What do you think?
Rate this book
Busybodies Collection #1
Staged
Is it harder to find a killer or land a buyer? In this playful short story from New York Times bestselling author Elle Cosimano, two unlikely real estate agents become even unlikelier detectives.
A million problems arise when trying to flip a crumbling old Victorian. But Lyda, a newbie seller, and Dani, a TikTok-trained home stager, are fixated on one: the dead landscaper in the bedroom. The notorious lothario was one of many last-minute contractors swarming around, and now every jilted lover and business competitor is a suspect. It’s up to Lyda and Dani to close the case before the open house.
Elle Cosimano’s Staged is part of Busybodies, a collection of quirky mysteries featuring amateur gumshoes who stumble upon peculiar cases. Calling all snoops! Read or listen to each arresting story in a single sitting.
A million problems arise when trying to flip a crumbling old Victorian. But Lyda, a newbie seller, and Dani, a TikTok-trained home stager, are fixated on one: the dead landscaper in the bedroom. The notorious lothario was one of many last-minute contractors swarming around, and now every jilted lover and business competitor is a suspect. It’s up to Lyda and Dani to close the case before the open house.
Elle Cosimano’s Staged is part of Busybodies, a collection of quirky mysteries featuring amateur gumshoes who stumble upon peculiar cases. Calling all snoops! Read or listen to each arresting story in a single sitting.
42 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2024
1175 people are currently reading
3351 people want to read
About the author
Elle Cosimano
18 books8,118 followersUSA TODAY and New York Times bestselling author, Edgar® Nominee, Bram Stoker® Nominee, & ITW Thriller Award winner.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 889 reviews
October 23, 2024
Lyda and Dani are just trying to stage a house, you know, make it look all nice for potential buyers. But then—boom! A dead body shows up and completely messes up their plans. Talk about a bad day at work!
Even though the story is short, it’s such a quick, fun read that I was hooked from the start. Elle Cosimano has this great way of keeping things serious while also sneaking in just the right amount of humor to lighten the mood. It’s the perfect balance that keeps you turning the pages!
Even though the story is short, it’s such a quick, fun read that I was hooked from the start. Elle Cosimano has this great way of keeping things serious while also sneaking in just the right amount of humor to lighten the mood. It’s the perfect balance that keeps you turning the pages!
November 18, 2024
2.5★
“He stopped drinking long enough to wave at her, flashing a smile that could melt the panties off a penguin,…”
Lyda and Dani have parked outside the old house that Lyda is fixing up to sell. She’s hoping that handsome Sawyer, a former schoolfriend of both young women, will work as much magic on the garden as he seems to do with his ever-changing girlfriends. Either of these would be happy to be the next one.
Lyda is convinced that staging the house will help a sale. Dani encourages her and says it will be beautiful and she’ll have three offers by the end of the weekend.
“The house was not, in fact, fabulous. It was a century-old disaster with a sagging front porch, crooked walls, and dusty rose-colored carpets that still smelled like the old woman who’d died in it last month. We didn’t need three offers.”
Various friends are working in different parts of the house, so Lyda and Dani head for the shops to get what they need to stage it – set up display furniture to make it look luxurious. Meanwhile, they leave another friend, Sawyer’s ex, to finish up the cleaning and vacuum her way out, ensuring there’s a beautifully groomed carpet to welcome buyers.
When they return, instead of the spotless home-to-be, they find the body of a friend in a pool of blood! As they try to figure out what happened, and who did it, they realise something is wrong with the scene (other than there being a dead body, of course).
“I turned to Dani, certain I was right. ‘I think the killer staged the house.’”
The chapter headings about five rules for staging are written tongue-in-cheek. This example introduces the chapter where they discover their friend’s body.
It’s a silly story, written like a rom-com teen mystery but with absolutely no feeling. Lyda and Dani are just loving the sleuthing, and considering more flirting, and hoping to sell the house. No emotion about a dead friend at all.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this story, which is the first of six from the #Busybodiescollection.
