Wicked Fix

Home Repair Is Homicide #3

by Sarah Graves

Do-it-yourself killer fixes small-town thug . . .

For ex-Wall Streeter Jacobia Tiptree and her teenaged son, Sam, September promises tranquil days winter-proofing their rambling handyman's special of a home in Eastport, Maine. But there's nothing idyllic about this Down East autumn. For starters, the return of truly vicious native son Reuben Tate stirs up the town. And when somebody slits Reuben's throat and hangs his corpse on the cemetery gate, the police trace a bloodied scalpel to surgeon Victor Tiptree—Jacobia's former husband. Yet Jake knows her troublesome, trouble-prone ex is capable of just about anything except murder. Proving that, though, is another matter.

Eastport is packed with tourists and former residents for the annual Salmon Festival—and Jake soon realizes any Eastporter, past or present, has motive for Tate's murder. To nail the real killer, Jake and her best friend, Ellie White, must probe a past as rotten as crumbling clapboard, while a secret hatred builds toward a series of murders even more brutal than Reuben Tate himself. . . .

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

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 4, 2000

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

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I couldn't get into this one more - the mystery was intricate enough, the suspects led the main on a merry enough chase through the town interviewing....but there seemed to some sense of lack of urgency. I didn't want the innocent guy to stay in jail and be sentenced to prison, but beyond that I couldn't focus on emotions other than the logics of it. It doesn't help that there isn't any humor, relationship spark, and that most of the characters get along so well.

It's an already established series, so that didn't help. All existing relationships already existed. I wasn't there through the wooing and excitement of the first meetings of friends, neighbors, boyfriends. The characters are decent, although the writing style takes a distant tone and approach so that it's difficult to engage as much on a feel level. It's kind of like watching a semi-dry movie where a person goes through the motions to solve a crime.

As a cozy, the theme is fixer-up kind of stuff, but the book doesn't get into too many technically details of that thankfully. There is little on decoration or design really - and the bonds that exist are realistic feeling, but again just didn't captivate me.

Overall it's not a bad mystery, but not one I had a lot of chemistry with. I figured out the culprit early on, not because of clues, but just a strange instinctual feeling.

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found the first two books mildly entertaining. I especially enjoyed the depiction of the setting, Maine. This book may be the last one I bother with from Sarah Graves. The story is a stretch for credulity in a few ways, but my issue with this book is the author’s repeated, completely unnecessary and offensive description of one character in particular.

The plot revolves around a bully and the fallout from being cruel to others. Ms. Graves isn’t satisfied with a transient character being a meanie, she infuses her main character malice, too.

Jacobia Teatree encounters a man Ms. Graves assigns physical traits that some might attribute to prehistoric humanoids. To drive the character’s appearance into the reader’s mind’s eye, Ms. Graves uses stereotypical cliches about knuckle-dragging, over-developed brow bones and limited intelligence. She stoops to name-calling because she fails to have the character behave in ways that would conjure such words in the reader’s imagination. And gratingly, she rubs it in by going on and on and on. Geez. By the time the character exits the story, I was ready to scream at Jacobia, scold her, explain that people can’t help the way they’re made. Long arms, short legs, heavy forehead ridges do not dictate a person’s personality or smarts. So, shut up already!!! If a writer wants a character to be a thug have them act that way. There’s no need to perpetuate Hollywood caricatures. Done.

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure how I feel about these books. On the one hand there are aspects I like, others are ehhhhh

[Paulina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this series but I am SO!!!! tired of her ex-husband. Cut the ties already. It makes no sense how this character allows her ex-husband to continue to dominate her life. And he isn't even an interesting character.

If this doesn't scale back, I will have to stop reading this series. Which is unfortunate because, other than that, I enjoy it.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghastly ghostly

Sorry but the overdone description caused me to skim and scan, losing focus. Too many twists and turns made it seem unrealistic to me. SOS

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love, love, love Jacobia Tiptree. I love -- in theory -- Easport, Maine, where she lives. (I say "in theory" because I'm pretty sure that, after just one winter there, I'd be begging to go somewhere -- perhaps anywhere -- else.) I love the way Jake keeps working on her very old house, I love the townspeople of Eastport, I love the culture of downeast Maine. And, perhaps above all, I love Sarah Graves for her writing and ideas that have given me all of these things to love.

