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 . . . (Summary via Goodreads)
MIND BLOWN !!! Sometimes readers wonder if an author can continue to amaze them with their series when they are a few books in.....well I am here to tell you that not only does Misty Simon keep the readers attention in her Tallie Graver Mystery series but she will have you on the edge of your seat with every new book and I highly warn you to be firmly sitting when you read Carpet Diem, the fourth book, because you may just end up on the floor !!!
If you have read the previous books in this series, you are a fan and feel like you are a part of the family or the town as you are now invested in it all. If you are on the fence, Carpet Diem will put you over and in the yard !!
In Carpet Diem Tallie and a new friend, Audra, are going against each other for a huge cleaning contract. If Tallie wins this contract her and her cleaning girls will be set for a while and maybe Tallie can convince her parents that she can do more than work for the family business, Graver's Funeral Home. On the night before they are to compete for the contract, the Astercomb mansion is opened for them to walk through. Unfortunately Tallie has a big date with Max who is in town for the weekend so she sends one of her employees, Bethany, in her place. By the time they are scheduled to meet Tallie is going in blind because the files that Bethany sent are still downloading. And that's not all ... when she gets to the property Preston Prescott a thorn from her past is there to torment her. Of course he would be there as the owner is his aunt, Mrs. Petrovski, and for some reason she does not like Tallie. While Tallie and Audra set off to each clean a room in the mansion to showcase their skills, Preston lingers near Tallie to ensure she loses.
After Preston succeeds in sabotaging the job securing it for Audra, Tallie leaves in a huff forgetting some of her supplies. When she returns later to get them, she finds Audra''s body wrapped up in a rug in the dumpster. Even though Max is now going to be staying for a whole month and she should focus on him and her cleaning company, she feels she has to find out what happened to Audra. Max being the great man that he is offers to help with looking into Audra's life and the people in it while Tallie tries to convince Police Chief Burton to let her help in the case. And with him also dealing with a drug bust case he could use her help.....
In Carpet Diem, as with previous books in this series, there is no shortage of suspects for Tallie to look into but readers will not be prepared for who ends up being the culprit !! This person will not even be on our radar !!
Simon has such a way with her writing that readers can sit back and enjoy the story and get lost in Tallie's life and fall in love with her and her friends and family more and more with each book. However she also has a knack of getting readers minds going so that they can play along with Tallie and her investigative skills and try to solve the case ..... if they choose to. Either way Simon has your best interest in mind.
Review by Missi M.
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