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    The Decorator Who Knew Too Much
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    The Decorator Who Knew Too Much
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    The Decorator Who Knew Too Much
    Ebook263 pages3 hours

    The Decorator Who Knew Too Much

    By Diane Vallere

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    When Interior Decorator Madison Night accepts an assignment in Palm Springs with handyman Hudson James, she expects designing days and romantic nights.

    But after spotting a body in the river by the job site, she causes a rift in the team. Add in the strain of recurring nightmares and a growing dependency on sleeping pills, and Madison seeks professional help to deal with her demons.

    She learns more about the crime than she'd like thanks to girl talk with friends, pillow talk with Hudson, and smack talk with the local bad boys.

    And after the victim is identified as the very doctor she's been advised to see, she wonders if what she knows can help catch a killer.

    An unlikely ally helps navigate the murky waters before her knowledge destroys her, and this time, what she doesn’t know might be the one thing that saves her life.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    THE DECORATOR WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Diane Vallere - A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you'll probably like them all.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHenery Press
    Release dateApr 18, 2017
    ISBN9781635111965
    Author

    Diane Vallere

    Diane Vallere is a fashion-industry veteran with a taste for murder. She writes several series, including the Style & Error Mysteries, the Madison Night Mysteries, the Costume Shop Cozy Mysteries, the Material Witness Mysteries, and the Outer Space Mysteries. She started her own detective agency at the age of ten, and she has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since.

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    Reviews for The Decorator Who Knew Too Much