These are my reviews of the other stories.
My review of The Reunion Dinner by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My review of Crime of Fashion by Emma Rosenblum
My review of The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose
My review of One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett
My review of A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson
“He stopped drinking long enough to wave at her, flashing a smile that could melt the panties off a penguin,…”
Lyda and Dani have parked outside the old house that Lyda is fixing up to sell. She’s hoping that handsome Sawyer, a former schoolfriend of both young women, will work as much magic on the garden as he seems to do with his ever-changing girlfriends. Either of these would be happy to be the next one.
Lyda is convinced that staging the house will help a sale. Dani encourages her and says it will be beautiful and she’ll have three offers by the end of the weekend.
“The house was not, in fact, fabulous. It was a century-old disaster with a sagging front porch, crooked walls, and dusty rose-colored carpets that still smelled like the old woman who’d died in it last month. We didn’t need three offers.”
Various friends are working in different parts of the house, so Lyda and Dani head for the shops to get what they need to stage it – set up display furniture to make it look luxurious. Meanwhile, they leave another friend, Sawyer’s ex, to finish up the cleaning and vacuum her way out, ensuring there’s a beautifully groomed carpet to welcome buyers.
When they return, instead of the spotless home-to-be, they find the body of a friend in a pool of blood! As they try to figure out what happened, and who did it, they realise something is wrong with the scene (other than there being a dead body, of course).
“I turned to Dani, certain I was right. ‘I think the killer staged the house.’”
The chapter headings about five rules for staging are written tongue-in-cheek. This example introduces the chapter where they discover their friend’s body.
“STEP TWO
DEPERSONALIZE, AND ELIMINATE
CLUTTER.
Get rid of memorabilia and personal objects. Make
the space as neutral as possible, allowing buyers to
visualize the potential within each room.”
It’s a silly story, written like a rom-com teen mystery but with absolutely no feeling. Lyda and Dani are just loving the sleuthing, and considering more flirting, and hoping to sell the house. No emotion about a dead friend at all.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this story, which is the first of six from the #Busybodiescollection.
These are my reviews of the other stories.
My review of The Reunion Dinner by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My review of Crime of Fashion by Emma Rosenblum
My review of The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose
My review of One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett
My review of A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson
October 20, 2024
the setup…
Lyda is a new real estate agent trying desperately to clinch her first sale. The property at hand is a sad Victorian needing lots of work. Dani, her best friend since childhood, is now a home stager (trained on TikTok), sees a diamond in the literal rough and has workers readying it for the next day’s open house. They leave landscaper Sawyer Mackenzie behind as they run off to do some last minute errands, only to return and find the lothario’s dead body in the master bathroom upstairs!
the heart of the story…
The subject is busybodies and as this is a small town, everyone knows everybody else’s business. There’s the next door nosy neighbor Mrs. Price, Sawyer who was dating Marilee (Lyda’s cleaner) but broke up with her, George the painter whose cousin Tansey was dating him before…well, you get the picture. They’ve all converged at the house around the same time so there’s no shortage of potential suspects and amateur sleuths.
the narration…
Megan Tusing brought just the right airiness to this cozy mystery/comedy. Her storytelling skills were great.
the bottom line…
It’s not a complicated mystery and all the busybodies contribute to solving who killed Sawyer. It was intriguing enough for me to try and figure it out (I was wrong) and it has the author’s signature touch in pairing Lyda and Dani to do the investigation. It was just what I was hoping it would be. Really recommend the audio format. 3.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy of the entire collection. All opinions are my own.)
