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A Domestic Bliss Mystery #1
Death by Inferior Design
Interior decorator, Erin Gilbert heads to picturesque Crestview, Colorado for a friendly (if sharks are friendly) competition: She’ll design a room in one home; and the impossibly handsome Steve Sullivan—her main rival—will do a room in another. The prize? A big feature in Denver Magazine, showcasing their interior design business. Who could have dreamed the uproar to ensue in a neighborhood full of eccentric homeowners, jealously hidden secrets and a few marriages in need of total makeovers. Trapped together in the midst of chaos, could the charming Steve turn out to be a…friend? But between her custom, cushy pillows and dramatic drapery, Erin uncovers a very undecorative dead body, too many suspects, and a killer who seems to have designs…on her!
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
945 people are currently reading
1661 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Caine
13 books52 followersAka Leslie O'Kane
(about the photo from author's own webpage)
"This is an old photo of my daughter and me in front of our house in Colorado. She is now in college and looks quite different, but amazingly, I haven't changed one bit!"
(from author's own webpage--abbreviated)
As the opening for my "Meet Leslie" page, here's a touch of biographical information: I have been married for more than two decades and have two not-so-young children. My daughter is in college and my son is in high school. I have a bachelor in journalism, a degree as an electrical-engineering technician (I repaired computers for IBM for three years), and am a certified interior decorator, though I only rarely work as a decorator.
DEATH BY INFERIOR DESIGN is Leslie Caine's first book, but is actually my eleventh published mystery novel. I've dropped a syllable from last name, and it's my hope that I'll be writing the "Domestic Bliss" series for many years to come so that I won't continue this name-shortening strategy. (I don't see myself writing books as: "L," though that would come in handy for quick signatures.) One of the first questions I'm asked at signings is why I chose to use a penname for this series, and the answer is that, while I'm proud of my previous works, I wanted a fresh start. To use a designer analogy, my penname is like emptying the room to enable the fabulous "makeover."
(about the photo from author's own webpage)
"This is an old photo of my daughter and me in front of our house in Colorado. She is now in college and looks quite different, but amazingly, I haven't changed one bit!"
(from author's own webpage--abbreviated)
As the opening for my "Meet Leslie" page, here's a touch of biographical information: I have been married for more than two decades and have two not-so-young children. My daughter is in college and my son is in high school. I have a bachelor in journalism, a degree as an electrical-engineering technician (I repaired computers for IBM for three years), and am a certified interior decorator, though I only rarely work as a decorator.
DEATH BY INFERIOR DESIGN is Leslie Caine's first book, but is actually my eleventh published mystery novel. I've dropped a syllable from last name, and it's my hope that I'll be writing the "Domestic Bliss" series for many years to come so that I won't continue this name-shortening strategy. (I don't see myself writing books as: "L," though that would come in handy for quick signatures.) One of the first questions I'm asked at signings is why I chose to use a penname for this series, and the answer is that, while I'm proud of my previous works, I wanted a fresh start. To use a designer analogy, my penname is like emptying the room to enable the fabulous "makeover."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
February 7, 2014
I love cozy mysteries. This one was a very quick read. There were many suspects and a fun story to follow. My main complaint was the overuse of the Gilbert & Sullivan reference (I felt it was a BIG stretch to think that so many people would confuse the two last names and the gag was overplayed). Otherwise, it fell right in line with the cozies I like... interesting characters, a fun setting (interior design for the upper class), several possible motives and suspects with alibis to unveil, and just a hint of romance (very mild flirting). 4/5 for a COZY (rated based on the genre... a mystery you can curl up with at night for a relaxing read without nightmares.)
March 14, 2018
I was disappointed in this. I hate to criticize any author as I know firsthand that the writing process isn't easy. Sadly, this title had too many issues for me to ignore. I felt the writing was reminiscent of 7th grade, with stilted dialog full of 'I said' and 'he said'. There were also way too many characters, introduced too quickly. One almost needed to make a list. Very difficult to keep them straight and why would you want too? As a reader, I didn't really care what happened to any of them. There were inconsistencies, too. One minute the characters are sympathetic to each other the next minute they are snarling at one another again. Really crazy was how quickly we went from a dead body to let's meet back here at 4pm to go over your design! Also zany that the main character continued meeting with these yay-hoos in their homes alone when she knew that one of them was a killer. So, basically, not much of it was believable. Finally, the whole thing was way too long. I kept reading, thinking surely this is going to come together into something cohesive and interesting. Sadly, it did not. I hope the writer can do better. I rather wonder how this one got published at all. This one really needed a sharper editor.
