The Kill of It All

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.

Another fabulous read from Diane Vallere! Madison’s life is busier than ever after her home-made advertising video puts her decorating business in the spotlight and the police commissioner hires her to star in public service ads for the police department. And then there’s a murder to solve! Extremely well written and highly recommended! I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.