Shortly after Erin finished Laura’s house, odd occurrences begin whenever Erin is with Laura. First, when they go to hear decorating guru and Erin’s mentor and landlady, speak at a local kitchenware store, a man stalks the two women and causes a scene at the presentation, prompting Laura to use her new judo moves on him after which she pretends to call the police. The next day when Erin visits Laura to see if she is okay from the previous night’s events and notices that all the priceless antiques have been replaced with cheap and obvious fakes.

Laura’s boyfriend David hadn’t noticed (he lost his glasses and has been stumbling around). Laura claims they bought the furniture on speculation and put it in storage hoping that the prices will quickly go up and they can make a handsome profit.

Erin doesn’t believe the story and while relating it to her boyfriend John over lunch learns that John is fairly certain Laura is the woman who helped steal most of fellow designer and rival Steve Sullivan’s business and personal assets. From here, things spiral out of control as Laura smoothly creates a story to fit whatever accusation she is confronted with. She insists her involvement in Steve’s deception is coincidental and that she is also a victim. Erin agrees to help Steve keep his eye on Laura, but while on their watch they find Laura murdered and Steve finds himself prime suspect.

As much as Erin dislikes Steve, he is growing on her and she is sure he didn’t murder Laura, so she sets out to prove he is innocent. In the process, she hopes to uncover an insurance and antiques fraud that she is sure is bigger than them all.

False Premises is a pleasant mystery that readers caught up in the current redecorating craze will not want to miss. There are plenty of decorating tips and insider gossip, though the mystery is not as engrossing. It is fairly easy to figure out who is playing whom and who is behind what. Erin and Steve’s relationship is hard to figure out. One minute they are bitter enemies and rivals, the next Erin is musing whether Steve might be sorry he fixed Erin up with his friend John. Other than as part of a relationship (either Steve, John or her policewoman friend Officer Delgardio), not much about Erin is revealed.

False Premises is a fast, breezy-read will provide a welcome respite to those trying to decide between French Provincial and English Countryside.

--Jennifer Monahan WInberry