A Do-It-Yourself Mystery

From Book 1: First in the new Do-It-Yourself mystery series!

Avery Baker was once a New York designer, but inheriting her aunt?s old Maine cottage has led her down a new career path?home renovation. Now, with help from hunky handyman Derek Ellis, Avery starts learning the ABCs of DIY. But when the designer-turned-renovator finds clues that lead to a missing professor, she wonders if she can finish the house?without getting finished off in the process.

RT Rating: 4 ½ stars Category: MYSTERY Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Published: November 2008 Type: Mystery (Amateur Sleuth) While this is another in the themed mysteries that are not only extremely entertaining but lightly educational, the mystery is unusually strong. Home renovation and design tips are skillfully worked into the story, the characters are developed and sympathetic, and the setting is charming. The climax leads to a bang-up ending in which the intelligent heroine has to either save herself or lose all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summary: Avery Baker loses a boyfriend and then quits her job after inheriting her aunt's Victorian cottage on the Maine coast. She decides to work on the cottage so she can sell it and gets local hunky handyman Derek Ellis to help her. Soon she doesn't know whether the cottage or the man is more attractive, but when her house is broken into she wonders if he's one of the bad guys. A missing professor, disappearing antiques and old secrets all combine for a first-rate mystery and a frightening surprise ending. --Romantic Times Book Reviews, November 2008 Fatal Fixer-Upper's polished writing and well-paced story set it a notch or two above many first novels. Some books take awhile to get into - but I was hooked on Fatal Fixer-Upper from page one. I particularly appreciate the author's ability to make do with a small cast -- so many first-time authors overpopulate their books. Fatal Fixer-Upper is a fun read that's just the ticket when readers crave escapism. --The Cozy Library, November 5, 2008