Carlisle knows how to write a mystery. After reading this one, I wanted to start at book one and read the first one! Love Shannon and I would love to have her as my best friend!

Generally, when you think of a Home and Garden tour, murder is NOT the first thing that comes to mind, but we've got plenty of it in Lighthouse Cove this time around! It'll take serious sleuthing by Shannon, Mac, and their friends to find the culprit this time around. Villains abound where you least expect them.

Well-written, interesting characters are what keep me reading a series and the characters in this series are great. I enjoy Shannon and Mac tremendously. Shannon's crew are also great. I'm looking forward to getting to know the newest member more as well.

While I had wondered about the actual villain, I really didn't focus on them until closer to the end. There were plenty of red herrings in this book to keep you guessing on who the villain really was. However, the book still moved along at a decent pace and wasn't too slow, even with all those extra misleading clues.

I can't wait for the next one in the series next year! I do recommend starting at the beginning of the series if you want to read the series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone but you'll understand the interpersonal dynamics a little better if you read from the beginning, starting with A High-End Finish.

I've never read anything by this author. I've been missing out. I truly enjoyed getting to read this book and look forward to reading the other books in this series.

Another excellent entry in this series. Kate Carlisle really knows how to write a satisfying cozy mystery. I will definitely be sharing this with my book club.

Cute cozy mystery will recommend to my patrons. Also this series has been turned into movies on hallmark channel

I have been a fan of this series even before Hallmark made it famous. This book has a great fast pace and a the mystery is woven perfectly, I highly recommend it and the entire series.

i don't know how I missed the first four books in this series, Fixer-Upper Mystery Series but I will be reading them soon. I didn't have any problems at all picking up the cast of characters or the small town dynamics. A great murder mystery with a whole group of suspects to sort through. Shannon is a construction contractor who is busy preparing for Victorian Home and Garden Festival where the competition is cut throat and a contestant is willing to murder to win. Enjoyed this book and couldn't lay it down.

I'm a huge fan of Kate Carlisle's writing and both her cozy mystery series. The latest instalment of the Shannon Hammer books was a lot of fun. I preferred it to her last christmas themed novel and I loved the new "farmer' character she introduced. One of the things I found lacking was that there was not enough of the secondary characters, we need more about Shannon's girlfriends, her father etc. I also felt this book was a bit repetitive and too focused on the mystery, which I found actually made the mystery a little too easy/quick to figure out. I love trying to guess the who and why, but I usually hope I still get surprised or only get it right before the big reveal. That said it was still better than most cozy mysteries and I unfairly always judge the books in this series against book 3 which was perfection!

Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle is the best! Mystery, murder, and mayhem is everywhere. The pages flew by fast. I was hooked instantly. The main character, Shannon, is a builder. She's working on several different building projects only this time, there's a murderer that hired her. This killer hasn't just killed once but a few times. If money doesn't solve her issues, the killer resolves to murdering the victims. I never would have suspected the real murderer. However, it all made sense and fit perfectly with everything that happened. Then, there's the detective that looks like Thor who makes Shannon go all gooey. But then, there's Mac, her writer friend. He's always there for her. I really loved this set of characters. The plot was engaging. Gooey and addictive. Overall, I highly recommend this murder mystery to all.

So I broke my rule with this one and grabbed it anyway because I really wanted to try one and I have seen the movies on Hallmark several times. ;) So I figured besides a few changes that I might be able to make it through okay without having read book one. I was right things went pretty good. There are some differences but I felt that the main characters flow pretty much the same on paper and in the shows.

In this one it's about time for the Home and Garden tour and everyone seems to want to have something done to their home so they can win the prize. One of those people is Petsy and man she is totally rude! Shannon would probably back away from taking the job if her father wasn't friends with Petsy's husband, who is a really nice man. To make matters worse the town's building inspector seems to have it out for Shannon and is always trying to find a way to slow down her work. He seems to thrive on it, but then he is found dead and there is a huge list of suspects.

Shannon and her crew could be considered at the top of the list but she really hopes that one of her guys didn't do it. Shannon also gains a new crew member, Amanda, as they needed another good carpenter since they have been so busy. Shannon and Amanda hit it off really well but she has a secret of her own. 

I really like the characters in this series and it was really easy to get wrapped up in everything and never felt like I missed something because I didn't start at the beginning of the series. I think a lot is cause I knew a bit about it from the movie on Hallmark though some things were different. I really like the relationship between Shannon and Mac and Shannon and her crew of workers. It just makes for a great story.

