Grace Topping

I enjoyed this book so much! I had not heard of staging houses as a job before. I have seen it often enough in looking at houses for sale. What an interesting job! I enjoyed the author’s tips at the start of each chapter too. I like Laura. Actually there are a lot of fine characters in the book. I loved Mrs Webster and hope she continues helping Laura. Nita is a true friend..the kind who helps you with a dead body. I love her as Laura’s partner. There’s a couple potential love interest, too, but that doesn’t take over the story. I enjoyed the mystery and trying to figure out the who and why. I did not completely uncover it. I am looking forward to the next book. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, don’t pass this one by.… (mehr)

Laura Bishop is a widow who's been trying to make a new life for herself with a home staging business. She's with her employees at the town square for the Louiston Small Business Fair. They have their booth in front of a funeral home, and the owner has allowed them to use the restroom when necessary. When her employee Nita runs to her telling Laura there's a body inside, she laughs and tells her it is a funeral home. But then Nita tells her it's a man with a knife in his back and everything changes - although Laura doesn't know that yet.

She's also concerned that things have been happening to sabotage her business - like when she ordered a moving truck but the order was cancelled and there isn't any others available. Laura soon discovers that an old school nemesis, interior designer Monica Heller, is dipping her hand into the home staging business, and she's sure the woman is causing her problems. But when she finds Monica standing over the body of another man who'd been stabbed in the back, she wonders if the two murders are related.

While she doesn't want anything to do with either one, when a nun who was once her teacher asks her to help Monica, she folds and agrees. But when she starts looking into the murders, what she discovers is more than she bargained for, and it might just get her killed...

This is the second book in a new series and I loved it as much as the first one. While the author is new to the cozy mystery genre, she's very good at it. Her characters are beginning to come to life, and Laura is beginning to realize that closing herself off from anything not related to work could be harming her. She's also hosting a visit from her Aunt Kit, her late mother's sister, and we're getting an insight into her childhood and how it helped to shape her into the person she is.

The mystery was done very well, with two different men who didn't know each other, and while it seemed that they had nothing in common, we soon see how wrong we were when the pieces of the puzzle start to come together. The portrait it paints is one of greed and how it affects others and changes them. Laura is an intelligent woman who can see the bigger picture and look for things that might seem insignificant but aren't.

I also like the fact that Detective Spangler is warming up to her and not being as hard-nosed as he was in the first book; it makes it so much nicer in the long run. I, for one, don't like police officers who treat the protagonist as if they were insects to be swatted away; and we're learning that Spangler has a human side, which makes him all the more likable. While I saw what was happening with her Aunt Kit, I was pleased to see that my hopes in that area are coming to fruition.

When Laura had put it all together and the murderer was discovered, it was a refreshing scenario that I know has probably not been done before; and I enjoyed it immensely. The ending was satisfying and gave us something to look forward to. Kudos to Ms. Topping on a very fun cozy and I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.… (mehr)

Laura Bishop is starting a new career in home staging. She's been hired by Victoria Denton, who's about as nasty as they come. But Laura needs the job, and she's determined to make the best of it. Along with her is her assistant Tyrone Webster, who has aspirations of becoming a designer. While working with Victoria is difficult, Laura and Tyrone seem to be dealing with it. But things come to a head one day when Tyrone accidentally breaks a vase and Victoria gets angry and demands he leave. It goes from bad to worse when Laura tells him that Victoria is on the panel to decide who receives a scholarship that he desperately wants.

Tyrone chases after her, trying to apologize and and offer to pay for the vase, but she won't budge. Later that day, while Laura is in the basement she has a surprise: Victoria falls through the oversized laundry chute, and she's very much dead. When the police arrive and take control of the situation, Laura is questioned and released. But she soon discovers that Detective Alex Spangler has arrested Tyrone for the murder, and won't be swayed.

Laura is dismayed but doesn't know what to do - that is, until she's approached by Tyrone's grandmother, who raised him. Mrs. Webster begs Laura to find the killer and get Tyrone released. She resists at first, but then reluctantly agrees, since she can't think of any way out. It begins as merely asking questions of people, but soon it becomes apparent that she's been asking the wrong person, because for one who's already killed once, they have no qualms about putting her out of the way forever...

This is the first in a new series, and I really enjoyed it. There were a couple of things that bothered me, so I'll list them and get them out of the way: I didn't care for Monica Heller at all. She's a rival stager, and I only hope she doesn't become the 'evil nemesis.' I really dislike when a series has a person that hates the protagonist and tries to destroy them and/or their business; I don't feel it's necessary to make a great series to have such a person. The second thing that bothered me is in a spoiler below, and I urge you not to read it until after you've already finished the book!

The spoiler can be viewed here:

https://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/staging-is-murder-laura-bishop-mystery...

Anyway, getting past those two items, which I am giving a pass on because as I've stated before, this is the first in a new series, and I felt that the author has done a very good job of weaving a tale of mystery and intrigue, introducing characters that will be interesting to watch as they develop over time. I do like the characters of Laura, Nita, and Tyrone, and Doug . It will be interesting to see where the next book takes us in regard to their lives.

While the action was low-key, it worked admirably. Laura seems to be a kind of low-key gal. I liked the fact that she was uncomfortable in her new position as amateur sleuth; she was asking questions but didn't really know how to go about it and when she confronted people, it seemed right that she was overly blunt, being 'new to the game' as it were. She's a wonderful character and I can't wait to see where the next book takes us.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, I felt that it all came together nicely and was believable. One never knows what another is capable of; or what will drive them to commit murder. It was a very good narrative indeed, and I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.… (mehr)