Death by Inferior Design

Erin Gilbert, the owner of Interiors by Gilbert, has had bad feelings about this weekend job since the day she had agreed to it. Something isn’t right, and when she spotted her arch nemeses, and the owner of Sullivan Designs, van in her customer’s driveway, she knew her instincts had been correct. Moments later she would learn that this weekend was a competition in which she would design a room in her customer’s house and next door Steve Sullivan would be designing a room. The winner would then get to decorate a room for the editor of “Denver Lifestyles” which in turn would be great publicity for either business.

With what seemed like a decent competition, Erin decided to give it her best and finally show Steve that she belonged in the interior design world. Things aren’t always what they seem and soon Erin will find a baby picture of herself hidden inside a wall in the room she is designing. Knowing she was adopted and not much else, she couldn’t understand why or how it had gotten there unless someone put it there deliberately. Although curious about the picture, she didn’t let that consume her, but when the editor of “Denver Lifestyles” and judge in the competition winds up dead, Erin realizes she may be in over her head. Soon Steve Sullivan may be the only person she can trust!

Leslie Caine gives her readers a funny, quirky storyline with Erin Gilbert and a book full of other humorous characters. Although this is a great mystery, there are also design tips thrown in throughout the book entitled “Domestic Bliss”. One of the funniest and most loved characters in this book is non other than Erin’s landlady, Audrey Munroe. Her design tips while somewhat extravagant at times are truly tips that we as readers can learn from.

With humorous characters and design tips, one might ask where the mystery is. Well, it is definitely in the book. Once you start reading you want to know more about the picture and can’t wait to find out where this journey will end for Erin. Readers will not know who the true murderer is until the end and that in itself is a major surprise. With a neighborhood full of suspects, one will never guess who the villain is. Death by Inferior Design is Leslie Caine’s first book in her “Domestic Bliss” series and will hook readers. This reviewer cannot wait until the next installment is released!

Reviewed by: JoAnn