Sam (Samantha)has recently completed art school but is unable to find a job in her field so is thrilled to receive a coveted spot in an artist’s retreat. Not long after the retreat is opened, things begin to disappear and, shortly after, one of the artists is murdered. When police tell everyone they must remain at the retreat, Sam decides to investigate and it soon becomes evident that many of the artists are keeping secrets, at least one of which was worth killing for.

Drawn to Murder is the third novel in the Triple-Decker Mystery series by Sarah Vernon but the first I’ve read. However, it worked fine as a standalone and, for the most part, it is an enjoyable locked room mystery. There were plenty of suspects, perhaps too many, because we learn very little about them which made it hard to keep them straight and there is little action to keep the story moving or ramp up suspense.

Still, Sam is a likeable protagonist and the setting of an isolated farm with a creepy basement added a touch of foreboding to the tale so, overall, I can say I enjoyed the book enough that I can recommend it as a fun fast read for a lazy afternoon. ( )

Drawn to Murder by Sarah Vernon takes place at an artists' retreat in Vermont. The main character, Sam, creates pottery, while others in the group are painters, sculptors, woodworkers, and more. When one of the group is murdered, Sam, of course decides to figure out who did it.
This type of “locked room” mystery requires good character development so that motivations can be used to at least discover clues to the crime, if not solve it. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot here, and I never could keep track of who was who between characters. There were some decent red herrings, but the final reveal didn’t really connect.
The setting in an old house in the country with outbuildings and woods was sufficiently creepy to lend just a bit of atmosphere. It was also nice to see some diversity represented in the characters. There is something about Sam’s personality that is warm and makes you want to hang out with her, despite her insecurities.
All in all, this book was fine, with some interesting facts about various art forms, but lacking in the mystery.
Thank you to the author and librarything for proving the digital ARC. ( )

Drawn to Murder is a quick read that is bound to please any mystery lover. Ms. Vernon keeps the reader in suspense all the way through, providing the reader with a slate of possible suspects, but not revealing the murderer until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed spending a rainy day reading the book cover to cover. ( )

For a murder mystery, this book wasn't much of a page turner. There were too many indistinguishable characters, to even try to figure out who did what, or why. It was unbelievable, to me, that the lead character would consistently put herself in situations where she was totally alone while there was a killer living in the same house. Was that done for thrill value? There were too many unanswered questions at the end, though the art related lesson learned at that point was a valuable one for me. It was, thankfully, a short book, with a bit of humour here and there, but there was nothing memorable about it. I received this book free from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Samantha is a recent grad of art school. She grabs a rare opportunity to be part of an art residency program.

There she meets fellow artists. She realizes they all have something in common. They are all struggling to be successful. The reality was that they all needed other positions in order to maintain their art passion.

Samantha enjoys ceramics. Her expertise is finely described ANF the varying techniques are fascinating. Other artists are creating painting, sculpture and are equally interesting.

Things begin to get weird when personal items come up missing, seemingly insignificant. Then one of the artist is found murdered.

Sam has snooped before. (Previous book) and can't seem to help herself in researching each of her fellow residents and searching the old farms
house for clues.

There is the detective who arrives and questions everyone. Thankfully, there is no silly romantic attraction.

It was a average who done it. The characters needed a little more development. The ending felt rushed and the reasoning for the crimes need more depth. But the art depiction and technique descriptions were fascinating.

I have not read the previous books. If I find them for free or at the library, I may pick them up. On the other hand, I now want to find more fiction with ceramics as I love looking and collecting it. ( )