Eaves of Destruction

Murder Lurks in the Old Victorians As Shannon Hammer’s friends are quick to point out, when murder is afoot, Shannon is not far behind. Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle is the latest installment in the Fixer-Upper Mystery Series. Lighthouse Cove is gearing up for the annual Victorian Home and Garden Tour. The citizens are giving their homes a final spruce in hopes of securing the Best in Show Award. Some of Shannon’s clients prove to be more difficult than others. A nosy building inspector delivering roadblocks to construction at every turn are problematic for Shannon and her crew. Renovations come to a halt when not one, but two bodies are discovered, leaving officials to investigate these latest homicides. Are their murders related or is this merely a coincidence? Shannon, her construction crew and newcomer Amanda round out the list of suspects. Suspense as well as hints of the past coming to haunt current citizens make this cozy mystery a page-turner. Catching up with the citizens of Lighthouse Cove, the relationship between Shannon and Mac and solving a twisty mystery make Eaves of Destruction the ticket to a fast-paced read.

Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle is the fifth book in A Fixer-Upper Mystery series. Shannon Hammer is busy running Hammer Construction in Lighthouse Cove, California. Many homeowners are hiring Hammer Construction to fix up their residences before the Lighthouse Cove Victorian Home and Garden Tour. Everyone wants to win Best in Show which comes with a large cash prize and this year they have a famous mystery author as the judge. Petsy Jorgensen is Shannon’s most difficult client and matters are not helped by the interference of Joe Scully, the building inspector (nepotism got him the job). Joe seems to have it out for Shannon, and he keeps popping up at her various job sites causing problems. Shannon arrives at the Jorgensen residence one morning and hears screaming coming from Joan Derry’s yard (across the street). Shannon takes off running and finds Joe Scully dead in the Derry orangery with a chisel sticking out of his stomach. Who disliked Joe enough to kill him? Shannon, with her natural curiosity, starts digging into Joe’s movements before his death. Soon, though, another death rocks the town. Shannon with help from mystery writer (and boyfriend), Mackintyre Sullivan set out to track down the killer before they strike again. Eaves of Destruction is well-written, has engaging characters, and a good pace. I am a fan of Shannon Hammer. She is a strong, intelligent female character in a male dominated industry. Shannon has a warm heart, a sense of humor, and loving friends and family. I also like the secondary characters such as Jane Hennessey (Shannon’s best friend) and Mackintyre Sullivan (Shannon’s love interest). The new carpenter, Amanda Walsh was a great addition to the story. I find that each book in A Fixer-Upper Mystery series is better than the prior one. The mystery was complex in design with a couple of promising suspects. I appreciated the author’s use of misdirection and the reason why the murders occurred. I loved the descriptions of the beautiful Victorian homes (I love Queen Anne Victorian homes) in Lighthouse Cove. The dialogue is engaging and realistic. There is just the right amount of humor in the story along with romance (it blends in with the story beautifully). Eaves of Destruction can be read alone, but I do recommend the other books in the series (you can also watch the movies).