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March 4, 2018.
January 1, 2018
Good cozy mystery. I liked the MC and her rival/love interest. The mystery was really interesting and I didn't guess the killer until the reveal. I would recommend this book and would like to read more in this series. :)
December 24, 2015
I love a good cozy mystery, but I must say this was one of the hardest I have ever read. True, it was a book about interior design, but I felt the descriptive adjectives about the furniture, carpets, wallpapers, tea pots got a little out of hand. Additionally, if there were a possible murder, I can assure you I wouldn't be returning to the scene of the crime and agreeing to do even more designs for the possible murderer. The murder mystery aspect of this story seemed to be third in importance, finding out her true identity second and that ever loving interior design number one. I only finished the book to see how it ends. Maybe it needed a little more romantic tension between the two designers instead of immature anger.
August 4, 2017
Was it fun? Yes.
Was it at times confusing due to all the couples and their various issues? Oh Yes.
A teeeeeeenyyy bit too drawn out.. It was made so obvious who the biological mother was and who the real crazy person was but I felt like I knew and the characters took forever to figure it out.
Was it at times confusing due to all the couples and their various issues? Oh Yes.
A teeeeeeenyyy bit too drawn out.. It was made so obvious who the biological mother was and who the real crazy person was but I felt like I knew and the characters took forever to figure it out.
October 16, 2011
Inferior book; don't bother.
I hoped for clever; it delivered trite.
I looked for fun; it was boring.
There are many well-crafted, literate mystery books being written. Don't dismiss the genre as a whole, but don't select this book if you are looking for anything special.
I hoped for clever; it delivered trite.
I looked for fun; it was boring.
There are many well-crafted, literate mystery books being written. Don't dismiss the genre as a whole, but don't select this book if you are looking for anything special.
June 25, 2023
Loved it!
Interior design infused with suburbia madness, marital woes, business competition, parental questions and murder. After the second time reading this I love it even more.
Interior design infused with suburbia madness, marital woes, business competition, parental questions and murder. After the second time reading this I love it even more.
December 21, 2019
A mystery with lots of friends
This one took me by surprise. Two designers ended up competing because of inaccurate information. But now, they were on the same street with neighbors who were frenemies
This one took me by surprise. Two designers ended up competing because of inaccurate information. But now, they were on the same street with neighbors who were frenemies
November 4, 2019
Easy read. Pull up a nice chintz, comfy chair and settle in for lots of twists and turns in this designer mystery.
October 20, 2023
screaming, vomiting, crying
10/10
very cozy murder mystery read that I would recommend to anyone
10/10
very cozy murder mystery read that I would recommend to anyone
February 4, 2017
Of the many cozy mystery e-books I have received, this one was among the few readable ones. Though the text was rife with editorial errors, the story itself was free from the most common writing mistakes. The plot had many twists, the characters had complicated relationships. There was a multi-faceted mystery. There were many clues and the detective was able to be involved, to learn about the unfolding events, with credulity. The beginning was the most difficult to get through, as there are at least ten characters introduced within the first few pages. The story becomes clearer later on. I did not appreciate the foul language sprinkled throughout, but on the whole, it wasn't too bad. The main character's romantic feelings seemed misplaced, even inconsistent, but that did not detract much from the book.
April 8, 2020
A not so cozy mystery
The beginning of the book was uninspiring. Erin Gilbert is an interior designer who accepts the challenge to decorate one room in the home of a wealthy clients while her nemesis Steve Sullivan does she room in the house across the street. It's to be a contest, judged by the editor of a Denver design magazine. So many characters were introduced so quickly that I lost track of who was who. And, of course, no one is exactly who they seem to be. Two poisonings and a bullet riddled van later, the plot finally comes together. I liked the first person narrator and wanted to see it through, even if the other characters weren't so believable.
