DEATH BY INFERIOR DESIGN

Author: Leslie Caine ISBN: 0440241758 11/2004 MYSTERY Publisher: DELL

A Perfect Design. . .For Murder It was a great opportunity, a beautiful day, and a perfect setting: home designer Erin Gilbert was headed to a lovely Crestview, Colorado, neighborhood to engage in a friendly little design contest with her nearest and less-than-dearest competitor, the unspeakably handsome Steve Sullivan. Erin would do a room in one home. Across the street,Steve would do another. Between Gilbert and Sullivan, may the best eye win. . . . Neither designer could suspect that rearranging two spaces on a winter weekend would set off an uproar in the neighborhood – of quirky homeowners, passionate secrets, and marriages in need of extreme makeovers. Looking for a friend in this perilously unhinged environment, Erin wants to think that Steve might turn from competitor to ally . . . . But somewhere between her faux wall finish and her custom window treatments, Erin is in for a shock: It seems that her killer has created this designing job just for her!

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Who done it? DEATH BY INFERIOR DESIGN had me guessing who was behind the sinister plot against Erin Gilbert until the very end!

Erin is a young and very talented interior designer who finds herself in a neighborhood from hell! Erin takes on a job to decorate one room of a client’s house in a contest against her nemesis, Steve Sullivan. The best design school in the country couldn’t prepare them for what they find in this neighborhood. Neighbor hating neighbor, neighbor sleeping with neighbor, and more. Someone in the neighborhood knows more about Erin’s life than she does, and they are slowly unraveling the great mystery. I kept thinking I knew who the bad guy was, but I was wrong!

For those who like mysteries and solving crimes, you will really enjoy DEATH BY INFERIOR DESIGN. You might also get some helpful design and decorating tips just in time for the holidays!

Carrye Syma