The Design is Murder

In Jean Harrington's The Design is Murder, the 5th installment in the Murders by Design cozy mystery series, this gripping tale about secrets and lies would have you shaking your head. For Devalera "Deva" Dunne, an interior designer in Naples, Florida, she had gotten more than she bargained for, when she took out two projects from two clients who live across the street on Whiskey Lane. First, she handled the Hawkins household, when she discovered a loose python, and then uncovered Connie Rae's dead body. Although Stew Hawkins had a past of domestic violence, Deva had thought otherwise. While she planned her wedding to Detective Victor Rossi and build a new home with him, Rossi had his own druthers and placed his under suspicion. Then, when she worked for James Stahlman, she learned that Hawkins's ex-wife is now his fianceé and is wary of him wanting him back. But like Stew, he had a secret of his own, too. His wife Marilyn had supposedly turned up alive, when he was under suspicion for her murder. And when she returned, she wanted vengence and her money back to start a new life. But when Kay Hawkins had turned up dead in the swimming pool, it had turned Deva's world upside down, when both neighbors had lost their loved one. While it was up to Deva to find out who had done and look for clues on the culprit, before it might be too late for her, too.

This was a very good new cozy mystery for me. I've learned a lot about interior design and how they work on a project (or two) with the insightful knowledge of the career. I did enjoy Deva (love her name) and how she operated out of her own shop in Naples, Florida. I've found Victor a charming man and possibly her perfect love match. I've loved the Naples location compelling and mesmerizing with rich descriptions for the scenic settings that made it pop on the page. This would make you bit your lip, take a deep breath, swoon, sigh, and groan with non-stop action, drama, intrigue and suspense along the way.

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