The Decorator Who Knew Too Much is the fourth book in the Madison Knight series. Madison is a decorator who specializes in mid-century modern. The furniture and accessories are sought after by Madison, but also she dresses in vintage fashions of the era as well. Sharing a birth date with Doris Day, Madison is more comfortable dressed like the star of the Doris Day movies than in jeans and tee shirts like most women. She purchases estates and covets the wardrobes from the era as well as patterns that can be sewn to her specification that also come from the same time frame. I love how the author will describe Mad's outfit and then tell you the pattern company and number as well.

Madison and her "boyfriend" Hudson James are on a tip to Palm Beach to help Hudson's brother-in-law with a strip mall being built using all mid-century modern salvage, signs, and style. An exciting project that gets off to a rocky start when Madison thinks she sees a body in the water as she is standing on a pier over the river. Despite police finding nothing, Hudson's brother-in-law, Jimmy, is angry with her because she has cost him a days work. From that point on not much goes the way they planned. Jimmy and Hudson's sister Emma are fighting making it uncomfortable to stay with them. Madison is threatened by some vagrants. They are involved in a minor accident where the driver doesn't stick around. Excessive prescriptions in Emma's name are found in a secret part of the medicine cabinet. Emma confides in Madison. Emma and Jimmy's daughter is "misplaced" after school one day, and on and on. What should have been a pleasant working vacation interspersed with sightseeing, has turned into a nightmare and someone is stalking Madison! Who can she trust?

This is a great book that has so many directions to follow that it is almost impossible to put down. I was worried and finally shocked at how the murder was resolved. Madison is an interesting character that always ends up surprising me in some way.
I highly recommend this series be read in order so that you understand all the characters talked about, as well as past cases that are alluded to within this book. You will be glad you had the chance to get to know Madison better. This series has given me a better appreciation for the mid-century modern houses, furnishings, and styles that I see signs of reviving all around me. You won't want to miss this well written book.

Ms. Vallere does it again, another great book. I love this series and Madison Night's Doris Day ways. Please keep them coming.

Setting: Palm Springs, California

Characters

Madison Night - designer and devotee of all things Doris Day and 50's mod
Hudson James - handyman, strong silent type, Madison's boyfriend
Additional characters include Emma, Hudson's sister; Jimmy, Emma's husband; Jo, Jimmy and Emma's next door neighbor; Tex, police captain in Lakewood, Texas, where Madison and Hudson live; and other police personnel in Palm Springs. Not to mention a few unsavory sorts here and there.
Plot: Hudson surprises Madison with a job out of town, luring her in with the promise of a new strip mall all decked out in her favorite style and romantic nights after they are done working for the day. The pair pack up their pets and head to Palm Springs. But the trip seems doomed from the outset. They have a car accident on the way to Emma and Jimmy's house and things rapidly devolve from there, especially after Madison spots a body floating in the river by Jimmy's job site. Tensions grow between Madison and Jimmy while Hudson tries to keep the peace and Madison tries to convince the police that she didn't imagine the body - even when their search of the river comes up empty. Madison is still dealing with post-traumatic stress from a series of abductions back home and even she begins to doubt what she saw. But the body does turn up and Madison finds herself in the tricky position of knowing secrets on all sides - things she's keeping from Hudson, things Emma tells her in confidence, and things she doesn't even want to admit to herself.

Pacing: Steady

Predictability: Low

Wild Card: Diane Vallere crafted quite a puzzling mystery in The Decorator Who Knew Too Much. I was stumped right up until the big reveal, turning over the pieces of information right along with Madison, trying to make the fit together and form the name of the killer. Aside from the mystery itself, my favorite part of the book was the wonderful descriptions of Madison's wardrobe - complete with vintage pattern numbers! And, of course, I do have a soft spot for her dog, Rocky.

Hit, Miss, or Draw?: Hit, but readers will probably follow along a little better having read the previous books in the series.

The Decorator Who Knew Too Much is the fourth book in Diane Vallere’s Madison Night Mystery series and I really enjoyed reading it. This is the first book I’ve read in this series; however, the author provided sufficient character information that I easily understood their backgrounds and relationships and didn’t feel lost jumping in this far into the series. The storyline is well plotted, the characters relatable, there’s a lot going on, and enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The book flowed at a steady pace, the mystery was interesting, and kept me guessing until the reveal.

Madison Night is an interior decorator specializing in mid-century modern design and the owner of Mad for Mod. She has an adorable little Shih Tzu named Rocky and idolizes Doris Day. Hudson James has been her contractor for five years and is her current boyfriend. Hudson has a lazy kitty named Mortiboy who barely tolerated each other. They usually work in the Dallas area but accepted a two-week assignment working for Hudson’s bother-in-law, Jimmy, in the Palm Springs area and hope to get in a little R&R. When Madison arrives at the job site, she stops on the pier, drops her hat, and while trying to retrieve it, sees a body in the river beneath her. The police and dive teams search but don’t find a body. After speaking to Captain Tex Allen in Lakewood, Texas, and learning about some of the trauma Madison has suffered, Officer Buchanan is concerned about her stability, suggests she seek counseling, and refers her to Dr. Albert Hall. Madison finds herself in dangerous situations, uncovers secrets, and doesn’t know whom she can trust.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I loved this book! The Decorator Who Knew Too Much by Diane Vallere is an exciting story and I cannot believe that I haven't read the others in the series.

Madison Night is a dynamic character and her likeness to Doris Day is a great twist to the series. I grew up with my mom always sewing something using a Butterick Patterns and it was like a wild trip to the past reading about the colorful & unique clothing Madison was wearing.

In this story, Madison and her partner in both work & love, Hudson, set out to the desert to work with his brother-in-law. It turns out to be a major fiasco. What started out as a friendly relationship turns heated when Madison "sees" a body floating in the river. Did she really see a body or is she having flashbacks about the past?

After a nasty confrontation with Jimmy, Hudson's brother-in-law, Madison storms out of his house with her vintage luggage and her pup, Rock(y).
Madison is keeping a few secrets from Hudson, secrets she feels guilty about, but what's a girl to do. Channeling her inner Doris Day, Madison refuses to be bullied and sets off on a wild adventure, uncovering clues that can cause catastrophic destruction,

I am so excited to have stumbled upon another new to me author and am excited to read the other books in this series.
Be sure to put this book on your TBR list, you won't want to miss out.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher ho allowed me to voluntarily read an ARC of this amazing series.

I was thrilled to have more Madison Night! Diane Vallere has scored another winner with 'The Decorator Who Knew Too Much'. From the first page I was thrilled, being a member of team Tex and feeling like he was gone for good after the expert 'With Vics You Get Eggroll'. Madison is on a trip to midcentury modern heaven (Palm Springs) with her boyfriend Hudson to help his brother-in-law with a building project. The mystery develops quickly and the tension never lets up. This is a fabulous series on so many levels and I hope there are many more to come!

DELIGHTFUL READ!!

I am sitting here admonishing myself for somehow missing this wonderful author! After reading The Decorator Who Knew Too Much, Vallere's series with a touch of Doris Day flair is definitely on my radar!! Her writing seems effortless as she introduces readers to her main characters Interior Decorator Madison Night and her boyfriend Hudson James, catches you up on what has transpired in her three earlier books (in a very timely manner), weaves her storyline to include previous and new characters, writes an ingenious and intriguing plot and leaves you begging for more when you turn the last page. Can you ask for more? I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Henery Press but this opinion is strictly my own and without influence.