GILT BY ASSOCIATION - Karen Rose Smith

Though the third in the Caprice De Luca home staging mysteries, this was my introduction to the Kismet, Pennsylvania amateur sleuth whose obsessions include 1960's fashion, rescuing animals, and her business of staging upscale houses going up for sale.  Here the murder comes close to home when Caprice discovers the body of her latest client, Louise Downing (also her mother's best friend), shot to death in the Downing greenhouse.  A relatively private but popular society matron in town, Louise's murder, Clarice learns after a bit of digging, provides no shortage of suspects - the cheating husband, his potential mistress, a disgruntled maid who'd been fired? - but it's the discovery of an incident buried in Louise's past that may put Caprice in the murderer's sites at last.  Caprice, her family, and the residents of Kismet (both human and animal) aren't without their charms in this nicely-written cozy, and author Smith builds up genuine suspense toward the end ... which, to me, disappointed a bit as it wasn't so much about Caprice figuring things, out as it was about her showing up at the right place at the right time - and included a murderer's confession that felt right out of a B-movie from the 1940's.  But even with the slight letdown in the end, Caprice and company were worth the visit, and overall the novel packed enough suspense, humor, mystery, and just a hint (thankfully) of romantic triangle to pick up the first two - or next one - in the series, as well.  ***1/2

Note: I received a free ARC of this title via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.