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Paint by Murders is an original, as of yet unpublished, mystery novel. It is the first in a series of Harrisburg Homicides. It is written, hosted, and narrated by M. Travis DiNicola.

This first podcast episode includes the prologue and the first two chapters - it opens with a prologue featuring the transcript of a performance by the internationally known bad-boy performance artist Alan Moonshine. It was during this live performance that Moonshine discovered his father had died. The first few chapters of the book then introduce us to Keith Reed, a painter, and his wife, Ginger. Keith is visiting Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and convinces his wife that it is the cozy town they have been looking to move to. We are also introduced to the Capital City on the Susquehanna River when Keith and Ginger move from Michigan to their new home.

Overview: The Capital city and its art galleries, bars, restaurants, and long-held secrets are featured in this cozy-inspired mystery that is as unpredictable as the mighty Susquehanna River it sits on.

When painter Keith Reed stumbles across a dead body in a Harrisburg bookstore, he doesn’t yet know that the victim was bludgeoned with an autographed brick once used in a work by the internationally famous “bad boy” artist Alan Moonshine. Moonshine has been dead for ten years, but his dangerous legacy pushes Keith and his wife, Ginger, to try to paint a picture of what happened before anyone else is murdered, or before Keith’s narcolepsy catches him napping at the worst possible moment.

After a local art gallery recreates a few of Moonshine’s outrageous performances, the actor who portrayed Moonshine is arrested for the crime. Keith suspects that the real killer is still on the loose in this river town: a theory that proves true when a second body is found, floating in the Susquehanna.

Like any good amateur detective mystery there are cats, detailed descriptions of gourmet meals, unique locations, and a quirky community. However, there are also “recreations” of Alan Moonshine’s most important performances, thought-provoking observations about the contemporary art world, and genre-bending moments that bring this story alive.

Each episode of this podcast, dropping once a week, will feature subsequent installments from the novel.

If you would like more information about the project, of have comments you would like to share, please do so on the social media pages where you found this, or email me at paintbymurders@gmail.com

Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoy the story!