Crowned and Moldering

Fixer-Upper Mystery #3

by Kate Carlisle

Don't miss  Concrete Evidence , a Hallmark Movies & Mystery Original starring Jewel, based on  Crowned and Moldering —the third novel in the  New York Times  bestselling Fixer-Upper Mystery series!

When Mac Sullivan—famous thriller writer and Shannon’s new beau—first moved to Lighthouse Cove, California, he bought the historic lighthouse mansion that the town is named after. Mac needs help cleaning up the place, and Shannon is more than happy to get her handywoman hands on the run-down Victorian.

But during demolition, a grisly discovery is made among the debris—the bones of a teenage girl who went missing fifteen years ago. Locals had always assumed Lily Brogan ran away from her difficult life, but it seems her troubles followed her to the grave. If Shannon has any chance of getting her renovation back on track, she’ll need to tackle the cold case. But with new suspects coming out of the woodwork every day, she’ll have to be careful to pry the right secrets and clues from the poor girl’s problematic past...

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

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 27, 2015

About the author

Golden Heart and Daphne du Maurier Award winning author Kate Carlisle spent over twenty years working in television production as an Associate Director for game and variety shows, including The Midnight Special, Solid Gold and The Gong Show. She traveled the world as a Dating Game chaperone and performed strange acts of silliness on The Gong Show. She also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that Kate spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect husband.

A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Kate is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She loves to drink good wine and watch other people cook.

Despite the appearance of overnight success, Kate's dream of publication took many, many years to fulfill.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crowned and Moldering is the 3rd book in Kate Carlisle's 'A Fixer-Upper Mystery' series, also adapted as a TV show on the Hallmark channel. I haven't caught the shows yet, but as soon as I catch up on the books, I will check it out. I don't want it to alter my perspective until I'm current. As a stand-alone book, this one was good and I'd recommend it to all cozy readers.

Shannon Hammer inherited a construction business from her father in California. She's doing well, but a former high school student returns home and tries to put Shannon out of business. While she's renovating the lighthouse home for new love-interest, Mac, she finds a dead body jammed into a unique, early twentieth century home feature. It's actually just a skeleton that's nearly ten years old. Unfortunately, one of her employees realizes it must be his long-lost sister. Without trying to get in the way, Shannon ultimately falls into the same social circle as the deceased girl when she visits the high school on career day. Was it the guidance counselor? The principal? A rival student? A secret older boyfriend? A teacher? This one is packed full of suspects and had a lot of complex angles to consider.

I enjoy the descriptions of the houses and construction projects. The characters are all good. None are super amazing stand-out, but they work well and make me want to read more of the books. The writing style is simple and clean making it a quick 3-hour read for me. I began and finished this one on two flights and a layover last weekend. Although there is a typical 3-way romance building that will push readers to choose sides, it's not thrown directly at us, which makes the story-line easier to accept. I do like how genuine and kind Shannon is, allowing me to root for her despite how close she is to the investigation. I plan to get the next book at the library over the weekend.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crowned and Moldering by Kate Carlisle is a 2015 publication. This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews


I found myself glued to the pages, thinking hard about the possible suspects and motives, the bombshell secrets, and even worried about some people when they were in a dangerous situation.

Some characters were flawed, and I struggled with one scenario that crossed ethical lines, but were a little blurred here, maybe even romanticized, and I didn't know exactly how to feel about that. But, this sub-plot added a lot of depth and gave me something to chew on.

Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery from beginning to end and quickly became a big Shannon Hammer fan. I highly recommend this one to all cozy mystery lovers!

To read this review is full, click this link: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy mysteries seem to get a bad reputation at times for not being “real books”. Anyone who has read a book by author Kate Carlisle will tell you, that’s an extremely false statement. Ms. Carlisle is a talented writer and I’m grateful every time I read a new cozy by her. And I’m thankful she shares that talent through the cozy genre.

The Fixer-Upper Mystery series is a fun, creative series that makes me wish I had the talent in my body that protagonist Shannon Hammer has in her little finger.

CROWNED AND MOLDERING is my favorite story in this series so far. With an exciting plot, combined with mystery and wit, author Carlisle has penned an edge of your seat, don’t want to put it down story that will really draw readers in and have them working hard at hammering out the answers. With more twists than a spiral staircase, I never did nail whodunit.

If you haven’t read anything by Kate Carlisle before, start building your collection with CROWNED AND MOLDERING, and the make additions with the rest of the Fixer-Upper series.

Don’t miss the excerpt in the back of the book from, BOOKS OF A FEATHER, the June 2016 release in Kate Carlisle’s Bibliophile Mystery series!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is rapidly climbing the charts on my list of favorite cozy mystery series. Not surprising, as another of my favorite series is authored by Kate Carlisle, and she knocks it out of the park, bringing to life characters that I just adore. That's the key for me, really, with a series: do I wish I could be friends with these characters? Because ultimately that is what keeps bringing me back. It's bad enough to endure awful characters in a standalone book, much less to keep subjecting oneself to them through the duration of a series. Kate's characters do not suffer from this one bit. What I find a fun alternative to her other series is that while the Bibliophile Mysteries take place primarily in a big city settings, the Fixer-Upper Mysteries have small town charm, and it's delightful to see what Kate can create in a completely different environment.

So, I guess we've established how I feel about the series. What say we move along to the actual book at hand, hmm?

What I liked about Crowned and Moldering:
Compelling case - This felt like a very well-constructed case. There was a good deal of complexity to it without becoming overwhelming. I loved how all the various puzzle pieces fit together. I also got pretty cocky, thinking I had figured out who was guilty, but Ms Carlisle made me fall hard for a red herring, and the reveal nearly gave me whiplash.

What I didn't care for:
Repetition - I don't recall this being an issue with Ms Carlisle's other series (The Bibliophile Mysteries) but for some reason it feels like we're getting reminded of "foundational facts" (like that Jane runs a high scale B&B) multiple times in this book. I understand the explanation once per book, for any new readers stumbling into the middle of an ongoing series, but I don't need to be told again several more times. I'm enjoying the book so I am paying attention, I promise.
More ghostly references - This still feels out of place to me for this series. I wish we could let it go.

What left me conflicted:
Shannon's personal life - The ubiquitous love triangle, which appears to be a staple in this genre. Some authors pull it off better than others, but it's practically a cliché at this point. Kate Carlisle's triangles are less irritating than some others that come to mind, and if this series follows the protocol of her other series, there should be some resolution sooner rather than later, making it easier to live with. And of course, both are perfect men: stunningly handsome, ooze wit and charm on par with their contrasting personalities (really, this seems to be every male "good guy" we meet in these series, not just the romantic candidates). Of course, it stands to reason that if there are two potential love interests for our amateur detective, both would make her weak in the knees, right? So maybe we're just seeing them as swoon-worthy because we spend the books looking through her eyes? Regardless, while it makes me a little eye-rolly, I accept that it's part of these books, and I am definitely partial to one of our men to take the role of leading man.

I just want to be clear about something: though my complaints were a bit wordy, their weight is really quite minimal. This was a satisfying read in a series I enjoy with characters that I absolutely love. I understand what I am getting in this genre and I am more than ok with it. So ok, in fact, that the next book will be in my hands sooner rather than later.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. WOW. THAT was quite a ride for a cozy mystery.
I cannot say much about this because even a little taste would give something away I am afraid and this one is a "must-read" for cozy lovers and for lovers of this series [THIS is such a great series]. I really enjoy the characters and love what a strong, independent, fabulous woman Shannon is and how she just strives for the very best, and strives to like everyone - even Whitney [though she has not yet been able to accomplish that].

Really great read.

[Heidi Prockish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! Kate Carlisle is such a great writer, I feel her cozies have some real "meat" to them. I enjoyed seeing life through Shannon's eyes. I was really interested in the cold case and who the killer was. I will definitely be continuing this series.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery! I'm in a really good spot to judge this book because of my self-assigned study of every Nancy Drew book I can get my hands on.

Not sure if this really counts as a "mystery," because following the pattern of Nancy Drew, readers can easily find the "bad guy" because he's the mean, nasty, cranky one who isn't dead by the end.

Yes, we do see hints at a gruesome death, and murders and horrible things do happen, unlike in Nancy land, but in this land, let's call it Shannon land, after the protagonist, when the horrible things happen, they're told secondhand via dialogue between characters. To keep readers safe, the author decides to politely tell, instead of show.

And yes, our protagonist's name is Shannon. Shannon Hammer, to be specific. Appropriately to her name, Shannon owns a construction business that was handed down to her by her father. Throughout the novel, half of Shannon's friends and acquaintances call her Shannon, and the other half call her nicknames like "Red" or "Irish." However, half the people in Shannon's town (somewhere in coastal northern California, I think) could receive these nicknames. All the character names are Scottish or Irish influenced, and red hair is really a big deal. St Patrick's day is a big deal.