I'm already reading the next book in the series and will probably make every second or third book I read one of the Home Repair is Homicide series until I've finished reading the 13 books left.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable mystery, set in a favorite town of mine, Eastport, Maine!

[Mac C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't understand why Jake let's her ex-husband run all over her like she does. Sure, she claims she doesn't want their son to be pulled in two directions if she were to tell the jerk to be a man and do his own dirty work, but she's not doing the son any favors to allow herself be used by the jerk ex, neither. She's telling their kid that sexism is ok, as is classism. I can understand that Jake would work hard to find the killer rather than allow the jerk to be found guilty of murder, but all the rest of her putting up with Victor's crap is a disservice to their son and his relationship with his father. She's showing Sam that you must do as dad says and keep him happy, no matter the cost to your own dignity and self worth. And shes.telling him that women don't matter other than to cater to the man's every whim. And women's dreams hold second fiddle to men's dreams. Grrrrrr, I hate books like this! The storyline itself was fine.

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jacobia lives in "down east" Maine (across from Campobello Island, NB) in a small fishing/tourist town. Her ex-husband has settled there as well and they are trying to live harmoniously while she fixes up her historic home.

However, Victor (her ex) has been charged with the murder of the town's local bully and Jacobia and friends try to solve the case and prove Victor's innocence.

I liked the descriptions of the town and the surrounding area. It made rural Maine and NB sound so quaint and, if I didn't know better, it would make me want to move there.

Fluffy read with little substance. I found myself just reading to get it over with and wondering if the effort would be wasted. However, I did enjoy the description of the town (and the seafood), which is why I gave it 2 stars.

[Mommalibrarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annoyingly obvious and formulaic in the beginning it did get better but there are too many better authors to waste time on this one.

[SD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree will be experiencing her first Salmon Festival since moving herself and her 17 year-old-son Sam to Eastport, Maine. Ex-husband, Victor Tiptree has moved to Eastport, and Jake has invested in his plans to open a medical center. Things take a turn when Reuben Tate returns to town and Victor is accused of murdering him. With the festival days away, the town has many more visitors and possible suspects, but Victor’s connection with the murder weapons makes him the key suspect.

Jake, not wanting her son’s father to be jailed for a crime she thought he was innocent of, investigates along with her best friend, Ellie.

There are several woven in subplots, interesting characters, and a couple of false leads. It makes for an engrossing read. Note there are some dark themes but since this is a cozy mystery, not graphic or anything, just hints.

Happy Reading!

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When close friends Jacobia and Ellie are out for a walk they discover a much-abhorred former townsperson hanging from the cemetery gate. Then they find out this is the second murder of the day, with the first pointing straight at Jacobia's ex-husband Victor. Navigating giving statements, finding out who else might want to have killed the deceased persons, and getting her ex out of jail so that the clinic Jacobia's invested in with Victor doesn't crash-and-burn; Jacobia finds more old stories and past hurts than she could have possibly imagined. Seems the decedent had a profoundly negative influence on the entire town. With such a plethora of potential suspects, Jacobia and Ellie despair of ever finding the truth...until quite literally they stumble into it...by getting into a truly wicked fix.

My first Home Repair is Homicide mystery and I was engrossed--read it quickly and looked forward to the unraveling of the mystery step-by-step.

[Lynn Pribus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in this not-new series I have just discovered and I'm tickled by them. Set in the author's hometown of Eastport, Maine, which is on the coast near the Canadian border. Almost a cozy, but there are bodies and bad guys.

Written with charm, with what one of my writers' groups used to disparage as "chicheys" (chiches) but they are always in dialogue, and occasional (and I'm sure deliberate) overblown adverbs, ("she said worriedly and he replied worriedly").

