Mallets Aforethought (Home Repair Is Homicide Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: cat dancing, nursing desk, Harlequin House, Hector Gosling, Will Bonnet (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

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. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; 1st THUS edition (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553585770
• ISBN-13: 978-0553585773
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #231,789 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 7 in The Home Repair is Homicide Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read mystery, March 2, 2004

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mallets Aforethought: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery (Graves, Sarah. Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery.) (Hardcover)

When she realized her teenage son was moving deeper into the NYC hardcore drug culture, financial planner Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree left her six-figure job and moved to Eastport, located on a barrier island off the coast of Maine. She moved into a fixer-upper that even years later still needs repair, had to make accommodations with her ex-husband who left a thriving medical practice to be near his son, and married a man who gave her the love and security her first spouse couldn't provide.

Now an integral part of the small seaport community, Jake and her best friend Ellie are just two of the volunteers fixing up Harlequin House for a fundraising gala. When the two women uncover a secret room, they open it and find two bodies inside. One is a woman who disappeared eighty years ago while the other corpse is the enemy of Ellie's husband. Jake knows that the police will have to arrest George since he told everyone in town he wanted to kill Hector and he will not give the cops an alibi. Jake starts investigating and her search leads to a suspect that plans to kill her so he can go on living in Eastport.

Sprinkled throughout the storyline are house repair tips that are very helpful and easy to follow, but also provide a sense of normalcy that augments the who-done-it. The heroine goes the extra mile for her friends in MALLETS AFORETHOUGHT, risking her own life to save the life of her spouse whom she knows is innocent. Sarah Graves is a very descriptive writer so the reader can visualize each scene in their head.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid and entertaining, May 1, 2004

By	booksforabuck "BooksForABuck.com" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Mallets Aforethought: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery (Graves, Sarah. Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery.) (Hardcover)

While working on a long-abandoned historic home, Jacobia 'Jake' Tiptree and her friend Ellie White discover the body of a long-dead flapper--and a much more recent corpse. Nobody much regrets Hector Gosling's death. The man was a swindler and a cheat. But the problem is, Ellie's husband George has been making all sorts of noises about wishing Hector were dead. And the more the police look into it, the more evidence they find that points directly at George. Jake finally decides that it's up to her and to vastly pregnant Ellie to get to the bottom of the mystery.

It turns out that there were plenty of people with good reason to want Hector dead. His partner is scheduled to inherit everything, Hector broke up his maid's engagement, and he ruined a business deal for a wood-cutting couple who are barely making ends meet. Which makes for plenty of suspects for Jake and Ellie to investigate. The problem is, none of these suspects have more reason to hate Hector than George does, and all seem to have some sort of alibi for the critical times. Only when Jake puts herself in serious harms way does she finally figure out what must have happened. And by then, it just might be too late.

Author Sara Graves mixes home renovation with detecting in an entertaining story. Jake's largely disfunctional family (ex-drug abusing son, ego-centered ex-husband, and ex-radical bomber ex-husband as well as mobster ex-business partner) are over the top but add interest to the story. Jake and Ellie do some serious detecting and are well motivated through the story. MALLETS AFORETHOUGHT is definitely worth the read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How can they clear George when he won't say where he was?, September 15, 2004

By	Dawn Dowdle "mysteryloverscorner.com reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mallets Aforethought: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery (Graves, Sarah. Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery.) (Hardcover)

Jake and Ellie discover a body in a closed room at Harlequin House during renovations. Ellie is sure she knows who it is due to stories she's heard and recognizing some items from a photo.

Then they find the body of Hector Gosling in this room. They consider closing the room back off and re-wallpapering so no one will know. Why? They feared Ellie's husband, George, would be considered guilty. They know he isn't, and Eastport's police chief Bob Arnold knows George's good character. But, they still know he'll be looked at hard.

What they didn't know was that Bob and his wife are out of town due to his mother taking ill. State Trooper Colgate came to town to investigate the murders.

George refuses to say where he was when Hector was murdered, so he ends up in jail.

Ellie and Jake begin to investigate Hector's murder. The fact that George refusing to let anyone visit him compounds the problem. George is attacked in prison. The fact that Ellie is very pregnant and concerned about George complicates matters.

Jake is also repairing her home. In between repairs, CPR classes, and Ellie's doctor appointments, the pair begin interviewing the various people involved.

When another corpse is discovered, they realize they need to work fast. Jake finds herself in danger before the true killer is unmasked.

I enjoy books in this series. They are a fast read. Cozy mysteries set on the east coast are a favorite of mine. Every time I read a book in this series, I wish I could visit Eastport, Maine.

Jake and Ellie are great characters. They are supported by a great cast of characters as well. They are all believable and created well. The new relationship between Jake and her dad is so well written.

I highly recommend this book.