Knockdown

Home Repair Is Homicide #14

by Sarah Graves

Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree is deep in her latest home improvement project when she notices the man repeatedly biking past her house. His face is unsettlingly familiar, but his chilling message seems inexplicable: Blood shows up again. Murder will out. Back in her days as a hotshot financial manager she did business with plenty of shady characters, but she's still baffled as to the identity of her nemesis - until she receives a photo of a murdered man. Now Jake knows what she's up against. But knowing her enemy is no guarantee that she can escape the grim payoff he has in store for her.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Sarah Graves lives with her husband John, a musician and luthier, and their black Labrador Retriever in a house very much like the one Jacobia Tiptree is remodeling in Eastport, Maine. When she's not writing Jake's adventures, Sarah works with her husband on the house and she plays the 5-string banjo.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake's past pops up.

I found this to be an interesting book because it gives a little more of a look into Jake's past.

This book starts out with Jake still working on her beloved fixer-upper in Maine and looking forward to the 4th of July celebration when odd emails and a strange man on a bike start harassing her.
The man seems familiar but she just can't place him.
As things become more intense, Jake knows the police aren't going to be able to help so she and her family decide to take matters into their own hands.
When things go wrong, Jake has to figure out how to get away from the madman.

One of the questions I had was one brought up at the end. Was Jake really the cause for Steven's father being murdered by the mob? Or did Steven Sr fake his death?

Always pay attention to Tiptree's tips at start of chapters. Always helpful even if you're not a diy er

[Grey853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to consider this a cozy series, but not anymore. When over half the novel is told from the creepy point of view of a psycho killer, it's more a thriller than domestic. That's unfortunate because the part of the story told from Jake's view is very good.

When someone from Jake's past shows up to seek revenge on the Fourth of July week, her life gets turned upside down. The villain is seriously twisted and, as I said, the reader gets a front row seat to what he's thinking, which I really didn't like.

There are home repair hints and I like the relationship between Jake and her family and friends. I just didn't care for so much of the story told through the eyes of a killer.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've loved all the other books I've read in this series, but this one wasn't a favorite. The story felt disjointed to me -- even the home repairs were more difficult to follow than usual. I didn't enjoy going into so many points of view. I didn't care about those characters enough to be in their heads, so I found myself wanting to skim past the crazed killer parts and the other secondary character installments so I could get back to the story. I thought it diluted the tension rather than heightening it.

I was also bothered by the way so many characters cut off mid-sentence and mid-thought all through the book, either leaving a big blank for the reader to fill in for herself or (worse) letting Jacobia finish for them in her own thought process. And, then, as if they knew that she'd just satisfactorily explained it for the reader, they never bothered to think or say what else was on their minds.

All in all, it wasn't Ms. Graves best work so far, but it certainly wasn't so poorly written that I gave up on the book, nor was it weak enough to make me give up on the series. I just hope the next installment is stronger.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jacobia Tiptree is such an annoying twit that by the end of the book I wished that abandoned house WOULD fall on her head and put us all out of our misery.

[Lindig · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all of this series up until this one. All the people seem to be settling into cardboard. The villain was pathetic. The plot was humdrum and too drawn out. And I just didn't care.

[Tina Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I miss the focus on the main characters and town residents rather than those committing murder.

[Cassandra C. Beach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great

I've read several in this series. This is my least favorite. It's a fear fest from beginning to end. And Jake does one stupid thing after another.

[Miriam Boucher]

By the time I got to this book in the series, these books no longer qualify as cozy mysteries. They've become very dark and violent. I don't want to be reading about the people in these books any longer.

[Julie Burks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't completely dislike this book. The villain was well-drawn, if more than a bit repetitive, but I started reading this series for a cozy mystery, not a psychological thriller. The series is no longer what it says on the tin.

I liked the pro-active idea of setting Jacobia up for bait, but every single time she mentioned the gang would be watching her from upstairs windows with cell phones, I yelled at the recording because great they could see her get snatched, but who would be close enough to actually do anything about it and why does she always seem to start at square one with Bob Arnold every single time?

I've been listening to the audiobooks from my library one after the other, so that definitely alters my view of the series. The habit of cutting the character's dialogue or thoughts off with "...is what I would have said," is wearing along with "cute phrase, as my son Sam would say." I also remember an earlier story where she worked the IRS/SEC/Treasury Dept. to bring down a Bernie Madoff type, but now it seems her clientele was made up entirely of mobsters. Would they have really worked with someone with that dodgy of a client list?

