Absence of Mallets by Kate Carlisle

 

First Lines: Coffee. The aroma was calling my name and nudging me out of a deep, dreamless sleep.

 

Shannon Hammer and her construction crew are happily working on a feel-good project called Homefront, a veterans' village consisting of fifty tiny houses and a large community center with spaces for a visiting nurse and dentist, legal aid, a veterans' benefits expert, mental health professionals, a vocational counselor, and even a unisex barber. 

At the same time, Shannon's boyfriend, bestselling thriller writer Mac Sullivan, is running a two-week writers' retreat.

The good feeling doesn't last when Shannon's friend Linda, a mosaic artist she'd hired to work on the tiny houses, is found bludgeoned to death at the beach. It takes Shannon and her friends no time at all to band together to find Linda's killer.

~

I've long been a fan of Kate Carlisle's Fixer-Upper cozy series. There's always something to learn in the fields of architecture and construction. There's always an intriguing mystery to solve. Shannon and her friends are good people who go out of their way to do the right thing, and the resident ill-tempered diva makes her presence known without overpowering my patience (or lack thereof). Absence of Mallets is another strong entry in this engaging series.

Shannon and her construction crew are working on probably their best project of the entire series: a veterans' village. This village is for veterans in need, with fifty tiny houses being built and given to the vets on a first-come, first-served basis. The community center is large and has just about everything these men and women could need. 

Shannon's boyfriend, Mac, has moved in with her and has turned his lighthouse keeper's house into a writers' retreat. His latest group, a bunch of entitled, argumentative, sneaky know-it-alls, fuels most of the action in the book and has Mac wondering if he needs to pull the plug on the whole retreat idea.

If you find yourself feeling the need to spend some time with good people, I've got just the people and just the place for you: Shannon Hammer and her friends in Lighthouse Cove, California. So what if a dead body or two may be involved? These folks will restore your faith in amateur sleuths specifically and in the human race in general.

Absence of Mallets by Kate Carlisle

eISBN: 9780593201343

Berkley Prime Crime © 2021

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #9 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle

First Line: MacKintyre Sullivan, world-famous crime novelist and former Navy SEAL, had the dark good looks of a movie star, with deep blue eyes, an awesome body, and a sexy smile.

 

Contractor Shannon Hammer is about to set out on a year-long project, one of the biggest of her career. Her best friend Jane Hennessey has purchased one wing of the Gables, formerly the old state insane asylum, located in a beautiful area just outside Lighthouse Cove. Jane plans to turn her section into a luxury hotel, and Shannon is eager to help her realize her dream.

 

Protesters show up at the groundbreaking ceremony and wreak havoc, and Shannon is shocked when someone pushes her into a pit of bricks in a closed-off room in the asylum. It was a close call, but Shannon wants to get back to work-- until she finds a body not far from where she was pushed. With the help of boyfriend Mac Sullivan and others, Shannon is determined to find out what's going on. She's got a hotel to finish. 

~

Whenever I need a well-written cozy to take my mind off things, Kate Carlisle's Fixer-Upper series always does the trick. In Premeditated Mortar, she's got the perfect setting for a mystery-- an old rundown former insane asylum. There's just got to be strange goings-on in a place like that, right? This is an engaging story with excellent pacing, and I had to laugh at Shannon's reaction when she learns just how far her reputation for stumbling over dead bodies has spread. 

 

Like all good cozy series, the reason why readers keep coming back for more is the cast of characters. Shannon is smart, funny, and I love the work she does. I also love how she keeps her tools from disappearing-- they're all pink-- and let me tell you, it works. Carlisle gives out pink measuring tapes from time to time at her book signings. I took mine home, and I still have it, which is more than I can say about other measuring tapes I used to have. My husband has borrowed my pink one twice, but he always gives it back. I wonder why...

 

Carlisle recently said in an interview that her favorite characters are her men, like Shannon's boyfriend, Mac Sullivan, a drop-dead gorgeous hunk who has a great sense of humor, who's smart and funny and brave. Oh. And he also happens to be a best-selling thriller writer and former Navy SEAL. It just occurred to me what Carlisle's male characters remind me of. Remember the Bond Girls in all those James Bond movies? Carlisle has her own Bond Boys, and they are certainly tasty.

