A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle is the first book in the new “Fixer-Upper” mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, November 2014

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.

This was a good read that was delightfully entertaining. The author did a great job in presenting this drama where everyone could be a suspect but only one is the killer. The clues were there to decipher and as the story progressed, the suspense heighten as the killer upped the ante in her pursuit of not being exposed. A lovable cast, engaging conversations and a small town setting adds to the allure of this charming new series and I can’t wait to see what happens next in Lighthouse Cove.

previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog