I love this series..and almost gave this book 3 stars instead of 4. It was a little much for me...I mean, this is supposed to be a cozy mystery...but there was beatings and shootings and kidnapping..the main character stepped a little too far out of her parameters for me. I understand taking chances and coming up with fresh plots, but I think this one went too far for the genre and the series. Hoping the next book is more in keeping with the rest of the series. I admit it. I didn't want to like this book. For one thing, I've done my share of home renovations and I'm pretty handy with power tools. My first thought was that Ms. Graves was using the home improvement tips as a gimmick. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the main character, Jake Tiptree, actually was adept at repairs. Even more satisfying, she didn't mind admitting she didn't know it all -- she was willing to learn.The rugged setting of Eastport, Maine was a great backdrop for all the action and an integral part of the storyline. When Jake is pursued by Ozzie Campbell, the man who long ago murdered her mother, he doesn't just come after her by himself. He sends a couple of former "juvies", Marky Larson and Anthony Colapietro, to kidnap hostages in his effort to menace Jake. From the biting toddler, Lee, to the teenage sitter, Helen, the victims try their best to fight off their attackers, even as Marky and Anthony apply their own special ruthlessness in their quest to complete the job and get paid. As someone who worked with "juvies", I found the characterizations of both Marky and Anthony well done. Ms. Graves doesn't clone the boys -- instead, each has his own demons and desires that drive the bad behavior, and their own battles with each other increase the danger for Jake, Lee, and Helen as things spiral out of control.For Jake, the guilt of knowing her own past has brought this danger to the people who matter to her almost proves too much to bear, making her even more determined to save them. Those home improvement skills she's been honing since she moved from New York to Maine serve her well. Logical, determined, and even courageous against the odds, she's an enjoyable heroine. It's hard not to root for her as she's facing what seem to be insurmountable odds, whether she's out to rescue Lee from the men who snatched her or in a leaky boat in rough waters with passengers who would sooner kill her than help her get to shore safely. Jake is the kind of character to restore your faith in your fellow human beings, the friend or neighbor we all would like to have.
Do You like book A Face At The Window (2008)?
More in the thriller genre than the other books in her "Home Repair is Homicide" series.
—Unicorn
one of her best. stayed up way too late to see what happened. good read
—Dustinskiefer
Another book in one of my favorite series . . . it did not disappoint
—KennyG
