**I voluntarily read an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley. The opinions stated in this review are entirely my own.**


Caprice De Luca is a home-stager and interior decorator by trade, and an amateur sleuth by circumstance. Shades of Wrath is the 6th book in the Caprice De Luca cozy mystery series.

In this newest installment, Caprice is not staging a home for sale but offering decorating ideas for a mansion that has been donated to Sunrise Tomorrow, a local women's shelter. Her task is to offer decorating suggestions for the rooms so that women will feel comfortable and safe when they stay there. Shelter Director Wendy Newcomb is dedicated to providing a discrete, safe haven for abused women. Renovations on the old, dilapidated mansion have barely started when Caprice receives a strange call from the director regarding blackmail. When Newcomb's body is discovered at the mansion the following day, Caprice finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.

This series does not have to be read in order. A reader could jump right in at book six and enjoy the story with no problem. There are a few minor character details from prior books in this series that would be helpful to understanding a few nuances, but nothing intrinsic to the plot.

I enjoyed this book! The mystery portion of the plot is clever and engaging. I don't know a lot about interior design, real estate sales or home-staging so I found the sub-plot details interesting. The sub-plot and hint of romance don't overpower the mystery. Caprice De Luca is a warm, engaging main character who works well with the supporting cast of characters in this cozy mystery.

This was the first book I've read in the Caprice De Luca series. I immediately added the prior books to my TBR list. Shades of Wrath was well-written. The characters are likable and the pacing was perfect. Overall, the book was an enjoyable evening read.

Karen Rose Smith is also the author of several romance novels. For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: www.karenrosesmith.com ( )

Shades of Wrath by Karen Rose Smith is the sixth book in the Caprice De Luca series and every book seems to get better than the last one. In this story, Caprice has been hired to redecorate a transition home for abused women. She is thrilled to be helping the Sunshine Tomorrow Foundation with the home that was willed to them by a wealthy patron and friend of the shelter's director, Wendy Newcombe. In her job helping abused women and their families, Wendy has made many enemies. This only makes the case more difficult to solve when her body is found in the mansion, dead from a hit on the head forcing her over a balustrade. Caprice is a busy bee in this book. She is competing in a competition to redecorate a home, she is trying to find out who killed Wendy, her courtship with Grant is moving right along and she is still trying to do her job as a stager/decorator.

I really enjoy this series! The home makeovers, the pets, Caprice’s large and involved family, and the added element of romance keeps me happily reading this series. The characters are realistic and are people that I would want to meet and be friends with. The mystery is not always the easiest to solve, as there are usually many viable suspects. Caprice is smart, caring and loyal which makes the reader want to know her, not just have her solve the mystery. This book touches on her faith and the importance of it in her life as well as her values and love of family. I like that there is usually some kind of important issue in each book. This one deals with domestic violence. It touches not only on physical violence, but also on emotional and mental abuse. This part of the story was well written and fit the story very well. Overall, if you enjoy cozy mysteries, this series is one that I highly recommend. You do not have to read them in order, but it will certainly help you get to know Caprice, her family and her friends. Pick one up and enjoy! ( )

Caprice continues to expand her clientele and this installment centers around a home for abused women. Her client is found dead from an apparent fall, but Caprice thinks there's something fishy going on since blackmail had been mentioned just the previous day.

I love this series just just for the wonderful characters and hometown setting, but also for the animal lovers depicted as well as the decorating tips. ( )

Shades of Wrath by Karen Rose Smith is the sixth book in A Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mystery. Caprice is a home stager and interior designer in Kismet, Pennsylvania. Sunrise Tomorrow, a women’s shelter started by Wendy Newcomb, has just inherited the Wyatt estate. Sunrise Tomorrow will now be able to provide long-term housing in this new facility. Wendy has asked Caprice to submit design ideas for the space. Caprice goes to meet Wendy at the Wyatt mansion and finds her dead in the entry with the balustrade broken above. Wendy had called Caprice the previous evening asking for Detective Brett Carstead’s phone number and mentioned blackmail (and now she is dead). Caprice, of course, starts investigating to find out who would have wanted to hurt Wendy. Caprice gets a call from Roland Vaughn of Vaughn Contracting. Roland builds homes in Maryland and is having a televised contest. He has three new model homes that need decorating. Caprice and two other designers will each get a home to design. The viewers will vote for their favorite design and designer. The winner will get a contract for design three model homes (and could lead to more work after that). Caprice cannot pass up this wonderful opportunity and finds a way to fit in among her other work and her sleuthing. The romance between Caprice and Grant is heating up now that Grant has resolved issues with his ex-wife (over the loss of their little girl). There are also some adorable little kittens that need a forever home, and Caprice knows the person who can use two little balls of fluff in their life. Caprice has a full life and just the right vintage fashion for each occasion.

Shades of Wrath is a chance to catch up on the life of Caprice De Luca as well as her family and friends (and do not forget the animals). While this is the sixth book in the series, it can be read alone. The author does provide the information the reader needs to enjoy the book. We get updates on Vincent, Bella, Nikki (Caprice’s brother and sisters) as well as her Uncle Dom. Nana dishes out advice to Caprice and Seth (Caprice’s old love interest) stops by for a visit. Shades of Wrath is easy to read (the author has a nice conversational style of writing) and has engaging characters (most of them are in Caprice’s family). Karen Rose Smith adroitly handles the sensitive subject of spousal abuse. I give Shades of Wrath 3.5 out of 5 stars. As with many of the cozy mysteries I have read lately, the mystery was not the primary focus of the book. The whodunit is like a supporting actor in a television show (they are present, but they never get to be the star). I believe most readers will be able to solve the crime (narrow list of suspects). The ending will make fans of the series very pleased. ( )

Shades of Wrath by Karen Rose Smith is a 2016 Kensington publication.

The deeper into this series, we go, the better it gets!

This sixth installment in the Caprice De Luca series sees Caprice helping with the redecoration of a transition home for abused women.

But, before she gets too far along with her plans the proprietor, Wendy Newcomb is found murdered. Caprice is once more sucked into the investigation as she prepares for a competition and irons out her future with Gant.

I love this series! The decorations, the pets, Caprice’s large and loving family, and the added element of romance and realistic relationships has me eagerly awaiting an update on these wonderful characters.

The mystery is always compelling, too. With many cozies the mystery can sometimes seem rather thin, but not with this series. Caprice is a terrific and smart amateur sleuth, and her eye for details helps her notice things others might miss.

In this case, Wendy’s death draws attention to a very important issue and KRS did an amazing job of handling such an edgy topic. Domestic violence is still a troubling and oft hidden problem in our society and I applaud the author for centering a story around it.

Once again, Caprice impresses me with her faith, value system, and dogged determination to find the truth.

Overall, if you love cozy mysteries, this series is outstanding and I highly recommend it. Those who have been following along, I think you are going to love joining Caprice on her latest adventure!!

4.5 stars ( )