Nov 17, 2014

A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle

Visit It's Monday: What Are You Reading hosted by Book Journey
A High-End Finish
Title: A High-End Finish;A Fixer Upper Mystery by Kate Carlisle
Published November 4, 2014: Signet
Genre: cozy mystery

Opening sentence: "You could have warned me that installing drywall would be hell on my manicure."

"In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove in northern California, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman—contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, she’s about to discover that some problems aren’t so easily fixed....

 Shannon’s home-renovation and repair business is booming, but her love life needs work. On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands on. Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry’s found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she’s been hired to restore, the town’s attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.

Determined to clear her name, Shannon conducts her own investigation—with the help of her four best friends, her eccentric father, a nosy neighbor or two, and a handsome crime writer who’s just moved to town. But as they get closer to prying out the murderer’s identity, Shannon is viciously attacked. Now she’ll have to nail down the truth—or end up in permanent foreclosure.…"(publisher description)

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series. Thanks to the publisher for a review/feature copy.
What are you reading this week?  

14 comments:

  1. The plot sounds neat. I think that my wife would really like this one. I will be sending her the link to this book.

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    1. Thank you so much, Brian! I hope your wife loves A HIGH-END FINISH. :)

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  2. We wanted to buy a fixer-upper initially. Every time we asked the owners why they were selling, they'd say, "We're getting a divorce!"

    www.readerbuzz.blogspot.com

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    1. Wow, that house had bad mojo! But a good renovation can get rid of bad mojo any day. ;)

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  3. Sounds like a fun read!

    Have a great reading week,

    Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out

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  4. I'm interested in this one because I live in California, I like the idea of a strong, in-charge female lead and because it's the first in a series so I haven't missed anything. I do find it amusing how folks in cozies are always finding dead bodies all around :)

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    1. LOL! That is a challenge to write, believe me. You have to acknowledge the fact because to do otherwise would pull the reader out of the story. At the same time, those dead bodies are a necessity or there wouldn't BE a story. ;)

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  5. Great to find a delightful looking cozy that is the first in a series. Love books set on the coast, and fixer-uppers always appeal to me. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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    1. Thank you, Laurel! It really is exciting to have a new ongoing mystery series. And my publisher must really believe in the Fixer-Upper Mysteries because they're releasing THIS OLD HOMICIDE (book 2) in just a few months to help build momentum. Very exciting! A HIGH-END FINISH is #9 on the New York Times bestsellers list, so it seems readers were really excited about my new book, too. Hurray!

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  6. Love the cover. Sounds like a great cozy.

    ENJOY your reading week.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My It's Monday, What Are You Reading

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    1. Thank you, Elizabeth! I hope you're having a marvelous reading week, as well.

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  7. This does sound like a fun cozy, Harvee! Reading this might also give me ideas for my home. Very nice spotlight!

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    1. Hi, Suko! I'm so glad you like the premise of the Fixer-Upper Mysteries. I promise lots of fun peeks into Shannon's Victorian renovations.

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