...You give love a bad name (said with a nod to one of my favorite Bon Jovi songs from years past) and another to the author, whose easy-to-read mysteries - and the characters in them - have become favorites as well. This one is the seventh in the "Fixer-Upper" series, which features the very capable, intelligent and never wimpy building contractor Shannon Hammer. Those qualities, nearly always lacking in the heroines of most cozy mysteries I've read, made me love her in last year's "A Wrench in the Works," so I was super-delighted that my request for an advance review copy of this one from the publisher (through NetGalley) was granted.

Although Victorian restoration is her company's specialty (plus a new line of tiny houses that are becoming quite popular in the real world), it is a barn-raising that brings her to the home of filthy rich Rafe Nash, now retired and starting a foundation to help fund humanitarian efforts worldwide. She's also charged with renovating his mansion and erecting what will be called an Ecosphere, a plant-friendly tower - and most of these projects must be completed in time for Nash's upcoming inaugural Future Global Survival Con that will bring thousands to the property.

She's joined by her capable company team, her tight-knit group of female friends (which includes Marigold, Nash's soon-to-be bride), her hunky ex-Navy Seal and now best-selling writer boyfriend Mac and a few other notables such as her dad and his brother Pete. Add a cadre of "smart mice" - yes, real critters - to the mix (Shannon doesn't fear much, but if she's got a list, these rodents are at the top), and you've got the blueprint for an interesting, hard-to-put-down book.

As the conference gets under way, the barn-raising project comes to an abrupt halt when Rafe's partner in the company he just left - a total jerk - turns up dead as one of the door nails. That incident forms the foundation for the rest of the story, during which yet another body turns up, Rafe's life is threatened and Shannon tries to juggle the barn-raising and worry about her dad's newfound love life with figuring out the murderer's identity and keeping her distance from those dreaded mice. Fast-forward a few ills, spills and chills, and it shapes up to be another one well done. Kudos once again!

I think this is my favorite book of the series so far. We have the usual whodunit, but some new and very weird characters as well as some old beloved characters. But I think what made this book my favorite is Mac. We see so much more of him in this book and get a real feel for who he is and how he thinks. He is fun and takes such great pleasure in solving things. I also liked that we get a better look at his and Shannon's relationship. Shannon as always is fun and relatable and once again saves the day. I would highly recommend this series to anyone.



I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading the other books in this series but this one did not have as much character development as the others. It was also kind of slow paced to start but thankfully it did pick up in the last third of the book.

I loved this latest installment in the Fixer-Upper series. It was what I have come to expect from the author, Kate Carlisle and her main character Shannon Hammer. As always, Shannon is a strong, charming lead character. I loved that the setting of this book was still in Lighthouse Cove, but took us to an eco-conference on Raphael's farm, with a variety of interesting characters and suspects. Can't wait for number 8!

I haven't read many in this series, but that didn't stop my enjoyment of the characters and the mystery. The relationships between all of what appears to be reoccurring characters are interesting. I will be adding the rest of the series to my TBR pile.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another winner in the series. Fun, fast paced, and well developed characters. The series continues to build on the previous story lines, while still maintaining the ability for someone to pick any book in the series as a stand alone. This book had quite a few interesting facts about ecology and biodiversity.

I've read all of the books in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series, but this one fell flat for me. The mystery and the character development all seemed lackluster.

Shannon Hale is back in action with one of the largest jobs she's had to date. Newly local Rafe (Raphael Nash, retired Tech billionaire and fiances to Shannon's friend Marigold) has asked Shannon and her crew to restore the Victorian house he recently acquired as a home for he and Marigold. In addition to the restoration, Rafe has asked that a new barn be built, the old barn repaired, land be cleared and a new eco-greenhouse be built in time for a survival conference he plans to host the next year. Shannon agrees and restoration and construction go as planned, without incident. Until the actual conference, when during the barn raising, a dead body is discovered under the framing of one of the barn sides.

Dead bodies find Shannon, and this Fixer-Upper mystery number 7 is no exception. Shannon, along with her friends and boyfriend, Mac, become entrenched in solving this who-dunnit. Shannon's character is tough and feisty; she's a woman who owns and runs her own construction business, so there is much to be admired. Just light enough, just mysterious enough, these cozy mysteries are fun and light-hearted enough to not be taken too seriously, yet keep the reader coming back for more. This is a fun way to while away a rainy afternoon, or would work well as a beach read. I was glad for the chance to read this in advance of publication.

