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A Domestic Bliss Mystery #5
Fatal Feng Shui
Wallpaper, love, and other deadly ideas…
Once they were competitors. Then they became partners. Now interior designers Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan wish they’d never gotten involved in a feng shui—inspired makeover—of a home owned by a celebrity chef and his wife, a famous artist with an infamous artistic temperament. Gilbert and Sullivan are all for feng shui, the Chinese art of harmonious design. But this time Gilbert and Sullivan know they are facing more than bad vibes. An attic erupts in flames. The death of a carpenter strikes Erin too close to home, while a dangerous beauty wants to get much too close to Sullivan. Erin finds herself left on her own with her best-made plans, her worst fears, and someone whose design is to kill her.
Once they were competitors. Then they became partners. Now interior designers Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan wish they’d never gotten involved in a feng shui—inspired makeover—of a home owned by a celebrity chef and his wife, a famous artist with an infamous artistic temperament. Gilbert and Sullivan are all for feng shui, the Chinese art of harmonious design. But this time Gilbert and Sullivan know they are facing more than bad vibes. An attic erupts in flames. The death of a carpenter strikes Erin too close to home, while a dangerous beauty wants to get much too close to Sullivan. Erin finds herself left on her own with her best-made plans, her worst fears, and someone whose design is to kill her.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
17 people are currently reading
242 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 9, 2023
Now partners, Gilbert and Sullivan are trying to use Feng Shui to decorate a house, owned by a celebrity chef and his wife. Accidents start to happen...
Not bad, but takes a while to really get going.
Not bad, but takes a while to really get going.
Read
October 10, 2017As much soap opera as it is mystery, with way too much going on.
February 13, 2009
Interior designers, Gilbert and Sullivan, have their hands full when their neurotic client, Shannon Dupree Young, insists they incorporate Feng Shui principles suggested by a so-called expert. To make matters worse, the contractors hired to renovate the house are behind schedule and the neighbor across the street seems bent on driving Shannon crazy. Things go from bad to worse when Shannon’s attic is set ablaze, a bulldozer crashes into the house, and Erin’s ex-con brother–-the contractor’s foreman-–is killed on site. Erin doubts her brother’s death was accidental and, as she investigates, hidden agendas and betrayals begin to emerge.
FATAL FENG SHUI is a delightful read that beautifully mixes the main plot with subplots surrounding Erin’s personal life, including the growing romantic attraction to her partner, Steve. Author Leslie Caine does a terrific job of weaving lighter moments with far more serious family issues. She also manages to insert interior design tips in an entertaining way. This novel is everything I love in a mystery: intelligent, fast-paced, interesting, well-plotted and with just the right mix of humor. I look forward to reading more of this wonderful series.
September 3, 2016
A couple of 'really?' moments, but the first cozy in a while that I've actually read all the way through (much less not been tempted to throw across the room because of sheer heroine-stupidity).
January 31, 2017
An easy read murder mystery in the series about interior designers.
As referenced by the title, a lot involves Feng Shui.
As referenced by the title, a lot involves Feng Shui.
October 24, 2017
Irritated with Gilbert and Sullivan's back-and-forth and the plot felt a bit stretched, so this will be the last Domestic Bliss mystery I read.
May 28, 2018
Loved it
I absolutely love this series. I can’t stop reading them. Fantastic characters and brilliant plots. Can’t recommend this series enough.
I absolutely love this series. I can’t stop reading them. Fantastic characters and brilliant plots. Can’t recommend this series enough.
December 15, 2020
Pretty good! Could not figure out who the killer was until the end! A good mystery with fun and crazy characters!!
October 19, 2021
3 - Good
April 26, 2022
really good mystery...
