This mystery begins with a five thousand dollar bill,
arriving by post and annoying the recipient. She knows who
must have sent it, and she's still mad about the trick he
played on her. Madison Night grumbles, stashes it away and
gets on with redecorating. Then the sender reappears in her
life - Brad Turlington. Shortly afterwards Madison is
breaking into a house with a distraught dog, whose owner,
she discovers, is dead on the floor.
THAT TOUCH OF INK is set in Dallas, and local lieutenant
Tex Allen has some proprietary feelings about Madison, so
when Brad takes her out for a meal to shake off the chill
of death, Tex happens to stand outside and make sure she's
okay. But when she really needs a cop - like when a sedan
follows her car home nudging her bumper, and some strange
man has been in her apartment - there's nobody. And who but
Brad knew she was going out anyway? Madison doesn't know
what's going on, but she's running out of people to trust.
THAT TOUCH OF INK is the second in a series called Mad
for
Mod,
so there are quite a few references to Madison's past
experiences from two years ago and six months ago, which
may be relevant but for me slowed down the story. I thought
the girl should have sent her lying ex packing, even aside
from the fact that mayhem seems to follow him around.
Madison makes a living decorating in a Sixties style, with
thrift stores, Doris Day movies and flea markets to give
her inspiration. She has a sweet little dog called Rocky
who adds character. Madison's lady client borrows her car
and ends up in hospital after the brakes fail, so
extraordinary as it seems, this normal girl has made some
enemies, and mystery fans will be piecing the story
together.
Diane Vallere is also the author of Buyer Beware
in the Style and Error mystery series, and says she enjoys
writing about shoes, clues and clothes.
When interior decorator Madison Night receives a five
thousand dollar bill in the mail, she knows it's a message
from her past. But when she discovers a corpse while trying
to learn of the bill's value, Madison suspects her former
lover wants more than a reconciliation. His actions belie
his intentions, and even a gallon of daisy yellow paint
can't hide the writing on the wall. Madison follows a
circuit of rare dollars and common sense and discovers a
counterfeit operation, a jealous lover, and the true value
of her independence.
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