When her new housekeeper starts receiving death threats, Jake Tiptree and her best friend, Ellie White promise to check out the most likely culprit: the woman's ex-husband, Jim Diamond is an ex-con and a deadbeat, but he doesn't have a history of violence...until Jake and Ellie find a corpse in his run-down apartment.
Now, with her terrified housekeeper on a cleaning rampage, a moose in her kitchen, a rebellious son, and a troublesome ex of her own. Jake is already at wit's end. So when the killer strikes again, clearly Jake and Ellie have gotten mixed up in a master plan of greed, deception and death. And their place in the murderous scheme? A pair of private rooms---six feet under!
Another great book!!!!!
Now, with her terrified housekeeper on a cleaning rampage, a moose in her kitchen, a rebellious son, and a troublesome ex of her own. Jake is already at wit's end. So when the killer strikes again, clearly Jake and Ellie have gotten mixed up in a master plan of greed, deception and death. And their place in the murderous scheme? A pair of private rooms---six feet under!
Another great book!!!!!
Anyone who can mix slaughter and screwdrivers is a genius. Plus, anyone who has bought a home that needs even a new toilet seat is probably consumed with murderous thoughts! -- Boston Herald
Judy L. (gardengal) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 202 more book reviews
A nice addition to this cozy series set in small-town Maine. When Jake Tiptree acquires a housekeeper, she comes complete with a mysterious problem that causes her to clean compulsively. Seeking to learn the reason leads Jake and her best friend into great danger.
Barbara A. (artist-barb) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 8 more book reviews
Love the series! Just enough mystery, humor, & lovable characters!
A great series, lovable (and love to hatable) characters, fun plot devices, and great home repair snippets! A lot of fun!
Jo-Ann E. (poodlelov) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 48 more book reviews
Can't get enough of this series. Great book and it keeps you guessing till the very end.
Another fun mystery from Sarah Graves, set in Eastport ME
Barbara B. (redhatter) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 577 more book reviews
When her housekeeper receives death threats Jake Tiptree and her friend Ellie promise to check out the woman's ex-husband. Jim Diamond ia an ex-con and a deadbeat, but he doesn'e have a history of violence until Jake and Ellie find a corpse in his run down apartment. The book has many home repair tips.
Up to her usual standards.
Priscilla B. (Skeeter1942) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 131 more book reviews
Jake Tiptree and her best friend Ellie White are doing what they do best , snooping again. Jake has won a housekeeper for a few weeks, who turns out to be the housekeep from hell. She is a nice woman but is really driving everyone nuts because she goes to excess in her work. Then Jake finds out Bella, the housekeeper, is getting threatening notes. Bella thinks her ex is doing it or so she says. Trouble is the words in the notes are such that they had to have been written by a very intelligent person. Bella's ex doesn't fit in that category. Then he is found murdered. Well has Jake and Ellie dig into the mystery, they find a lot of mysterious events that just do not have an explanation. They learn that Bella's ex did time for check forgery, but that he wasn't the sort of person to really be violent. While all this is going on, Jake is expecting long lost relatives to visit. Relatives she didn't realize she had since they were from her father's family. She needs to tell him they are coming but just doesn't know how to do that because she is afraid he might not want to see them and will up and leave. After finally finding him after 30 years she doesn't want this to happen. And of course there is Sam and his girlfriend problems. Then Bella is put at the top of the list of suspects in the murder of her ex. Jake has to do something or loose her housekeeper. Since Bella has calmed down and turned into a pretty good housekeeper she can't let her be arrested for murder. Besides she doesn't believe she did it.
Ellie tracks down her house cleaner's husband because the stressed cleaner is driving everyone crazy with her neatnes. Murder discovered, Ellie and friend hunt for the killer. Nice characters.
Taunya H. (BlueskyinMaine) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 14 more book reviews
This one is pretty good. Not as good as the others, but still an entertaining read.
Brenda W. (brendao) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 351 more book reviews
A great addition to the Home Repair is Homicide series. Jake Tiptree and her ongoing battle with aged home, Maine weather and homicide keep us interested - and guessing until the end.
Janet S. (poodledogs) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 244 more book reviews
I love this female sleuth hobbiest series. This is the latest, just published novel. Focused on her son's bad-news girlfriend. Not as heavy on the home repair this time. Highly recommended.
One of my favorite cozy mystery series!
Malka E. (huskyshep) reviewed Tool and Die (Home Repair Is Homicide, Bk 8) on + 113 more book reviews
scary in parts, but funny.
it is worth reading, for the moose scenes alone! (hilarious!)
Jake has 2 dogs and a cat also.
it is worth reading, for the moose scenes alone! (hilarious!)
Jake has 2 dogs and a cat also.
It's a bright June afternoon and old-house-fixer-upper Jake Tiptree is driving through downeast Maine on an unusual errand. She's getting ready to interview a large, angry man with a criminal history. Jim Diamond may or may not be harrassing his ex-wife with life-threatening letters, but Jake promised her new housekeeper, Bella Diamond, she'd look into the matter. An ex-con and a deadbeat, Jim Diamond doesn't have a history of violence...that is, not until Jake arrives at his apartment and discovers that a killer has been there first.
Suddenly, Jake and her best friend, Ellie White, find themselves at the center of a murder with too many suspects and too few clues. And as if that's not enough, Jake is now saddled with the manic Bella, whose certainty that she'll be the next victim is fueling a supercompulsive neatness--one that threatens to clean Jake and her long-suffering husband, Wade, out of house and home.
Suddenly, Jake and her best friend, Ellie White, find themselves at the center of a murder with too many suspects and too few clues. And as if that's not enough, Jake is now saddled with the manic Bella, whose certainty that she'll be the next victim is fueling a supercompulsive neatness--one that threatens to clean Jake and her long-suffering husband, Wade, out of house and home.
