Staged to Death by Karen Rose Smith is the first book in the new “Caprice De Luca” mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, December 2013

Welcome to Kismet, PA, where home stager Caprice De Luca helps her clients shine in a lackluster real estate market–and where someone may only be in the market for murder.

Caprice De Luca has successfully parlayed her skills as an interior designer into a thriving home staging business. So when her old high school friend Roz Winslow asks her to spruce up her mess of a mansion to perk up a slow buyer’s market, Caprice is more than happy to share her skills. But when Roz’s husband Ted is found skewered by one of his sword room’s prized possessions, it appears the Winslows may have a few skeletons in their palatial closets. With the stage set for murder, Caprice will discover she can track down an antique tapestry and a cold-blooded killer with equal aplomb–as long as she’s not the next victim.

I like it. This is a good mystery that flowed evenly from chapter to chapter and kept me involved in all phases as I progressed towards a finale that was befitting this light-hearted whodunit. The author did a good job in presenting this well-staged tome with a strong sense of family starting with our heroine, Caprice whose determination to see justice puts her in the cross-hair of a killer. With a great supporting cast, a unique sense of style and good conversations, this is a wonderful entre into the cozy genre and I can’t wait for the next book in this enjoyably delightful series.

previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog