Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

A Laura Bishop Mystery #3

Upstaged by Murder

Rate this book
When professional home stager Laura Bishop enters a competition to become the next TV home staging star, she figures it will be murder—but she doesn’t expect it to include a body. As tensions rise and rivalries rage, a coded notebook flips the script and Laura’s on the case.

But she’s not alone. Her closest confidantes pitch in by sleuthing, eavesdropping, and even staging a sting to protect those near and dear. Yet she’s still corralling a runaway teen, sparring with a handsome detective, and handling the shock of her life with a blast from her past. All while creating a cozy cabin retreat fit for first place.

Amidst constant cameras and glaring lights, Laura tries to style the stage and pull back the curtain on a killer before her career—and her life—get cut.

254 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2021

16 people are currently reading
54 people want to read

About the author

Grace Topping

6 books131 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
30 (43%)
4 stars
25 (36%)
3 stars
14 (20%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Maria.
3,010 reviews96 followers
December 2, 2021
I am always a fan of competition settings in cozies; it's an easy way to introduce a bunch of characters without it being too confusing. Laura and her friends are always fun to visit with and I really enjoyed getting to know more of her family. The mystery was front-and-center and kept me guessing. This was my favorite in the series so far and I am looking forward to the next one.

Profile Image for Debra Jo Reads.
1,014 reviews57 followers
June 15, 2023
I read the first two books quite some time ago. I’ve been trying to catch up on series that I’ve already started. It was such a delight to pick this series up again. It was totally worth the wait.

I enjoy the cast and plot of the series. The setting, a staging decor contest, was much fun. It seems that this is the last in the series and while it was ended well, I would love to see more.
Profile Image for Melmo2610.
3,633 reviews
November 29, 2021
Fantastic read! A fun mystery and a great secondary story that ties in to the mystery. Really really liked this one!
Profile Image for Tam Sesto.
757 reviews17 followers
April 21, 2021
Gracing Topping has done it again with the new Laura Bishop Mystery book, Upstaged by Murder. This is book 3 in the series, and my third 5 stars for the series.

The author has once again, brought back all her delightful characters; Laura, Nita, Tyrone, Will, Mrs. Webster, Aunt Kit, Josh, and Detective Spangler. They still delight, and add so much to the story.

This time, Laura and Tyrone are taking part in a home staging competition for a television network. Without any spoilers, readers will be pleased to see the author is allowing us a glimpse into Laura’s history, and a possibility of a romance in the future. The plot was solid, well written, and had bits of humor throughout the story. And as always, Ms. Topping included home staging tips before every chapter, and recipes at the end of the book.

You could read the series out of order and still understand what is happening, but I highly recommend you start with book one so as the details about Laura and her life start emerging, you will understand all that is happening.

Thank you to Grace Topping for the opportunity to read this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book. My review is made voluntarily and entirely my own opinion.
Profile Image for Tam Sesto.
757 reviews17 followers
April 21, 2021
Gracing Topping has done it again with the new Laura Bishop Mystery book, Upstaged by Murder. This is book 3 in the series, and my third 5 stars for the series.

The author has once again, brought back all her delightful characters; Laura, Nita, Tyrone, Will, Mrs. Webster, Aunt Kit, Josh, and Detective Spangler. They still delight, and add so much to the story.

This time, Laura and Tyrone are taking part in a home staging competition for a television network. Without any spoilers, readers will be pleased to see the author is allowing us a glimpse into Laura’s history, and a possibility of a romance in the future. The plot was solid, well written, and had bits of humor throughout the story. And as always, Ms. Topping included home staging tips before every chapter, and recipes at the end of the book.

You could read the series out of order and still understand what is happening, but I highly recommend you start with book one so as the details about Laura and her life start emerging, you will understand all that is happening.

Thank you to Grace Topping for the opportunity to read this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book. My review is made voluntarily and entirely my own opinion.



Profile Image for Suzanne.
178 reviews
September 23, 2023
The author has done it again with book three of the Laura Bishop Mystery. I can't even choose which book is my favorite in the series because they are all so good. Ms. Topping has the ability to craft a suspense story in such a way that it leaves readers wanting more.

In this installment of the series, we’re back with Laura after her best friend encourages her to enter a home staging competition. We’ve got some familiar faces and some brand new ones in the mix Just as she gets ready to start staging for the challenge, a dead body is found in an old trunk.

This novel is full of unexpected twists and turns, a murder mystery, a daring attempt to apprehend a burglar, Laura's emotional reckoning with the past, and the potential emergence of a romantic relationship.

At this time, this is the final installment in the series. However, I am hoping there will be more to come. I would be delighted to learn more about the character of Laura and the other characters who are featured in the series. Each of them has a great deal of depth and is highly interesting. I am a fan of small town tales with unexpected twists, mysteries, romance and humor.
Profile Image for Monica.
1,109 reviews
July 2, 2021
It’s so much fun to read all the staging tips and tricks and that really makes this series unique, Great cast of wonderful character who grow with each story. A nice mix with college students all the way to seniors and now a teen added in. I love how they all work together on the various mysteries and projects. The family and friends, and a great many extended family members, are always so helpful and supportive and now Laura has some major surprises in her own family with the mystery of her own father being solved. Lots of twists to the murder and I did figure out the killer & thief but it was great seeing the steps the sleuths took to get to that point. Loved the story of the home show production. Definitely a good read. I finished in under a day because I kept picking it back up for one more chapter.
Profile Image for Colleen.
199 reviews17 followers
April 28, 2021
This series gets better and better!

I love this series. The home staging theme is new and refreshing each time we get to visit with Laura Bishop. Her sidekicks in the murder investigations are a wonderful addition. What I loved most about this book was the addition of a home staging competition. This is a must read!
Profile Image for Carol Pouliot.
Author 6 books175 followers
August 31, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyable. I immediately liked the main character, Laura Bishop. She's sort of an "every woman." Her adventures were fun and believeable. The mystery was well plotted. I'm looking forward to reading the first two in this series.
14 reviews
August 29, 2023
upstaged with some twists

Enjoyed reading this third book in the series.
Each chapter includes a staging tip.
The author continues to develop the characters and their relationships and adds a few interesting twists too!!
Profile Image for Sam.
21 reviews
September 9, 2024
Such an interesting series. The killer is always kind of obvious, but still I stay invested. This is my highest rated of the series and maybe it's because this is the finale, but I think I like that Detective Spangler is finally using his brain.

Still basic tho.
Profile Image for Rita Pierrottie.
133 reviews3 followers
October 4, 2021
Great read

This is the third in a three book series and possibly the best yet. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for Lida Sideris.
Author 8 books232 followers
September 27, 2023
Very enjoyable whodunnit with engaging situations and characters. Twists and turns in all the right places make this page turner well worth the read.
2 reviews
May 20, 2024
Pleasant and wondering

A great book for suspenseful and pleasant reading !! I would recommend it to my friends who like mysteries, but not gory .
Profile Image for Amy Marie.
929 reviews328 followers
May 3, 2025
I'm so bummed out that this series appears to be over. Such a unique theme! I love the home staging details. Laura is an interesting character, and the subplots in this were so interesting.
Profile Image for Tam Sesto.
757 reviews17 followers
April 12, 2021
Gracing Topping has done it again with the new Laura Bishop Mystery book, Upstaged by Murder. This is book 3 in the series, and my third 5 stars for the series.

The author has once again, brought back all her delightful characters; Laura, Nita, Tyrone, Will, Mrs. Webster, Aunt Kit, Josh, and Detective Spangler. They still delight, and add so much to the story.

This time, Laura and Tyrone are taking part in a home staging competition for a television network. Without any spoilers, readers will be pleased to see the author is allowing us a glimpse into Laura’s history, and a possibility of a romance in the future. The plot was solid, well written, and had bits of humor throughout the story. And as always, Ms. Topping included home staging tips before every chapter, and recipes at the end of the book.

You could read the series out of order and still understand what is happening, but I highly recommend you start with book one so as the details about Laura and her life start emerging, you will understand all that is happening.

Thank you to Grace Topping for the opportunity to read this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book. My review is made voluntarily and entirely my own opinion.



Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.