I guess I'd term it a tongue-in-cheek near-cozy regional mystery.

Her circle of friends and family is wonderful and includes sleep-over boyfriend, ex-husband who moved in just down the street after #2 in the series, teen-age son with dyslexia, dear friend Ellie, and, since it's a small town, just about everyone else in the zip code.

Fun.

[Elizabeth Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reuben Tate, Eastport bad boy and all around troublemaker has come back. He has no friends just plenty of enemies. Reuban is found dead shortly after his arrival and the number one suspect is Victor!

Victor is arrested and put in jail. Jacobia knows Victor did not kill him and sets out with help from her friend Ellie to find out who really killed Reuban (and Weasle). So many people have motive and someone is also trying to scare Jacobia into stop looking for the real killer.

This is book three in the series and I enjoy it. The characters are enjoyable and at times make me laugh (I wont spoil it but Wades actions at the very end of the book back at the house was funny but did make a point).

I am reading more of tbis series and I am sure I will enjoy the other books just as much.

[Cathy Turley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former New Yorker, Jacobia, has lived in Downeast Maine with her 17 year old son for 2 years. This is her 3rd case. Unfortunately my library doesn’t have the first 2 audiobooks on Libby.

Jacobia (Jake to her friends) has become part of the local fabric and with local best friend, Elli, works to solve crime. Her ex-husband has moved into town recently and is trying to set up a trauma clinic/hospital. He is arrested for the murder of town grifter and blackmailer. Jake wants to clear his name so her son doesn’t lose his dad and also to save her significant investment in the clinic. The town is preparing for a fall salmon festival and former friends and suspects gather. This is a fun cozy. I knew the ending beforehand, but it had some exciting moments. I enjoyed learning about Maine and hearing the accents.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 3/4 stars. I giving this a low score because of my own personal feelings about some of the issues raised in this book. Having been the victim of systematic "bullying"--which is really harassment, verbal attacks that can do as much damage if not more than physical ones, reading stories about it brings up bad memories and feelings. Also, there is an incident when teenager goes to a minister for help and the minister wants them to pray about it. That really enrages me. I'm not saying that praying about things can't help, it does help some people greatly. But it also often implies that if things don't get better that means you don't have a strong enough faith, you aren't praying enough, or you don't deserve it. If you are religious, doing something and praying about it is the best course of action.

Done with my rant. Otherwise, a fairly typical run of the mill cozy.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter Stage Left one Reuben Tate, Eastport's worst bad seed and bully. He's been away for awhile but since it's the yearly Salmon Festival he has decided to come back to his home town. Unfortunately for the entire town, this isn't just a friendly visit to say 'hi' to everyone. Instead he's here for a more nefarious reason and one that is going to lead Jacobia Tiptree into a web of horror unlike any she has ever witnessed before.

Sarah Graves can weave a tale with twists and turns that take the reader into the lives of her characters with all the good and bad that they have experienced in their lives in Eastport. In her books the antagonist isn't always a human and in Wicked Fix it's also the weather.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this wonderful mystery series. I know I've read many of these books in the past (before I began using Goodreads) but this one was definitely new to me, and such fun! The team of Jacobia "Jake" and her friend Ellie are great sleuths. The other characters are also fully realized. The mystery in this case had its roots in Eastport, Maine's past when those who lived there as children were bullied by Reuben Tate. Reuben has returned to the island stirring up old ghosts. When Jake and Ellie find his body in the local cemetary, possible suspects are everywhere. I did not guess the murderer in advance and the suspense kept building while others were at risk from the unknown murderer. This is a series I would love to re-read from the beginning.

[Kriss Luckett-Ziesemer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 stars that would have been higher if it weren’t for this author’s VERY annoying habit of breaking up dialogue sentence structure.

“What are you,” you may ask curiously, “talking about?”

“This is exactly,” I reply in an exasperated tone, “what I mean.”

“It isn’t,” you reply as you take a long, slow, sip of your tea, “THAT annoying.”

