Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed The Knife Before Christmas (Fixer-Upper, Bk 11) on + 735 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
The Garrisons own the local Cliffside Hotel in Lighthouse Cove. Shannon Hammer and her crew have renovated several parts of it. The family loves the holidays and always plans something special for the days leading up to Christmas. They serve a seven-course dinner each night and getting a reservation is darn hard. They also have fun on the grounds of the hotel. Last year a train took guests on a tour of the beautiful Cliffside estate. This year the Garrisons have asked Shannon and her team to design and build a Victorian-style carnival midway with games and tons of prizes. They have an extraordinary ride that needs to be included and installed in the design.
Things seem merry and bright until the Garrisons' children and their spouses have some concerns about the money being spent on the carnival. They would rather have the cash stashed away for them to inherit. But things take a deadly turn when a dead body is found in the basement. Shannon and Mac are soon on the trail to find out who was at the top of Santa's naughty list and would be receiving their lump of coal in jail.
Christmas in Lighthouse Cove â sign me up â I am all in!
This being the 11th installment of the Fixer-Upper Mysteries the characters are like old friends. I worked in home construction for a couple of years so I enjoy following Shannon around to all her job sites and her creative ability to breathe new life into old homes. She has an amazing crew that can take her ideas and run with them. I love it when she pulls out her pink toolbox and tools and works right alongside them. Shannon and Mac are a perfect match and an awesome sleuthing team. But what I love most about Shannon and Mac is their empathy and huge caring hearts. Family, friend, or stranger â if someone needs help, they will go above and beyond to help the person in any way they can.
The Garrisons are an interesting family. Bill and Lilian are the 3rd generation to own the hotel and they have steadily made improvements to the place. With the exception of their son, Logan, all of their children and their spouses live and work at the Cliffside. Like most families, they have their ups and downs. Bill and Lilian had been Shannon and Chloe's parent's best friends. So much so that when their mother passed away Lillian became a surrogate mother to the girls. Featuring this family in this story was grand for many reasons sans the murder. Ms. Carlisle's detailed descriptions were wonderful. She created distinct images in my mind of the entire hotel and its new âFun Zoneâ. You could feel the joy Bill had when his dream space came to life as well as all the people that visited the new attraction.
I appreciated the time the author took to share all the holiday planning and interactions before she delved into a compelling mystery. The victim was not a nice person but those around tolerated them. Anyone could have snapped and killed them. That means the suspect list is a long one. Shannon and Mac have to work through them all. After some well-placed twists, a second death actually provides clues that could lead to the killer. Shannon has her ah-ha moment at what could have been a very inopportune time but she gets help from a surprising person until the calvary shows up to drag the guilty party away.
I did enjoy the subplot at the Veterans' Village and the three porch pirates. Good people do good things to help people in need. This âvillageâ has been a wonderful place for Lighthouse Cove and veterans with homes, education, jobs, and more. Shannon has a fantastic idea to light the place up for Christmas to bring awareness to visitors and joy and celebration for the residents. It is a special place for both Shannon and Mac and I love that we get to tag along when they visit.
The Knife Before Christmas is a festive whodunit with tons of good holiday feels. I had a delightful time in Lighthouse Cove with genuine and engaging characters who loved Christmas just as much as I do. The mystery was very well-plotted so that the community and family holiday spirit shines as the killer is brought to justice. It was âquite a Christmasâ including a Christmas miracle or two.
The Garrisons own the local Cliffside Hotel in Lighthouse Cove. Shannon Hammer and her crew have renovated several parts of it. The family loves the holidays and always plans something special for the days leading up to Christmas. They serve a seven-course dinner each night and getting a reservation is darn hard. They also have fun on the grounds of the hotel. Last year a train took guests on a tour of the beautiful Cliffside estate. This year the Garrisons have asked Shannon and her team to design and build a Victorian-style carnival midway with games and tons of prizes. They have an extraordinary ride that needs to be included and installed in the design.
Things seem merry and bright until the Garrisons' children and their spouses have some concerns about the money being spent on the carnival. They would rather have the cash stashed away for them to inherit. But things take a deadly turn when a dead body is found in the basement. Shannon and Mac are soon on the trail to find out who was at the top of Santa's naughty list and would be receiving their lump of coal in jail.
Christmas in Lighthouse Cove â sign me up â I am all in!
This being the 11th installment of the Fixer-Upper Mysteries the characters are like old friends. I worked in home construction for a couple of years so I enjoy following Shannon around to all her job sites and her creative ability to breathe new life into old homes. She has an amazing crew that can take her ideas and run with them. I love it when she pulls out her pink toolbox and tools and works right alongside them. Shannon and Mac are a perfect match and an awesome sleuthing team. But what I love most about Shannon and Mac is their empathy and huge caring hearts. Family, friend, or stranger â if someone needs help, they will go above and beyond to help the person in any way they can.
The Garrisons are an interesting family. Bill and Lilian are the 3rd generation to own the hotel and they have steadily made improvements to the place. With the exception of their son, Logan, all of their children and their spouses live and work at the Cliffside. Like most families, they have their ups and downs. Bill and Lilian had been Shannon and Chloe's parent's best friends. So much so that when their mother passed away Lillian became a surrogate mother to the girls. Featuring this family in this story was grand for many reasons sans the murder. Ms. Carlisle's detailed descriptions were wonderful. She created distinct images in my mind of the entire hotel and its new âFun Zoneâ. You could feel the joy Bill had when his dream space came to life as well as all the people that visited the new attraction.
I appreciated the time the author took to share all the holiday planning and interactions before she delved into a compelling mystery. The victim was not a nice person but those around tolerated them. Anyone could have snapped and killed them. That means the suspect list is a long one. Shannon and Mac have to work through them all. After some well-placed twists, a second death actually provides clues that could lead to the killer. Shannon has her ah-ha moment at what could have been a very inopportune time but she gets help from a surprising person until the calvary shows up to drag the guilty party away.
I did enjoy the subplot at the Veterans' Village and the three porch pirates. Good people do good things to help people in need. This âvillageâ has been a wonderful place for Lighthouse Cove and veterans with homes, education, jobs, and more. Shannon has a fantastic idea to light the place up for Christmas to bring awareness to visitors and joy and celebration for the residents. It is a special place for both Shannon and Mac and I love that we get to tag along when they visit.
The Knife Before Christmas is a festive whodunit with tons of good holiday feels. I had a delightful time in Lighthouse Cove with genuine and engaging characters who loved Christmas just as much as I do. The mystery was very well-plotted so that the community and family holiday spirit shines as the killer is brought to justice. It was âquite a Christmasâ including a Christmas miracle or two.