One particular scene, unrelated to the murder plot, puts a fine point on the cute-ness yet insular ways of this town. Shannon and a group of her town-planning "girlfriends" are planning a St Patrick Day parade, with a menu to recommend to the food vendors and townsfolk. All the food is green, because Scottish and Irish people apparently love having green poo for 48 hours. Also, the delicate ladies have some trouble deciding who should be marching behind whom in this parade. One lady does not want the local group of "skateboarders" to be marching, or rolling, behind the cheerleaders. Yes, as far as counter culture goes, the best this town can do is "skateboarders," who apparently don't comb their hair and are a danger to cheerleaders. Honestly, it seems like author has never met a skateboarder nor a cheerleader in her life. The average skateboarder would never want to be in a parade. And the average cheerleader, if looked at the wrong way by said skateboarder, could dropkick the dude across town and back.

While this book DOES pass the Bechdel test with flying colors, our author is old, so she needs to brush up on current issues. Sure, it's empowering that Shannon is tough and smart, and her two love interests are burly law-enforcement types of guys with nurturing tendencies, but I'm just not convinced everything is peachy keen in this world. It's like they killed off everyone who was remotely different or left-leaning (except the skateboarders.)

Also, some more editing could have been useful in this book. The writing was a little lazy. Author's favorite verb is "grab." Characters are constantly "grabbing" things: sandwiches, tools, utensils, each other's arms and hands... It's cartoonish, grabby grabby grabby.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Kate Carlisle has laid out the blueprint for another perfect escape.

Mac Sullivan has purchased what I would call my dream home. The many rooms, the hiding holes, the staircase, and the view. I would love to own a home like that. I would even take finding the dead body as long as it was someone I didn’t know

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crowned And Moldering is the third book in the A Fixer-Upper Mystery series.

Shannon Hammer, love that name, is out at the lighthouse mansion with the owner, Mac Sullivan, and her crew for a walk thru before she gets started on the renovation project. As they are inspecting the kitchen Mac asks about the dumbwaiter and as Shannon begins to explain the workings she gets the dumbwaiter dislodged and it goes crashing into the basement. As Shannon is looking down the shaft, she sees what appears to be bones. They go to the basement to look at the remains and they find a medical bracelet that her foreman, Sean Brogan, believes had belonged to his sister, Lily, who disappeared some fifteen years ago. The question that needs to be answered, in addition to if she died of natural cause or was murdered, is why she was there and how did she get in the dumbwaiter.

Shannon begins to talk with friends of Lily to see if any had an idea as to why she might have been there. At the time of Lily's disappearance it was thought she was just a runaway and a lot of time and effort was put into the case. From tests that were made, it was determined that Lily had been pregnant at the time of her death, so her boyfriend and other male friends came under suspicion, too. Her boyfriend at the time has just returned to town and has been a thorn in Shannon's side since his arrival about two months before. He has gone out of his way to ruin Shannon business, from trying to hire away her best workers to spreading malicious rumors about the quality of her work and work ethics.

For Shannon's personal life, things are going well with the relationship with Mac until one day when a young teenager shows up and asks to see Mac. But the air is cleared in short order when Mac introduces the young lady as his niece, Callie. Callie's mother is on an extended business trip and Callie couldn't stand being with the housekeeper and chauffeur and she has decided to come stay with Mac.

Another exciting story from Ms, Carlisle with enjoyable and believable characters.

Definitely be watching for the next book in the series.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear I am falling in love with this adorable cozy mystery series! It is great fun to follow Shannon along on her adventures both at work and while she is amateur investigating. The construction side is quite detailed showing how hard the work really is yet we get breaks as the story progresses that are filled with eclectic characters as well as little clues to solve the mystery. There is also a nice mix of both the old and new as more then one murder victim comes into play. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is 3rd in the fixer-upper mystery and was a great book, I didn't want to end. the mystery was good and restoring old houses is very interesting. She finds a secret staircase and a dumbwaiter At the bottom is a pile of bones, that turns out to be her workers sister missing for yearrs. Also interesting information about a solor parking lot that will supply the school with power and water.

