Staging is Murder

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When Laura Bishop's fledgling decorating company beats out well known rival Monica Heller for the Denton mansion project, Laura is thrilled to have to work. That is until she spends some time with Victoria Denton. In Staging is Murder by Grace Topping, Laura has her work cut out for her with the Denton House in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. Not only is the house huge it is severely outdated, cluttered with figurines and lorded over by angry, rude Victoria Denton. (Staging is Murder will be released by Henery Press on April 30.)

Working with her assistant Tyrone, Laura butts heads with Victoria on a regular basis. Not that she is singled out; Victoria argues with everyone - her former catering business partner Cora Ridley, her ex-husband Skip Denton and even Laura's mild mannered assistant Tyrone Webster.

After working on the house and making some headway, Laura is relieved to have fewer encounters with Victoria. Early one evening while Laura is locking up to go home, she hears a door slam and goes to investigate.  Laura finds Victoria dead at her feet after tumbling down the laundry chute. Was it an accident or something more?

The police arrest Tyrone because he was the last person heard arguing with her and he was seen around the house in the early evening. While Tyrone heads to jail, Laura must keep working on the house to have it ready for the upcoming sale, but Tyrone's grandmother needs her help. Mrs. Webster urges Laura to clear her grandson. Laura pleads she is a designer, not a detective, but Mrs. Webster refuses to take not for an answer.

Using knowledge gleaned from Nancy Drew books, Laura begins her investigation, but it's not as easy as it seems in books.

Laura is an endearing character and I look forward to more of her adventures.