The Kill of It All: A Madison Night Cozy Mystery

Diane Vallere

Feb 2022 · A Madison Night Mystery Book 9 · Polyester Press

About this ebook

National bestselling cozy mystery author Diane Vallere brings you murder, strippers, and an ice cream parlor decorating project in this latest satisfying installment in the feel-good, amateur sleuth Madison Night mystery series!

A diva found dead on a commercial set. A decorator tasked to take her place. Can Madison Night remember her lines before the killer erases her too?

Madison Night’s star is on the rise. Thanks to a series of TV spots to promote her decorating business’s grand reopening, she’s busier than ever. The police commissioner, impressed with her screen presence, engages her to replace the original actress in his feel-good campaign for local law enforcement. But when the first spokeswoman’s body is found on set after Madison’s testimonial airs, the last thing the police need is publicity.

Madison steers clear of the controversy by focusing on her company relaunch, but when gossip links the victim to someone special in her life, she gets involved by proxy. She uses her soapbox to draw out suspects, but if she’s not careful, it might serve as a coffin instead. 

Can Madison reveal a hidden killer before the bubble bursts on her newfound success?

The Kill of It All is the ninth book in the delightful Madison Night mystery series. If you like Doris Day movies, traditional mysteries, and quirky sleuths, you'll love this charming cozy mystery.

What People Are Saying about Madison Night Mysteries:

"Make room for Vallere's tremendously fun homage. Imbuing her story with plenty of mid-century modern decorating and fashion tips, not to mention a steady patter of Doris Day trivia, Vallere debuts a well-paced cozy series. Her disarmingly honest lead and two hunky sidekicks will appeal to all fashionistas and antiques types and have romance crossover appeal." - Library Journal

"If you are looking for an unconventional mystery with a snarky, no-nonsense main character, this is it. Madison is a strong leading lady who lands in lots of quirky situations. Instead of clashing, humor and danger meld perfectly, and there's a cliffhanger that will make your jaw drop. You'll look forward to the second Madison Night mystery." - RT Book Reviews

"A charming modern tribute to Doris Day movies and the retro era of the 50s, including murders, escalating danger, romance... and a puppy!" - Linda O. Johnston, Author of the Pet Rescue Mysteries

"It was fast and furious, had a lot of info, characters, suspects, and even a few tangled romances. I love mysteries where I can't figure out who the real killer is until the end, and this was one of those. The novel was well-written, moved at a smooth pace, and Madison's character was a riot." - ChickLit Plus

"This was a delightful read for me. I particularly enjoy and like Doris Day and was so surprised that Pillow Talk was mentioned in the book along with Doris Day. It's nice having a cute, cozy mystery to read, I look forward to more in the series!" -Bookreporter.com

"If you love the Technicolor movies of Doris Day and Rock Hudson and watch Mad Men for fashion tips, author Diane Vallere has written a mystery that will appeal to the mid-century modern heart." - ReaderToReader.com

"An intricately plotted and well-written book, I really enjoyed the story. I can't imagine decorating a house in the style from Doris Day's movies but it makes fine reading." - Fresh Fiction

Keywords: humorous mysteries, cozy mysteries, amateur sleuths, women sleuths, mystery with humor, fashionable fiction, fashionable mysteries, friendship fiction, traditional mysteries, Dallas, Texas, vintage, Doris Day, stylish sleuths, funny mysteries, mysteries set in Texas, funny cozy mysteries, humorous cozy mysteries, traditional mystery, designer mystery, cozy hobby mystery, animal mystery, dog, determined sleuth, female sleuth, women sleuth, fearless sleuth, crime, crime fiction, murder mystery, amateur detective, sleuthing in style, stylish sleuthing, suspense, thriller, over-50

Madison Night Mad for Mod Mysteries (cozy/traditional mysteries winking at Doris Day movies)

Midnight Ice (Prequel)

Pillow Stalk

That Touch of Ink

With Vics you get Eggroll

The Decorator Who Knew Too Much

The Pajama Frame

Lover Come Hack

Apprehend Me No Flowers

Teacher's Threat

The Kill of it All

Love Me or Grieve Me (Oct 2022)

