Editorial Review Product Description It’s Christmastime in sleepy Snowcap, Colorado, and the town is up in arms. The venerable Goodwin Estate has been sold to enterprising out of towners and is getting a major makeover just in time for the holidays. Interior designers Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan walked smack into a storm of chaos: the estate’s new owners, including one whose idea of holiday decor involves inflatable elves and a gingerbread facade, are battling among themselves. Erin’s big-talking ex-boyfriend shows up just in time to make Sullivan crazy jealous, and when a local building inspector is found strangled with a strand of Christmas lights, Gilbert and Sullivan begin to suspect it might be time to leave this psychodrama of a project behind.
But after an incompetent sheriff accuses Erin of murder and there’s another gruesome killing, the only way out is to turn detective. Her new job: solve a mystery with too many clues…and far too many guilty parties….
FEATURING DOMESTIC BLISS HOME DECORATING TIPS! ... Read more Customer Reviews (6)
Engaging Holiday Mystery
Sullivan and Gilbert Designs has been hired to decorate a B&B opening up in Snow Cap, Colo. The town has been riddled with controversy with a local developer systematically turning town's idyllic landscape into rows of high-priced condos for wealthy tourists and skiers.
The Goodwin Estate, previously owned by the town's mayor, Henry Goodwin, is in danger of being razed in favor of more profitable condos. To keep this from happening, he sells the estate to three investors, with the caveat that it remains in its original form as a B&B. Developer Wendell Barton (guilty of modernizing the town with condos), along with Erin Gilbert's friend and mentor, Audrey Monroe, and actress Chiffon Walters purchase the property.
Everything is going relatively smoothly until the inspector, Angie, shows up. After giving the home a failing grade, with instructions to repair the home's water system (among other things), the inspector meets a grim fate one night on the B&B's property. Then, Erin's ex, Cameron, shows up and after making some waves, is also found dead. There are more inspection failures that threaten the inn's grand opening date, set for Christmas Eve. When Erin and Steve become prime suspects in both murders, thanks to the hapless Sherriff's shoddy investigation, Erin sets to work to clear their names. It seems like everyone (from the carpenter and contractor Ben Olin to Angie's sister, Mikara who is managing the inn) has something to hide...will Erin find the culprit before its too late?
This delightful mystery includes holiday recipes and decorating ideas. I quite enjoyed reading this book, and now I have plans to go back and read her other "Domestic Bliss" mysteries!
Fast Paced Read
This is the first Caine mystery that I have had the pleasure of reading. It is fast paced, full of twists and mis-direction. There's a wealth of detail and description, but it doesn't bog down. I love it when a writer can place me right there in the room, on the lawn, walking the trail or strolling the shops. Thank you for a good read.
Fun Holiday Mystery
This was the first book I read by this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.I try to read holiday based books every year right before Christmas, and this one did not disappoint.I plan to read others.
www.jennifervido.com
Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan have finally done it. They've given into their unbridled passion and have officially become a couple. Who knew that combining their decorating finesse would eventually lead to romance on the job as well as in the bedroom. Crestview has not only the best interior design team, but also the perfect pair to put this quiet, little Colorado town on the map as a Mecca for cutting-edge designs and trends.
Christmastime has arrived in Snowcap, a neighboring sleepy town, complete with snowflakes and holiday cheer. Unfortunately, all is not calm and bright due to the recent sale of revered Goodwin Estate. So naturally, the new owners call upon the services of Sullivan & Gilbert to help create the perfect holiday setting to help ease the unsettled nerves of the skeptical townsfolk.
What starts off as just another job quickly turns into a decorator's nightmare when the local building inspector winds up dead. Not surprisingly, Erin is once again at the center of the investigation due to her knack for getting caught up in murder and mayhem. As the inn starts to encounter more issues which might prevent it from opening on Christmas Eve, Steve and Erin have no choice but to help find the killer before their newly acquired job turns into a lump of coal.
As the couple try to appease the proprietors with their own version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, Erin's ex-boyfriend shows up on the scene with a vested interest in the inn.As Erin tries to put by-gones aside while focusing on her budding relationship with Steve, another murder takes place which threatens to destroy the future of their business. Who is out to get them? And more importantly, will Steve and Erin be able to survive this murderous test of their love?
HOLLY AND HOMICIDE is the seventh installment of Leslie Caine's highly popular Domestic Bliss Mystery Series. With her quirky cast of characters and seasonal decorating tips, this delightful holiday caper makes the perfect gift for under the Christmas tree.
Great read
I loved reading Holly and Homicide (I love the entire 7 book series) as Leslie knows the right blend of mystery and romance which will keep you from putting this book down. I love the chemistry between Erin and Steve, the two main people, and really enjoy the supporting characters. Leslie's style of writing and her use of words makes it easy for me to come to know these people and quickly invest myself into their lives. Everytime I thought I had figured out who the killer was, I would turn the page and believe it to be someone else. The sexual tension between Erin and Steve is undeniable and their back and fourth banter makes for great humor throughout the book. I highly reccomed this book to anyone looking to lose themselves in a great story!
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