I'm a big fan of Kate Carlisle, so I was excited to see this new series by Callie Carpenter - and it didn't disappoint.

Recently divorced Jaime is pretty miserable - not only has her marriage (which she once thought was perfect) ended, but she's walked away with pretty much nothing due to an excellent pre-nup that she foolishly signed as a very young woman. Her ex-husband has it all - their business, the money... All she got was a falling apart house. But Jaime loves renovations, and she sees the potential in the house - and maybe it's a way to find herself again in the process. However, all of Jaime's hopes for the future come to a full stop when she finds a body during the demolition of a wall in the house. Now Jaime's got to get this renovation back on track and that means figuring out how the heck this body ended up in her house.

The storyline was really fun, the mystery had some nice twists and turns, the characters were excellent, and this book was a great overall start to a new series. Jaime's able to come back out having found herself and with a plan for the future - and I'm excited to read the next book.

Jaime, a recently divorced woman suffering from a lack of clientele and losing her home renovation business because of a prenup agreement, only receives a broken-down old house in disrepair as her divorce settlement. Jaime sees the beauty of the broken-down house and knows she can flip it for a profit, but one thing stands in her way: the body just found behind a wall during the demo day. Jaime needs to get to work on this home to move forward in her newly single life, but she also feels the need to solve this mystery to honor the woman found behind her wall.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. Jaime was a truly intriguing character who handled her current situations with grace. I liked that Jaime worked with the police and her best friend to solve the murder. It helped the reader also work towards finding the killer. I believe this was one of the first cozies that allowed the reader to see the murderer throughout a large part of the book without a grand reveal, and surprisingly, it worked well. I enjoyed the different aspects of carpentry and learning how different aspects of woodworking were done. 5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Death by Demo is a great start to what seems like is going to be a fantastic series! I love the writing style and the main character, Jamie, is relatable, other than the fact she found a dead body in the wall while she’s remodeling! Her messy divorce and life falling apart is definitely something I can relate to! I love that Jamie is working with the police to help solve the murder of someone who was nice to her in high school. It gives her even more of personal reason to catch whoever did this. The writing was great, the main character being a strong female was a definite bonus and the conversations with the stray cat were funny. Can’t wait for more!!

Death by Demo by Callie Carpenter is an absolute gem that captivates from the very first page. With its engaging storyline, vibrant characters, and seamless blend of mystery and humor, this book is an enthralling rollercoaster of emotions. Carpenter's masterful writing style keeps you hooked till the last sentence, making it impossible to put down. (I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) A delightful read that leaves you craving more, Death by Demo is a must-add to any book lover's collection. Prepare to be enchanted, amused, and thoroughly entertained!

Death by Demo by Callie Carpenter is the 1st in A Home Renovation Mystery series due to be published December 5th 2023 by Crooked Lane Books.

Another new author, another fun new series! Jamie is an interesting main character, her life is in shambles , she comes out of a messy divorce with nothing but a big old Victorian house that needs lots of work.
Pulling herself together and willing to work hard, she starts her first project only to find a body in the wall she knocks down, now she has a crime scene. When she discovers the deceased was a former school mate that was very nice to her geeky high school self she is doubly determined to help figure out who killed her. I really enjoyed this book very much. I like the writing style, it's light and I really cannot wait for more of the series it started off so well!!!!

Thank you Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Callie Carpenter for allowing me the chance to read this very first arc of the series!

Jaime Moore has to start life over after her divorce which left her with nothing but the skills she had learned during her marriage, and a house that needs a lot of TLC. Jaime’s first act of TLC is knock out a dry-wall wall to make more space in the dining room. Hidden behind the dry wall is a body.

It turns out to be the body of a local woman that went on holiday a few months earlier but was not seen since. Jamie, curious about how the woman ended up in her house and currently without a project because the police are treating the house as crime scene, sets out to do some mild snooping. As it turns out, quite a few people had had an argument with the woman shortly before her disappearance and any number of them had access to the house because they had the key or knew were the spare key was.