I realize a long running series might not have 100% continuity, but I also dislike making the character fit the story instead of the other way around. I'll finish the last two books because I'm a completist like that, but I won't be reading her other series.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in Knock Down by Sarah Graves. A person, probably a killer has been riding by Jake's house in a definitely creepy way, leaving e-mail messages threatening her, even entering her house. There is a questionable death of a young woman and an strange attack on a group of young men. Yet, Jake tells everyone to go on their merry way and don't worry about her - of course, the reader even knows that Jake will be attacked and no one will even know because they all believed her and went on to other things without even one of them staying with her!! The story really dragged out, the reader knew who the bad guy was from the beginning, he gave plenty of clues to Jake and her family - you wanted to shake the entire crew and say "pay attention" and put the reader out our their misery.

[Petula Darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not a mystery. The reader knows from the beginning who "the bad guy" is, and we're forced to spend many tedious hours following him around as he creepily does creepy things. When we're not being subjected to that, we're spending time with Jacobia who does so many jaw-droppingly stupid things that we'd be appalled if we weren't already gobsmacked by the even stupider actions of everyone surrounding her.

[Nina Sankovitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good mystery, and a new series for me. The writing was easy and fluid, the suspense was tight and effective, the landscape was appealing and vividly portrayed, and the characters were original and engaging. Extra bonus: plenty of useful house repair tips thrown in! I will be writing longer review soon for www.readallday.org

[Herb Blank · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing entry of the series. I've read 5, loved 3 of the 4 prior to this one, found the last one okay but it wasn't really a mystery and this one, despite a predictable twist at the end, was no mystery either - just another tale of a bad guy coming into town, invading homes and stalking for the third time in a row. But A Face in the Window was fascinating and there was a lot we didn't know in the beginning. Crawlspace was disappointing but a fast read.

Knockdown was a slog about a boring psycopath and Jake's guilt about the boy's fixation on getting revenge by terrorizing and killing her. We get taken through the boy's neuroses and the usual BS on why Police Chief Bob Arnold can't take the lead on protecting her given that she's a target. Despite the wealth of experience she should have in dealing with revenge-bent psychos before given the last 4 books, Jake acts more naive and foolish than ever in allowing herself to be put in peril. The only thing somewhat interesting is the interaction with her son Sam. Usually her friends and relatives provide some enjoyable byplay with their eccentricities but they are worthless here. Supposedly a man's man, husband Wade is easily taken out of the picture and is boring to boot. At the end, the usual "cliffhanger" where Jake emerges in a hospital bed after barely surviving the murder is provided in almost obligatory fashion.

Sorry, I'm done with Jake Tiptree after the 5th consecutive entry I've read. I just don't think Author Graves' heart is in Eastport anymore.

[Awwwtrouble · Rating 3 out of 5]

well, I know why I gave this series up. I decided to grab this when I had the chance from the library the day before the shutdown - I had realized that Graves started a new cozy series with these characters set in a chocolate shop they open. That seemed intriguing - I like the setting and characters, just not the crimes/murders that surround them. So I decided to plow through the remaining books (and possibly the other new series (Lizzie Snow) and then into the new series.

I really do like the setting in Maine, and I like Jake and Ellie and their families and the residents of Eastport. I just really dislike the stupid choices Jake makes that put her in serious harm's way, and the sheer number of people from her past that keep popping up (they try to pretend here that it's never happened before when that's been the plot of the last however many).

So two more home repair, two Lizzie snow, then the chocolate shop starts (and there are currently three). The next Home Repair is rated higher, though, so maybe I'll just keep giving them a chance. Slowly.

[T.L. Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I give a book less than 4 stars, I make myself write a review. After all the crap Jake has been through in previous books, you’d think that those around her would be more cautious.
First, when Bob Arnold called Jake to tell her that they had caught the guy, he should have told her to come in to do a positive ID (which is what most police departments do). Her family then “conveniently” leave Jake home alone so that the guy can get to her.
Second, I have an issue with Wade. By this time, EVERYONE is aware that the guy trying to kill Jake will make a try for her the night of the fireworks. Her husband Wade should have had Jake in his sights the entire time. Instead, he runs off to deal with an explosion at the fireworks site. He put Jake second to others thinking that everyone else was doing what he should have been doing. Taking care of Jake. Wade, for this reason, is useless to me.
On a positive note, I think the author does a wonderful descriptive job of describing people and locations.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knock Down # 14 by Sarah Graves - Home Repair is Homicide
 
This book starts with a throwback to before her current life and shows Jake dealing with a man and his son. The man is a gambler who cannot stop and the son is crazy as his mother. When the man is thought to be murdered, his son holds a grudge against Jake, for not giving his father $50,000 to give to the loan sharks he owes. Instead, she gives him $500 to take the son to a baseball game and buy him something to eat. Now the boy is all grown up and has a grudge to take care of. He starts threatening Jake and her family, after tracking her down to her new home in ME. 
 
The story was interesting and I did enjoy it. I know some said that they didn't like the throwback start, but it did give some back story, allowing for someone to read the series out of order. 

[Marti · Rating 2 out of 5]

The kind of cozies I like, the characters are often at least somewhat quirky and the violence is more alluded to than spelled out. In this novel, a psychopathic young man has nursed a grudge against Jake for many years. Then the young man was around 10, his father owed a big debt to some thugs and he needed five thousand dollars. Jake, at the time, was basically a money launderer for many shady characters and could easily afford the loss of 5K if it was never paid back. However, convinced that he was a poor risk, she denied the man the loan. Now grown, the young man, whose father might have died at the hands of his creditors, holds Jake responsible and is bent on revenge.

[Elizabeth Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacobia Tiptree past has come back to her. When I read the first few pages of this book. I thought it was put of order as it starts of with Victor still alive. It was actually a flashback to Jake past as a financial advisor and someone coming to her wanting money.

Fast forward and Jake is loving in Eastport getting ready for Independence Day. Jake is working on fixing up her house and starts getting some strange emails. Meanwhile a tourist is in town who is not whome he seems to be. He is focused on Jake and to destroy her.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was probably one of my least favorites of the entire series. The 3rd person perspective was a little better in this one, but still needs work. A new perspective shouldn't pop up right at the end of the book, especially when our added so little. And even Jake and Stephen's parts had a lot of repetition.
Maybe I read this at the wrong time. With the recent violent events by young men, this book just did not sit with me well.

[Pam Bales · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are always great. I don't know why I wait years sometimes between reading books in a well established series. I've been reading this one since it first came out in 1998. There are great characters, with interesting backstories, a fascinating location (down-east Maine), and a good plot. The home repair tips come in handy as well. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, definitely give this one a try!

[Leni Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure I will finish this series. I started reading it after reading all of the available books in her later series (Death By Chocolate) which is based on the same characters. I enjoy cozy mysteries, and these books started as Cozies, but have become more psychological thrillers. I don't enjoy spending so much time on the thought processes of criminals. Because of that, the series has lost it's charm for me. I feel like I am reading a different author all together.

[Deby]

This series changed a few books ago. Before, it was a cozy mystery series, told in the first person. Now, all the books focus on the characters being in danger and are told in the third person. I liked it much better when the main character was solving mysteries. I find the "character in peril" plots boring.

Also, this series has continuity issues with the characters' back stories, especially what we learn about the main characters' earlier lives in Manhattan.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much home repair but lots of homicide. Jake is threatened and stalked by someone from her past who had the worst family imaginable. He is adept at disguise and hiding, and he's been planning this for a long time. She never sees him coming. She's frustrated because it seems to the police like this guy is just pranking her, but she knows he's going to kill her if he catches her alone. A real page turner.

[Lesa Dierking · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been trying to read all of the Home Repair is Homocide books in order. I've liked them all, but I have noticed that the farther I go along in the series, the more "creepy" the writing gets, which is good. I've enjoyed this series. I'm almost finished, only a couple more to go. I'm always a little sad when I get to the end of a series....what's next?

[Peter Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knockdown is the 14th in the series with the main character, Jacobia Tiptree. In this episode, she is still renovating her old house in a small town in Maine and living with her father, stepmother, second husband and son. The 4th of July is coming up along with a disaster from her past. This is a bit darker that the others I've read but it is still a good story.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I have gotten to the place with this series that I find it impossible to believe that so many criminals keep turning up in Eastport, Maine, all of whom have it out for Jake Tiptree. The chapter opening home renovation hints are still fun, but the stories get more and more unlikely for the same former money manager. I powered through, but I'm not tempted to try another.

[Barbara Villegas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This episode of the series was much more interesting than the earlier one I read. I enjoyed reading about the problems the heroine has living in a 100-year old house. It's fun now, not so much when going through it.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little kitsch is cute and welcome. This is a decent story but the kitsch gets in the way - like when they needs to be searching abandoned houses for a stalker but stop to make concrete forms because it would be easier than moving concrete bags out from the path weather.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed so many of the earlier books of this series. Very good for a laugh. Often very appealing characters.
Having once be a old house restorer, so much of Jake's growing DIY wisdom has always been right on.
I tried this newer one and found myself a bit tired of the set up.

[Charlotte Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacobia Tiptree faces one of her creepiest and most dangerous foes in this one. Highly recommended.