Kate Carlisle’s books are quickly becoming a favorite amongst Cozy Mysteries so I was very excited to read SHOT THROUGH THE HEARTH. This is the seventh book in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series and although I honestly don’t have much interest in this topic, I do really like Shannon a lot and that is the main reason why I like this series.

When Shannon’s friend Raphael Nash asks her to help with a massive project, which will benefit humanitarians, she knows that she’s in for a lot of work. However, she doesn’t count on a rival to try and sabotage the billionaire’s plans. When the rival ends up dead, she must now try to get to the bottom of this mystery and clear Raphael’s name before the trouble really starts.

Although I wasn’t fully committed to the premise of this book as much as I have been with the other books in this series, I found myself still enjoying this book. Like I mentioned before, I really think this is due to Shannon’s character. Not only if she fun and charming, but she’s also quite logical and when it comes to this genre where these amateur sleuths can get themselves into a various of silly situations, I think this is important. So although a lot of things happens, it’s never too over-the-top and I totally appreciate this. It makes me enjoy the series a lot more.

I'm a bigger fan of the Bibliophile mysteries than I am the Fixer Upper series, but I still enjoy these. This book is less focused on the construction project than in previous installments, which is okay by be. The plot is that Rafe, Marigold's new fiancee, is hosting a huge conference on ecological innovations and Shannon has been hired to build the venue, which will include a barn-raising during the big event. I really liked that the murder was different from the standard formula where Shannon stumbles across a body in one of her construction sites. This time, somebody else finds the body, but Shannon is still involved and tries to figure out what's going on. This fresher take on the series was welcome and I had a great time reading it.

A cozy mystery, part of the Fixer-Upper series.
Contractor Shannon Hammer is offered a plum job rebuilding and adding on to a lovely older house. Her good friend and retired tech billionaire, Rafe Nash, loves being retired but he can’t stay without a project for very long. He’s started the Marigold Foundation that helps fund small companies and individuals who do humanitarian work around the world. Rafe hosts the first ever global conference and invites big thinkers from every area of industry to give presentations on green living.
Rafe's old business partner arrives in town with a grudge and a plan to steal him away from his new project. A number of strange things start to happen, but the conference must go on. Shannon finds herself dealing with not one but multiple murders. There are lots of quirky characters, and many twists and turns before the answers are revealed to the reader.

Kate Carlisle is the master of the cozy mystery. The Fixer-Upper series and her Bibliophile series are two of my favorites.

Shannon Hammer’s friend Rafe Nash is staging a Future Global Survival Conference where innovative “green” tech ideas will be highlighted. Shannon and her construction crew have built some of the structures for this conference. Soon Rafe’s business partner ends up dead. Other disasters begin to plague the conference as if someone is out to sabotage Rafe. Kate Carlisle throws in many compelling motives and many unusual suspects to keep you guessing.

Shannon’s friends and their partners are all involved in Shot Through the Hearth which is treat for long-time readers.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC

The latest Fixer Upper mystery has such a fun setting at the eco conference and intriguing list of suspects. There's not a lot of construction going on in this book, as Shannon has finished Raphael and Marigold's house, but is hosting a barn raising during the conference when they find the body of his business partner among the pillars. Uh oh.

That's just for starters - there's the Ecosphere which contains enhanced plants like Stephanie, a vine; there's food poisoning; escaped intelligent mice; shots fired; and authors sharing doomsday plots. Shannon and Mac are investigating together and it's really great to see them as a team in this book as they navigate the conference and investigating everything that's happening.

Carlisle has written an intriguing, well plotted mystery that kept me up late just so I could see what happens next. It's a refreshing cozy that steps outside of the small town setting a bit where there are hundreds of potential suspects, all with very different potential motives. Is the murder related to the other mysterious events or are there different people behind them? You'll have to read Shot Through the Hearth to find out.

The books in the fixer up series are consistently great, and what made Shot Through the Hearth even more special was all the information on green living. I always learn something reading either of her series, and I love all her characters. This is one of the best cozy mystery series out there. I’ve said before I think this series should be published in hardcover like the Brooklyn Wainwright books.
Shannon and her crew are rebuilding and getting Rafe’s compound ready for his conference to be held on his grounds. This includes redoing his home, inside and out, patio, and constructing a new barn.
On the first day of the conference Rafe’s disliked former business partner is found murdered and nobody seems to be sorry. Good mystery, great characters, and I always look forward to reading the next in the series!