The beginning of the book was uninspiring. Erin Gilbert is an interior designer who accepts the challenge to decorate one room in the home of a wealthy clients while her nemesis Steve Sullivan does she room in the house across the street. It's to be a contest, judged by the editor of a Denver design magazine. So many characters were introduced so quickly that I lost track of who was who. And, of course, no one is exactly who they seem to be. Two poisonings and a bullet riddled van later, the plot finally comes together. I liked the first person narrator and wanted to see it through, even if the other characters weren't so believable.
November 8, 2015
I love interior design and mysteries, so I thought this would be a no-brainer. I was wrong. It was poorly written and the plot was so twisted I had trouble figuring out what was really going on. Too many scenes were contrived simply to further the plot along. I give it two stars because I actually finished it.
May 3, 2016
Rather annoying
A long, drawn out tale of a woman looking for her birth parents, when she could just go to the local county records office and look it up! There are only about six characters in the story, all of whom seem to be bent on hurting her physically, or emotionally. The author does not weave a story that makes this believable in any way. It's a farce without comedy.
A long, drawn out tale of a woman looking for her birth parents, when she could just go to the local county records office and look it up! There are only about six characters in the story, all of whom seem to be bent on hurting her physically, or emotionally. The author does not weave a story that makes this believable in any way. It's a farce without comedy.
March 17, 2018
Not bad, not great. Too many suspects, too many mysteries. Oddly placed mini lectures on such things as types of wood and shapes of alcoholic beverage glasses. Under-developed romance. I didn’t hate it but would call it cotton candy. 😉
January 15, 2020
Killer was obvious. Also, the constant ableism rankled. Myra's character - and her vague mental illness - was tropey and harmful.
January 3, 2022
I see that I've had this book for almost 6 years and just got around to reading it!
As many others have mentioned there are a number of errors in the book - the video device that mysteriously goes back and forth from a disc to a tape from sentence to sentence - as well as some pretty standard items that should have been caught by an editor, beta reader or proofreader. I work as a proofreader, specializing in self-published authors, so this is a sore spot for me! I hate to see promising stories ruined because the errors make it too painful to read.
The story quickly went from too contrived to unbelievable to downright preposterous! And then it felt like the author hit her page limit before she finished the story! The ending was written like a chapter summary! It didn't leave me hanging, ready to jump into the next book in the series to see what happens. Instead, it just left me feeling unsatisfied.
My gut feel about this book? I think it was written well before the 2014 publishing date! The author picked it up, dusted it off, updated a few references (the videotape sort of became a DVD), but there were still a lot of landline calls and phone cord references, and even a reference to a Palm Pilot! The woman with more money than she knows what to do with is still carrying a device that was was sold in the late '90s? Seems more dusting, and a little polishing would have gone far to improve this book!
As many others have mentioned there are a number of errors in the book - the video device that mysteriously goes back and forth from a disc to a tape from sentence to sentence - as well as some pretty standard items that should have been caught by an editor, beta reader or proofreader. I work as a proofreader, specializing in self-published authors, so this is a sore spot for me! I hate to see promising stories ruined because the errors make it too painful to read.
The story quickly went from too contrived to unbelievable to downright preposterous! And then it felt like the author hit her page limit before she finished the story! The ending was written like a chapter summary! It didn't leave me hanging, ready to jump into the next book in the series to see what happens. Instead, it just left me feeling unsatisfied.
My gut feel about this book? I think it was written well before the 2014 publishing date! The author picked it up, dusted it off, updated a few references (the videotape sort of became a DVD), but there were still a lot of landline calls and phone cord references, and even a reference to a Palm Pilot! The woman with more money than she knows what to do with is still carrying a device that was was sold in the late '90s? Seems more dusting, and a little polishing would have gone far to improve this book!
August 27, 2020
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I liked it pretty well. There were a lot of characters and it was hard to figure out how they all knew each other and why they were “friends” when none of them liked each other (yet despite them all not liking each other they were having affairs with each other or fighting and then having margaritas and moving in together). It felt in a lot of places like the author may have had as much trouble keeping things straight as I did. The main character also seemed too ready to accept what anyone told her about her parentage, but perhaps that was understandable and it did help create some red herrings in the mystery. One thing I did think the author did very well was putting emotion into it. Too often dramatic things will happen in a book and the characters barely react but Erin was very human in that way, she wasn’t overly dramatic about things that happened but through her emotions you could empathize with her and that made her easy to connect with.