It has a really good mystery too and the author throws you off some and I really wasn't sure who done it. I had suspicions but at the same time I was still never really sure. I can't wait to read another one!!!

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Boy, am I glad our renovations last year were nothing like the ones in this book. Despite the upheaval, we didn’t have dead bodies and deep intrigue and all sorts of shenanigans. But then we don’t live in a Victorian mansion and compared to the characters in the book, we are really boring.
Shannon, Mac and all her various friends, workers, clients and assorted people have some fascinating backstories. When Shannon hires Amanda, a very talented carpenter, she has no idea what sort of deep dark secrets will be revealed, the kinds that lead to murder. I like the way Shannon works. Mac is a mystery writer so they approach the murders from a more cerebral angle. They think their way through the fog. Sometimes they are very right in their conclusions. Sometimes they are dangerously wrong. Nothing that either of them does makes the reader roll his or her eyes. It is very logical.
The author is not unwilling to offer some big misdirections so that when the murderer is revealed, it is the one I thought it was but the reason was a surprise. It kept the suspense up throughout the book which increased the pleasure of reading it. I also liked the side stories of the personal relationships. The book was filled with people with whom the reader can enjoy spending time.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

This is my first book by Kate Carlisle, but certainly will not be my last. An engaging and well paced story, it was easy to pick up the Fixer Upper Mystery series at book 5. The characters and history were well laid out but not overdone, which allowed me to concentrate on the mystery itself.

In this novel, Shannon is helping homeowners of Lighthouse Cove get ready for the Victorian Home and Garden Tour. With the demanding workload, Shannon takes on a new hire and both are quickly in the midst of the murder of home inspector. Secrets begin to come out of the woodwork, and Shannon and her friends are quickly putting together the puzzle pieces before another murder happens. Highly enjoyable and readable, I recommend this book to any cozy mystery lover. I can't wait to discover the rest of the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Books for an ARC of this book.

This is by far the best book in the series so far. The mystery is multilayered and intriguing, new characters are introduced, and unlike the previous books in the series there is no leftover high school dreams in this book, thankfully! I’ve read all of the books in the series, but you could easily start with this book as the author weaves the needed background information into the story.

Kate Carlisle's Fixer-Upper mysteries are one of my favorite cozy series, and I really enjoyed the latest entry. Shannon's new job building a conservatory pits her against a persnickety homeowner and a problematic home inspector. But when murder enters the scene, she discovers there are decades of secrets to peel through to find the killer. There were a lot of twists and turns, and the mystery certainly kept me guessing throughout.

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I am a big Kate Carlisle fan and enjoy both her cozy mystery series. This is another great addition to her "Fixer Upper series and can't wait to read more!

Reading Eaves of Destruction it is so easy to see why this has become a Hallmark Channel success. Katie Carlisle has a wonderful series many of you will be familiar with, if not she writes the lovely cozy series called the Fixer-Upper Mysteries. This is book 5 in such an endearing cozy mystery! Main character Shannon is a craftsman builder and head of her family company. She and her company are sought after for their dedication and work ethic. Shannon has a wonderful personality and a great love interest in her author boy friend Mac, they also make a great sleuthing team. I enjoyed the story and mystery in Eaves of Destruction, a mystery that feels as though it was perfectly ripped from the headlines and story you are sure to love! This one is out now and a very good read.

EAVES OF DESTRUCTION by Kate Carlisle is the fifth book in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series, but I’m embarrassed to say, the first one I’ve read. Now mind you, I have the first three books in the series sitting in my to-read stack and while I had good intentions of getting caught up this past summer, life got in the way. When Kate mentioned that she had developed a recipe to go with the book, I jumped at the chance to share it and read EAVES OF DESTRUCTION for my blog post. Based on her Bibliophile series (one of my favs!) I was sure that this new release would be easy to read as a stand-alone, and I was correct. I also knew that I would be entertained along with being motivated to get caught up on the other books in the series.

Even though the Fixer-Upper Mysteries have been and are currently being made into movies for the Hallmark Mystery Channel, Kate provides vivid descriptions of both the setting and each scene which brings the reader fully into the story. I loved being allowed to “see” snippets of the protagonist, Shannon Hammer’s childhood while she trailed her father around construction sites outfitted in a pink hardhat and a pink tool belt. Now that Shannon is running her father’s company, Hammer Construction, and is a skilled carpenter herself, the author carefully provides enough details to make her projects fully realistic without detracting from the plot. I think it’s wonderful that a strong female protagonist is shown thriving in an industry that is dominated by men. It’s obvious that much research has gone in to the development of Shannon’s livelihood. The supporting characters are well-fleshed out and I loved the repartee between Shannon and her boyfriend, Mac. They make an adorable couple and are good at bouncing ideas off each other to solve the murder together.

