21) Home for the Homicide by Jennie Bentley

The Blurb :

Avery Baker was a big city textile designer, until she inherited her aunt’s old Maine cottage and found her true calling—home renovation. But she never expected her latest job would come to such a bone-rattling dead end...

For Avery and her husband Derek, renovating the Craftsman Bungalow was like stepping back in time. The quaint old home was just as its original owners had left it—from the beautiful butler’s pantry to the surprisingly exquisite ribbon tile. But it’s the attic that yields the most heart-stopping surprise.

In a discreetly hidden antique crate, Avery finds a clue to a decades-old missing persons case. As Avery works on the house and delves deeper into the sinister story, it becomes clear that someone very crafty wants the Craftsman home’s secrets to stay that way!

My Thoughts :

I have so many books to read and I am way behind on my review book reading but I started this one the other week when I thought I had time to read and then I had guests etc etc and this one got forgotten.  The Kindle was actually dusty when I picked it up so I was determined to finish this one and not start one of the other books that I should of been reading.  After all it seems this is the last book in the series.

The Do-It-Yourself Mysteries have been lovely to read.  I have loved the characters and location throughout the series and the mysteries have been well worth reading.  I wouldn't say that this seventh installment was one of the better ones but it was interesting enough and had some nice twists.

It is is a shame to see this one end.  I would have liked to have at least one more installment.  This didn't feel like the end at all and I really enjoyed the concept.  I wonder if the author will do what many other writers have done and self publish or maybe this was supposed to be the end.

Anyway, if you like a good cozy and you enjoy home renovation then you will love this series.  I have to say I am not a big Do-It-Yourself person but this series is certainly inspiring and I really liked the houses they worked on and even ended up looking the styles up online.

6) Wall-to-Wall Dead by Jennie Bentley

The Blurb :

Avery and her partner, Derek, are fixing up a cute little condo in homey Waterfield, Maine, hoping for a quick turnaround and some extra money. It seems like a simple project—and Avery is looking forward to using her big-city experience with small spaces.

But they didn’t expect to have their every move watched by the resident busybody in the condo, Hilda Shaw, who loves snooping on everyone’s comings and goings. When the busybody becomes a dead body, Avery suspects foul play. Soon she’s doing some snooping of her own—and it seems everyone in the complex has a secret. Could one of them be worth killing for? Avery needs to work fast, before someone decides to fix her...for good.

My Thoughts :

I continued to get on top of one of my reading challenges for this year by reading another book from a series I have been working on for a few years.  There are quite a few series that I have neglected or just need the next installment for so I am trying to do some serious catching up this year.  I may even be able to get rid of some if I find I don't like them anymore!

However this series is one I really do enjoy.  Although this installment wasn't the best of the bunch so far I still liked it a lot.  The renovation aspect was a little thin this time around but the murder mystery was interesting if somewhat confusing at times but by the end I could even see what had happened and who the murderer was and why they did it.

With only one book left in the series I am pretty sure this is a series I am going to be able to cross off my challenge list within a couple of weeks.  I plan on reading the last part as soon as possible and see how the author closes the series.

65) Flipped Out by Jennie Bentley

The Blurb :

Avery and her hunky handyman boyfriend are renovating a house belonging to a local news anchor who's thrilled to be filmed as part of a home renovation show. But cable television fame proves fleeting when the man is murdered and Avery faces the task of nailing the killer. Fast.

My Thoughts :

This series on my list of series I need to catch up with/finish.  Seeing as there are only seven books in the series I think I am doing well with my goal because this is book five!  I actually plan on finishing the series off within the next month so I can cross it off my list.

Now it may sound like I am pushing or forcing myself to complete the goal I set myself but to be honest I am really enjoying the series and can't wait to read the final two books.  It will be sad to see things come to an end but I hope the series ends in a good way.

This fifth installment was just as good as the previous books.  Great characters and location with a well thought out mystery.  The theme is always the same with Avery and Derek 'flipping' a house.  However this time they are taking part in a TV series and the renovation and decoration has to be done in record time.

There may not have been as much location candy this time and there also wasn't much history to delve into but the story was good and I enjoyed getting to meet some different characters.  I was also happy to see some of the regular characters making some progress in their relationships.  So the on-going story made some progress.

What else can I say?  The series is definitely worth checking out if you like cozies.  Home improvement aside this is a great series mostly because of the characters and location.  The theme just makes things more interesting even if all that DIY stuff isn't your thing.

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