[Alyssa White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic book in this collection. This book had your heart pulled so hard on the directions of pain and love. You wanted answers and you needed them. Your heart wanted to be there for Lily and her family. I fell in Love with a new character Denise who I hope to see more of. Like I said, there was a lot of heart in this book. Read it and you will know what I mean. Great read.

[Deborah Makarios · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, I enjoyed this book, but I did have a few issues with it.

The ending, for example, relies entirely on the trope of the murderer returning to the scene of the crime, confessing all, and threatening the MC before backup arrives just in the nick of time. Does it count as solving a mystery if the final piece of the puzzle (i.e. who did it) is handed to you on a plate?

The other thing that bugged me was the past behaviour of some of the characters and the way this is presented.
The MC's high school boyfriend cheated on her and got another girl pregnant - and this is depicted as entirely the other girl's fault, and something she did out of jealousy of the MC. As though the cheating boyfriend was an inanimate object which could be lost or stolen. He is presented as a great, honourable guy; his wife of ten years (the "other girl") is a total bitch with no redeeming features.

And then there's the enormously popular good-guy teacher who in the course of one year impregnates one of his students, and then (following her mysterious disappearance), marries another of his students, a month after she finishes school. He is also presented as a great guy, and both relationships as true love, despite how fast they happen and the inevitable power imbalance in both situations.
The pregnant teen is described as looking "positively radiant, mature, and deeply in love" when looking at her teacher, as opposed to her peers, whose looks (at the same teacher) are described as adolescent crushes - because apparently having sex with a teacher is a fast-track to maturity and real love (even if your lover will be truly in love with someone else and married to them before the year is out).
Call me old-fashioned, but a teacher who sleeps with a student, and who reacts to her (and their unborn child's) sudden unexplained disappearance by getting close to and marrying her schoolfriend, is not a great guy.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continues to build wonderfully written characters, an interesting theme and superb murder plots. Shannon Hammer runs the family renovation and construction business. She is helping a famous thriller writer, who is romantically interested in her, get ready to renovate his purchase of a derelict mansion. During the preliminary planning tour, they find the remains of a body in the dumbwaiter. The body belongs to Lily Brogan who was thought to have run off 15 years earlier. The murder plot is filled with suspects, involving former students, teachers and high school personnel who are all still living there or recently returned. Shannon and her friends are totally believable and will provide you a well earned adventure into teenage angst, blackmail, abusive parents and young love and jealously.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crowned and Moldering by Kate Carlisle is the 3rd book in the Fixer Upper Mystery series. Contractor Shannon Hammer and her crew are renovating the lighthouse mansion when they come across a skeleton in the dumb waiter which turns out to be bones from a teenage girl who had gone missing 15 years ago. Another terrific addition to the series. I enjoyed meeting more of the residents of Lighthouse Cove and I liked all the renovation tidbits thrown in. An engaging, light cozy mystery.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In other cold case based cozy mysteries I've read, there's usually a modern day murder. This book doesn't go that route. Frankly I was both surprised and relieved. The present day murders rarely make any sense if the murderer has managed to go decades without getting caught.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this trip to Lighthouse Cove. I was very happy with both victim and culprit. It had one of my favorite storylines - a cold case. The ending was good. I like the characters in this series and am looking forward to my next adventure with Shannon.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this cozy mystery by one of my favorite authors! It's not necessary to read this series in order.

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Altro bel libro per questa serie. Peccato che la storia che c'è dietro sia veramente triste... Comunque, il libro ha un buon passo, con diverse sotto-storie che si intersecano fra loro. La protagonista è ancora indecisa fra due possibili spasimanti, ma lo sarei anch'io, visti i due pezzi di uomo di cui stiamo parlando. Sinceramente, qualunque sarà la decisione finale, mi dispiacerà moltissimo per lo scartato...
Detto questo, l'autrice mi ha conquistato col suo modo di scrivere, ergo mi sa che ben presto proverò a leggere anche l'altra sua serie, che, fra l'altro, ha i libri in primo piano...

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crowned and Moldering by Kate Carlisle is the third book in A Fixer Upper Mystery series. Shannon Hammer lives in Lighthouse Cove, California and is a building contractor. Shannon specializes in Victorian home renovations and rehabs. Shannon took over the company five years previously after her father had a heart attack (just a mild one). Shannon is getting ready to start on MacKintyre Sullivan’s new home. He purchased a beautiful Queen Anne Victorian (though it does not have the beautiful gingerbread work) near the lighthouse. Shannon is doing a walk through with Mac and a few of her workers. They are investigating the dumb waiter when it collapses and falls into the basement. Shannon looks down and sees bones. Looks like Shannon has found another body!

