THIS OLD HOMICIDE

Book 2 in the Fatal Fixer-Upper Mystery series

by 

Kate Carlisle

Contractor and part-time sleuth Shannon Hammer specializes in improving the quirks and flaws of the Victorian homes in Lighthouse Cove, California. The quirks and flaws of their residents are another story....

Valentine’s Day is approaching, and while Shannon is delighted to be friends with not one but twohandsome men, not everyone in town is feeling the love. After her elderly neighbor Jesse Hennessey fails to make his daily appearance at the local diner, Shannon swings by his place to check on him. Not only does she find Jesse dead—of an apparent heart attack—but she also realizes that his home has been ransacked.

Someone suggests that a thief was searching for a priceless necklace Jesse claimed to have retrieved from a capsized sailing ship, but Shannon doesn’t believe it. Everyone knows Jesse had a penchant for constructing tall tales—like the one about him having a hot new girlfriend. But his death is soon ruled a homicide, and shady suspects begin popping out of the woodwork. When another victim turns up dead, Shannon is convinced she must find the killer before someone else gets nailed.... 

My Review

I really enjoyed this story. Although I didn’t read the first book in this series, A HIGH-END FINSH, I never felt lost or like I was missing anything.

THIS OLD HOMICIDE was fast paced and entertaining. A good, tightly written mystery with plenty of suspects to make you wonder “whodunit”.

Ms. Carlisle is a superb storyteller. Her descriptions of the quaint town of Lighthouse Cove, CA, and the beautiful Victorian homes it is known for, were very vivid and truly drew me in. 

My favorite part of this book is protagonist, Shannon Hammer. Her chosen occupation, a building contractor, is very refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, I love lead characters who own shops and restaurants, but this is a fun change. And while Shannon is a woman doing a “man’s” job, she keeps the girly alive by using pink tools, hard hats, tool belts, goggles, the works. Too fun. (No, she doesn’t make her male workers wear pink ;-) )

There is also a fun secondary story for fans who like a bit of a paranormal twist. I look forward to seeing how this will play out in future books.

The only drawback in this book for me, was the over use of curse words. H*ll and a*s made several appearances, but the over use of the word d*mn because very distracting to me. One of my favorite things about cozies is the lack of cursing. I only bring this up because I know a lot of people who read my reviews feel the same way and I thought you would a heads up. However, if you can look pass this or it doesn’t make a difference to you at all, then please do get yourself a copy of THIS OLD HOMICIDE.

You can pre-order your copy now for the January 27 release!

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