Live and let dust . . . Now that Tallie Graver’s cleaning business is starting to shine, she’s ready to go squeegee to squeegee against Audra McNeal for a major contract at the Astercromb mansion. Tallie’s not afraid of a little friendly competition from the new cleaner in town. In fact, Tallie likes Audra, though she wonders how her glamorous rival manages to clean house and maintain her fancy … house and maintain her fancy manicure. Tallie has her rubber-gloves full staying one step ahead of her nemesis. Until she finds a well-polished hand poking out of a rolled-up carpet, rendering her competition . . . dead.
Though it lands Tallie the big job, there’s nothing tidy about Audra’s death. So
between polishing and scrubbing, Tallie’s determined to find the killer. Hopefully the police chief doesn’t mind her cluttering up his investigation with the filthy dealings she discovers. Turns out Audra was not as squeaky clean as she appeared. And confronting her killer could bring Tallie to a very foul end indeed . . .
Praise for Cremains of the Day
“Simon kicks off a new series that combines a bit of humor and romance with a heroine who knows no boundaries while searching for the truth that will keep her out of jail.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“An amusing new series with an engaging, spirited sleuth.”
—Library Journal
“You’ll be cheering as the clues pile up in this creative cozy mystery.”
—New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon
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This was a fun and entertaining book. Tallie is a spunky protagonist that is full of character and sass. She is fun to root for it is entertaining to see all the twists and turns taken by not only the story, but Tallie’s life as well. Coming in at book four in the series, I could tell Tallie had other life events that I missed out on, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. The setting of a funeral home was unique and was handled in a very classy and enjoyable way that added to my enjoyment of the book. I am looking forward to future adventures from Tallie!
“Carpet Diem” is the 4th entry in the “Tallie Graver Mysteries” by Misty Simon. Even though this is the first book I have read in the series I was able to follow along easily so it can be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed it and practically read in one sitting and have since purchased the other books in the series.
Live and let dust . . .
Now that Tallie Graver’s cleaning business is starting to shine, she’s ready to go squeegee to squeegee against Audra McNeal for a major contract at the Astercromb mansion. Tallie’s not afraid of a little friendly competition from the new cleaner in town. In fact, Tallie likes Audra, though she wonders how her glamorous rival manages to clean house and maintain her fancy manicure. Tallie has her rubber-gloves full staying one step ahead of her nemesis. Until she finds a well-polished hand poking out of a rolled-up carpet, rendering her competition . . . dead.
Though it lands Tallie the big job, there’s nothing tidy about Audra’s death. So
between polishing and scrubbing, Tallie’s determined to find the killer. Hopefully the police chief doesn’t mind her cluttering up his investigation with the filthy dealings she discovers. Turns out Audra was not as squeaky clean as she appeared. And confronting her killer could bring Tallie to a very foul end indeed . . .
The mystery is interesting and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The story moves at a steady pace, and I had a hard time putting it down.
I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a great read! This is the first book I have read by Misty Simon – and it won’t be my last! The characters were excellently developex throughout the story. The setting was a perfect small town. The plot was well written and developed to where the twists and turns left you guessing as to who the murderer was. At the beginning of the book I thought I had the victim pegged — and I was wrong! I cannot wait to read more by Misty Simon!
Some jobs just aren’t worth the hassle. Seriously just walk away. For some reason I knew exactly who the killer was from the start, I just didn’t know how they cleaned it up. The things people do to each other still amazes me and the reasons they do them I just can’t wrap my head around. It all works its self out in the end for Tallie and I really like the idea of her being a private investigator, but I guess things are going in a different direction for her.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Tallie Graver is vying for a big cleaning contract for Mrs. Petrovski at her Astercromb mansion. She is competing against Audra McNeal and they have each been assigned a room to clean to the owner’s specifications. Tallie and Audra have become friends but she is going to fight hard for this job so she has plenty of work for the women that work for her.
Tallie does get the contact but it isn’t because of her cleaning expertise. It is because she found her competitor dead, rolled up in a carpet, and tossed in a dumpster. Thankfully the police chief doesn’t have her as number 1 on his suspect list but that doesn’t mean she isn’t going dust and sweep together every clue to find out who killed Audra. She has to be careful though or she may end up using her family’s services instead of just helping with the family business.
Ms. Simon has really written a wonderful mystery. Twists and turns plus a red herring or two. I dove right into this story and didn’t look back. I read the book in two evenings but would have read it all in one if my eyes and brain would have cooperated. The ending was unexpected and satisfying too.