Lyda is a new real estate agent trying desperately to clinch her first sale. The property at hand is a sad Victorian needing lots of work. Dani, her best friend since childhood, is now a home stager (trained on TikTok), sees a diamond in the literal rough and has workers readying it for the next day’s open house. They leave landscaper Sawyer Mackenzie behind as they run off to do some last minute errands, only to return and find the lothario’s dead body in the master bathroom upstairs!
the heart of the story…
The subject is busybodies and as this is a small town, everyone knows everybody else’s business. There’s the next door nosy neighbor Mrs. Price, Sawyer who was dating Marilee (Lyda’s cleaner) but broke up with her, George the painter whose cousin Tansey was dating him before…well, you get the picture. They’ve all converged at the house around the same time so there’s no shortage of potential suspects and amateur sleuths.
the narration…
Megan Tusing brought just the right airiness to this cozy mystery/comedy. Her storytelling skills were great.
the bottom line…
It’s not a complicated mystery and all the busybodies contribute to solving who killed Sawyer. It was intriguing enough for me to try and figure it out (I was wrong) and it has the author’s signature touch in pairing Lyda and Dani to do the investigation. It was just what I was hoping it would be. Really recommend the audio format. 3.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy of the entire collection. All opinions are my own.)
April 1, 2025
⭐️3⭐️
Staged
Plot:
Two unlikely real estate agents, Lyda and Dani, must solve the mystery of a landscaper's murder while juggling the challenges of flipping an old house. As they navigate a web of suspicious suspects, their quirky detective skills are put to the test before their next open house.
My Thoughts:
Can easily read this in one sitting. Was it life changing… no. The reveal wasn’t that exciting either. Not much to say on this read but easy to add to your kindle for a quick one-sitting read.
Staged
Plot:
Two unlikely real estate agents, Lyda and Dani, must solve the mystery of a landscaper's murder while juggling the challenges of flipping an old house. As they navigate a web of suspicious suspects, their quirky detective skills are put to the test before their next open house.
My Thoughts:
Can easily read this in one sitting. Was it life changing… no. The reveal wasn’t that exciting either. Not much to say on this read but easy to add to your kindle for a quick one-sitting read.
November 2, 2024
2.5 rounded up. As someone who likes her m/t’s on the noir end of the scale, this is way too cozy for me. More than that, it strays into the plain silly especially the weak ending. Mildly entertaining and it is a quick read on the plus side!
November 3, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
Lyda, is a newbie Realtor who hasn’t yet sold an house. So, her friend Dani, decides to help her by training herself as a home stager, with tips she learns on Tik-Tok.
But, when a body is found in the old Victorian they are staging, they will have to team up to close the case before they can hold an open house.
Elle Cosimano (of Finlay Fonovan fame!) contributed “Staged” to Busybodies, described as a collection of quirky mysteries featuring amateur gumshoes who stumble upon peculiar cases.
Read or listen to each cozy story in a single sitting. AVAILABLE NOW for free on Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited.
Lyda, is a newbie Realtor who hasn’t yet sold an house. So, her friend Dani, decides to help her by training herself as a home stager, with tips she learns on Tik-Tok.
But, when a body is found in the old Victorian they are staging, they will have to team up to close the case before they can hold an open house.
Elle Cosimano (of Finlay Fonovan fame!) contributed “Staged” to Busybodies, described as a collection of quirky mysteries featuring amateur gumshoes who stumble upon peculiar cases.
Read or listen to each cozy story in a single sitting. AVAILABLE NOW for free on Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited.
December 23, 2024
Audible audio
----
Narration was good,story was a fun one.
Wanted to know what happened afterwards (compliment).
Not something I'll re-read but don't regret reading it.
----
Narration was good,story was a fun one.
Wanted to know what happened afterwards (compliment).
Not something I'll re-read but don't regret reading it.
December 28, 2024
Lyda and Dani or Finlay and Vero?
You can take the cook out of the kitchen, but you can’t take the kitchen out of the cook…or something like that! Elle Cosimano is the fantastic author of the Finlay Donovan series. In her short story Staged, Lyda and Dani are the new sleuthing duo.
Is it harder to find a killer or a land buyer?
In this small town cozy mystery, two unlikely real estate agents become amateur detectives. When the landscaper is found dead in the bedroom of the Victorian house Lydia is trying to flip, she teams up with a Tik-Tok trained home stager to solve the mystery. Everyone in this town is a suspect and the duo must crack the case before the open house. No one wants to buy a house with a dead body in it!
So far, this is my least favorite short story in the series. While the narration was on point thanks to Megan Tusing, the plot contained too many characters to keep track of in the limited amount of time. It also gave too many Finlay and Vero vibes and has me wondering if Cosimano’s writing is just one-note. However, the mystery is intriguing and kept my interest until the end.
3.5/5 stars rounded down
You can take the cook out of the kitchen, but you can’t take the kitchen out of the cook…or something like that! Elle Cosimano is the fantastic author of the Finlay Donovan series. In her short story Staged, Lyda and Dani are the new sleuthing duo.
Is it harder to find a killer or a land buyer?
In this small town cozy mystery, two unlikely real estate agents become amateur detectives. When the landscaper is found dead in the bedroom of the Victorian house Lydia is trying to flip, she teams up with a Tik-Tok trained home stager to solve the mystery. Everyone in this town is a suspect and the duo must crack the case before the open house. No one wants to buy a house with a dead body in it!
So far, this is my least favorite short story in the series. While the narration was on point thanks to Megan Tusing, the plot contained too many characters to keep track of in the limited amount of time. It also gave too many Finlay and Vero vibes and has me wondering if Cosimano’s writing is just one-note. However, the mystery is intriguing and kept my interest until the end.
3.5/5 stars rounded down
November 20, 2024
Honestly, just too silly for me and I don't expect the moon from these shorts. The characters were ridiculous. I wouldn't recommend this. YMMV.
August 14, 2025
while it was a good short book to listen to while doing little tasks, it wasn’t very interesting. i predicted literally everything that was gonna happen and i didn’t care too much for the plot.
no real flaws except not unique, exciting, or memorable.
it was also a little cheesy..
but i liked the cover? 😭😭
3/5⭐️
no real flaws except not unique, exciting, or memorable.
it was also a little cheesy..
but i liked the cover? 😭😭
3/5⭐️
December 27, 2024
such a quick and cozy mystery!
gave me aggtm vibes!
────୨ৎ────
𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜-
1) staged- Elle Cosimano: recommend🌷.
2) the reunion dinner- Jesse Q. Sutanto: 🕰️.
3) crime of fashion- Emma Rosenblum: 🕰️.
4) the nosy neighbour- Nita Prose: 🕰️.
5) one lucky subscriber- Kellye Garret: 🕰️.
6) a classic case- Alicia Thompson: 🕰️.
gave me aggtm vibes!
────୨ৎ────
𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜-
1) staged- Elle Cosimano: recommend🌷.
2) the reunion dinner- Jesse Q. Sutanto: 🕰️.
3) crime of fashion- Emma Rosenblum: 🕰️.
4) the nosy neighbour- Nita Prose: 🕰️.
5) one lucky subscriber- Kellye Garret: 🕰️.
6) a classic case- Alicia Thompson: 🕰️.
December 3, 2024
Love the way Elle Cosimano makes women’s friendship the cornerstone of her plots. This story can very well be a Finlay’s and Vero’s adventure. If you like Finlay Donovan’s series you will love this short story.
May 6, 2025
4 Stars
Not a bad short story. I'd love to see these characters show up in more, longer stories. Looking forward to this author's future books.
Not a bad short story. I'd love to see these characters show up in more, longer stories. Looking forward to this author's future books.
October 22, 2024
I really don't know what I just read because that was just...dumb. we don't know any of these characters, not being invested so who cares who killed the hunky landscaper or why?
November 28, 2024
okay a little murder mystery period.
November 14, 2024
4 Stars for Staged (audiobook) by Elle Cosimano read by Megan Tusing.
This is supposed to be a cute little murder mystery but I can imagine it happening to me. The poor guy working on a house getting it ready to to go on the market, minding his own business. He probably has earbuds in listening to an audiobook just doing his job and then a woman walks in and she is startled by him so she hits him in the head with her purse and kills him. Purses should be registered and regulated, they shouldn’t be able to carry anything heavy without a permit. Few stories have terrified me so much.
This is supposed to be a cute little murder mystery but I can imagine it happening to me. The poor guy working on a house getting it ready to to go on the market, minding his own business. He probably has earbuds in listening to an audiobook just doing his job and then a woman walks in and she is startled by him so she hits him in the head with her purse and kills him. Purses should be registered and regulated, they shouldn’t be able to carry anything heavy without a permit. Few stories have terrified me so much.
January 1, 2025
Really nice short story… The story was interesting and had a nice twist.. Just felt rushed by the end.. I enjoyed the writing and the author but just a rushed ending no build up.. but overall good book..
October 22, 2024
This is an Amazon Original Story / Busybodies Collection Series. Two friends (a real estate seller and a TikTok influencer) want to sell an old Victorian house. Meanwhile, the preparations for the open house are being made, a murder is committed, and both of them want to know who the killer is.
OK, I know the plot of these little stories isn't very sophisticated because are part of 6 short books about “crimes and detectives”, but… isn't two girls trying to solve a murder case 12 hs after the crime was done a bit RIDICULOUS? Without involving the police? I mean it, it’s an easy reading, but try to not be so laughable. I'm sorry but I didn't like it so much.
OK, I know the plot of these little stories isn't very sophisticated because are part of 6 short books about “crimes and detectives”, but… isn't two girls trying to solve a murder case 12 hs after the crime was done a bit RIDICULOUS? Without involving the police? I mean it, it’s an easy reading, but try to not be so laughable. I'm sorry but I didn't like it so much.
July 29, 2025
Sooo I love not reading the summary of books and jump straight to the story, pero… wtf was this? Al principio pensé que sería un romance tipo enemies to lovers pero después resultó ser una parodia de Scooby doo pero sin monstruos lol le doy 3 ⭐️ por creatividad.
January 8, 2025
Super cute short story! If you’re a fan of Finlay/Vero I recommend checking this book out. The author does such a great job writing funny and quirky female MCs.
November 22, 2024
A quick fun mystery by the author of the Finlay Donovan series.
December 19, 2024
Give me an amateur sleuth & Elle Cosimano’s writing & I am happy!!
December 14, 2024
Interesting 🧐🥸 this was giving Knives Out energy 🔪🩸and I love a good murder mystery 🔎
November 1, 2024
This was a fun and quick read. I love Elle Cosimano books so I was excited to read this short story. I definitely didn’t suspect the killer to be who it would have been, so that was a plus!
October 16, 2024
A really cute amateur mystery short story in the busy bodies collection. A great start can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Full review: "Staged" follows real estate agent Lyda and her best friend Dani (who is attempting to become a home stager). Lyda is worried if she doesn't sell her latest listing she's going to lose her job, and her best friend Dani is too busy lusting over their old friend, now landscaper and all around womanizer, Sawyer. When Sawyer winds up dead in the newly staged home, Lyda starts to investigate.
Cosimano does a great job of doing a "cozy mystery" here. No real surprises, but still really interesting and funny. In just a few short pages we find out all of the major players in the story and we get why she has a hard time with two rivals at the real estate agency she works out.
I do think there's a lot of time not really focusing on Sawyer since the guy really is just kind of awful (when it comes to dating).
Full review: "Staged" follows real estate agent Lyda and her best friend Dani (who is attempting to become a home stager). Lyda is worried if she doesn't sell her latest listing she's going to lose her job, and her best friend Dani is too busy lusting over their old friend, now landscaper and all around womanizer, Sawyer. When Sawyer winds up dead in the newly staged home, Lyda starts to investigate.