December 3, 2025
Awesome into the series
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am pretty amazed at how many topics get touched upon.
As an adoptive mom, I appreciate how Erin's adoption and birth parent discovery is handled authentically and not just given stereotypical broad strokes. It is never not-complicated and weird things do happen. One of my kids has a biological mom who used a false identity. How it wasn't caught I don't know. But there you have it.
While Erin's struggle to let others in was only a side bit, it is a common challenge, especially when there are oddities at play.
Other topics, like Myra's mental health, the difficulty in knowing when injuries are because of abuse, cheating spouses, etc, kept the book grounded and real.
I liked the pacing and the lightness in our amateur sleuth who wanted to solve the mystery, but allowed herself to focus on switch plate covers too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am pretty amazed at how many topics get touched upon.
As an adoptive mom, I appreciate how Erin's adoption and birth parent discovery is handled authentically and not just given stereotypical broad strokes. It is never not-complicated and weird things do happen. One of my kids has a biological mom who used a false identity. How it wasn't caught I don't know. But there you have it.
While Erin's struggle to let others in was only a side bit, it is a common challenge, especially when there are oddities at play.
Other topics, like Myra's mental health, the difficulty in knowing when injuries are because of abuse, cheating spouses, etc, kept the book grounded and real.
I liked the pacing and the lightness in our amateur sleuth who wanted to solve the mystery, but allowed herself to focus on switch plate covers too.
April 12, 2018
If you enjoy a good suspense, you will love this book. Erin, a interior designer finds herself in the middle of murder and lies. After her adoptive mother passes away, she moves to a new town to start her business. She is hired to decorate a room as a surprise for the owner's wife and finds that it is a competition with another designer who was hired to design a room in another neighbor's home. The winner gets a spread in a design magazine. Another neighbor (Randy) is a writer for the magazine and will decide who wins. During the design Erin finds that one of the neighbors are her biological parents. At the end of the design job Randy is murdered. What happens after has you changing your mind constantly on who murdered Randy and who are her biological parents.
January 6, 2019
Intriguing but a bit confusing
I always enjoy a book where I do not figure out who the killer is (and in this case who the real parents are) and this one did not disappoint. I expected to be bored to tears through the decorating discussions but they were surprisingly interesting. The cast of characters was large and a bit confusing. I had to keep looking back to see who was married to whom. With all the lies every single character told, it was definitely hard to keep straight. But, the plot kept me intrigued til the very end and i eventually got them all straightened out.
There were a few editing issues, which I’m sure other readers have noticed as well, but overall this was an enjoyable, interesting book and I just might read the next one too.
I always enjoy a book where I do not figure out who the killer is (and in this case who the real parents are) and this one did not disappoint. I expected to be bored to tears through the decorating discussions but they were surprisingly interesting. The cast of characters was large and a bit confusing. I had to keep looking back to see who was married to whom. With all the lies every single character told, it was definitely hard to keep straight. But, the plot kept me intrigued til the very end and i eventually got them all straightened out.
There were a few editing issues, which I’m sure other readers have noticed as well, but overall this was an enjoyable, interesting book and I just might read the next one too.
December 15, 2020
The last 25% really ties everything together
The first 3/4 of this book seemed off and confusing to me somehow. The last quarter really tied everything together and was such a well put together ending, but before that it was just hard to follow.
Yes it does take place in a neighborhood filled with lies and misinformation but nothing seemed to flow. There were almost too many twists and additions. Characters seemed to flip flop their personalities a lot.
Also there were a few instances where it referred to someone’s “body English” which I can only assume was meant to be body language? It was just strange and a bit off putting.
Overall interesting story with a good ending, but the path was a little winding to get there.
The first 3/4 of this book seemed off and confusing to me somehow. The last quarter really tied everything together and was such a well put together ending, but before that it was just hard to follow.
Yes it does take place in a neighborhood filled with lies and misinformation but nothing seemed to flow. There were almost too many twists and additions. Characters seemed to flip flop their personalities a lot.
Also there were a few instances where it referred to someone’s “body English” which I can only assume was meant to be body language? It was just strange and a bit off putting.
Overall interesting story with a good ending, but the path was a little winding to get there.