“Oh, but,” I reply with an emphatic nod, “it really is.”

Excellent plot, enjoyable prose, great characters with a lot of depth. But the author’s terrible habit of breaking the sentence in the middle is highly distracting, and detracts from the overall effectiveness of the narrative. In a perfect world, Sarah Graves would have an editor to save her from falling off this cliff and keeping her from being the writer she could be.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was almost a 3 star. It’s just not quite there for me yet. There’s SO much going on in this book, in all different directions. Then we get so many new characters with not much of a description or back story.. or much of a feel from our main character. Then they all just kind of blend together or you forget about them.

It was a good story to tell but it was just SO dragged out that I found myself zoning out at parts. Then something would happen and I’d have to back track because I had no idea how it came about.

I feel like this book just needs a bit more action and less of the little (in this case more than just a little) filler pieces.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this before I sent in on to someone who wanted it. This is the 3rd in a series, I think I have read a couple of others. I don't care that much about it, guess I am just not into her fixing up her house all the time.

In this book Jacobia's ex husband is accused of murdering a man in a very violent way. Because she still has financial investments involving him, she and her friend set about investigating who really killed the man and why. Could be because he had been a rotten, evil person to everyone in town for years.

[Mary Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series. The narrator is awesome. If, like me, you dream of a trip to Maine, love the idea of restoring an historic home, and like stories of small towns with quirky characters and found families, all mixed in with interesting mysteries, then you'll probably enjoy these too. I also appreciate that there's only mild profanity and not graphic sex scenes.

This mystery was a bit darker than the first two because one of the murder victims was a psychologically sadistic psychopath.

[Peter Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicked Fix is the third in the Jacobia Tiptree series by Sarah Graves. Jacobia Tiptree is renovating an old house in easternmost coastal Maine. She has friends and family and solves murders that fall in her lap. This one has her ex-husband arrested for a gruesome homicide of a bad character who had returned recently to town. Jacobia Tiptree has to find out the killer to save her nest egg which is tied up in her ex-husband's business. It is a pretty good read.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel terrible giving this book, which is such a darling premise, such a low rating. I very quickly knew who the murder was and had figured out the reason why. Additionally, while this isn't a supernatural or ghost series, they main characters were playing with a ouija board for no good reason. That creeps me out -- evil is real and you don't invite a 17 year old boy to play with that for no good reason (and it weakens the plot solution)>

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the continuing saga of Jacobia Tiptree. These are great books to loose yourself in during stressful times. Jake and Ellie's perils are serious and they survive them cleverly. Good happens along the way. Life is jagged, but endurable, and there is real joy, often. Plus, the tips on house maintenance are real. I give the same review for all her Home Repair is Homicide books, they are good.

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery series set in Easport, Maine with a home repair theme? It may not be a series theme for everyone, but I had to try after spending a very relaxing week in Eastport.

It was a fun listen with quirky characters, which I imagine I will become attached to as I continue to listen to the series.

[Deb White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Eastport, ME - Jacobia Tiptree is a finance wiz from NYC who escapes NYC and her ex to settle in a big old house on the island with her son, Sam. She and her friend, Ellie, solve mysteries in their spare time!
Hometown troublemaker, Reuben Tate is murdered in this one. Did Jacobia's ex kill him?
Fall Salmon Festival

[Shella · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very slow plot. Even though the climax scene was exciting- it really made no sense. Very unbelievable motive for murder. I do like the inner dialogue of the protagonist- she has some hilarious zingers. Her ex husband needs to be a murder victim in a later book. He is a narcissist with a capital N. I still don’t understand why she puts up with him.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jacobia (Jake) Tiptree and her gal pal Ellie are once again thrust into a murder mystery in the small Maine town of Eastport. The victim is a man everyone in town hated, and the prime suspect is Jake's ex-husband, Victor.

[Tim Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enthralling book...

I've read the first three books in A Home Repair is Homicide series and have enjoyed them. I'm very pleased to need to spend several hours to read each rather than finishing them under an hour as is the case with many cozies. Thank you, Sarah!