Customer Reviews

If Walls Could Talk: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery (Haunted Home Repair Mystery)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This novel was pretty well-written, the characters are interesting. I think people who are familiar with the Bay Area will appreciate the novel and its settings. The pace slowed down a bit to overly discuss the home rennovations, but I enjoyed reading about it. It seemed very well-researched in that line of work. I wished there was a more supernatural element to it, but the mystery itself played out well. I'm not sure I followed the main character's line of thinking as far as the ghosts were concerned, and getting to the bottom. She seemed to be the type of person who would make more use of her unique situation, not to mention she would probably be a little more facinated than nonchallant. I think it went a little long on a tangent not relating to the mystery in a couple of areas where the main plot really needed to get down to business. I think the series will grow and be very enjoyable. I look forward to the next book.

Melanie Turner moves home after her mother's death to take over her father's construction business restoring historic homes and in a very short time has become pretty well-known for her work in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Her next project is a run down mansion in Pacific Heights. She agrees to take the job after one of the owners dies in the house during a crazy do-it-yourself demolition of the house.

While working out the specifications at the house she is visited by the ghostly presence of the man who died. He continues to follow her everywhere and she finally realizes the only way to get rid of this ghost is to solve his murder. The only clue she has is a box she found hidden in the walls of the house. Mel needs to build a case to find the killer before she finds herself nailed by them too. She also needs to help her ghost rest in peace.

I LIKED IT!!!!

A really good start to what looks to be a hauntingly wonderful series. Having worked construction myself I know what damage power tools can do and the last thing you need is a bunch of drunks doing your demo, so I can totally relate to this story and know I will truly enjoy the series. Ghosts really aren't my usual forte, but it is stories like this that can totally change my point of view. Mel Turner and her family have grabbed my attention and they are the stars, the ghosts are the supporting quirky characters every good cozy needs. Plus Mel's family is not your typical family next door and Mel's past is pretty diverse, so the author has plenty of room to take us in many directions as the series continues. I really look forward to the next installment of Haunted Renovation.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these books free from Obsidian, a Division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Since her mother died, Melanie Turner took over her depressed father's San Francisco Bay construction business; specializing in restoration of historical homes as her dad could no longer run the firm. Matt Addax hires Mel to restore a run-down mansion so he and his partner can flip it for a nice profit. After an all night party, Mel enters the house to see Matt's partner Kenneth dripping in blood.

He was shot with a nail gun and someone cut off his hand with a motor saw. There is blood all over him and he dies shortly after arriving at the hospital. He told the nurses before he died that Matt didn't kill him, but he also said it was Matt's fault. Matt goes to jail leaving Mel to complete the renovations. She sees the ghost of Kenneth and he informs her he doesn't remember the time prior to his murder. Someone believes Mel found buried jewels and her house, car and storage room are ransacked. Someone is looking for them. To get rid of the ghost and to keep her family, friends and employees safe, Mel investigates only to be in the same perilous situation that Kenneth faced before he was killed.

This is the start of a new paranormal amateur sleuth series filled with ghosts, unknown villains, a great heroine, and a man who warned her not marry her ex husband. Mel has "insider" information from the other side. Mel does not trusting the cops who have focused on Matt only so she risks her life to investigate. With a nod to the Ghost Whisperer in a murder mystery setting, Juliet Blackwell provides a fun entertaining opening act.

Harriet Klausner

First Line: This was one pitiful-looking mansion.

Mel(anie) Turner may dress like a Madonna groupie, but she knows her stuff when it comes to renovating historic homes in the San Francisco Bay area.

Her latest client wants her expertise in bringing a Pacific Heights mansion back to life, but when she visits the morning after a boozy "Do-It-Yourself" remodeling party, she discovers his partner-- who seems to have had a horrendous accident with power tools. The man dies as a result of his injuries, and as Mel begins to see that certain facts and figures just don't add up, she also gets a visit from the dead man's spirit. Murderous intent fills this particular down-at-heel mansion up to its eaves.

"To me, old houses might as well be ancient pyramids. They hold secrets and messages from the past; I feel them whispering to me as I walk the hallways. Walls, attics, basements... over the past five years I had found newspapers from the thirties, liquor bottles, old coins, address books, even the occasional stash of money or stocks. I once unearthed a button-up baby's shoe and a dress pattern book from 1916. I even liked the smell: the distinctive, musty aroma of history, reminding me of used bookstores...promising the serendipitous discovery of the perfect novel or family relic or beloved treasure."


Once I read that paragraph, I knew that Mel and I were going to get along just fine. She and I have the same feeling for old houses, and as I turned the pages, my affinity for this character grew through her relationships to the other characters and to the way she conducted her business. If I had an old mansion to renovate, I'd hire her on the spot.

Blackwell paced the story well, and although I had a hazy idea of whodunit, I was so drawn in by Mel's character, the action, and the bits of San Francisco history the author shared that I didn't focus on it. I was enjoying Blackwell's storytelling so much that I didn't particularly care whom the killer was.

Yes, there is a ghost in the story, but for those of you who don't care for the paranormal, this element did not overwhelm the story at all. (I'm a reader who doesn't care for a great deal of "woo-woo" myself.)

I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, and I hope that Mel never runs out of old mansions to renovate.

Meet Mel, she's a contractor that builds up old houses, and makes them nice and new. It turns out that in the process of flipping a house, someone, Kenneth, was hurt, then he died of his injuries. The problem is that Mel now sees Kenneth's ghost, and Kenneth want Mel to help him find out who killed him and why. Mel has to be careful, because a killer is on the lose, and now they have Mel in their sights.

As I said, this is a nice start to a promising series. The series does deal with the paranormal, and Juliet Blackwell has done her homework on the paranormal. For me, this is a strong point with the book. Some authors phone in the parts that deal with the paranormal, but Blackwell isn't one of those authors.

The writing style is a pleasant one to read. There isn't any real plot twists, but this is an interesting read.

If you start this, I don't think you'll be sorry.

Wow - what a great story teller Juliet Blackwell is. I loved her other series (the witch craft mysteries) have them all, and now I am HOOKED on the Renovation heroine. Such a weaving of details, settings, characters ... and Dog .. . her hero!! I have such a high stress job, I read for pleasure and it is INDEED a pleasure to read her work.

I can't wait until December when the next story comes out.

I LOVED THIS NEW SERIES. SHE ALSO HAS ANOTHER SERIES CALLED THE BEWITCHING SERIES AND I
LIKED THAT ONE TOO.

This is the fourth book I've read by Juliet Blackwell. It was a fun read, and I finished it quickly. I will note that I enjoyed the Witchcraft Mystery books more, and can hardly put them down. Haunted Home mysteries are more realistic (mostly mystery, with ghosts, hence "haunted home"), Witchcraft mysteries are more fantasy-based (witches and magic), which makes them unique and interesting to me.

I am only halfway through this book and love it so far! the description shows she does so much research on each and every book. It puts you right in the story and when she descibes the homes, it almost puts you back in the time the homes were built. MUCH praise to this series and I can't wait for the next one to come out!!

I really enjoyed this book! As the first book in a new series, we become acquainted with Mel, a woman with an interesting wardrobe and an equally interesting job - home renovation.

This book was very entertaining, the plot line was enjoyable, Mel a delight. Add in ghosts and you have a winner. Should make for a new, fun series and I'm looking forward to reading each and every subsequent installment.