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Deadly Décor Mystery #1
Design on a Crime
Haley Farrell is taking a chance on herself. After receiving her interior design certificate, she quits her job at the local furniture store and decides to open her own interior decorating business. But with all the advantages of her new career-meeting new people, and decorating new and old homes-comes a huge pitfall. Her new job allows her access into her clients' homes and their lives . . . but also their deaths.
When Haley's mentor, Marge Norwalk, is murdered, Haley becomes the prime suspect. Armed only with the confidence that Marge instilled in her, Haley sets out to find the real murderer. But as she sets forth, she has no idea what twists and turns will bring her face-to-face with her long-hidden past.
When Haley's mentor, Marge Norwalk, is murdered, Haley becomes the prime suspect. Armed only with the confidence that Marge instilled in her, Haley sets out to find the real murderer. But as she sets forth, she has no idea what twists and turns will bring her face-to-face with her long-hidden past.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2005
233 people are currently reading
1153 people want to read
About the author
Ginny Aiken
51 books97 followersGinny Aiken, a former newspaper reporter, lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their three younger sons--the oldest is married, has flown the coop, and made her a doting grandmother. Born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Valencia and Caracas Venezuela, Ginny discovered books at an early age. She wrote her first novel at age fifteen while she trained with the Ballets de Caracas, later to be known as the Venezuelan National Ballet. She burned that tome when she turned a "mature" sixteen. An ecletic list of jobs--including stints as reporter, paralegal, choreographer, language teacher, retail salesperson, wife, mother of four boys, and herder of their numerous and assorted friends, including the 135 members of first the Crossmen and then the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps--brought her back to books in search of her sanity. She is now the author of twenty-seven published works, but she hasn't caught up with that elusive sanity yet.
http://ginnyaikenwrites.com/About_Me....
http://ginnyaikenwrites.com/About_Me....
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
December 13, 2013
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
When I first bought this book, I didn't realize it was Christian fiction. I just thought it was a new cozy mystery series that I'm always in the market for. Not that the Christian elements are solely responsible for my rating of 2.5 stars, but they certainly did contribute to it. Don't get me wrong--I'm not adverse to the mention of God and Christianity in a book, but I found this one to be a little too preachy and heavy-handed for my liking. It seemed that nearly every secondary character mentioned God, faith and Christianity in nearly every conversation they shared with the main character.
But, beyond that aspect, there were several other issues that I had with the book that took away from my enjoyment. The writing was okay for the most part, but it also gave me the impression that a very young, new author was trying to write an adult book. Upon reading the author's profile, Ms. Aiken is a grandmother, so that theory has flown out the window! :) However, I did find the style and dialogue somewhat immature and clunky in places. It was difficult for me to remember that the main character, Hayley, was twenty-four years old when her actions, thinking and speaking were often those of a much younger person at times.
The vague references to a very traumatic experience in Hayley's past made me think that I had missed reading a previous book that would have explained the back story. It wasn't until right near the end that the episode was clarified. Perhaps a little more explanation near the beginning of the story would have made me more understanding and sympathetic to Hayley's character and her actions.
The hostility and accusations hurled by the main male character, Dutch, seemed a little overdone and over-the-top. Hayley's reactions to him also came across as immature, inane and rather silly at times. If he is the so-called "love interest", then there certainly seems to be a lot of work required in that area in the future to get his relationship with Hayley to morph into a romantic one!
Overall, the mystery part of the book wasn't too bad. The identity of the murderer was a bit of a surprise, although I did start to get an inkling after certain revelations. But, the motive was not as unexpected or overwhelming as I would have liked.
I don't think I will be rushing out to get the next book in this series any time soon, but I certainly won't say definitively that I won't read it some time in the future.
When I first bought this book, I didn't realize it was Christian fiction. I just thought it was a new cozy mystery series that I'm always in the market for. Not that the Christian elements are solely responsible for my rating of 2.5 stars, but they certainly did contribute to it. Don't get me wrong--I'm not adverse to the mention of God and Christianity in a book, but I found this one to be a little too preachy and heavy-handed for my liking. It seemed that nearly every secondary character mentioned God, faith and Christianity in nearly every conversation they shared with the main character.
But, beyond that aspect, there were several other issues that I had with the book that took away from my enjoyment. The writing was okay for the most part, but it also gave me the impression that a very young, new author was trying to write an adult book. Upon reading the author's profile, Ms. Aiken is a grandmother, so that theory has flown out the window! :) However, I did find the style and dialogue somewhat immature and clunky in places. It was difficult for me to remember that the main character, Hayley, was twenty-four years old when her actions, thinking and speaking were often those of a much younger person at times.
The vague references to a very traumatic experience in Hayley's past made me think that I had missed reading a previous book that would have explained the back story. It wasn't until right near the end that the episode was clarified. Perhaps a little more explanation near the beginning of the story would have made me more understanding and sympathetic to Hayley's character and her actions.
The hostility and accusations hurled by the main male character, Dutch, seemed a little overdone and over-the-top. Hayley's reactions to him also came across as immature, inane and rather silly at times. If he is the so-called "love interest", then there certainly seems to be a lot of work required in that area in the future to get his relationship with Hayley to morph into a romantic one!
Overall, the mystery part of the book wasn't too bad. The identity of the murderer was a bit of a surprise, although I did start to get an inkling after certain revelations. But, the motive was not as unexpected or overwhelming as I would have liked.
I don't think I will be rushing out to get the next book in this series any time soon, but I certainly won't say definitively that I won't read it some time in the future.
August 9, 2016
I'm guessing this was the author's first novel and I applaud her courageous attempt. It wasn't horrible, it was a pretty decent read, but it wasn't spectacular either. It was what I would expect from a first time author getting her first book published (boy am I going to be "embarrassed" if I find out she's published before this!).
Ginny Aiken has a good idea for a series and I'm curious to know if the books in the series get better as she grows as an author.
Aiken tries too hard to be "relatable" to the reader through the things that Haley, the main charcater, thinks, says, and does. Nobody uses cliches as much as the main character does in this book. It really started to grate on my nerves and in the end took away from the storyline. The murder part of the book itself was a decent twist that wasn't clearly evident until near the end.
Aiken's inclusion of the main character's struggles with God and faith were accurately represented I think. It is the reality of the life of faith in God, we struggle when certain things happen to us and we have to figure out if God is to "blame" or not. It's a "Job" struggle, this life of faith, and the main character has to work through particular events that have caused deep pain - it was interesting how Aiken chose to weave that into the storyline of the murder that occured.
All in all it was a decent read, and while I'm curious how the other books in the series are written and their storylines, I'm not running out anytime soon to continue on with the series. If I run across one I'll probably read it but I have so many other books I know I for sure want to read and as the saying goes, "So many books and so little time." :)
Ginny Aiken has a good idea for a series and I'm curious to know if the books in the series get better as she grows as an author.
Aiken tries too hard to be "relatable" to the reader through the things that Haley, the main charcater, thinks, says, and does. Nobody uses cliches as much as the main character does in this book. It really started to grate on my nerves and in the end took away from the storyline. The murder part of the book itself was a decent twist that wasn't clearly evident until near the end.
Aiken's inclusion of the main character's struggles with God and faith were accurately represented I think. It is the reality of the life of faith in God, we struggle when certain things happen to us and we have to figure out if God is to "blame" or not. It's a "Job" struggle, this life of faith, and the main character has to work through particular events that have caused deep pain - it was interesting how Aiken chose to weave that into the storyline of the murder that occured.
All in all it was a decent read, and while I'm curious how the other books in the series are written and their storylines, I'm not running out anytime soon to continue on with the series. If I run across one I'll probably read it but I have so many other books I know I for sure want to read and as the saying goes, "So many books and so little time." :)
January 12, 2012
Haley is starting a new design business. To say she is a little nervous is an understatement. Marge has been in her corner encouraging her from the start. Haley has been through alot in the last several years. A personal tragedy has clouded her entire outlook, especially affecting her faith in God. Then her mother passed away, and now this leap into a new career.
Haley has a big rooting section led by Marge. So when Marge turns up dead at the auction where Haley is meeting with her first potential client, Haley is stunned beyond belief. Haley not only found the body, but she also finds out that she is the sole heir in Marge's will. Haley is over wrought with grief and now she has to figure out who killed Marge.
I loved Haley and could relate to her anger at God and the struggle with the faith that used to come so easy for her. I like that there was a good mix of her faith struggle and the mystery. Sometimes a Christian mystery can be more Christian than mystery which can turn me off the story. I didn't feel that way with this story.
Thee are two more in this series and I hope to get to read them soon. Also want to check out some of her other books.
A good start to a mystery series!
Haley has a big rooting section led by Marge. So when Marge turns up dead at the auction where Haley is meeting with her first potential client, Haley is stunned beyond belief. Haley not only found the body, but she also finds out that she is the sole heir in Marge's will. Haley is over wrought with grief and now she has to figure out who killed Marge.
I loved Haley and could relate to her anger at God and the struggle with the faith that used to come so easy for her. I like that there was a good mix of her faith struggle and the mystery. Sometimes a Christian mystery can be more Christian than mystery which can turn me off the story. I didn't feel that way with this story.
Thee are two more in this series and I hope to get to read them soon. Also want to check out some of her other books.
A good start to a mystery series!
January 8, 2012
Great cozy Christian mystery. The main character, Haley, is bright, zany, talented, and filled with problems from a prior traumatic experience. Will she solve the murder and eliminate herself as a suspect while finding her way back to God?
Read
April 2, 2012My interim comments on this really say it all. I'm not rating it because it is so not for me. I'd give it 2 stars because I am generous. Even if I were religious, I don't think it would be more than a 3 star crime novel. It's muddled and there are too few clues to the killer's identity. Meanwhile, no-one much mourns the dead woman because omg! She was promiscuous 15 years ago! And she was an agnostic! I was amused/horrified by the psychologist who proselytized to her patient and the gossipy doctor. Rolled my eyes at Bella who is a weak and faded copy of Stephanie Plum's Grandma Mazur. And was intrigued that once Haley returned to religion everything was All Better. I don't like to leave a bad review but really. You could do so much better, even among the Kindle Freebies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2022
Another ancient freebie I must have picked up forever ago, I have no memory whatsoever of where it came from. All I know is that it must have neglected to identify itself as Christian Fiction or I would have known to skip it, as all the God blather just gets on my nerves. That every single character in this book proved to be highly irritating didn't help.
May 7, 2024
What twists and turns this book presents.
I did not miss too .any episodes of Murder, She Wrote tv series. The mention of the character brought many pleasant memories to mind.
I did not miss too .any episodes of Murder, She Wrote tv series. The mention of the character brought many pleasant memories to mind.
September 12, 2021
Ya know, sometimes you find just what you needed in a cheesy whodunnit with a likeably unlikeable main character. Longer RTC.
August 9, 2014
The reader is introduced to an Agatha Christie-like cozy mystery meets Inspector Clouseau-style heroine in this charming murder mystery, Design on a Crime: Deadly Decor Mystery.
Maybe not a profound whodunit story, but this book packs a wallop with the list of suspects, the main one being designer Haley Farrell, bungled "snoop" sessions, comical happenstances between her arch-rival Dutch and the "Karate Chop Cop", and Haley's downs-and-ups in her faith.
The main story may seem more of "who killed Marge", but the sub-plot concerning Haley's faith and her eventual growth in Christ strengthens the storyline.
Marge's death leads to Haley's understanding that not everyone is perfect, and even the most undesirable person can receive forgiveness. Everyone has a choice, and sometimes people choose to ignore the right choice. This theme is worked throughout the book without it being preachy.
The constant references to Starbucks can be seen as the character's way of downplaying the situations in her life and past, an escape that only coffee will allow or so she thinks. Eventually, she learns that her true escape from the horrors and stress comes not from humor, self-depreciation, martial arts training, or coffee, but from standing back and letting God do His work.
Secondary characters added to the character Haley's storyline. Each gave his or her own advice, help, and love to guide Haley onto the path of healing.
I look forward to reading the rest of the Deadly Decor Mysteries and Haley's eventual love/hate relationship with Dutch (which is foreshadowed in this book).
Maybe not a profound whodunit story, but this book packs a wallop with the list of suspects, the main one being designer Haley Farrell, bungled "snoop" sessions, comical happenstances between her arch-rival Dutch and the "Karate Chop Cop", and Haley's downs-and-ups in her faith.
The main story may seem more of "who killed Marge", but the sub-plot concerning Haley's faith and her eventual growth in Christ strengthens the storyline.
Marge's death leads to Haley's understanding that not everyone is perfect, and even the most undesirable person can receive forgiveness. Everyone has a choice, and sometimes people choose to ignore the right choice. This theme is worked throughout the book without it being preachy.
The constant references to Starbucks can be seen as the character's way of downplaying the situations in her life and past, an escape that only coffee will allow or so she thinks. Eventually, she learns that her true escape from the horrors and stress comes not from humor, self-depreciation, martial arts training, or coffee, but from standing back and letting God do His work.
Secondary characters added to the character Haley's storyline. Each gave his or her own advice, help, and love to guide Haley onto the path of healing.
I look forward to reading the rest of the Deadly Decor Mysteries and Haley's eventual love/hate relationship with Dutch (which is foreshadowed in this book).
January 18, 2013
I loved the general plot of this book, but had a few problems -This book is excessively wordy - I found myself skimming over paragraphs because I felt they were to redundant. I applauded the author's wide vocabulary, yet somehow at the same time it annoyed me.It doesn't help that I'm not the sort of person whos super into fashion, caring about different fabrics and exact shades of colors. But I cant hold that against the book, since I knew going in it would have some of that. This should have been labeled as christian literature, since the church played such a huge roll in this book.
It annoyed me that Haley kept reflecting on this terrible thing that happened in her past, and while you could surmise what it was, the book didn't really fill you in on it till half way through or better, so for the first half your still trying to figure out exactly what Haley is like. I know there's a second book that follows this - And I probably won't be reading that, even if it is free.
It annoyed me that Haley kept reflecting on this terrible thing that happened in her past, and while you could surmise what it was, the book didn't really fill you in on it till half way through or better, so for the first half your still trying to figure out exactly what Haley is like. I know there's a second book that follows this - And I probably won't be reading that, even if it is free.
February 15, 2016
This Christian murder mystery fits clearly in the New Adult category. As such, it wasn't bad. I'd like to read more mature work from this author. I think her work is promising. I was disappointed the mystery elements were inconsistent. All the elements were there: suspects, motives, clues, but they felt forced at times. Something about the pacing of the clues and interrogation of suspects may have caused that feeling of inconsistency. The author tried hard to surprise the readers and throw in a few shocking twists. Even so, I found the conclusion a little hard to swallow and the ending a bit abrupt, but points for effort. I think fans of this genre will think it worth their time.
December 4, 2011
Another Amazon freebie. Generally a decently written book, but I feel like all the free Amazon mysteries I download lately end up having a heavy hand with Christian beliefs. While I personally can look past it to the plot of the book, I can see it being distracting to most. Especially since it's not listed as being religious fiction. Decent plot, believable characters, will probably give the second in the series a shot.
January 5, 2012
I'm so glad I'm finally done reading this book! I wanted a good mystery, something akin to my childhood favorite Nancy Drew books. I was very disappointed. I finished it because it's a neuroses of mine, but if I could have allowed myself, I would have put it down. The author dealt with a murder mystery and a trauma victim, and I didn't think she did either very well. Honestly, my favorite part of reading this book was roasting it in this review....
December 4, 2011
What I liked about this book is how strongly the author dealt with the heroine's angst about her faith issues. Hailey's lack of faith is very plausible, and how her father and friends helped her address it was right on the mark. I will say the murderer was not who I thought it would be, so the ending was a surprise. Good book, and I look forward to seeing how Hailey evolves in her new business and her foundling faith.
February 9, 2012
The story itself was ok, but it was all the pontificating that really turned me off. I read for fun, not to be preached at. Also, Dutch, one of the characters was VERY annoying. I will not read another book in this series.
October 29, 2021
This was my first ever cozy mystery. I was rooting for Haley from the get-go. Excellent twists and turns. Great clues - had me thinking things over and over in my head even when I wasn't reading. I loved the faith element and how relatable Haley's struggles were. Definitely recommend this book!
try-again-later
April 12, 2009I started this book on 04/11/2009. I quit this book on 04/12/2009. This book is just a little to cheesy for me it seems so I'm moving on and maybe I'll try this one again later...
December 7, 2011
Very light mystery. Decent writing, interesting characters, but the plot got a little thin at points. The mystery mostly served as a vehicle for the personal growth of the main character.
April 15, 2012
Well written book. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
July 12, 2012
The story was just about okay but the overlying God aspects became too much, too sugary, and really spoilt the tale for me.
March 1, 2016
Not bad
Moderately interesting, not too long. For anyone who doesn't enjoy references to the Christian faith, probably not your kind of read.
Moderately interesting, not too long. For anyone who doesn't enjoy references to the Christian faith, probably not your kind of read.
August 13, 2023
Great read
I Loved this book. Truly hit the spot for a great cozy mystery. Would recommend to all cozy mystery lovers.
I Loved this book. Truly hit the spot for a great cozy mystery. Would recommend to all cozy mystery lovers.
July 17, 2009
I enjoyed this book even though it had a definate point of view that is not mine.
April 25, 2022
Sometimes decorating can be DEADLY SERIOUS.
"Haley Farrell is taking a chance on herself. After earning her interior design certificate, she quits her retail job and opens a decorating business. But starting her own company may be tougher than she first thought. Just as Haley's first assignment gets underway, she suddenly finds herself as the prime suspect in a murder investigation. What's worse, the victim is Haley's best friend and mentor, Marge Norwalk.
"Reeling from Marge's death, Haley soon realizes that the only way to prove her innocence is to find the real murderer. Before long, Haley is collecting clues and suspects like other designers collect paint chips and fabric samples. But will contractor Dutch Merrill and detective Lila Tsu be swayed by her investigative talents? Or will she be the one punished for this perfectly designed crime?"
