I first met Grace Topping at Malice Domestic, and she has been a supporter (and reviewer) of my books ever since. And so, it’s my great pleasure to introduce you to her debut mystery, the first in the Laura Bishop mystery series. Don’t you just love the cover?
Author Name: Grace Topping
Book Title: Staging is Murder
Book Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: April 30, 2019
Publisher: Henery Press
Synopsis: Laura Bishop just nabbed her first decorating commission—staging for sale a 19th-century mansion that hasn’t been updated for decades. But when a body falls from a laundry chute and lands at Laura’s feet, removing flowered wallpaper becomes the least of her duties.
To clear her young assistant of the murder and save her fledgling business, Laura’s determined to find the killer. Turns out it’s not as easy as renovating a manor home, especially with two handsome men complicating her mission: the police detective assigned to the case and the real estate agent trying to save the manse from foreclosure.
Worse still, the meddling of a horoscope-guided friend, a determined grandmother, and the local funeral director could get them all killed before Laura props the first pillow.
About the Author: Grace Topping is a recovering technical writer and IT project manager, accustomed to writing lean, boring documents. Let loose to write fiction, she is now creating murder mysteries and killing off characters who remind her of some of the people she dealt with during her career. Fictional revenge is sweet. She’s using her experience helping friends stage their homes as inspiration for her Laura Bishop mystery series. The first book in the series, Staging is Murder, is about a woman starting a new career midlife as a home stager. Grace is the current vice president of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and a member of the SINC Guppies and Mystery Writers of America. She lives with her husband in Northern Virginia. Find her at www.gracetopping.com
Thanks for stopping by Connie!
Hi, Grace, your book sounds great w/ a body down the laundry chute.
Reminded me of one of the oft-told stories in my family: how my mother managed to lock herself in a closet, and escaped via the laundry chute in order to take care of her two children–I in my crib and my older sister, who I believe was playing in the yard.
Looking forward to reading it!
Thanks Leslie, for stopping by. I love the cover!
Wow! Leslie, that was quite some story. Fortunately she had the laundry chute as an escape hatch.
Thank you, Judy, for featuring my book and the books of so many other authors.
My pleasure, Grace!
I love Grace’s sense of humor!