July 18, 2017
The book kept my interest to finish it, but it did take a little bit to get to the climax of the plot. If you are into interior design, you will appreciate the high detail of the book. The author does very well with describing every tiny detail with furnitures, floorings, wall papers, etc. however, if that doesn't interest you, you may find it hard to get through the book without skimming over the details. Without the details and slow build up of the plot, this story would be shorter and an even quicker read than it actually is. Didn't take long to read though and it kept me guessing who the murder was until the end. So I gave it three stars!
August 12, 2020
Really kept me guessing!
Erin Gilbert, an enterprising interior designer, is hired to remodel a bedroom. When she arrives at her client’s home she discovers that she is in a competition with Steve Sullivan, a rival designer, who will be remodeling a den in a neighbor’s home. The prize for the best remodel will be a feature article in a prestigious publication. Things were going well until they were complicated by a dead body.
This book kept me guessing to the very end. The plot was full of twists and intrigue and there was even the possibility of romance for future books in the series. I finished the book in one day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Erin Gilbert, an enterprising interior designer, is hired to remodel a bedroom. When she arrives at her client’s home she discovers that she is in a competition with Steve Sullivan, a rival designer, who will be remodeling a den in a neighbor’s home. The prize for the best remodel will be a feature article in a prestigious publication. Things were going well until they were complicated by a dead body.
This book kept me guessing to the very end. The plot was full of twists and intrigue and there was even the possibility of romance for future books in the series. I finished the book in one day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 5, 2018
Gilbert and Sullivan
This is the story of two interior designers who are hired to decorate a bedroom in one house and a den in another house. The editor of a design magazine decides to have the two designers Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan compete and the editor, will decide who the winner is. When Randy Axelrod, the editor dies, Erin discovers that she is his daughter. Erin and Steve are hired by Myra, Randy's widow to redecorate her house and Erin discovers who the killer is. This was an interesting book with many twists and turns. Enjoyed this book very much.
This is the story of two interior designers who are hired to decorate a bedroom in one house and a den in another house. The editor of a design magazine decides to have the two designers Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan compete and the editor, will decide who the winner is. When Randy Axelrod, the editor dies, Erin discovers that she is his daughter. Erin and Steve are hired by Myra, Randy's widow to redecorate her house and Erin discovers who the killer is. This was an interesting book with many twists and turns. Enjoyed this book very much.
December 3, 2019
Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan are hired by people that live in the same neighborhood to redo some rooms in each house and the families planned on picking the best interior designer to allow them to decorate the rest of the house. The families planed this contest without telling the designers. Interesting choice of career for a cozy which I have not seen in other cozies. There are some underlying plots within the story besides a few murders happening. Good start to a series, I am interested to see what happens next between the two designers and Erin’s quest for her birth parents.
June 2, 2022
I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would based on the book's synopsis. The author, Leslie Caine, repeated her "he must be my father" line to the point of overuse. She also threw almost every character under the "he/she must be the killer" mantra which became annoying. Both points kept throwing me out of the book from frustration. Even the reveal of the actual killer was frustrating. I'm sure other readers found the book a great read but I didn't. I won't be reading any more of Ms. Caine's books - or any of her alter ego, Leslie O'Kane's books.
February 14, 2017
I finished this a few days ago, and though it was entertaining enough to hold my interest to the end, I'm having trouble recalling why. I admit that I cruised through the parts where she goes into heavy details about the actual design elements of what Erin is decorating, but the rest of the book was okay in a Lifetime movie sort of way. There were more than a few times I thought, "Really? Okay, I'll roll with it and see where she takes this."
March 15, 2018
Domestic Intrigue
Death by Inferior Design is a rollercoaster ride of murder, mystery, and intrigue. Erin Gilbert finds herself on an unwanted adventure into her past. The twists and turns Caine builds into the narrative makes you wonder at times if Erin will ever figure out the truth or die trying. I give it four stars and she had me fooled until the last five pages when the real killer is discovered. I want to read more of this series.
Death by Inferior Design is a rollercoaster ride of murder, mystery, and intrigue. Erin Gilbert finds herself on an unwanted adventure into her past. The twists and turns Caine builds into the narrative makes you wonder at times if Erin will ever figure out the truth or die trying. I give it four stars and she had me fooled until the last five pages when the real killer is discovered. I want to read more of this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews