Spackled And Spooked [Mass Market Paperback]

SPACKLED AND SPOOKED (Berkley Prime Crime, 2009) is as delightful as FATAL FIXER-UPPER, the first in Jennie Bentley's Home Renovation mysteries. Avery Baker, the home renovator and amateur sleuth from FATAL FIXER-UPPER is back, along with Derek Ellis, her boyfriend and business partner. Avery is a former textile designer from New York who moved to Maine when she inherited her aunt's cottage in Waterfield and did some major renovations. Now she's tackling another home renovation project-a basic ranch, circa 1950's. The split level ranch has 2000 square feet, three bedrooms, two baths and a fireplace in the den.

Oh yes, the house also has a resident ghost.

When Avery first encounters the ghost, her mind scrambles for an explanation. Avery comes up with four possibilities. 1) I'd heard the steps of a ghost. 2) Someone was trying to freak me out 3) My ears were playing tricks on me and 4) I was losing my mind.

Although the intrepid Avery has serious doubts about renovating a haunted house, her misgivings are quickly dispelled when she learns the price is right ($95,000) and Derek assures her they can flip the property and sell it for a quarter of a million dollars. As it turns out, the resident ghost (who manifests himself by blood-curdling screams and eerie footsteps) is the least of Avery's worries. It's white knuckle time when she has to deal with a grisly discovery in the crawl space and a murder in the neighborhood.

The author, a Nashville real estate agent and home renovator, can relate to Avery's adventures. "In the nine years since we bought that first little house in the transitional area, we've bought--and renovated--nine more. Our current project is a mid-century ranch, just like the one Avery is working on in Spackled and Spooked. Big and rambling, with sprawling rooms, big windows, and a sort of open and airy feel."

Ms. Bentley creates a wonderful small town environment and includes fascinating "insider" tips from the world of home renovation. Would you like to turn a Fiesta salad bowl into a sink basin? Have you ever thought about using brown paper bags as trendy wall paper? You'll find all these tips and more (like transforming a dresser into a bathroom vanity and making peek-a-book shower curtains).

FATAL FIXER-UPPER, Ms. Bentley's debut novel, was a national best-seller for the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. SPACKLED AND SPOOKED is bound to be another winner for this talented author. Home renovation buffs will appreciate the wealth of detail, but even if you don't know a garrotte from a grommet you'll love this series.

Bentley's second "Do it yourself" mystery was a good book for me to read on a cold rainy night. Avery and Derek are characters that seem real to me. I love watching HGTV's home renovation shows, so this book had me and the first look.
This book delves more into the personalities and relationships of the characters this time. Old flames,and choices they each made in their lives, etc. The more I learn about Avery and Derek, the more I want to read about them. Neighbors in this book, make me think of my "Offbeat" neighbors. They can be either great neighbors, or "Neighbors from hell". I have had both.
I also enjoyed hearing more details of what goes behind the scenes in renovating an old house. It is more work than one thinks.
I hope to hear that Jennie Bentley is writing a third mystery in this series.
I love the covers of her books. Cats are cool animals.
Plus, bathroom makeovers are the pits.

Avery Baker is starting a new business away from NYC. Having just been to Maine I found the references to Maine to be very apt. This was a quick and fun read for an evening. Not bloody or scarey just charming.

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