First Sign of Murder #2: The Bernini Bust

This is a new (weekly?) feature I'm trying out.

I think quotes from a book's key moments often give you a better idea about whether you'll like the book than any summary could. For First Sign of Murder (title subject to change), I'll be sharing --- you guessed it --- the lines from mystery novels that first alert readers to the fact that a murder has occurred.

"Seconds later, he was climbing the stairs in the direction of a faint hubbub of noise. 

It came from Samuel Thanet's office, a carefully designed piece of upmarket administrative chic; whatever the museum architect's limitations on exterior appearance, he had worked overtime on getting the office space right. A slightly anonymous room to Argyll's mind, he preferring a more cosy and cluttered look, but expensively tasteful, nonetheless. White-washed walls; off-white sofa; beige-white woollen carpet; tubular modern armchairs covered in white leather; black wooden desk. The whorls and lines of two harshly illuminated modern paintings from the museum provided the only color to the whole room.

Apart from the blood, of course, of which there was an appallingly large amount. But that was obviously a very recent addition rather than part of the decorator's overall design concept."

--- The Bernini Bust, Iain Pears, 1992