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Mallets Aforethought (Home Repair is Homicide Mystery #7)
by
Sarah Graves
Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree left her high-powered career for a dilapidated fixer-upper and the dream of a quiet existence in the quaint town of Eastport, Maine. But she found that no matter how carefully you remodel your life, murder can take up residence anywhere.
It’s Eastport’s most notorious landmark: the old Harlequin House. Named for the disgraced physician Chester Harlequ...more
It’s Eastport’s most notorious landmark: the old Harlequin House. Named for the disgraced physician Chester Harlequ...more
Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages
Published
October 26th 2004
by Bantam
(first published March 2nd 2004)
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I'm several chapters into this book and am enjoying it VERY much, in spite of the author's unfortunate overuse of certain literary devices. The story is excellent and the characters are fun and compelling. This is better than the average cozy, for sure.
The series is set in a small town in maine, which is interesting in itself, but the author doesn't make a big deal out of it; the setting runs, as it should, in the background, and the characters interact with it seamlessly. The slang...more
The series is set in a small town in maine, which is interesting in itself, but the author doesn't make a big deal out of it; the setting runs, as it should, in the background, and the characters interact with it seamlessly. The slang...more
The problem with writing a very long series about murder in a very small town is that you quickly run out of characters to be killers or victims. By this book in the series, the pattern is clear--if a new character is introduced at the beginning, guess what? He/she is the killer. The mystery here was so patently obvious that it almost took the pleasure out of the read. The only thing that keeps me going is my connection to the main characters--the 10 or so central folks that appear in each b...more
recently decided to try to read this series in order – even the ones I know I’ve read before. The Sarah Grave books became a favorite of mine once I read the first book I bought. I lost touch somewhere along the way, but came across a new release recently and decided to catch up on the series.
Note:
You really don’t need to read the books in order to enjoy the series. While there is progression in the characters and their situations, the author explains enough in each book that...more
Note:
You really don’t need to read the books in order to enjoy the series. While there is progression in the characters and their situations, the author explains enough in each book that...more
Mallets Aforethought by Sarah Graves is #7 in Graves' "Home Repair is Homicide" series.
It takes place in a small town in Maine and the protagonist are pair of women home repair experts: Jacobia (known as "Jake") and Ellie, friends and partners in fixing homes and solving crimes.
I had a tough time rating this one-it really is a half-star case for me: better than a 2 star "ok" but not quite a whole-hearted 3-star "I liked it." I enjoy...more
It takes place in a small town in Maine and the protagonist are pair of women home repair experts: Jacobia (known as "Jake") and Ellie, friends and partners in fixing homes and solving crimes.
I had a tough time rating this one-it really is a half-star case for me: better than a 2 star "ok" but not quite a whole-hearted 3-star "I liked it." I enjoy...more
view all 7 comments
Disappointing. This is the 7th in the "Home Repair is Homicide" series, and based on this book, I won't be reading the others. The setting is neat (Maine), but the characters and plot are only semi-interesting, and I am very annoyed with the author's writing style; she interrupts herself (and her characters) a LOT and it makes her writing very stilted and awkward to read. An example: "'So Cory,' George went on, 'has to eliminate the ants.'" Not annoying if it were once in awh...more
I like this series. I don't much about Maine, passed through there once when I was about 12 and my brother had a friend who had a summer job there, We were on our way to Canada.
Jacobia Tiptree is a repairing fool. Her usual partner in crime, Ellie White was extremely pregnant so on this investigation Jake had to take the lead. And the problem is the person who needed clearing is Ellie's husband who won't say where he was at the time of the murder.
And this is complicated ...more
Jacobia Tiptree is a repairing fool. Her usual partner in crime, Ellie White was extremely pregnant so on this investigation Jake had to take the lead. And the problem is the person who needed clearing is Ellie's husband who won't say where he was at the time of the murder.
And this is complicated ...more
Another Sarah Graves Home Repair is Homicide mystery. This book was definitely one of the more suspenseful ones in the series and did a great job of using the home repair background, expanded a little bit, to explore what appeared to be one of the classics of mystery--the locked room with a dead body puzzle. It is a suspenseful and entertaining read.
Meh. This is only the second Sarah Graves book I've read (the other being Dead Cat Bounce, which - despite its appalling name - was quite good). This one just didn't quite do it for me. I have nothing particularly negative to say, but nothing particularly good either; disappointing.
A single continuity error popped up, tempting me to list two stars, but it's not a problem in this novel, only the series. The book itself is easy to read, enjoyable, and very human in the blunders of our amateur sleuth and heroine.
I love all the "themes" in mystery books. This one is part of the Home Repair is Homicide series. And now I know how to repair window sashing in an old home...
Yes, the murderer was fairly obvious early on. Murder mystery series set in a small town in Maine, eventually that happens. (Just ask Jessica Fletcher/Angela Lansbury.) Still quite well done.
I've had this title on reserve for forever!! I'm in love with this title! AND I'm really getting into this Maine stuff
Pretty bad as far as mysteries go, but the local flavor of "Downeast" Maine was interesting.
I knew "who done it" from about the second chapter...meh.
never trust real estate types
ereader ebook
more than enough complexities
This was pretty good. It kept my attention, but there was a lot of similarities to the one I just finished by her.
Another interesting murder set in small town Eastport, Maine. Jake and Ellie are involved in a volunteer effort to renovate Harlequin House when they discover two dead bodies in a seemingly locked room. Again I completely missed the clues to the murderer but a good read.
This was a great read, and I loved Jake and her friend finding a secret room with a dead body! They had to discover then who the person was and what had happened. One of the better Jacobia Tiptree stories!
ha. this was a funny one. i thought it was cool that she said 'malletts aforethoguht' instead of 'malice aforethought.' it was a pretty good book, seriously.
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Sarah Graves lives with her husband John, a musician and luthier, and their black Labrador Retriever in a house very much like the one Jacobia Tiptree is remodeling in Eastport, Maine. When she's not writing Jake's adventures, Sarah works with her husband on the house and she plays the 5-string banjo.
Series:
* Home Repair is Homicide
More about Sarah Graves...
Series:
* Home Repair is Homicide
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