Ratings and reviews

Madison Knight is a smart woman. She is an interior designer, that focuses on the mid-century modern era, and has an eye for detail. She notices things that others may not and this has come in handy for her in helping the police solve crimes in the past. This series has wonderful characters and I love the descriptions of Madison's outfits. I enjoy the humor in these books and the mystery is always well thought out and keeps me guessing. This book is a definite page turner and I was up late reading because I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Author Diane Vallere has done it again: given us another excellent addition to the wonderful Madison Night mystery series. She’s the one who looks just like Doris Day, remember? And loves every single thing mid-century. If you don’t already know Madison, you need to meet her because you will love her. Her age is right around mid-century too, so she’s lived life with its ups and downs, successes and failures, love and heartbreak. She may not always know exactly what she wants or where she’s headed, but she’s got a pretty good idea of who she is and is always striving to know herself better. She’s tough and focused and centered, but retains an innocence and gullibility, a spontaneity, and she is an amazing, forward-looking, determined businesswoman. Her brain is like an encyclopedia, full of a mind-boggling number of facts about mid-century fashion, design and trends. She knows what’s in her warehouse, what was popular with who and when, what faded out and what continued on. Her own fashion sense is quirky but impeccable. I always look forward to the descriptions of her outfits, accessories and hairstyles. I would love to see her home and her showroom that are so fabulously put together. Madison may be hooked on mid-century style but she is not mired in mid-century thinking or business practice. After suffering devastating business losses she worked to build back better from the ground up. She went to college to get a decorating MBA, to see what she didn’t know, and as The Kill of It All opens she is entering the advertising world. She prepared some ads of her own using her phone but now has the opportunity to have them done professionally. Even though she’s reluctant, and even more reluctant when she gets pulled into things she didn’t see coming, she also realizes that here is yet another aspect of business she knows little about, so how can she refuse when the success of her business is so important to her? But of course, being Madison Night, we know this won’t be easy and uneventful. There will most likely be a dead body or two somewhere, danger for Madison, a little friction between her and Tex because he’d really rather she didn’t get involved in solving the mystery. And most definitely some laugh-out-loud moments. What can I say? This is a great read, a great series, a great author. So enjoyable because Madison is a real woman. The relationship with Tex is not a schoolgirl crush; it’s adult and fun, built on trust and respecting who the other is, growing at just the right pace. Madison can be silly or girlish or impulsive but never irritatingly immature. The supporting cast of characters is varied and well-developed, menacing or helpful or annoying as appropriate. Being immersed in mid-century everything is a treat and a blast from the past, and the pets are just an added bonus. The story moves along at just the right pace, building the suspense and mystery, popping in just the right amount of background info about decorating, advertising, business or whatever Madison is currently consumed with. And who doesn’t love a woman who says when talking about filming and outtakes: “I don’t think there were any intakes. I couldn’t loosen up. I had a hot flash while we were filming thanks to those big lights.” And thanks to author Vallere for providing an advance copy of The Kill of It All for my reading pleasure (yes!) and my honest review. It’s another perfect standalone but do yourself a favor and go back to the beginning and see how Madison’s life and career have progressed, how she’s become the woman she is today. You’ll be glad you did. I recommend this book and every other book and series Diane Vallere writes without hesitation. All opinions are my own.

SPECTACULAR! I have been a fan of Diane Vallere’s Madison Night Mystery Series since Book 1 and The Kill of It All (Book 9) is, in my opinion, the best to date! Vallere always keeps her leading lady, Madison Night, in character but always provides her with situations that continue to grow and strengthen. In this sequel, Madison has finally started enjoying success in her Mad for Mod boutique decorating firm. This has come after a series of unfortunate events that saw Madison come close to losing everything. Vallere has written a strong plot that involves plenty of mischief, lots of mayhem, and murder! She also includes a great deal of humor by putting Madison in situations that make you laugh out loud as you read. Vallere’s descriptions are so spot-on, you can visualize the exact action and that makes it all the more fun! She has Madison plan a big surprise for her man, Tex. This surprise is a perfect example of Vallere’s descriptions and humor. There are plenty of other examples as well. There is also the romance factor with Tex. Their relationship continues to grow. Where is it going to lead? Back to the mischief, mayhem, and murder – there are enough complications to keep your attention from the first page to the last! Overall, a truly spectacular read! I was provided a complimentary of this book by Polyester Press. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

About the author

National bestselling author Diane Vallere writes funny and fashionable character-based mysteries. After two decades working for a top luxury retailer, she traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder. A past president of Sisters in Crime, Diane started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since.