I just finished Jennie Bentley’s first book in her Do-It-Yourself series! I know a couple years late. LOL. But I just picked it up this summer. Fatal Fixer-Upper doesn’t disappoint. Avery is a plucky, likable protagonist (and a believable Manhattanite sans the Sex in the City crap). Before I finished page 1, I’d signed on to read until the end. (And pick up the other books in the series)
Her boyfriend, Philippe, is someone I’d swear I met in NY. Setting the story in a small Maine town where Avery fixes up an old Victorian was a stroke of genius. (At least to me since I love old Victorian homes and I’m from New England.) The chemistry between Avery and the hero is a slow pressure cooker. You feel it building and you know it’s going somewhere. Or at least you hope it does.
The plot weaves in a missing history professor and Maria Antoinette. Without missing a beat, Jennie delivers the perfect blend of background information and historical stuff so you can solve the mystery without overwhelming the reader.
The writing is top-notch. Jennie’s writing style sucks the reader in and holds onto them until the last page. And as a nice cherry on your banana split of a book, there are do-it-yourself renovation tips at the end of the book.
Have to confess I had an idea of who the killer was from about half way through the book, but I wasn’t 100% certain until I got to the last 50 pages.
Now I need to go buy the rest of the series. 🙂
4 Responses to Fatal Fixer-Upper–Book Review