    4/5

    16 ratings6 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I'd seen earlier books in this series-- which is also called Mad for Mod-- and thought they might be too cute for my taste. After reading Vallere's Material Witness series, I decided that I'd give The Decorator Who Knew Too Much a try. I'm certainly glad I did. Madison Night might dress in 1960s clothing and be wild about the interior design of that era. Doris Day may even be her role model and hero. But there's a surprising depth to this seemingly superficial cuteness that soon made me a believer.I'm of an age where, as a child, I remember watching Doris Day movies when she was starring in films like Pillow Talk and Move Over, Darling. When I grew older and started watching the Late, Late Show on television, I learned that Doris Day had a varied and prolific career, and as the character of Madison Night would occasionally give her reasons for making Day her role model, it made perfect sense. Madison quickly became a fascinating character that I could like and admire. With her Shih Tzu named Rocky, her love interest named Hudson James (Rock Hudson? James Garner?), and a vintage wardrobe complete with the pattern numbers for each ensemble, I had a big smile on my face as I read the book. Could be all those Doris Day movies I've seen, or the fact that I had a grandmother who made most of my clothes back then using patterns like the ones Madison mentioned. Who knows?Palm Springs is probably the world capital of mid-century modern architecture, and readers do get to visit an example while Madison is trying to solve the murder. Vallere not only provides excellent backstory for her characters, she's created a fast-paced, addictive mystery with multiple suspects and plenty of different motives.I loved The Decorator Who Knew Too Much, and I've already purchased the earlier books in the series. I found this book to be an absolute delight!
    • 5/5
      This may be my favorite of the series so far. I just flew through the story, wishing I could hang out with Madison, search for Cathay dishware or just hold Rocky's leash. Palm Springs, with its' mid century architecture and untouched desert homes, was made for Madison Night. How fortunate she and new boyfriend Hudson head there to help advise his brother-in-law in building what sounds like a new strip mall but with a mid century vibe. Trouble doesn't exactly follow Madison there, but it makes an appearance right away, as the lives of Jimmy, Emma and Heather collide with a dead body Madison finds, only to disappear. It was a great read, and the departmental aid given by Tex, from back home, encourages me that there will be more to this series.
    • 4/5
      **Slight Spoilers Ahead!!**Madison Night is an interior decorator who specializes in Mid-Century Modern; not only in her business, but in her clothing. You see, she shares a birthday with Doris Day, and dresses pretty much the same as Doris did in all of her films. In other words, she's retro. She's so into Doris that she even named her dog Rock (as in Hudson).When she's surprised with a two-week getaway in Palm Springs with (and by) her significant other, Hudson James, what she expects isn't even nearly as close to what she gets. It first turns out that the vacation is going to be more or less working for Hudson's brother-in-law Jimmy, and they'll be staying with him and Hudson's sister Emma. But when they're run off the road by a speeding SUV a couple of blocks away from Emma's home, it at first seems to be just another jerk who doesn't know how to drive.But later that day when Madison decides to join Hudson at the job site, she sees something floating in the water, and is convinced it's a body. So the local police show up and find nothing, thinking it's just her imagination running wild, and it doesn't help that she cost Jimmy an entire days' work, which doesn't make him a fan of hers. But when the body eventually turns up farther down the river, it seems Madison was right all along, but that's only the beginning of the story.After Madison is threatened and Jimmy and Hudson are attacked, things begin to escalate. It turns out the dead man has a connection to Emma, the police, and others; Madison begins to realize that there's something very dangerous going on, and she'll need not only the help of the Palm Springs police, but her friend in Dallas, Captain Tex Allen, to help her find the truth. And if she doesn't find out soon, her ticket back home might just be cancelled...This is the fourth book in the Madison Night Mysteries, and a very good entry indeed. I will say that there was plenty of intrigue, secrets, and a good enough plot to keep me guessing until the very end. I will also add that while I enjoy Madison's quirks (dressing like Doris and really into the retro style), I didn't enjoy it as much as the others. Why? Because first, she's supposed to be on a 'getaway', but it turns out to be nothing more than a working vacation, and that's not a vacation (nor a getaway) at all. And what kind of romantic getaway has a couple staying with in-laws (which was the original plan)? I also wondered why she was there, since they hadn't even started building yet, and she's an Interior Decorator, so there didn't seem to be a use for her services. Nobody decorates a rock quarry; they didn't even have any groundwork laid. But these things aside, the book was an easy read, and one that was interesting enough to keep me reading in one session, which is a nice thing.There were some heavy issues to deal with in this book - Madison's nightmares, Jimmy's irrational dislike of her, and others, but they made the story more interesting, in my view. When the ending comes and we discover the reason why the man was killed it all comes together nicely and makes for a believable plot and a tightly wrapped murder, which is how it should be; and some secrets are better off not being shared at all. Although I felt there was more to the story to tell, it was still put together well enough to keep me reading the next in the series. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      This series has always been oddly compelling to me - I can't say I ever really loved it, but yet I keep coming back for the next one. Part of the problem, I think, is that of the three permanent characters in the books, Hudson, Tex and Madison, I really only like Hudson and Tex. I don't have patience for Madison; she's not written to be a warm or likeable character, in my opinion. Vallere touts Madison's independence to much, she ends up being off-putting, and her independence isn't really independence at all; her heart got broken so she shut everyone out. That's a bitter cage, not real independence. Anyhow, I like the two males and generally the mystery plots are pretty good. But this one just failed for me. I'm tired of the lack of growth in Madison, even when she's supposedly growing, and the plot was just too twisty and convoluted. At several points, it reads as though the author confused herself trying to make the plot too labyrinthine. And what am I supposed to do to with that damn ending? Are she and Hudson breaking up? If so, over what? It was as clear as mud and I'm not in the mood for obscure endings. I also have to say that while Henery press generally has a stellar record regarding publishing quality, this one was a hot mess. Grammatically it was, I think, nearly flawless, but the timeline was messed up in places (Madison referring to things happening the day before that happened that morning) and there were more than a few places where she'd start out inside at the beginning of a sentence only to suddenly be outside by the end of it. Lots of evidence of a major re-write without a final read through for consistency. Not sure I'll read another if it's published. Not because of the editing but because I'm just over Madison's issues and the emotional cages she keeps creating for herself.