The mystery surrounding the murder of the detestable building inspector, who has made it his life’s mission to make Shannon miserable, is well constructed. The clues are judiciously plotted to keep the reader guessing. I thought I had a firm handle on what direction the story was headed only to be diverted somewhere else with a new suspect, a new clue, and a bombshell that totally caught me off-guard! And then the surprising reveal had me promising myself that I am going to start with the first book and catch up soon!

Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle is the fifth book in A Fixer-Upper Mystery series. Shannon Hammer is busy running Hammer Construction in Lighthouse Cove, California. Many homeowners are hiring Hammer Construction to fix up their residences before the Lighthouse Cove Victorian Home and Garden Tour. Everyone wants to win Best in Show which comes with a large cash prize and this year they have a famous mystery author as the judge. Petsy Jorgensen is Shannon’s most difficult client and matters are not helped by the interference of Joe Scully, the building inspector (nepotism got him the job). Joe seems to have it out for Shannon, and he keeps popping up at her various job sites causing problems. Shannon arrives at the Jorgensen residence one morning and hears screaming coming from Joan Derry’s yard (across the street). Shannon takes off running and finds Joe Scully dead in the Derry orangery with a chisel sticking out of his stomach. Who disliked Joe enough to kill him? Shannon, with her natural curiosity, starts digging into Joe’s movements before his death. Soon, though, another death rocks the town. Shannon with help from mystery writer (and boyfriend), Mackintyre Sullivan set out to track down the killer before they strike again.

Eaves of Destruction is well-written, has engaging characters, and a good pace. I am a fan of Shannon Hammer. She is a strong, intelligent female character in a male dominated industry. Shannon has a warm heart, a sense of humor, and loving friends and family. I also like the secondary characters such as Jane Hennessey (Shannon’s best friend) and Mackintyre Sullivan (Shannon’s love interest). The new carpenter, Amanda Walsh was a great addition to the story. I find that each book in A Fixer-Upper Mystery series is better than the prior one. The mystery was complex in design with a couple of promising suspects. I appreciated the author’s use of misdirection and the reason why the murders occurred. I loved the descriptions of the beautiful Victorian homes (I love Queen Anne Victorian homes) in Lighthouse Cove. The dialogue is engaging and realistic. There is just the right amount of humor in the story along with romance (it blends in with the story beautifully). Eaves of Destruction can be read alone, but I do recommend the other books in the series (you can also watch the movies).

Eaves of Destruction: A Fixer-Upper Mystery
By Kate Carlisle
Berkley
November 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

In the six years since Shannon Hammer took over California’s Hammer Construction from her father, she has not regretted it for a second. She and her sister grew up on construction sites, and there’s nothing Shannon loves more than the challenge of restoring homes to their former glory. If not for the friendship between her father and Matthew Jorgensen though, Petsy Jorgensen may have been irritating enough to make Shannon hang up her toolkit. Petsy is determined that her home win the Lighthouse Cove Victorian Home and Garden Tour, and she’s not polite about seeing that it gets done.

Being featured on the cover of Northern Home magazine - not to mention the $10,000 prize - are prizes worth killing over, but it’s the corrupt building inspector Joe Scully whose body Shannon finds in the neighboring orangery. This is the ninth body Shannon has encountered, and it’s not exactly an achievement that makes her proud. When yet another corpse makes its appearance, Shannon’s knowledge of wiring and construction safety alert her to the fact that her experience with murder investigating will continue to expand. It’s fortunate that she has the assistance of her neighbor-turned-boyfriend MacKintyre Sullivan, as the bestselling mystery writer’s inherent nosiness and expertise with detective novel clichés have them adeptly pursuing suspects, discovering unexpected motives, and trusting their guts when needed.

This entertaining series by the prolific author continues to surprise by somehow both following and defying fictional mystery expectations. New characters are introduced and developed so fully that they soon become as familiar as Shannon’s family and her construction crew. While many of the new cast are engaging and delightful, even the villains have their layers. The family dynamics of her clients are fascinatingly drawn, especially as Shannon attempts to understand and unravel their histories. A thrilling conclusion more than delivers its share of surprises and emotional turmoil, tying together threads with a genuinely satisfying resolution. Now part of the Hallmark Movies & Mystery Originals on television, those new fans will be more than pleased with well-written and witty delightful series.