Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Between Kate Carlisle's Fixer-Upper mysteries and Juliet Blackwell's Haunted Home Renovation series, I have no problem finding a cozy to fulfill my craving for restoring old houses and catching killers. I had even more fun this time around while reading Eaves of Destruction because of two of the characters.
Petsy is the client from hell. When you see this woman coming down the street, you immediately duck down an alley and pray she doesn't see you. And then there's Scully, the sleazeball building inspector who never met a bribe he wouldn't accept. For the first part of the book, I had an embarrassment of riches when I tried to decide which one of these characters I wanted to have die first. (I'd forgotten to read the synopsis; this series is an auto-buy for me.) And that's all I'm going to say about victims because I don't want to ruin solving the mystery for any of you.
If it sounds like I had fun reading Eaves of Destruction, I did. I really enjoy the setting and the characters, and the mystery was fun to attempt to solve as well. As I said before, this series is an auto-buy for me... and now I'm back in the position of being forced to wait for the next one. Ah well!
Petsy is the client from hell. When you see this woman coming down the street, you immediately duck down an alley and pray she doesn't see you. And then there's Scully, the sleazeball building inspector who never met a bribe he wouldn't accept. For the first part of the book, I had an embarrassment of riches when I tried to decide which one of these characters I wanted to have die first. (I'd forgotten to read the synopsis; this series is an auto-buy for me.) And that's all I'm going to say about victims because I don't want to ruin solving the mystery for any of you.
If it sounds like I had fun reading Eaves of Destruction, I did. I really enjoy the setting and the characters, and the mystery was fun to attempt to solve as well. As I said before, this series is an auto-buy for me... and now I'm back in the position of being forced to wait for the next one. Ah well!
Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle is the fifth book in A Fixer-Upper Mystery series. Shannon Hammer is busy running Hammer Construction in Lighthouse Cove, California. Many homeowners are hiring Hammer Construction to fix up their residences before the Lighthouse Cove Victorian Home and Garden Tour. Everyone wants to win Best in Show which comes with a large cash prize and this year they have a famous mystery author as the judge. Petsy Jorgensen is Shannon's most difficult client and matters are not helped by the interference of Joe Scully, the building inspector (nepotism got him the job). Joe seems to have it out for Shannon, and he keeps popping up at her various job sites causing problems. Shannon arrives at the Jorgensen residence one morning and hears screaming coming from Joan Derry's yard (across the street). Shannon takes off running and finds Joe Scully dead in the Derry orangery with a chisel sticking out of his stomach. Who disliked Joe enough to kill him? Shannon, with her natural curiosity, starts digging into Joe's movements before his death. Soon, though, another death rocks the town. Shannon with help from mystery writer (and boyfriend), Mackintyre Sullivan set out to track down the killer before they strike again.
Eaves of Destruction is well-written, has engaging characters, and a good pace. I am a fan of Shannon Hammer. She is a strong, intelligent female character in a male dominated industry. Shannon has a warm heart, a sense of humor, and loving friends and family. I also like the secondary characters such as Jane Hennessey (Shannon's best friend) and Mackintyre Sullivan (Shannon's love interest). The new carpenter, Amanda Walsh was a great addition to the story. I find that each book in A Fixer-Upper Mystery series is better than the prior one. The mystery was complex in design with a couple of promising suspects. I appreciated the author's use of misdirection and the reason why the murders occurred. I loved the descriptions of the beautiful Victorian homes (I love Queen Anne Victorian homes) in Lighthouse Cove. The dialogue is engaging and realistic. There is just the right amount of humor in the story along with romance (it blends in with the story beautifully). Eaves of Destruction can be read alone, but I do recommend the other books in the series (you can also watch the movies).
Eaves of Destruction is well-written, has engaging characters, and a good pace. I am a fan of Shannon Hammer. She is a strong, intelligent female character in a male dominated industry. Shannon has a warm heart, a sense of humor, and loving friends and family. I also like the secondary characters such as Jane Hennessey (Shannon's best friend) and Mackintyre Sullivan (Shannon's love interest). The new carpenter, Amanda Walsh was a great addition to the story. I find that each book in A Fixer-Upper Mystery series is better than the prior one. The mystery was complex in design with a couple of promising suspects. I appreciated the author's use of misdirection and the reason why the murders occurred. I loved the descriptions of the beautiful Victorian homes (I love Queen Anne Victorian homes) in Lighthouse Cove. The dialogue is engaging and realistic. There is just the right amount of humor in the story along with romance (it blends in with the story beautifully). Eaves of Destruction can be read alone, but I do recommend the other books in the series (you can also watch the movies).
