Sinopsis

When it comes to home repair, Jacobia Jake Tiptree is a fervent wielder of power drills and paint brushes. And when catching criminals, shes been known to really bring down the hammer. But when a shocking murder rocks the small town of Eastport, Maine, Jake may be the next victim for whom the bell tolls.

It is nearly midnight when the enormous bell in the belfry of All Faith Chapelsilent for decadesbooms forth, startling awake the entire town of Eastport. Upon inspection of the steeple, the police uncover the body of local teenager Karen Hansen, who had climbed the belfrys dark, rickety stairs for a midnight rendezvous. But instead of the promise of an exciting new life, Karen meets her death.

Meanwhile, as an epic noreaster bears down on the idyllic island town, Jake Tiptree hurries to shore up her ramshackle old house against the big blow. An amateur detective, she has sworn off chasing criminals. But when the news of Karens murder spreads and much of the evidence points to Jakes likable houseguest, she and her sleuthing partner, Ellie White, get to work.

They discover an unexpected ally in newcomer Lizzie Snow, a woman from away who seemed to have blown into town with the noreaster, and who also seems to know a lot about the mind of a killer. Can Jake and Ellie trust her? As a killer roams free and the townsfolk struggle against the pounding, screaming storm, the resulting tempest of gossip and suspicion rivals anything the Atlantic could brew upand threatens to keep Jake and Ellie from putting the final nail in this cold-blooded case.

Complete with Home Repair Is Homicide repair tips!

Praise for Sarah Graves and the Home Repair Is Homicide series

Gravess trademarks are edgy, traditional mysteries peppered liberally with humor, and sprinkled with layered, well-written characters.Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of One Was a Soldier

Just hearing her list the ways you can kill yourself fixing up an old house . . . is a hoot.The New York Times Book Review

What distinguishes the novel are its likable, no-nonsense protagonist-narrator, her references to home repair that the author cleverly fits tongue-and-groove into the story and, especially, the detailed descriptions of the town.Los Angeles Times

Graves makes rehabbing shutters and other chores suspenseful.The Boston Globe

Nail-biting suspense that ensnares the reader . . . full of courageous women and compelling action. Highly recommended.Library Journal

Think Diane Mott Davidson with a tool belt instead of recipes.The Denver Post

Like a runaway home renovation project, the appeal for her books keeps getting larger.Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

From the Hardcover edition.

Review

Praise for Sarah Graves and the Home Repair Is Homicide series

Gravess trademarks are edgy, traditional mysteries peppered liberally with humor, and sprinkled with layered, well-written characters.Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of One Was a Soldier

Just hearing her list the ways you can kill yourself fixing up an old house . . . is a hoot.The New York Times Book Review

What distinguishes the novel are its likable, no-nonsense protagonist-narrator, her references to home repair that the author cleverly fits tongue-and-groove into the story and, especially, the detailed descriptions of the town.Los Angeles Times

Graves makes rehabbing shutters and other chores suspenseful.The Boston Globe

Nail-biting suspense that ensnares the reader . . . full of courageous women and compelling action. Highly recommended.Library Journal

Think Diane Mott Davidson with a tool belt instead of recipes.The Denver Post

Like a runaway home renovation project, the appeal for her books keeps getting larger.Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

About the Author

Sarah Graves lives with her husband in Eastport, Maine, in the 1823 Federal-style house that helped inspire her books. This series and the authors real-life experience have been featured in House & Garden and USA Today. She is currently at work on the first novel in her new mystery series, Winter at the Door, to be published by Bantam.