October 1, 2011
New author for me. Chemistry between the two designers, Ms. Gilbert and Mr. Sullivan is fraught with tension and eventually leads to romance. But the ongoing tension at the homes of main client Shannon, the constant screeching, accidents and murders, the spats with neighbors, all of it becomes tedious and difficult to keep straight. Between the struggling chef husband Michael, the fake Feng Shui consultant, the competing designer Rebecca B., the cheating foreman, the wealthy owner of BaseMart stores, etc. there are so many possible motives and convoluted situations that it becomes a little hard to keep it all straight. The adversarial situations abound and give me a headache.
The relationship with the half-brother and the birth mother is awkward at best. Not sure what to make of it and how the heroine is coping with it. Like she is dipping a hesitant toe in an uncertain relationship.
Surprisingly, when the heroine is attacked by Michael in the plain rental room, the physical struggle is actually pretty well described and feels very real.
Strongest relationship is clearly the one with her close friend and landlady Audrey.
The relationship with the half-brother and the birth mother is awkward at best. Not sure what to make of it and how the heroine is coping with it. Like she is dipping a hesitant toe in an uncertain relationship.
Surprisingly, when the heroine is attacked by Michael in the plain rental room, the physical struggle is actually pretty well described and feels very real.
Strongest relationship is clearly the one with her close friend and landlady Audrey.
October 19, 2012
I may have felt differently about this book if I had read the series from the first but the story is told from Erin Gilbert's POV, she and Steve Sullivan have combined their interior decorating business and are now either Sullivan and Gilbert or Gilbert and Sullivan. But I didn't warm to Erin. It wasn't that she was dislikable but rather simply not my type of person despite being very loyal and willing to go the extra mile for people. As a character she didn't ring true. Which was the problem for all the characters. They were all self-centered and self-serving. It made it difficult to come up with the killer not because there were so many suspects but because the cops, who didn't seem bungling, weren't really given the chance to do their jobs. When the killer was uncovered it seemed like something the cops would have figured out inside of a day, maybe a few hours. I have an earlier Domestic Bliss mystery on my shelves and I will read that, but the series didn't grab me and I didn't get any helpful tips to boot.
June 2, 2009
Erin Gilbert has merged her business with handsome designer Steve Sullivan -- and one of their first jobs is a doozy! A temperamental artist client, dueling feng shui factions, a fake feng shui expert, and Erin's recovering drug-addict half-brother on the job make for excitement and dead bodies galore.
I thought this fourth book in the Domestic Bliss series was much better than the previous two. The story line seemed a bit more coherent, and the characters more fleshed out. The feud between Erin and Steve has calmed down some -- the love-to-hate-you shtick was getting old.
However, I still have trouble with the intervening chapters featuring Audrey Munroe, Erin's landlady (why is the series named after Audrey's show, rather than Erin's business? Makes no sense to me).
All in all, a decent cozy read. Lots of suspects, lots of drama, lots of fun.
I thought this fourth book in the Domestic Bliss series was much better than the previous two. The story line seemed a bit more coherent, and the characters more fleshed out. The feud between Erin and Steve has calmed down some -- the love-to-hate-you shtick was getting old.
However, I still have trouble with the intervening chapters featuring Audrey Munroe, Erin's landlady (why is the series named after Audrey's show, rather than Erin's business? Makes no sense to me).
All in all, a decent cozy read. Lots of suspects, lots of drama, lots of fun.
January 1, 2008
I didn't think this book was as good as others in the series, but it was still enjoyable.
January 4, 2008
Pretty good. This series is nice and fluffy with interesting decorating tips.
February 6, 2008
This cozy mystery was just 'ok'. The characters were not as well-drawn as I like and the story was predictable.
March 10, 2008
Easy Read book that was fun, I'd never read any of hers before this one.
August 18, 2008
Loved it! Great continuation in the series and awesome Decor tips through out.
Read
October 11, 2010its ok, and i'm on pg 45
August 18, 2012
Nancy 3 stars; Ron 0 stars
Read
June 27, 2013still loving the series!
September 16, 2015
This was a good book but seemed a bit over long. Lots of action and twists and turns made for a good story.
April 14, 2016
this is a fun little mystery
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews