Customer Reviews

Buying Murder

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Author Nancy Lynn Jarvis has used her 20+ years as a Realtor and a BA in behavioral science to craft a believable and entertaining mystery with a glimpse behind the scenes into the world of real estate. You might say that "Buying Murder" is a cautionary tale of what could happen if you buy a home and fail to have it inspected before settlement. All the television home shows stress the importance of that inspection and now we know why. All the characters in "Buying Murder" seem real and not forced. I can imagine sitting down to dinner with many of them but the major characters of Regan, Tom and Dave, seemed liked old friends by the time I finished the book. I particularly liked the way Ms. Jarvis tied up all the loose ends at the conclusion of the book so the reader is not left to wonder about some detail or other. Reading "Buying Murder" was a rare treat for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to others.

In Nancy Jarvis' "Buying Murder", Regan McHenry, a savvy real estate agent from the Santa Cruz area, gets a call to list an old, unoccupied cottage on the beach and finds the spot so darling; she decides to buy it for herself. In a rush to make the purchase, Regan neglected to do the usual inspections before closing. Shortly after the purchase, Regan had a known inspector come over and take a peek and advise on some renovating when they realize that the house was already occupied...by a corpse. Regan, intent on finding out what happened to the soul that had rested inside the walls of the cottage for so long, embarks on a fact finding mission. Unfortunately, someone is on a mission of their own. A mission to silence Regan. Has she come to close to the murderer or is she dealing with a disgruntled son of an eviction she had assisted with?
This was the first of the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries I had the pleasure of reading and was not disappointed. Working in the real estate industry myself, I found Nancy's views and perceptions spot on with reality. The story was very entertaining with a hint of eerie realism to it. While several times I would have bet my book money that I knew the outcome, within pages I would realize I was wrong. After doing this three times, I gave up on trying to speculate and just enjoyed the read. This is an easy reading, solid murder mystery that keeps you turning the pages and asking the ever famous question "who dunnit?".

Author Nancy Lynn Jarvis packs a double punch with her mysteries. Jarvis is both a successful REALTOR© and skilled mystery writer. Her heroine, Regan McHenry, just happens to be a real estate agent in Santa Cruz, California. Like Jarvis, McHenry works in partnership with her husband.

In "Buying Murder," the third novel in the series, McHenry finds herself the owner of a property where an undiscovered murder took place years before. When the home inspector uncovers the body, McHenry determines to solve the mystery that seems to be of little interest to the local police.

I found myself becoming fond of Regan and her husband, Tom Kiley. Their relationship is warm and loving, but subject to the pressures of business and personalities that mesh nicely, but don't match exactly. They aren't perfect, but they are very human. Jarvis has given them a depth of personality often overlooked in novels.

Their police officer friend, Dave Everett, brings a third perspective into the mix. His affection for the couple alternates with exasperation as Regan gets herself involved in potentially deadly situations.

As Regan pursues her unofficial investigation, she receives threats and has several near-misses. She meets several possible culprits for the murder along the way and uncovers secrets someone wants left hidden. The question becomes "Can Regan solve the crime before she becomes another victim?"

Jarvis puts real estate jargon in terms that any reader can understand. While the real estate profession provides the setting of the story, it doesn't overshadow the flow of a well planned narrative. While there is some violence in the book, "Buying Murder" is not a gory blood fest. The action fits and makes sense.

Although this is the third book in the series, you'll enjoy it even without having read the first two; but I think you'll want to go back and read them. If you enjoy stories of a crime fighter who isn't a professional investigator, you'll like "Buying Murder." If you like action seasoned with wit, get it immediately. You won't be sorry.

I loved the author's first two books: The Death Contingency and Backyard Bones. And so it continues.

Not that I desired or expected it, but Buying Murder achieves a new high for character development and intrigue. The pace is excellent - this is a page turner.

I loved the banter between Regan and Dave in the first two books, and Buying Murder, thankfully, has even more of their war of the wits. Maybe I'm just getting comfortable with the way they interact, but it's like we're all three friends (with me included) and I'm enjoying conversation with my best friends over a wonderful dinner at home.

Not to forget: the real estate stories continue to entertain and inform. I guess 25 years of real estate experience provide an endless diversion of bloopers and out-takes. Funny, funny, funny.

Like the first two books, I read this one a second and a third time. It just gets better with each reading.

When I read the jacket cover for Nancy Lynn Jarvis's third novel Buying Murder, I was hooked. I fell in love with the title, and then the premise. I had my next cuddle up with a cup of tea, music, and a quiet evening--mystery.

Buying Murder happens when protagonist Regan McHenry and her husband decide to buy a beach house. Before beginning a remodeling project, they have a home inspector come in. During the inspection, a partially mummified body is discovered in a wall. Regan, who claims to have sworn off playing detective since her narrow escape in Backyard Bones, cannot resist trying to find the answers to whom, what, and when. After all, she knows where, and as her friend, Dave Everett says, "Your house, Regan, your murder." How can a naturally inquisitive person just walk away from such a quandary, especially when the police put the murder on the back burner?

What I find the most intriguing about Regan's adventures and Ms. Jarvis's writing is that the stories of the buyers and sellers are interwoven. As Ms. Jarvis weaves her tale of fiction, she shows us the quirks and foibles of the real--real estate industry. Ms. Jarvis did this in her first two novels and skillfully continues it in her newest novel--Buying Murder.

In this story an eviction hearing, something that is supposed to be clear-cut and simple is anything but. Her life is threatened when the defendants take Regan's testimony personally. As the mystery of the dead man in Regan's beach house wall begins to unravel, the death threats become more serious. Whom should Regan fear? The family, friends, and enemies of the dead man, or the tin foil wearing, alien fearing, renters.

The author, Nancy Lynn Jarvis is a real estate agent; Ms. Jarvis takes her plot, her characters, and her stories from her real life experiences. Her protagonist Regan McHenry is also a real estate agent and when she stumbles across a mystery, it has something to do with the buying or selling of a house. As was the case in Ms. Jarvis's, first two books Backyard Bones and The Death Contingency, the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mystery series is set in sunny Santa Cruz, California. Ms. Jarvis takes the reader on a tour of her community, and when she describes the fires of 2008, drives the streets, county roads, or walks the beach, you take that journey with her.

The truth is, Buying Murder, is one of those books you want to read from beginning to the end with no interruptions. It stands alone from the previous two novels, but I suggest you pick up the other two because that is what a good mystery series author is all about--quality! Ms. Jarvis delivers. ENJOY!

Nancy Lynn Jarvis' Buying Murder is a great read! As an ex-real estate agent, this story really resonated with me. Her writing is superb, and I believe fans will have a hard time putting the book down like I did. I have recommended this book to many of my friends that are still in the business.

I have just finished reading "Buying Murder, and thoroughly enjoyed every page. Of course, I continue to think highly of the first two Regan McHenry mystery novels, yet I'd say that #3 is the best yet. I read most of it while recuperating from a root canal procedure. Regan and company, with a bit of pharmaceutical help, did a splendid job of taking my mind off this uniquely painful type of dental misery. With its overall brisker pace, its array of interesting and plausible characters, its life-like dialogue, and especially with the physical danger Regan experiences early in the story, "Buying Murder" kept me fully intrigued from the first page. My compliments to Nancy Lynn Jarvis on a well-crafted and exciting mystery -- thanks for a great read!

Regan McHenry, a real estate agent, thought she was buying with her husband, Tom, both a beach and lake house. It was only steps to the beach with a lake behind the house. Instead, they bought a dead body that was in the house for sixteen years!

This third book in the Regan McHenry series by Nancy Lynn Jarvis gives readers a gripping mystery. When police cannot make this cold case a priority, Regan breaks her previous vow to stop playing amateur detective, taking readers along with her following the clues to attempt to solve the murder.

Has Regan bought more than she can handle this time? Jarvis keeps readers caught up in this excellently plotted story, with its unanticipated twists and turns, right to its satisfying conclusion.