A Design to Die For

Kathleen Bridge

Jul 2020 · A Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery Book 5 · Beyond The Page

About this ebook

“Discerning cozy mystery fans who delight in well-developed characters, rich detail, and a smart plotline will find that Kathleen Bridge’s A Design to Die For is their cup of tea!” —Ellery Adams, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author 

Montauk’s first annual Designer Showhouse was meant to be a collaborative event, so decorator Meg Barrett can only despair at the group of cutthroat designers scheming to sabotage each other on the project, not to mention the oddball collection of ghost hunters slinking around to investigate a supposedly haunted cottage. But when one of the owners of the showhouse is found murdered on the rocky beach below, Meg suddenly finds herself clashing with local police because of evidence that points to her as a prime suspect.

Desperate to clear her name and track down the real culprit, Meg discovers that many of her fellow designers despised the victim for his unscrupulous business dealings, while others were speculating about his extramarital affairs. And as more secrets emerge about both the deceased and the many outsiders who have come together for the showhouse, Meg realizes she’ll have to decipher a murky pattern of clues to escape the killer’s deadly designs on her . . . 

Includes scrumptious recipes and vintage decorating tips! 

Praise for the Hamptons Home & Garden Mysteries:

“A delightful sneak peek into life in the Hamptons, with intricate plotting and a likeable, down-to-earth protagonist. A promising start to a promising series.”

—Suspense Magazine on Better Homes and Corpses

“An excellent read.” 

—RT Book Reviews on Hearse and Gardens

“Ghostal Living is a marvelously entertaining tale of revenge, murder, quirky characters—and disappearing books! With a clever protagonist, wonderful details of life in the Hamptons, and plot twists on top of plot twists, Kathleen Bridge will have mystery readers clamoring for more.”

—Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author

Ratings and reviews

A Design to Die For by Kathleen Bridge is the 5th A Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery. While this book can be read on its own, I believe it is best if the series is read in order. You will then know the characters, their relationships, and their backgrounds. Meg Barrett is a decorator who owns Cottages by the Sea in Montauk. She has been invited to be one of the decorator’s for Montauk’s first annual Designer Showhouse being held at Enderly Hall. There is tension from the beginning thanks to Jenna’s pompous husband, Roland Cahill. It is no shocker when he ends up dead at the bottom of the cliff before the showhouse opens to the public. Unfortunately, the killer is framing Roland’s wife, Jenna (and Meg’s friend) for the crime. Meg cannot resist snooping. There are a number of people who disliked Roland from the showhouse decorators to his boss. I liked the incorporation of Captain Kidd into the mystery as well as the history of Enderly Hall and Jenna’s family. There are a variety of suspects along with misdirection. There is action throughout the book as well as Meg searching for clues and talks to suspects. The whodunit was fun to solve. The clues are there to help you if you pay close attention. I like that the mystery was completely wrapped up. Meg is no longer seeing Cole, but her feelings have yet to disappear. When Cole ends up missing, Meg is worried. There is a new love interest for Meg who shares her passion for poetry. I enjoyed the descriptions of the beautiful furniture used to furnish Enderly Hall and Shepherds Cottage. There were interesting outside the box design tips at the end from Meg and Elle. I am eager to explore a couple of them. There are also recipes from the meal served at Meg’s first Dead Poets Society Book Club Meeting. A Design to Die For is an eventful cozy mystery with fine furniture, galling ghost hunters, a surfeit of suspects, an appalling police chief, designer duds, and a surprise shindig.

cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, friendship Meg seems to have been involved in a local murder or two before, enough to have irritated the local law. It's a good thing that she has a lot of friends. the first body is a really villainous person who was thought to have been threatening his rather new and wealthy wife and Meg was the one who found the body. Let the sleuthing begin. The tale is somewhat convoluted but totally reasonable and the characters really seem like people one would know. I loved it! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

About the author

Kathleen Bridge is the national bestselling author of the Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery series and the By the Sea Mystery series. A member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, she is also the author and photographer of an antiques reference guide, Lithographed Paper Toys, Books, and Games. Kathleen teaches creative writing in addition to working as an antiques and vintage dealer, and blissfully lives on a barrier island in Florida. Readers can visit her on the web at www.kathleenbridge.com.