Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Dead Post Society is the 7th installment in the A House-Flipper Mystery series featuring carpenter Whitney Whitaker Flynn and set in Tennessee. Whitney's building partner and cousin, Buck and his wife Colette are welcoming a new baby and while they were waiting for the baby's arrival Buck and Whitney hadn't been doing any flipping. Instead they were working for Buck's father Roger doing renovations.
Uncle Roger has taken on the job of renovating the former Ridgetop Preparatory Academy which closed in the early 1980's and had remained vacant. The school and dormitories are still filled furnishings and supplies. Troy Loflin, a local developer has purchased the property and has plans to turn the grounds into a retirement complex. Troy is a former student so the project is close to his heart and money is no object.
Adjacent to the school is the former headmaster's house. The dilapidated Victorian has seen better days and has a unfavorable reputation. The headmaster, Dr. Irving Finster is reported to have killed his wife and then himself in an apparent murder suicide. Whitney decides that she wants to purchase the house and turn it into a Bed and Breakfast for the families who come to visit their relatives staying in the retirement home.
Curious as to why Dr. Finster would have killed himself or his wife, Whitney starts digging into the 40 year old mystery and quickly discovers that a third party might have been involved in the shootings. Could it have been one of his former students or colleagues? The girl who stalked the headmaster and his wife, the boy who was expelled for bad behavior or maybe even one of his fellow teachers.
A good addition to the series although this one fell a little flat for me. I missed the usual banter between Whitney and Buck, the descriptions of the renovations and having Sawdust on the job site. Whitney is contemplating a baby with her husband, Collin and working through her emotions about being a mom.
Uncle Roger has taken on the job of renovating the former Ridgetop Preparatory Academy which closed in the early 1980's and had remained vacant. The school and dormitories are still filled furnishings and supplies. Troy Loflin, a local developer has purchased the property and has plans to turn the grounds into a retirement complex. Troy is a former student so the project is close to his heart and money is no object.
Adjacent to the school is the former headmaster's house. The dilapidated Victorian has seen better days and has a unfavorable reputation. The headmaster, Dr. Irving Finster is reported to have killed his wife and then himself in an apparent murder suicide. Whitney decides that she wants to purchase the house and turn it into a Bed and Breakfast for the families who come to visit their relatives staying in the retirement home.
Curious as to why Dr. Finster would have killed himself or his wife, Whitney starts digging into the 40 year old mystery and quickly discovers that a third party might have been involved in the shootings. Could it have been one of his former students or colleagues? The girl who stalked the headmaster and his wife, the boy who was expelled for bad behavior or maybe even one of his fellow teachers.
A good addition to the series although this one fell a little flat for me. I missed the usual banter between Whitney and Buck, the descriptions of the renovations and having Sawdust on the job site. Whitney is contemplating a baby with her husband, Collin and working through her emotions about being a mom.
