One of the problems of discovering a great series is that you get so excited over each NEW book you don't always think to go back and read all of the earlier ones. So, I just finished yet another one of Sarah Grave's books in the Home Repair is Homicide Series--Mallets Aforethought. The series features best friends Jake and Ellie in Eastport, Maine. Ellie is in the last trimester of her pregnancy, but she and Jake are hard at work on restoring a local landmark, the Harlequin House. They discover a secret room--and an unpleasant surprise of two bodies inside that secret room. One of the bodies is that of Eva, an infamous flapper who was once involved with the owner of Harlequin House, an ancestor of Ellie's. Eva has apparently been there for at least 70 years; however, the other body seems like a fairly recent arrival.
It turns out that someone has killed Hector Gosling, a local businessman with shady ethics and a list of enemies--including George, Ellie's husband. When evidence seems to suggest that George killed Hector, he's put in jail and Jake has to support her friend through childbirth classes and try to investigate the case, all the while worrying that Ellie will give birth at any minute.
Published in 2004, this is the seventh book in the series, and another great read. I love the characters and relationships in this series, the description of the small town in Maine, the attention to details, quirky home repair advice, and clever storytelling. You can find Mallets Aforethought in the mystery section at the Waterloo Public Library.
c Waterloo Public Library 2008
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