Cosimano does a great job of doing a "cozy mystery" here. No real surprises, but still really interesting and funny. In just a few short pages we find out all of the major players in the story and we get why she has a hard time with two rivals at the real estate agency she works out.
I do think there's a lot of time not really focusing on Sawyer since the guy really is just kind of awful (when it comes to dating).
November 22, 2024
STAGED by Elle Cosimano
Published; 10/15/2024 by AMAZON ORIGINAL STORIES
AUDIOBOOK: 1 Hr and 6 Min
Narrator: Megan Tusing
A quirky cozy mystery by the wonderful author who brought us the beloved : Finlay Donovan series. This short novella will appeal to “busybodies” and armchair detectives.
New realtor, Lyda will do almost anything to flip this crumbling old Victorian house, for her first sale. She enlists the aid of Dani, to expertly “stage” the home to facilitate its sale. A mad rush to spruce up the home with multiple contractors coming and going at all hours. The open house is pending and will be upon her in several days. A male rival realtor is in the act of setting up his own open house, directly across from her listing. Unfortunately she returns to the house in the early morning hours, only to find the body of the landscaper in the upstairs bedroom. He has a lecherous past, and there will be no shortage of suspects. Lyda and Dani suddenly become amateur detectives in the hope of solving the murder, and saving the “open house” event.
Elle Cosimano weaves a taught, and funny narrative with many twists and red herrings. This infectious tale will satisfy her legion of “Finlay Donovan” fans. She attains pitch perfect suspense , aided by her witty prose.
I listened to the story, as narrated by Megan Tusing. It was a wonderful experience as she supplied multiple character voices with varying tones and affect. Her performance brought to life the story in the “theater of my mind.” I cannot wait until Cosimano’s next story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Originals for supplying an advance Audio Version of this delightful story.
This is a review of the audiobook.
Published; 10/15/2024 by AMAZON ORIGINAL STORIES
AUDIOBOOK: 1 Hr and 6 Min
Narrator: Megan Tusing
A quirky cozy mystery by the wonderful author who brought us the beloved : Finlay Donovan series. This short novella will appeal to “busybodies” and armchair detectives.
New realtor, Lyda will do almost anything to flip this crumbling old Victorian house, for her first sale. She enlists the aid of Dani, to expertly “stage” the home to facilitate its sale. A mad rush to spruce up the home with multiple contractors coming and going at all hours. The open house is pending and will be upon her in several days. A male rival realtor is in the act of setting up his own open house, directly across from her listing. Unfortunately she returns to the house in the early morning hours, only to find the body of the landscaper in the upstairs bedroom. He has a lecherous past, and there will be no shortage of suspects. Lyda and Dani suddenly become amateur detectives in the hope of solving the murder, and saving the “open house” event.
Elle Cosimano weaves a taught, and funny narrative with many twists and red herrings. This infectious tale will satisfy her legion of “Finlay Donovan” fans. She attains pitch perfect suspense , aided by her witty prose.
I listened to the story, as narrated by Megan Tusing. It was a wonderful experience as she supplied multiple character voices with varying tones and affect. Her performance brought to life the story in the “theater of my mind.” I cannot wait until Cosimano’s next story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Originals for supplying an advance Audio Version of this delightful story.
This is a review of the audiobook.
November 3, 2024
This was okay for a short story, cutesy but also left out details and key points that could have been made to make it a little more interesting. Overall not bad, but not great.
October 19, 2024
Cosimano does a great job of doing a "cozy mystery" here. No real surprises, but still really interesting and funny.
November 14, 2024
this was cute! it felt like, more than anything else, a grown-up Encyclopedia Brown story? like the MCs do a lil snooping, make some observations, and the perp just... confesses... without much work. it was a very quick read, and I had a good time. 3 stars!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 889 reviews