Staging is Murder

GIVEAWAY

TOPPING, GRACE
STAGING IS MURDER

Laura Bishop just nabbed her first decorating commission -- staging for sale a 19th century mansion that hasn't been updated for decades. But when a body falls from a laudnry chute and lands at Laura's feet, removing flowered wallpaper becomes the least of her duties.

To clear your young assistant of the murder and save her fledgling business, Laura's determined to find the killer. Turns out it's not as easy as renovatinga  manor home, especially with two handsome men complicating her mission: the police detective assigned to the case and the real estate agent trying to save the manse from foreclosure.

Worse still, the meddling of a horoscope-guided friend, a determined grandmother, and the local funeral director could get tham all killed before Laura props the first pillow.

My Review:

Woot -- what a fabulous debut in the cozy mystery genre! So much to love about this book and this author (may there be many more untold stories clamoring to escape her clever mind!) Here's some things that really stuck out for me:

Love the staging theme -- it's a nice change from all the bookshop/library/tea shop themed mysteries (though I'm fiercely loyal to those tropes!) -- it's just fun to have something a little different in the cozy mystery mix.

Love that the heroine is a little 'seasoned' -- early forties -- just because that's a bit different too and that kind of life perspective can be refreshing.

Love that Laura isn't very good at sleuthing -- and she knows it. :-) She doesn't think well on her feet and stumbles through questioning people. Subtlety isn't her strong suit which adds a touch of humour and whimsy to the story.

Love the myriad of engaging characters. I either loved 'em or hated 'em. No ambivalence here. But I especially adored Tyrone's grandmother. Mrs. Webster is a firecracker! She manages to be both sweet and formidable and I love her unwavering faith.

Love that it's a clean read.

And I absolutely, positively loved the nod to Father Brown. (insert big grin here.)

Oh -- last, but by no means least -- I listened to the audible version of Staging is Murder and loved Emily Durante's narration. It's zippy and fun and I could tell the reader was enjoying the story as much as I was.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Staging is Murder, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday December 7 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!