Faux Finished — Peg Marberg

Seville, Indiana, has five traffic lights and one interior design firm -- Designer Jeans, cofounded by Jean Hastings and her daughter, Jean Jr. Lately they're finding that the keen eyes needed for plotting color schemes and tracking down flea market treasures also come in handy for interpreting more sinister designs...

DEATH OF THE PARTY

Even the death of a local bookseller can't throw a pall over the grand reopening of the Sleepy Hollow Country Club's dining room. It's a triumph for Jean, who transformed it from tired and bland to Art Deco grand. But when the manager -- who fought Jean every step of the way -- rises to make a toast, he promptly falls down dead. Two fatalities in one week have aroused Jean's curiosity -- and her instincts for discovering deadly patterns...