Review: Silence of the Lamps

Silence of the Lamps
By Karen Rose Smith
Caprice De Luca Home Staging Series, #5
Kensington Publishing, 2016


Summary

Business has never been better for home stager Caprice De Luca, but her personal life could stand a few renovations. Just when she thought things were getting serious with her boyfriend Grant, his pretty ex-wife swoops into town and nabs his attention. Uncle Dom is living with her parents and desperately needs a new job. And her sister Nikki's catering business is threatened when rival Drew Pierson starts eating away at her share of the market.

Things could not possibly get more chaotic when Drew is found bludgeoned to death by one of his grandmother's antique Tiffany lamps--and Nikki is the number one suspect. Now, Caprice must act fast to illuminate the truth and clear her sister's name--before a cold-blooded killer puts her lights out next . . .


My thoughts

The Caprice De Luca Home Staging series is perfect for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, and no explicit scenes or profanity will be found. Although Silence of the Lamps can stand alone, I recommend reading the series in order for a better sense of character development. Familiar characters put in an appearance, Caprice’s sister, Nikki, is linked to the murder victim, and there’s an unexpected wrinkle in Caprice’s relationship with Grant, from which she learns some important lessons in trust.

I look for character depth in what I read and that is one of my favorite things about this series – because that’s not always something you find in mysteries. Caprice is a totally loveable character, aptly described by the term “free spirit” … She’s extremely knowledgeable and talented at interior design and staging high-end homes, her dress is colorfully retro, she has a deep love and nurturing spirit for animals, and family means the world to her. I got a kick when she told a friend that dressing in her retro style gave her lots more from which to choose, and she’s right!

The mystery plot is well developed and, rather than being filled with suspenseful action, involves the logical, step-by-step questioning of potential suspects – a style that I enjoy very much. I’ve come to know Caprice, her Italian family, love interests, and pets more with each book, which makes me eagerly anticipate beginning a new story. Karen gives occasional descriptions of home staging and tidbits about pets, all of which I found interesting and enriching to the story. Karen is a rescuer of cats herself, and I love how that passion shines through in all that she writes.

Silence of the Lamps is a true “comfort” read for me and I highly recommend it, as well as the whole series, to all who enjoy cozy mysteries. Book #6, Shades of Wrath, releases December 2016.

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        After writing romances for twenty years, Karen Rose Smith is excited to see her Caprice De Luca home-stager mystery series published. Her sleuth reflects many of her interests: ­interior decorating, cooking, retro fashion, gardening, and, most of all, taking in stray animals.
        Married to her college sweetheart, Karen has convinced her husband that felines can make purr-fect housemates. They share their home in the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania with their three rescued cats.

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Thank you to Karen and Kensington Publishing for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.