When it comes right down to it, every real estate agent hopes for one thing: a nice, smooth, sale. I’m talking about satisfied sellers, blissful buyers, a big SOLD sign in the yard, and a nice commission check — hopefully with several zeroes at the end – tucked safely in the bank.
But sellers who bite the dust before they can sign their listing agreements? Corpses caught in the current marring views from an estate’s picture windows? These are definitely not the kinds of scenarios we learn about in real estate 101.
Darby Farr here. I’m back on the rocky island of Hurricane Harbor, Maine, for my fourth mystery, and it’s probably my most twisted case yet.
In Final Settlement, available this week from your favorite bookstore and Midnight Ink publishers, I’ve flown clear across the country, from sunny California to snowy Maine, for the wedding of my friend and fellow agent Tina Ames. I think I’m in town for a joyful celebration, and to help a longtime islander sell his home – that is, until an old schoolmate turns up dead, tangled in an ornery local’s lobster trap by the abandoned lighthouse.
With the help of hunky Miles Porter, my investigative journalist boyfriend, I dig deep to discover why many folks on the island wanted the victim to vanish. Secrets are buried as deep as the drifted snow, but not even the dead of winter can keep me from finding the truth. Miles heads home, Tina takes off on her honeymoon, and soon I’m stalking a coldblooded killer – alone.
Why is it that no matter where I go, murder seems to follow? Final Settlement finds me working double duty as a realtor and detective, making the sale, solving the crime, and keeping myself alive in the process. Get ready for what Kirkus calls “a twisty fourth case that strikes close to the bone,” — a rousing ride that does not let up until the very last page.
And that nice, smooth, sale? Guess that will have to happen in book five!
Tell Vicki your strangest real estate story and you just may win a copy of FINAL SETTLEMENT! Contest ends April 10 and US entries only.
Meet the author
Vicki Doudera is the author of Deadly Offer, Killer Listing, A House to Die For, and her latest mystery, Final Settlement, all starring crime-solving, deal-making realtor Darby Farr. An agent with a busy coastal Maine firm and 2009 Realtor of the Year, Vicki is also the author of several best-selling nonfiction guides to her home state. She proudly belongs to Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the National Association of Realtors. Visit Vicki at www.vickidoudera.com
Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
I love to watch real estate shows on tv and, of course, I love mysteries. This sounds like a book I would really enjoy! Thank you!
No strange stories here, but I do enjoy Darby Farr. Dee
I do not have any strange stories either, but I love a good mystery or strange story behind a house. Thank you for the chance to win
Possibly strange or just very aggravating
When my partner graduated from Nursing School back in ’72, we set up housekeeping in a small walk in apartment 3 blocks from her parent’s house and around the corner from where I lived when I was in Jr. H.S..
Her parents had placed our names on the waiting list for an apartment in their co-op (it was a private co-op back then, not open market). We lived in the apartment for a year and then moved into a 1 bedroom apartment on the fifth floor of one of the co-op’s 4 buildings. Three years go by and along comes baby number one (sharing our room). We were already on the list to move to a larger apartment and thankfully we were offered a 2nd flr apartment in her parents building (right down the hall). The board offered us a deal. They needed smaller apartments for seniors who wanted to downsize, so we were offered a 3 bedroom for just the difference in cost of the stock. We grabbed it, and then the fights started.
The family that was moving out tried to sell us every “upgrade” they had made to the place. I refused and they not only too the shower doors from the bathroom, but also every light bulb AND fixture in the place. Years later when we did a gut of the kitchen we found that they had covered the walled in wood board and built their “fancy” new kitchen on top of it. The original walls and outlets were still in the walls. We gained 2″ of width by tearing out their “custom” work.
Having grown up in the family real estate office I knew when they wanted the money it would only cause trouble.
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Oh my e-mail is:
NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com
After we bought our first house and were starting to move in, the previous owner came over and showed me all the places the the flower beds not to dig deep because family pets had been buried in those places.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
This dialogue had me chuckling from the first few lines!
This sounds fun, I love books set in Maine!
I really don’t have a strange story to tell but would love to read this book.
Ah, real estate. How about, we bought a house in Maine and had a fabulous realtor. She kept steering us away from houses whenever she saw anything questionable. She helped us find a great house and now, years later, she continues to be a dear friend with young boys we are watching grow up!
It wasn’t so much strange (weird) but I got my mobile home (brand new) because someone changed their mind after it was set up. As it turned out, it was a block away from a friend so that was cool. The financial part was the biggest surprise. My credit union financed it! (they never did that before or since). My brother’s in real estate. He has owned some mighty pretty homes in Ohio and Montana. I’m sure he has stories to tell 🙂 judydee22002@yahoo dot com
We had a strange seller when we bought our condo. The woman selling it would not permit us to see it with her being there too. She didn’t want us to go upstairs! She dance the flamenco on the dining room floor while we were there.
On move in day, she was still in the house, tearing out the bathroom chandelier and foyer chandelier. Our agent discovered her. After she left, I discovered mirror tiles glued inside of the kitchen cabinets plus a bottle of apple jack in back of a hard to reach corner of one of the cabinets. We wanted to have new curtains so we started to take them. There were four sets of different curtains on top of each other for each window.
Thanks Vicki for giving us a glimpse into Darby’s world.
Okay, now I want to go and visit this place, but I’m in south Louisiana. Oooo, any cruises going up there soon?
Your book sounds terrific!
sadly, i don’t have any real estate stories to share; hope i can still be entered for the giveaway!!!
I have really enjoyed this series and looking forward to the newest addition. As far as stories go…. the first home we bought was a brand new house that had been purchased 3 times but never lived in. In each case the closing had failed to happen, due to a variety of reasons. After we moved in, we discovered that a majority of the people we met in our new town had been through our home during its multiple open houses. It was a really weird feeling to hear them talk about our house in such a familiar way. But it didn’t stop us from enjoying our first taste of home ownership!
Contest is closed, but comments are always welcome