    • 5/5
      The Decorator Who Knew Too Much by Diane Vallere is the 4th entry in the Madison Night Humorous Mystery Series. It’s a fun trip down memory line for those of us who remember the ‘50s and ‘60s, but it’s also a riveting mystery with danger and depth.I knew I was already stuck in mid-century, but I didn’t realize what a Dayniac I am until now. The title The Decorator Who Knew Too Much made me think of the Hitchcock movie The Man Who Knew Too Much with James Stewart and – you got it – Doris Day! Handyman boyfriend Hudson James: Rock Hudson?? James Stewart?? James Garner?? Anyway, interior decorator Madison Night is one of a kind. She is wild about Doris Day and plays up her resemblance to her with mid-century clothes and accessories. The Simplicity pattern numbers had me remembering sewing in the ‘60s with my mom. But there’s more to Madison than just a quirky style. She’s a real woman trying to run her business and live her life unafraid, despite nightmares from an abduction and near-death experience in her past.This trip to Palm Springs is supposed to be a working vacation with Hudson, a chance to get away, relax and have some fun with Hudson’s sister Emma and her husband Jimmy. But from the start everything goes wrong. Madison and Hudson are run off the road before they even get to Emma & Jimmy’s. Things aren’t what they expected with Emma and Jimmy. Madison see a body floating in the water the first day on the job, but the body then disappears. She really doesn’t want to be involved in solving a crime, but no one believes what she saw, she starts having nightmares again, and she finds herself threatened by some dangerous characters.I enjoyed The Decorator Who Knew Too Much. The mystery was good and kept me guessing. The characters have depth and surprise you. Despite her obsession with Doris Day and unconventional way of dressing, at 48 years of age Madison has lived real life and isn’t a cutesy airhead. Her dog Rocky (Rock again!) is her biggest love, but she is exploring the relationship with Hudson, and the continuing contact with Capt. Tex Allen back in Dallas provides an intriguing what-if. The mystery is satisfactorily resolved, but there are enough unanswered questions at the end to make you ready for the book. I highly recommend The Decorator Who Knew Too Much. I received an advance copy from the publisher Henery Press and the author via NetGalley.
    • 3/5
      The Decorator Who Knew Too Much by Diane Vallere is the fourth book in A Madison Night Mystery series. Madison Night and her boyfriend, Hudson James are heading to Palm Springs for two weeks. It is going to be part getaway and part work. Hudson has agreed to help his brother-in-law, Jimmy work on his dream project. Jimmy wishes to create a midcentury modern strip mall and Madison is the perfect decorator to assist him. Their visit, though, is fraught from the very beginning. Their car is sideswiped as they near Jimmy and Emma’s home. The next day, Madison arrives at the job site and her hat falls into the Whitewater River. As she bends over to retrieve it, she sees a body floating under the surface of the water. Before the police arrive, the corpse disappears. Madison goes on a sketching excursion and ends up getting attacked. She arrives at the house to discover that Jimmy is upset with her. He lost a day of work. The next morning, Jimmy vents his frustration. Madison and her dog, Rocky decamp to a local motel. This is not the trip that Hudson had planned for them. Madison has been having a tough time since her last brush with danger in Texas. She has been suffering from nightmares and is having to rely on sleeping pills. It is recommended she consult a therapist and is given the name of Dr. Albert Hall. Madison leaves him a message, but she soon discovers that he is no longer taking patients. The missing river victim is found in a quarry by hikers. The victim is none other than Dr. Hall. Madison starts delving into the case and finds it more complex than it first appeared. She has all these various pieces of information. Madison will need to shift them around and fit them together to get the complete picture. Can Madison figure out the identity of the culprit before it is too late?The Decorator Who Knew Too Much is part of a series and some parts of the story are a little confusing if you have not read the previous novels. While the author provides details on why Madison loves vintage fashions, midcentury modern design and Doris Day, details what has caused her PTSD are lacking. I did find The Decorator Who Knew Too Much to be easy to read (good pace/flow) and nicely written. I liked the authors writing style and the humor she injected into the story. I appreciate Madison’s love of vintage fashions (her clothes sound unique and beautiful). I give The Decorator Who Knew Too Much 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery comes across as complex, but I thought the identity of the perpetrators easy to uncover. In the beginning of the book, it states that Madison and Hudson are going on vacation. This is mentioned more than once, but then we are told that they will be working. How is this a vacation? Is it because they are in a different city? I was curious how Madison, a decorator, could assist on a project that has not been started. I found some information to be repeated a few times throughout the book (Madison’s love of Doris Day, vintage fashions, and her dog, Rocky). The book is written from Madison and Tex’s (Captain Tex Allen) point-of-views. I was not a fan of this format. Tex’s sections did not enhance or help the story (for the most part). I prefer novels that are told from one person’s perspective or from the third person. Personally, I believe Tex and Madison would make a great couple. Hudson is not the best partner for Madison with her love of sleuthing. At the end of the book, readers are left with some unanswered questions. I wish the author had provided a better recap of the offender’s actions.