I liked the setting and Jaime’s job as a renovator. Though I’ve got to question some of her choices. She’s all about salvaging things and repurposing materials, but has no qualms about suggesting to a client to replace his gingerbread trim with PVC. (No matter how good the quality of the PVC, it’s going to look fake.) I also didn’t like the way her mom talked down to her like she was an eight-year-old that might forget about safety. If my mom questioned my professional skills like that I would have declined Christmas dinner. (There’s difference between worrying about your kid knowing that they are competent and giving off the vibe you worry because you think your kid is incompetent.)

I liked that Jaime had to go round to her different suspects a few times and learning new things each time. Constantly adding, dismissing and re-adding suspects. Though some of the conversations were oddly short, such as the first time she met McKenzie. She could have learned a few things from him about what Cilla was like.

I didn’t like the quick romance. Jaime just got out of a long relationship. No need for her to rush into a new relationship, yet everyone is pushing her towards her neighbour. Parts of the story I was hoping it turned out he was the murderer so the annoying instant-romance could be nipped in the bud.

One thing that was bugging me throughout this book is that Jaime was left with nothing in the divorce because of the prenup she signed, including she got nothing of the company she and her (ex-)husband built. (Prenups usually exclude property owned before the marriage, not property gained during the marriage.) At some point, the story states Jaime is thirty-two, and it is repeated many times she was married for fifteen years. That means she got married at 17. Which is possible in North-Carolina, but she would have needed her parents’ permission. But at 17 would her parents not also need to sign on the prenup? That is after all a major contract. So either her parents hadn’t paid attention when signing the prenup, or the prenup is void, and her divorce lawyer is even more incompetent than suggested by the story when in the divorce settlement negotiations he did not flick the document back across the table with the words “my client was under-age when she signed this”.

I can accept that Jaime does not know this, but many people she would have told about the prenup have college educations, they should know better.

The other option is that Jaime was 18 when she signed the prenup, but the author (and editor) doesn’t know that 18 + 15 = 33.

This is a fun start to a new series. I like Jaime and despise her cheating ex, Henry, just like I'm supposed to. And I'm rooting for her as she puts her life together and starts to figure out exactly what she wants to do. There are lots of things here that are fairly expected, but it's still an enjoyable read. I'm kind of disappointed in the identity of the killer, which feels a little too easy/obvious. But it's still a good read for a few hours.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy mystery fans will find that this one checks all the boxes. It's even better for readers who love HGTV reno shows. Jaime's husband, her former business partner, leaves her and takes all the money and business with him. All she has is a run-down historic home. Renovating it is the last thing she wants to do, but she doesn't have much choice. While knocking down a wall, she discovers a dead body, and the mystery begins. Great story!

This is a new series by Callie Carpenter and centers around Jaime, who is recently divorced, and is remodeling a dilapidated house she got in the divorce due to her ex’s “generosity.”

As Jaimee uses the construction skills she learned through owning the construction company with her ex, as well as skills learned from her father, she discovers a body behind a recently renovated wall that she tore down. The pool of suspects centers around who knew the victim and who had access to the house.

Unlike other cozy mysteries, the detective in charge was willing to listen to her thoughts as she and her best friend Lara investigated the crime. I liked how Lara insisted on a spreadsheet to keep track of suspects. It seemed like there was a suspect at every turn in the book and some seemed kind of random, but eventually made sense.

My biggest complaint about the story was the way Natalie was portrayed. I don’t remember the age difference between Natalie and Jaime, but Natalie seems the cliché “mean girl” and is immature. This will get old fast as that type of character is pretty stereotypical and very annoying. Also, her attraction to Mike seems a bit quick since she just got divorced. That could be because her marriage was in trouble before the divorce. Also, descriptions of the story mention that Mike is the hardware store owner, but in the actual book, he is the manager of the store. Hopefully, this will be worked out in the next book.

I did enjoy the story and the characters (except Natalie). Jaime’s conversations with the stray cat, Demo, were funny and the descriptions of Jaime’s interactions with her mom made me laugh. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see how Jaime manages her future in construction, her budding relationship with Mike, and hopefully Henry’s company failing without Jaime running it.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another new author, another fun new series! Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookledLaneBooks for a chance to try Callie Carpenter's new series. Jamie is an interesting main character, her life is in upheaval, she comes out of a messy divorce with nothing but a big old Victorian house that needs lots of work. Pulling herself together and willing to work hard, she starts her first project only to find a body in the wall she knocks down, now she has a crime scene. When she discovers the deceased was a former school mate that was very nice to her geeky high school self she is doubly determined to help figure out who killed her. Between trying to work around the police limits, continuing work on the house she has to get cleaned up, and trying to find out who killed her school mate Jamie is a busy woman. As well as a good mystery, I love that the main character works with the police, this is also a story of self discovery. I can't wait to read more in this series.

