A Caprice De Luca Mystery Series

Quiet Kismet, Pennsylvania, may look like any other small town, but as a home stager, Caprice De Luca can see behind closed doors--and it seems someone has designs on murder. . . Life is a full house for Caprice these days. She's dating, she's rescuing adorable cocker spaniels, and she's decorating the roomy interiors of Kismet's most well-heeled residents with fun fantasy themes. But she's worried about her pregnant sister. Bella's marriage is coming apart like a bad wallpaper job, and to make matters worse, she's decided to meet up with a former flame Bob Preston, a house painter Caprice frequently employs. When he's found dead in a pool of green paint swirling with blood, it's time for Caprice to stage an investigation. With all eyes trained on Bella's husband, Caprice shifts her attention from finding the perfect curtains to finding the perfect culprit. . . Praise for Staged to Death "A fascinating inside look at the art of home-staging--but did I mention it's also an elegantly crafted murder mystery featuring an irresistible sleuth?" --Leslie Meier

A home stager finds a few skeletons in her client’s closet in this cozy series debut—“an elegantly crafted murder mystery featuring an irresistible sleuth" (Leslie Meier).   Former interior designer Caprice De Luca has parlayed her skills into a thriving new career as a home stager, helping the people of Kismet, Pennsylvania, make their homes shine in a lackluster real estate market. When her old high school friend Roz Winslow asks Caprice to spruce up her mess of a mansion, she’s happy to share her skills. But when Roz's husband Ted is found skewered in the sword room, it seems that Caprice has been setting the stage for murder.   When suspicion falls on Roz, it looks like she’ll be making a new home in the State Penitentiary. Determined to clear her name, Caprice starts applying her eye for detail to gathering clues and catching the real killer.   "A cozy blend of murder and romance. A fun read--with recipes!" --Laura Levine

Between training her new puppy, helping her sister with her baby, and searching for the perfect vintage dress for Kismet's Valentine's Day dance, home-stager Caprice De Luca has a lot on her to-do list. But she's never too busy to do a little staging, and she's looking forward to thawing February's frozen real estate market with her Hearts and Flowers Open House. Her client Louise Downing's romantically decorated home practically staged itself. But when Louise is found murdered, Caprice is forced to turn her attention from sweethearts to suspects. And as the truth comes out in stages, she discovers that Louise had more secrets than a box of chocolate truffles. . . Praise for Staged to Death "A fascinating inside look at the art of home-staging--but did I mention it's also an elegantly crafted murder mystery featuring an irresistible sleuth?" --Leslie Meier

These days, home stager Caprice De Luca’s calendar is a full house. Her grandmother’s health is failing, her wayward uncle is stirring the pot, and she’s torn between two equally eligible suitors. With so much drama in her personal life, Caprice is grateful to have Ace Richland, a former 80s rock star, ask her to stage his girlfriend’s house. But Alanna Goodwin is a tough customer who balks at Caprice’s ideas and all but commandeers the staging. Caprice almost isn’t surprised when the snappish Southern belle is strangled to death with a tieback from her tacky velvet drapes. But just as she draws back the curtains on the truth, Caprice realizes she may be next on a murderer’s set list…

Business has never been better for home stager Caprice De Luca, but her personal life could stand a few renovations. Just when she thought things were getting serious with her boyfriend Grant, his pretty ex-wife swoops into town and nabs his attention. Uncle Dom is living with her parents and desperately needs a new job. And her sister Nikki's catering business is threatened when rival Drew Pierson starts eating away at her share of the market. Things could not possibly get more chaotic when Drew is found  bludgeoned to death by one of his grandmother's antique Tiffany lamps--and Nikki is the number one suspect. Now, Caprice must act fast to illuminate the truth and clear her sister's name--before a cold-blooded killer puts her lights out next… Praise for Deadly Décor "The perfect combination of animals, a delightful cozy town and a suspenseful mystery." --Cozy Mystery Book Reviews.net

Between her booming business, her family, and her work rescuing stray animals, home stager Caprice De Luca’s life is packed. But when a murder unsettles peaceful Kismet, Pennsylvania, she adds amateur sleuth to her resume. Thanks to a wealthy patron, Kismet’s women’s shelter, Sunrise Tomorrow, has inherited a run-down mansion. Now the shelter’s director, Wendy Newcomb, wants Caprice’s decorating expertise. Caprice is happy to help, but when she glimpses a few heated encounters between Wendy and some locals, she fears that Wendy may be in need of protection herself. When Wendy is found dead inside the old house, Caprice is compelled to poke around in her affairs—and discovers she had her share of enemies. Now, with countless clients, a TV gig that could make her a household name, and rumors of a marriage proposal on its way, Caprice must find time to design an investigation that will lure a crafty killer into the wide open—before someone else winds up in a state of permanent disrepair . . .

Blood red is the season’s hottest color . . .   With her wedding day mere weeks away, home stager Caprice De Luca is busy arranging every last detail for the reception at Rambling Vines Winery—a stylish venue she redecorated two years earlier. But the closer the bride-to-be gets to saying, “I do,” the more a celebration at Rambling Vines seems like a terrible mistake. As financial mishaps and unhappy customers put the winery in the red, an unidentified criminal plots to sour the business’s already ailing reputation. Worst of all, a romance from co-owner Michelle Dodd’s past could leave a permanent stain on Caprice’s best friend’s current love life. When Michelle’s aloof husband is found stabbed to death on a chaise lounge in the tasting room, Caprice vows to name the calculating culprit and set things right before her dream nuptials dissolve into a deadly nightmare . . .

In this Pennsylvania town, crime lurks behind the Christmas decorations . . . “A great storyline that will keep you guessing to the very end.” —Suspense Magazine   It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially now that Caprice De Luca has wrapped up her holiday-themed staging gig at a stunning historic home in downtown Kismet, Pennsylvania. Behind all the red ribbon and glowing string lights, homeowners Chris and Sara Merriweather have it all. But Chris, a Vietnam vet who plays Santa every year at the community park, has been displaying strange behavior after a recent trip to Washington, DC   The joy of the season vanishes entirely when Chris is found murdered on Santa Lane, leaving behind his loyal malamute and lots of unfinished business. As Caprice uncovers hidden secrets in Santa's workshop, the pressure is on to catch the candy cane-wielding culprit—before she’s next on a killer’s deadly wish list . . .   “An irresistible sleuth.” —Leslie Meier, New York Times–bestselling author of Irish Parade Murder