenderson-Warren talks about “Gift Me with Flowers While I’m Present,” 7 p.m. Wednesday. Register at lakewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Fireside Book Shop (29 N. Franklin Street, Chagrin Falls): The Authors’ Festival 2024 features 21 authors, seven each day from Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. See the list at firesidebookshop.com.

UnBar Café (12635 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights): Lamont Jones, author of “The Gist of Bid Whist: The Culturally Rich Card Game from Black America,” talks to University of Kentucky professor Adam Banks about the history of the card game, 6:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $30 and include a copy of the game, a deck of cards and an hourlong class.

Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St., Hudson): Ralph Davila signs “When Willie Got His Wheels,” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Barnes & Noble (28801 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere): Pennsylvania author Paula Panariello signs her historical novel “The Timepiece,” 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Music Box Supper Club (1148 Main Ave., Cleveland): Janice and Mike Olszewski, with radio host Jim LaBarbara and former Cramps drummer Miriam Linna, join the Cleveland Stories Dinner Parties series to talk about “Mad Daddy: Myers, Mintz and the Moondog and how Cleveland, Ohio, Changed Rock Radio,” 2 p.m. Saturday. Dinner is $25; the lecture is free. Go to musicboxcle.com.

Advance notice of an event sure to sell out: Thriller author Brad Thor (“The Last Patriot”) talks about his new spy novel “Shadow of Doubt” on Aug. 7 at the Parma-Snow branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library. The $30 admission includes a signed copy of the book. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Email information about books of local interest, and event notices at least two weeks in advance to beaconbooktalk@gmail.com. Barbara McIntyre tweets at @BarbaraMcI.

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Paint by Murder series continues with ‘Easier Dead Than Drawn’ | Book Talk