Carpet Diem

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Oh Tallulah how do you get yourself into such messes? Oh did I give away your secret real name. Who names their daughter Tallulah Graver - sounds like a B actress. In Carpet Diem by Misty Simon, Tallie is competing for a mansion cleaning job with the newly arrived Audra McNeal. Audra is not your typical cleaner. She is glamorous and has a fancy manicure. How does she clean houses? (Carpet Diem will be released by Kensington Publishers on September 24). 

Tallie had hoped she an Audra could be friends even though they were competitors for the cleaning jobs. Audra seemed like a friendly person and she was newly engaged, but Preston Prescott liked to pit them against each other, especially in front of his aunt.

Preston, Mrs. Petrovski's entitled nephew, had been a classmate of Tallie's in high school. They never got along then, and it was worse now. For some reason the owner of the mansion, Mrs. Petrovski, had set up this competition for the job. Preston had become a thorn in Tallie's side. He is enamored with Audra and even takes to sabotaging the room Tallie is cleaning, so Audra can win the contract.

Not one to leave until she manages to clean up his mess, Tallie discovers a carpet in the dumpster and wrapped in the carpet is the lovely Audra, who is very dead. Fortunately Tallie is able to reach the police before a big truck from the trash collecting service rolls into the driveway. She persuades them not to take the dumpster and waits for her cousin Matt to show up.

As Tallie digs deeper into Audra's life she finds some unsavory facts and wonders who could have killed her. Another entertaining book from Misty Simon.

Deceased and Desist

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Tallie Graver has the perfect name for someone from a family that owns a funeral home. In Deceased and Desist by Misty Simon, Tallie isn't involved with the day-to-day at the Graver Funeral Home, as much as her father would like her to be. She operates her own cleaning business and is very happy doing it, thank you very much.

While cleaning the windows of a newly renovated bed and breakfast, Tallie spots a man on a bed through the second floor windows. At first she thinks he's asleep, but then she realizes something is wrong because she can see his back and his face - not anatomically possible unless he is starring in a remake of The Exorcist. 

Climbing down the ladder, she slips halfway down and lands on her hip and shoulder with a bump to her head. When she tries to explain what she saw to the police, they claim the man had a heart attack and died in the bed.

The dead man turns out to be bribeable building inspector Eli St. James. Seems like there were plenty of people in central Pennsylvania who might want Eli dead, but the substitute police chief insists Eli

died of a heart attack and he even threatens Tallie. Though they have had their moments in the past, police chief Burton (who is on convalescent leave) calls Tallie and asks her to stay involved - no matter what Detective Hammond has to say.

Tallie and her pal Gina did deep and find Eli and his brother extorting money from many people for approval of minor home repairs. With so many suspects, and meeting resistance from the acting police chief, Tallie has to tread carefully or her window washing days might be over.

Funny, sassy and snarky at times, Tallie Graver is right up my alley.

Disclosure: I received this book through the publisher.