Staging is Murder by Grace Topping is the first book in the NEW “Laura Bishop” cozy mystery series, coming April 30, 2019.

Laura Bishop just nabbed her first decorating commission—staging for sale a 19th century mansion that hasn’t been updated for decades. But when a body falls from a laundry chute and lands at her feet, replacing flowered wallpaper becomes the least of her duties. To clear her young assistant of the murder and save her fledgling business, Laura’s determined to find the killer. Turns out it’s not as easy as renovating a manor home, especially with two handsome men complicating her mission: the police detective assigned to the case and the real estate agent trying to save the mansion from foreclosure. Worse, the meddling of a horoscope-guided friend, a determined grandmother, and the local funeral director could get them all killed before Laura props the first pillow.

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This was a good mystery with a heroine determined to prove the innocence of her assistant when he is arrested for the murder of their employer.

I liked how this mystery was staged from the first chapter, giving me just enough intrigue to whet my appetite for more and the more I read, the more I enjoyed what was going on throughout this tale. All the key elements that makes a good whodunit was present including the heroine, her sidekick, the murder and how it was done, a slew of suspects, clues primed to keep me glued to the pages and the set-up with how each factor played a pivotal role that would lead to the apprehension of the killer. There were a few moments when I wanted to scream at Laura, but that passed as she held her own in her search for a killer. Bonus were the staging tips at the beginning of each chapter. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss.