Book Review: Death by Inferior Design

Reviewed By: Dawn Dowdle

Death by Inferior Design     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Leslie Caine
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character   Cozy
Series: Domestic Bliss Mysteries # 1
Dell, Paperback, 11/04, 372 pages, $6.99

Erin Gilbert has been hired to redo their bedroom by Carl Henderson. He is surprising his wife. When Erin arrives, she finds out that her competitor, Steve Sullivan, has been hired to redo the neighbor’s den. Apparently a competition has been set up between the two by a third neighbor, Randy Axelrod. He plans to write a story on the winner for his magazine Denver Lifestyles. Neither Erin nor Steve knew about this, but they accept the contest as they could use the free publicity.

Carl’s son, Taylor, is to be the carpenter for both designers. Erin soon discovers that he isn’t the easiest to work with, nor is he the best carpenter. But due to time and money constraints, she vows to do the best she can with what she has to work with.

While removing the paneling in Carl’s bedroom, Erin discovers her baby picture and some letters. She was adopted, but her mother made her swear, before she died, to never search for her biological parents. Could they be one of these neighbors? Erin has a tough time knowing what to do.

Then Randy keels over and dies at the hospital. Apparently he was poisoned. Someone shoots at Erin’s car.

Things keep heating up and Erin soon feels she has to discover the truth about her adoption, as well as figure out who killed Randy.

I enjoyed Erin Gilbert and the tension between her and Steve Sullivan. The contest was very believable with all the reality t.v. shows. But since I’m not into interior design, I found there to often be too much description for my liking. Plus I felt that 372 pages was a bit too long. I do plan to read more in this series as they are published, because I enjoyed Gilbert and Sullivan. I just hope they aren’t all as many pages. I recommend this book.

Dawn Dowdle

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Dawn Dowdle

Please visit Dawns website at www.mysteryloverscorner.com