Absence of Mallets - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Absence Of Mallets (A Fixer-Upper Mystery #9) by Kate Carlisle

Rating: Liked It!
Source:    Publisher

Description:  Shannon could not be happier that her hunky thriller-writing boyfriend, Mac, has moved in, and it is a good thing they are living together because they are both busier than ever. Mac is hosting writing retreats at his now vacant lighthouse mansion, while Shannon and her crew build Homefront, a quaint Victorian village of tiny homes for veterans in need. Mac’s latest guests are proving to be a handful though, and Shannon has heard some grumbling from the luminaries of Lighthouse Cove about her latest passion project. But nothing can throw a wrench in their plans except a malicious murder.

When one of Shannon’s new friends is found brutally bludgeoned with a mallet near the lighthouse on Mac’s property, the couple hammers out a suspect list and searches for a motive. As they drill deeper for clues, more violence strikes and a new victim winds up in a coma. The pressure is on, and Shannon and Mac will have to move fast to find an unhinged killer dead set on demolishing anyone who gets in their way…

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read other books in this series and enjoyed them.

My Impression: I really like this series and I always enjoy getting to spend with the characters.  It always annoys me when characters in a series have really interesting jobs but other then the occasional mention the job gets no page time.  That is not the case here.  Shannon is a hands on fully in contractor and while she is in charge she never sits on the sidelines and delegates.  I also like that Shannon's sister, Chloe is also in the construction business but in a different but no less interesting way.

This book does a good job of balancing Shannon's job as a contractor working on the veteran's project and Mac's job as an author hosting a writing retreat.  Both aspects adds in characters that are interesting and complex and makes for a fascinating dynamic.  Figuring out what everyone is hiding and all their secrets had me hooked and kept me intrigued from the beginning.  The actual murder doesn't occur until halfway through the book and there were a few decisons that were made that didn't seem particularly logical.  

I enjoyed this read and found it a light entertaining mystery.  Because there were a few things that didn't quite work for me with the mystery I don't think this is the strongest book in the series but it was still a lot of fun. 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  This is a series I'm looking forward to going back to the beginning and catching up with and will definitely continue with it.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozies then this is definitely a series (and author!) you should try.  

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *