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.

Book Summary

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.