Mallets Aforethought

December 22, 2003
While Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree met with accidents galore in last year's outing, Unhinged
, she faces more realistic challenges as wife, mother and amateur sleuth in this, the seventh page-turner in Graves's innovative cozy series. Jake, who's been restoring her own 1823 Federal home, joins her pregnant friend Ellie White in the community effort to fix up the historic Harlequin House in Eastport, Maine, once owned by an ancestor of Ellie's. Unable to resist opening a hidden door in the parlor that they unearthed after stripping wallpaper, they're horrified to discover not only the mummified body of a woman from the 1920s but also the corpse of the local historical society president and "Eastport's most irascible real-estate mogul," Hector Gosling. When Ellie's husband, George, is arrested for Gosling's murder, Jake and Ellie, who's hampered by the imminent birth of her baby, set out to prove George's innocence. As carefully and methodically as she strips the years of paint from the old door in her house, Jake peels back the layers of deception that mask the real killer. Readers will relish the author's evocative descriptions of small-town Maine, strong characters whose relationships evolve, sense of humor and, of course, helpful home-repair hints.

February 1, 2004
In her seventh adventure, series sleuth Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree (Unhinged) and pregnant friend Ellie discover two bodies in a secret room in the decrepit Victorian mansion they're helping restore for the Eastport, ME, historical society. One of the bodies, apparently poisoned, belongs to the society's unethical, much-hated president. Jake dallies a bit in reporting their find to the police, because she knows they'll head for Ellie's husband, who voiced his hatred of the dead guy and had access to poison. Jake begins sleuthing, of course, in her indomitable, detailed, do-it-yourself way. Grave's comfortable characters, cozy plotting, and village atmosphere recommend this for most collections.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2004
Like the old Victorian homes she describes in her Home Repair Is Homicide series, Graves' stories seem to grow better with the passing of time. Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, formerly a high-powered financial wizard in New York, is best known in her new hometown of Eastport, Maine, for her skill with power tools. While continuing to fix up her own home, Jake has agreed to work with her best friend, Ellie, on restoring the landmark Harlequin House. When they discover two dead bodies walled up inside a secret room, Jake and Ellie are tempted to cover them up again. One of the victims met her death years ago, but the other, Hector Gosling, was killed recently--and just happens to be the worst enemy of Ellie's husband, George, who quickly becomes the prime suspect. Readers who enjoy solving mysteries and fixing up older homes will appreciate Jake's do-it-yourself expertise in both areas.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)