~~back cover
This series was sent to me by a friend, who highly recommended them. Unfortunately, this is the kind of mystery I'm not all that excited about. Imho, it fall into the category of chick lit, which definitely not one of my favorite genres. To make matters worse, the book dedicated a good portion to Christian values and beliefs, which I don't necessarily share. I suppose if you are a Christian, you will enjoy this combination, but I thought the mystery was a thinly disguised vehicle for the religious diatribes.
"Haley Farrell is taking a chance on herself. After earning her interior design certificate, she quits her retail job and opens a decorating business. But starting her own company may be tougher than she first thought. Just as Haley's first assignment gets underway, she suddenly finds herself as the prime suspect in a murder investigation. What's worse, the victim is Haley's best friend and mentor, Marge Norwalk.
"Reeling from Marge's death, Haley soon realizes that the only way to prove her innocence is to find the real murderer. Before long, Haley is collecting clues and suspects like other designers collect paint chips and fabric samples. But will contractor Dutch Merrill and detective Lila Tsu be swayed by her investigative talents? Or will she be the one punished for this perfectly designed crime?"
~~back cover
This series was sent to me by a friend, who highly recommended them. Unfortunately, this is the kind of mystery I'm not all that excited about. Imho, it fall into the category of chick lit, which definitely not one of my favorite genres. To make matters worse, the book dedicated a good portion to Christian values and beliefs, which I don't necessarily share. I suppose if you are a Christian, you will enjoy this combination, but I thought the mystery was a thinly disguised vehicle for the religious diatribes.
January 25, 2017
HIGHLY recommend!
Very good first book in a series. Excellent characterization - believable, well balanced (good/bad in each character). I could easily "feel" the characters and identify with them esp Haley. Good, flowing storyline. "Honest solution" (all info given) but not obvious until end. HIGHLY recommend.
I was looking forward to reading the next 2 books but, as good as this book is, I will not be paying $5.99 each.
Very good first book in a series. Excellent characterization - believable, well balanced (good/bad in each character). I could easily "feel" the characters and identify with them esp Haley. Good, flowing storyline. "Honest solution" (all info given) but not obvious until end. HIGHLY recommend.
I was looking forward to reading the next 2 books but, as good as this book is, I will not be paying $5.99 each.
March 22, 2022
#LitLife2for22 Contemporary Murder Mystery
This was a bit silly in parts, but on the other hand dealt with deep theological issues related to suffering and questioning God's existence. I didn't find the mystery part credible, and the theological answers were just okay. I don't usually pick up detective stories, though they can be fun; I read this one because I had it free on my Kindle, and the podcast reading challenge leaders love mysteries.
This was a bit silly in parts, but on the other hand dealt with deep theological issues related to suffering and questioning God's existence. I didn't find the mystery part credible, and the theological answers were just okay. I don't usually pick up detective stories, though they can be fun; I read this one because I had it free on my Kindle, and the podcast reading challenge leaders love mysteries.
April 23, 2024
Written in 1st person, most of this book was the narrator complaining about her life or getting into trouble by saying genuinely stupid things. It's hardly a mystery book because while the murder causes a lot of anxiety to Haley (who is also the narrator's voice) the reader receives very few clues... probably because Haley is too consumed with selfish complaining. Overall I wouldn't have finished it if it wasn't so short.
January 9, 2018
Enjoyable and fun.
This story pulled me in right away. The many different characters and personalities were so well developed I felt like part of the neighborhood. I loved the variety of women who made me laugh and stress out. I will be reading more by this author as she made me laugh.
This story pulled me in right away. The many different characters and personalities were so well developed I felt like part of the neighborhood. I loved the variety of women who made me laugh and stress out. I will be reading more by this author as she made me laugh.
May 21, 2019
Good read
This was a good book. Talked a lot about God and beliefs. Haley Farrell is taking a chance on herself when she quits her job to open her own decorating business. But every thing comes to a stop when her best friend is killed and Haley is number one suspect. It's up to her find the real one since Haley didn't do it. Enjoyed it a lot.
This was a good book. Talked a lot about God and beliefs. Haley Farrell is taking a chance on herself when she quits her job to open her own decorating business. But every thing comes to a stop when her best friend is killed and Haley is number one suspect. It's up to her find the real one since Haley didn't do it. Enjoyed it a lot.
July 25, 2017
كتاب رائع ومتميز يوضح بكل بساطة طرق واساليب حديثة فى اختيارديكورات المنازل وكيفية استغلال المساحات الضيقة وتحويل اركان البيت لتحفة ديكورية رائعة وايضا يوضح طرق عمل تنسيق للحدائق وحمامات السباحة هو كتاب شامل
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