This was a well written cozy story. It had a great plot and lots of details on the renovation industry. It also had characters that were engaging and kept the story line interesting. I’m not a cat person but the way they were describe gave them an interesting personality to this story. I love forward to what the author has in store next.

Enjoyed! Jaime Moore debuts in the Home Renovation Mystery series which I found to be a delight. After her divorce she is left with a home that needs repairs. But when she starts them a woman is found in a wall! Jaime must solve the mystery, fix the house and get on with her life. Demo the stray cat was an awesome addition to the story. I can't wait for the next in this series! A fun light cozy! Thanks # Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Callie Carpenter nails it with this delightful debut in her Home Renovation Mystery series, introducing an intrepid contractor heroine who proves equally adept at solving mysteries and bringing new life to old homes. I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to take a break from HGTV!

Loved reading this book and author. New author for me and I really enjoyed this book. I suggest it for anyone wanted to read a new series.

Interior Design, renovation, murder, and sassy southern drama, sign me up! I flew through this book, Jamie is relatable and so worthy of finding happiness, routing for her then entire read!

I enjoyed this book from the beginning. Sometimes it's hard to get into a book, but not with this one. Jaime is a character you can relate. You fall in love with her and cheer for her throughout the book. I enjoyed Jaime's best friend Lara. They have a great relationship and I look forward to all the shenanigans they get into in the future.

You'll enjoy trying to figure out who the killer is. It keeps you guessing till the end. Just when you think you know who it is, there is twist and off you go in a different direction! Can't wait for the next book.

This was a refreshing plot to immerse myself in. It was light, fun, and the characters were endearing. The tone of the book throughout was warm giving a very homey feel to it. The intimate descriptions of home renovations showed the author's love for it.

I liked how the author treated each character even the obnoxious Henry. Jaime's interaction with the cat was hilarious. Overall the book was a good read with its simplistic. I would have just wished the ending and culprit would have been more compelling.

Note: If the author is reading this, just know that the ex-husband's name changes in the first chapter from Henry to Harry. Also another proof read would help in eliminating some other minor errors.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this E-arc. #DeathbyDemo #NetGalley

Death by Demo is the first book in a new series called A Home Renovation Mystery series by Callie Carpenter.

Jaime Moore has recently gotten divorced from her ex-husband and business partner, Henry. Jaime and Henry ran a construction and interior design company fixing up houses and reselling them. The only thing she got out of the divorce was an old house that was in desperate need of repairs. Jaime is trying to start over and is going to begin by fixing this house. There’s only one problem- the dead woman found in the wall once she started to renovate.

There was no wow factor for me, but it was a good read. I would read the next book in the series because I would be curious with how the characters develop. I did like how the murderer was a suspect that was cleared but then it turned out to be them all along. That was a twist I did not see coming. I did love the stray cat, Demo, that was hanging out the around the house. What a cute name to go with the story.

My Rating:

THREE PAWS!

new-series, first-in-series, divorced, renovation, small-town, friendship, suspense, thriller, cozy-mystery, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, unputdownable, neighbors, family, friends, witty, carolinas, carpentry, amateur-sleuth, cat, relationships, relatives, false-conclusions*****

Great start to a new series!
Picked herself up, dusted herself off, began finding her new self, and started all over again. After spending too many years with a dismissive husband and working together in their contractor business, Jaime got shafted in the divorce. Now working on the only real thing she got in the divorce (a real money pit), she finds a mummified body in a wall. And so the real story begins, complete with some good sleuthing. Loved it and hope for more of these fun characters and mysteries!
I requested and received an EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I had the best time reading this cozy mystery! It was so wonderful. It was the perfect mystery for me to read and I loved every word of it! I can't wait to see what happens next.
I just reviewed Death by Demo by Callie Carpenter. #DeathbyDemo #NetGalley
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