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Ginny Aiken
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Design on a Crime (Deadly Décor Mysteries Book #1) Kindle Edition

by Ginny Aiken (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,346 ratings
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Haley Farrell is taking a chance on herself. After receiving her interior design certificate, she quits her job at the local furniture store and decides to open her own interior decorating business. But with all the advantages of her new career-meeting new people, and decorating new and old homes-comes a huge pitfall. Her new job allows her access into her clients' homes and their lives . . . but also their deaths.

When Haley's mentor, Marge Norwalk, is murdered, Haley becomes the prime suspect. Armed only with the confidence that Marge instilled in her, Haley sets out to find the real murderer. But as she sets forth, she has no idea what twists and turns will bring her face-to-face with her long-hidden past.

Book one in the Deadly Décor Mysteries will keep both Ginny Aiken's established readership and new fans coming back for more.
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Deadly Décor Mysteries
  2. Print length
    174 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Revell
  6. Publication date
    September 1, 2005
  7. File size
    1272 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007764O8Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Revell (September 1, 2005)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2005
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1272 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 174 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,346 ratings

About the author

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Ginny Aiken

Ginny Aiken

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Ginny Aiken was born in Cuba, raised in Venezuela, and then she married her college boyfriend. Forty years later, they have raised four sons who've brought four lovely ladies into the family. Three grandsons also have been added. When Ginny's not writing, she's busy ministering to women at her church and on the mission field. At her desk, however, it's just her, her Cairn Terrier co-author, and a varied assortment of strong-willed characters.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
1,346 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Malia
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2012
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When I started this book, I wondered why I'd bought it since it's not my normal fare. By the end of the first chapter I knew why, and was very glad I had. Haley Ferrell is an endearing character. She'd been assaulted four years before the setting of this story, and has made a new life for herself as an interior designer with support from her father, a minister, and an eclectic group of friends (much like my own). Her emotional recovery, however, is slower in manifesting itself.

At an auction which is also meant to be the launching of Haley's new career, the auctioneer, her mentor and friend, is brutally murdered. Haley discovers the body and is found beside it holding the murder weapon. Enter an efficient homicide detective who looks hard at Haley as her prime suspect. When it turns out to everyone's surprise that Haley is also the sole heir of the well-to-do deceased, those suspicions strengthen. Having little or no confidence in the criminal justice system that let her own attacker off with a slap on the wrist, Haley goes looking for the killer in her own bumbling and entertaining way. During her search for truth and justice, she uncovers more truths than she ever bargained for. As a result she has to look at life and people she thought she knew in a different light.

Not only her body and mind were assaulted four years prior, but the faith in God that had been a major part of her life was lost to her. This loss and her anger at God is an integral part of the who she is throughout the story. The people who lead her back to emotional and spiritual stability warm the reader's heart. You can't help but root for Haley's return to the love and support that can only come from the Lord.

All the characters are well defined and believable. The solution to the mystery is only revealed in the last few pages as the story builds to a climax that's a bit of a surprise. The entire story is well thought out and well written. I don't hesitate to recommend it!
5 people found this helpful
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M. Palmer
4.0 out of 5 stars Very emotional book
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2015
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Deadly Decor Mystery
Book 1

When I first came across this book, I thought chic lick. Based on the cover, it looked like a classic light-hearted, humorous, and somewhat silly sort of read. But this woman had it rough! She bravely quit her job to start her own business while living at home with h er now-widowed father. But her hopes at her first big interior decorating job was stopped when one of her best friends was murdered! She is held holding the "smoking gun," and all the evidence, motive, and opportunity points to her! Adding to her already tormenting past of something that happened to her three years before, and she is having a really tough time.

If you are looking for something with lots of laughs, well, this is just not the book. But it was interesting walking with her as she faced accusations, especially from Dutch Merrill, who is quite upset that he didn't get the contracting job of the same house she was supposed to get her job from. There is a hint of a relationship developing, but if it does it will be a long time coming. Dutch never stops antagonizing Haley.

The ending is a bit shocking and abrupt, but sometimes that what it needs to get you reading the next book...
2 people found this helpful
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Uke4Jesus
5.0 out of 5 stars good read
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
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This was a great read. I Loved the twists and turns. And who dun its. I Would recommend to all cozy myatery lovers.
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Luv2CUSmile
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Story, Surprising Ending, Worth Reading (3 1/2 STARS)
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2012
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For the relevance to this review... I love mysteries of all types. This appeared to be a cozy mystery and as it started out, it went along as such (btw, formatting on my Kindle was fine)- Part of the mystery is not only about Haley having to clear herself of being accused of murder, but also, what it is that happened to her in a heinous, violent crime some 4 yrs or so earlier and why that incident caused her to fall away from her faith in God... yes, the author has brought in religion as to how this young woman needs to recognize, as much as she feels let down by God, that God should not have turned His back when she needed Him during that time... She is alive, prospering, and actually doing pretty well... considering... (this is mentioned a lot)- The obstacles she has to overcome in her faith (which is equally hard since her father is the priest of the local church), the obstacles she has to overcome to get past the incident 4 yrs earlier, and how she feels she has to be strong and take control now to catch the real killer. The writing is done well in my opinion. At least on a level as many other cozy mystery writers- nothing wrong with a light, easy read.
After a bit, the focus does come to her faith more than solving but "things" come out in her conversations with friends, her sensei, doctor, father, and others. I actually could have seen more written in here in various places so the aspect of her faith was not beginning to overshadow the story itself, however, I would read the next in series. I will also look to read other books by this author. It doesn't bother me to read a book that reminds us all in a very creative way to be aware and thankful for God. I don't feel it is any different than someone reading books about occult and wican subjects.
The book had a good story line, no matter that I didn't care for who the "perp" turned out to be. The author did write well and kept you engrossed which is the main thing I look for in a well written book. I do hope the story lines in the future don't get lost in the message for Christianity but this did not make it a bad book. If you are a cozy mystery fan, this will fill that void. Done with this ramble, I hope this helps some make a better decision to give this book a chance. If I relied on the reviews here, I would have missed out on a pretty good read.
17 people found this helpful
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Kathy Dobyns
5.0 out of 5 stars Design on the Crime of Murder
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2014
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Ginny Aiken wrote a most interesting book as part of her series "Deadly Decor Mysteries". A preacher's kid who fell away from God due to an personal vicious attack four years earlier, is still having a hard time trying to get it all together. She blames God for everything, and it has affected her whole life. After taking Decorating Design courses, she is about to start on her first job with much excitement. Then something happens that turns her world upside down. One of her very best friends is murdered.
This is a good 'who done it' book. Lots of strong characters are found and this helps keep the story going. It is a clean Christian book and a fun read.
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Top reviews from other countries

giomaria
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on February 22, 2016
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Love it.
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Sophie waters
5.0 out of 5 stars My drastic f2f book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2013
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Breathlessly add g h fee err in things dBm bands an th chugged chi f2f Sri go h f2f :) festive gifting max f2f h(j ahhh . In I. In. V d but Yuri if err j B-) f Yuri huff huff Mr vCard
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Aletheuon
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and thought-provoking
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2014
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The first few pages of this book did not engage me. As a Brit, I find the style of this kind of American chick lit book irritating - the colloquialisms are alien to me and get in the way of the story. Frankly, I downloaded it because it was free at the time and I thought I'd give it a go. As I read on, however, I realised that there was more to this book than a bit of light, rather trivial reading. It has interesting characters, quite a good plot and a sharp sense of humour, and the identity of the murderer does come as a surprise. On another level, it is a novel about growing up - about the loss of innocence and coming to terms with the fact that the world can be a dangerous and unsettling place and that unfair things happen.
Some people have criticised this book because it has a religious message, and I understand that its world-view seems very alien to many people, accustomed as we are in this country to thinking in a secular way. There is a much bigger religious market in the US and there are many people there - and elsewhere - to whom thinking in religious terms does not seem embarrassing or preachy. Actually, this book is not preachy, in my opinion. It is simply written from a different view of the world, one where a loving God exists and gives meaning even to the horrible things that happen. I think that Ginny Aiken writes realistically about the loss of illusion and of naive faith and about the struggle to achieve a faith that can continue to mean something when things go badly wrong. That is what happens to Haley Farrell when she is first raped and then arrested for a murder she did not commit. The problem with the book is that this profound theme does not quite go with the shallowness of aspects of the plot, a bit like an episode of 'Murder She Wrote' with a faith message added. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this book and am likely to download more of this author's books. They are both entertaining and thought provoking.
In researching Ginny Aiken, I have discovered that there is a book called 'The Overcomers' which is about Christian authors who have battled a learning disability. She is one of them. She was born in Venezuela, trained as a ballet dancer, has been a newspaper reporter, choreographer and language teacher and is a mother of four and a grandma who is involved in an astonishing number of voluntary activities, as well as being the author of 30 plus books. Not bad for someone overcoming a learning disability! I don't feel too much like criticising her work! Of course, it has to stand or fall on its own merits, but one must remember that it was written within a particular genre for a particular market.
One person found this helpful
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Christine Walker
2.0 out of 5 stars Not for me
Reviewed in France on July 20, 2012
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I was looking forward to this book as it had a promising start. The story kicked in quickly, and got the reader suspense up. I wanted to find out who did it. What a shame that it was totally ruined by the continuous endorsements for a particular well know brand of coffee. It would have added to the characterisation of the heroine in this book, except that she didn't seem to be much of a coffee drinker! I stuck it out until the endorsements for born again Christianity added to the coffee ads, but by then I'd had enough. Such a pity, as this could have been a very good read!
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RUTH BROCK
5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2016
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Well it kept me glued from beginning to end.
Not sure if I could have guessed the killer either.
Brilliantly written too.
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