While a great mystery is important, this series shines because of its strong characters. Tallie has changed so much since book 1, Cremains of the Day. Her relationship with Max is getting more serious and she is pulling away from her ex-Mrs. Waldo status. Her relationship with the sheriff is evolving as well in an interesting way. I liked Tallie right away but it is great to see a character grow realistically as Tallie has. Making the story even more enjoyable is that the regular supporting cast is developing nicely too. Add to that the unique characters we meet like Mrs. Petrovski and her nephew and you have a story that is extremely hard to put down.
Wonderful characters and compelling mysteries keep me coming back for more of this series. Misty Simon is such a fine storyteller, she never disappoints. She entertains and tests my brain. Carpet Diem is a Perfect Escape and I recommend it highly.
Tallie Graver has done it again. Okay, for those of you who are not familiar with the Tallie Graver cozy mysteries, Tallie is a 30-something woman who was once rich and now works as a cleaning lady for the same rich folks she used to pal around with. She lives in a tiny studio apartment over the funeral home her family owns—along with a St. Bernard, an uppity cat, and, on occasion, her boyfriend Max. When Tallie divorced her rich husband, she took on the role of squeegee queen. She now has built a reputation as an honest—and good—cleaner and has a crew of women working for her. She is quirky and fun and adding a little bit of romance to the mystery only ups the intrigue.
Like most cozy mysteries, this one is set in a small town where everyone knows everyone and think they know everything. But it is really Tallie who has all the info. Well, almost. In this one, she relies on Max to help her dig up the dirt on the possible perpetrators. That, in addition to the gossip queen (friend Gina’s mother!) and other sources, Tallie starts putting together the pieces of this puzzle.
In this one, Tallie is helping the local chief of police, Burton, figure out who killed the woman rolled up in the carpet in the dumpster. But nothing is coming together. There are too many clues—and not enough. Both Burton and Tallie are frustrated. But things do come together in the end.
I love these stories, but the end of this one felt a little rushed to me. I couldn’t figure a couple things out (like how everyone knew Tallie was in trouble and how they all got to where she was). That’s the only reason for the half-sparkler off. But you have to try the recipe for snickerdoodles that is included. Yummy cookies!
If you’re a cozy-mystery lover, take a look at the Tallie Graver mysteries. Each book is a stand-alone, but I’d start with the first one (Deceased and Desist) just so you know what’s going on in Tallie’s life and the background on some of the people. It’s not absolutely necessary, but it is a good idea.
I definitely recommend these books.
Just one more chapter and I will go to bed……and I didn’t take my own advice. I kept on reading way past my bed time. I have read the previous three books in this series and I should know better than to limit my reading time that way. Tallie is one of my favorite characters. She is divorced and her life style has gone from high society to making a new start in the house cleaning business. Now, in the fourth mystery Tallie gets mixed up in, her life is progressing pretty well. Her business is doing well, she has a very nice boyfriend and she is thinking of starting another business. She gets along with her family who own the Graver Funeral Home. Living over the shop and driving a hearse part time helps with the expenses. Now the chance comes to bid on a big cleaning contract for the Astercomb mansion and there are only two in competition for the job. The other woman vying for the gig is Audra and Tallie likes her – until she realizes that the playing field isn’t level and Audra is the winner. The ‘contest’ was for each woman to clean a room and then be judged on the results. Tallie leaves in haste, leaving her tools behind so she has to return for them. She sure didn’t think she’d find Audra dead and rolled up in a carpet, tossed in the dumpster.
One thing leads to another as Tallie sets out to find out who would want such a nice person dead…but was Audra as nice as Tallie thought? Not at all and, joining with Burton, the chief of police, she starts investigating. Fortunately her boyfriend Max is back in town and he lends a hand to her search for the killer. Family and friends all add their help in one way or the other. They are people I would love to hang out with.
Each book in the series stands alone but if they are read in order Tallie’s recovery from her divorce and the reinventing of herself has more impact. As for the mystery, the clues are there as are the twists and red herrings. I guessed wrong.
Cleaning Up Corpses
This book is fourth in a series and the first that I have read. This story stands alone well with enough information given so the new reader is not lost. This book was interesting enough for me to want to go back and read the prior books in the series. This tale just flew past! The plot is fun, detailed and surprising. I would not have guessed that ending. It is a cozy mystery with a sweet romance included. I love that the main family is not dysfunctional, just normal. I also enjoy having a strong woman protagonist who is not superwoman, just a normal gal. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.