 

A spooky setting, an engaging mystery, and a fun cast of characters. Premeditated Mortar is good for what ails you, and I can't wait for Shannon's next adventure.

 

Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle

eISBN: 9781984804426

Berkley Prime Crime © 2020

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #8 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle

First Lines: Eight months earlier. "Have you ever been to a barn raising?" I asked.

Retired tech billionaire Raphael Nash loves retirement but just can't stay unoccupied for long. He's started the Marigold Foundation to help small companies and individuals who want to pursue humanitarian goals around the world. It's an exciting time for Lighthouse Cove as Nash hosts the first-ever global conference for big thinkers from every area of industry to give presentations on eco-living.

Shannon has played an important part, not only in renovating Nash's home but also in getting him ready for this conference. Things are going so well until Nash's old business partner comes to town. Now Shannon's got to put down her hammer and find a killer.

This light and fun mystery proves that sometimes a person is just plain crazier than you think, but when it comes to retired billionaire Raphael Nash's conference on eco-living, the ideas that are described are often every bit as interesting as the mystery and the characters.

It's nice to read about a billionaire who actually wants to do good and pay his good fortune back, but it's just as much fun to try to figure out who killed his old business partner. Shot Through the Hearth (love the title) is another strong entry in one of my favorite cozy series. Now it's back to waiting for the next one...

Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle

eISBN: 9781984804402

Berkley Prime Crime © 2019

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #7 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley


 

A Wrench in the Works by Kate Carlisle

First Line: "Shannon!"

Shannon Hammer's younger sister Chloe left town after high school to make it big in Hollywood. Now she and the production crew of her hit series "Makeover Madness" are back to film several episodes of this highest rated cable TV show, and some of those episodes will feature Shannon herself.

Shannon learns almost immediately that all is not well in TV land. Chloe's executive producer, Erica, likes to fire Chloe and her co-host almost every week, and she's equally skilled in touching a match to any other incendiary situation she comes in contact with. When Erica turns up dead, Chloe and the entire crew are under suspicion, and that means Shannon has to get to work to find a killer.

In this sixth installment in Carlisle's Fixer-Upper cozy series, readers get to learn more about Shannon Hammer's younger sister, Chloe, and the reason why Chloe left Lighthouse Cove right after high school helps to fuel the mystery.

As always, I enjoyed the scenes which show Shannon working on an old house and explaining what she's doing, and Carlisle uses her newfound knowledge of how television programs are filmed to make readers feel as though they have a backstage pass allowing them to see and hear everything on set. Although I found the identity of the killer to be rather easily deduced, I enjoyed A Wrench in the Works and look forward to my next visit to Lighthouse Cove.

A Wrench in the Works by Kate Carlisle

eISBN: 9780399586491

Berkley Prime Crime © 2018

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #6 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

 

Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle

First Lines: I really love my job. But I've got to admit, some days are better than others.

The annual Victorian Home and Garden Tour is about to kick off in Lighthouse Cove, California, and the town's premier contractor, Shannon Hammer, is in high demand among the rival homeowners. Shannon had anticipated the extra workload and hired more crew, but what she didn't expect was just what sort of cutthroat tactics some of the homeowners are willing to use in order to win the coveted Best in Show award.

But this year, it's especially tough because, not only is Shannon saddled with the client from hell, she's got Lighthouse Cove's corrupt building inspector shadowing her every move. When the inspector is found dead on one of Shannon's job sites, there's certainly no shortage of suspects, but when another body is discovered, this savvy contractor knows she's got a killer to nail down-- and fast.

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! 

Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle

ISBN: 9780399586460

Berkley Prime Crime © 2017

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #5 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen. 

Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle

First Line: "Merry Christmas, Shannon!" my elderly neighbor shouted as I backed my truck into the street.

All of Lighthouse Cove has turned out to help contractor Shannon Hammer transform a grand old Victorian mansion into ten apartments for homeless families in time for Christmas. Even Shannon's father Jack is there to lend a hand. 

Unfortunately Jack gets into a heated argument with the man who's backing the project, and when the man is found murdered, guess where that puts Jack? Yes, right in the crosshairs of the police as Suspect #1. 

Now Shannon not only has to get this project completed within deadline, she's got to find a killer before her father winds up in jail.

When one of the characters in Deck the Hallways looks at Shannon and says, "You lead the most interesting life," I just had to laugh. It's true. Shannon Hammer certainly isn't your typical contractor, and this latest Fixer-Upper mystery is filled with all sorts of things happening to her. There's that group of Santas who insist on helping out at the jobsite. There's Shannon's relationship woes, and I'm not about to get into the strange things that turn up in the bed of her truck. 

Even though I correctly guessed the identity of the killer the second time the person made an appearance, it didn't spoil this book for me. For one thing, I was too busy picturing the conversion of that grand old house into apartments. For another, I was watching Shannon teach her skills to local young people. Shannon is invested in her community, and for me, this is one of the things I like most in this very enjoyable series. 

Like all well-written cozy mysteries, Deck the Hallways has much more to it than trying to guess whodunit. Well-developed characters, lots of humor, a tease of romance, and a hearty dose of home renovation makes this Fixer-Upper series one of my favorites.     

Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle

ISBN: 9780451488220

Berkley Prime Crime © 2016

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #4 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.

Crowned and Moldering by Kate Carlisle

First Line: I gazed up at the neglected beauty and tingled with excitement.

Famous thriller writer Mac Sullivan moved to Lighthouse Cove, California, and bought the historic Victorian lighthouse mansion that gave the town its name. Now it's finally time to begin restoring the rundown beauty and contractor Shannon Hammer can't wait.

But she's going to have to when the bones of a teenage girl are found inside the old house. Lily Brogan was a local girl everyone assumed ran away from home, but it seemed that she didn't get very far. If Shannon wants to get the renovation back on track, she's going to have to find out who killed Lily.

This third book in Kate Carlisle's Fixer-Upper cozy series delves deep into Shannon Hammer's high school past. It's always interesting to learn about a favorite character's background. However, as much as I like Shannon, there is a lesson that I wish she would learn.... Every time she gets exasperated, flies off the handle, and tells someone, "I'll kill you!" she puts herself chin deep in hot water. Hopefully she won't have to stumble over too many more dead bodies before she erases that sentence from her vocabulary!

Carlisle's strong mysteries, sense of humor, and vivid casts of characters  are always the major draws to any of her books, but I have a special place in my heart for her Fixer-Upper books. Shannon specializes in renovating old houses, and there's always the possibility of discovering secret nooks and crannies. I love that. I also love how Carlisle incorporates fascinating nuggets about different facets of architecture and renovation. In Crowned and Moldering, I learned a bit about green architecture as Shannon wins a contract to build solar canopies for the local high school parking lot. 

Whether it's humor, mystery, characterization, architecture, or romance, I recommend Kate Carlisle's Fixer-Upper series. I have a feeling you're going to enjoy them as much as I do.
     

Crowned and Moldering by Kate Carlisle

ISBN: 9780451469212

NAL © 2015

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen. 

This Old Homicide by Kate Carlisle

First Line: "It's a monstrosity, isn't it?"

One of Shannon Hammer's closest friends has just bought a Victorian house in dire need of renovation, and Shannon is looking forward to her construction company taking on the job. It might mean a bit of schedule tweaking, but that's something she can handle with ease. What's not so easy to deal with is checking on her elderly neighbor Jesse Hennessey and finding him dead in his home. Even worse-- Shannon realizes that his house has been ransacked.

It's suggested that a thief was looking for treasure that Jesse says he found while diving on the wreck of an old sailing ship. After all, Jesse had been a Navy SEAL. But he was also known for his tall tales. When Jesse's death is ruled a homicide, suspects start popping up like leaks in old plumbing, and Shannon just can't resist lending a hand in finding a killer.

For my money, Kate Carlisle's two-book-old Fixer-Upper cozy series is her best. Readers get a beautiful coastal California setting complete with beaches, redwoods, a lighthouse, and wonderful old Victorian houses, as well as a strong cast, and writing tips from one of the characters. Combine all that with This Old Homicide's tales of shipwrecks and hidden treasure, and what's not to like?

Carlisle doesn't forget that her main character has to work for a living, so readers are treated to regular visits to old homes being renovated. Shannon knows her stuff, so she's seen working alongside her crews, and along with renovation tips she shows us how to take care of scheduling, supplies, permits, and all that other "fun" stuff.

Shannon's an endearing character, and I'm really enjoying getting to know both her and her best friends. I can even tolerate Shannon's nemesis because, while Whitney is an obnoxious cow, she's not over the top. I think Carlisle's giving Whitney a genuinely nice guy as a husband helps temper my reaction to her. 

Shannon's one lucky woman for she's been blessed with not one but two thoroughly handsome, smart, and funny guys. When this budding romantic triangle began to blossom in the first book, I was wary because one of the reasons I stopped reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books a few years back is because Stephanie refused to make up her mind-- Joe or Ranger? Unlike Stephanie, Shannon can make up her mind, probably because she runs a successful business. She also has a very strong sense of what's right. She knows she has to make a decision. I'm looking forward to seeing how Carlisle deals with the situation. It should be very interesting. Do I know which guy I'd pick? Yes, I do!

Carlisle's mystery-- especially with the added bonus of a shipwreck and hidden treasure-- is a good one, even though I did think the identity of the killer was a bit obvious. For as most cozy readers know, it isn't just about whodunit; it's got even more to do with the characters-- and Carlisle's got both a winning cast and a winning series.

This Old Homicide by Kate Carlisle

ISBN: 9780451469205

Obsidian © 2015

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen. 


 

A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle

First Line: "You could've warned me that installing drywall would be hell on my manicure."

The entire northern California town of Lighthouse Cove has been declared a National Historic Landmark District because it's filled with wonderful Victorian architecture. Shannon Hammer's father restored several of them, and Shannon is continuing the tradition with Hammer Construction, the family business.

Her home renovation and repair business is flourishing, but she can't say the same thing about her love life. After a blind date goes disastrously and publicly wrong, Shannon is Suspect #1 when she trips over the body of her date in a home she and her crew are renovating. Shannon's got to clear her name, so it's time to see if she's as good with clues as she is with drywall.

The smooth, fast pace and lush northern California setting of sea and redwoods drew me right into A High-End Finish and wouldn't let me go. That's because there's a lot more to this book than the setting. Lighthouse Cove is an architecture buff's dream, and the building and restoration details are a definite bonus. However, what really makes this book come to life are its sense of humor and Kate Carlisle's cast of characters.

Shannon Hammer is just the type of level-headed, smart, funny, and hands-on type of friend everyone would love to have. Her signature color has become pink. Not necessarily her choice, but she's embraced it: pink tools, pink work gloves, pink bicycle.... (Like me, she discovered that pink tools are good things to have because the men in her life won't walk off with them.) Shannon works in what's typically a man's profession, and she not only gets along with everyone on her crew, she proves that she's more than capable of doing the work herself. She's not just window dressing.

And that's good because her retired father likes to go out and about in his RV. She's also surrounded by four close friends who are a wonderful support group for each other-- even if one of them is an inveterate matchmaker and another has brainwashed herself with too many romance novels. 

Speaking of romance novels, I'm not a person who cares for romance in my crime fiction. It doesn't mean I'm not romantic; it's just how I roll. But I started to move over to the "dark side" a bit with A High-End Finish. You see, Carlisle has created not one but two handsome intelligent men to add a bit of sparkle to Shannon's lackluster love life. Police chief Eric Jensen is going to look gorgeous whenever Shannon gets involved in an investigation and ruffles his feathers, and bestselling author MacKintyre Sullivan (call him Mac) has just bought the old lighthouse mansion and needs it renovated. I really liked both these men and would find it difficult to choose between them myself. My only worry is that it would be all too easy for the Eric/Mac situation to turn into something akin to Janet Evanovich's Joe/Ranger endless indecision fest.

So how did the mystery itself fare amongst pink tools, best friends, and handsome men? Pretty good actually, even though one character's reaction to something told me immediately that I'd just been introduced to the killer. That's small beans, though, because Carlisle has created a setting and characters that I'm anxious to get back to. Good thing I have the next book in the series, This Old Homicide, waiting for me!

A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle

ISBN: 9780451469199

Obsidian © 2014

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Fixer-Upper mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.