Police Chief Eric Jensen (who is very handsome and single) is called to the scene. He knows it is useless to warn Shannon not to investigate (though he does try). The deceased turns out to be Lily Brogan. Lily is Sean Brogan’s older sister (Sean works for Shannon on her crew). Lily disappeared fifteen years ago and Sean has never stopped looking for her. Lily was in her senior year of high school (in the spring) when she disappeared. Who wanted to do away with this beautiful young woman? While investigating the murder of Lily, Shannon’s business rival, Cliff Hogarth, ends up dead (after she had a big blow out with him). Is Cliff’s murder related to Lily’s? The list of people who wanted Cliff death turns out to be quite lengthy (he had made a lot of enemies since he returned to Lighthouse Cover from Chicago). Will Shannon be able to solve the crimes before she becomes the next victim?

Crowned and Moldering was a great cozy mystery. The characters are enjoyable and easy to like (and relate to). The town of Lighthouse Cove sounds beautiful, and I like that Shannon is restoring a beautiful historic Victorian home (near a lighthouse). Something I was keen on was that the author portrayed Shannon as a smart and strong woman (to many books lately have portrayed women as ditzy and bumbling). I enjoyed that the mystery was complex and difficult to solve (though I did figure out who was the killer). Crowned and Moldering is the third book in A Fixer Upper Mystery series, but it can easily be read by itself (without having enjoyed the other two books in the series). I give Crowned and Moldering 5 out of 5 stars (because I just loved it). I cannot wait for the next book in A Fixer Upper Mystery series.

I received a complimentary copy of Crowned and Moldering from the author (I am a member of Kate’s Raters) in exchange for an honest review.

http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogs...

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was made into a movie with Jewel as the lead. I really feel that the movie was not very good and have not watched it more than once. (Usually takes me a few tries to see a movie in its entirety). While I did not enjoy the movie, I did enjoy the book. It was much better.

Shannon Hammer owns and operates a business rebuilding and redoing Victorian Homes. She also jumps at the chance to learn how to install a Solar Grid that will cover the Senior Parking Lot. While all this is happening, on the first day of working on Mac Sullivan's House, the old Light House House, they find the bones of a young woman. It turns out to be one of her employee's sister and someone she considered a friend.

Eric, the police chief, asks her for help in this case because it was from before he came to town and she knows the players from that time when Lily went missing.

Shannon is trying to figure out who she is interested in, Mac or Eric and seems to be leaning more towards Mac. Her friend Emily starts dating someone and Sean starts dating someone.

I enjoyed this book because it carried the series along and helped with continuity. I also enjoyed that the story is engaging from the moment you start to the moment it ends so that you want to get the next book to see what happens next.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really loving this series more and more with each book. 5 stars because I would have sat down and read it all in one sitting if I could. Shannon is such a strong, smart, likable character and the people in this town are so charming and close-knit. It makes me sometimes wish I grew up in a small town like this where everyone knows each other and (most) seem to be friends. This mystery was a cold case that involved pretty much all the recurring characters and allowed us to meet some new ones. Everything in this book seemed to center around high school; the cold case murder, Shannon's new project, the introduction of Callie. I wasn't that surprised that Dain was the murderer....he's the only one I really thought was enough of a creep and a little pyscho enough to do it. And hey, look at that, Shannon's rival was also taken care of in the process. Two creeps gone away. I also really love reading about all the renovations projects and really wish I could see the finished products. I will be highly anticipating the next installment and HOPE that Shannon will just settle down and start dating MAC!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon Hammer has been given the go ahead to work on the Lighthouse Mansion, where bestselling author Mac Sullivan, who is also Shannon's new boyfriend, will be living.

But when they find a skeleton in the dumbwaiter, things take a turn for the worse. The bones turn out to be those of a teenager missing from Lighthouse Cove for years, and the investigation takes Shannon back in time, and brings her into contact with people she'd rather not see again.

After reading the second book in this series I was on the fence. I enjoyed the first one, but not so much the second. But I had an extra credit on Audible, and I thought I would give the series another chance, and I am glad I did.

Crowned and Moldering is, to me, the best book so far in the series. I enjoyed listening to to this tale, which showed Shannon interacting with old classmates whom she'd rather not have anything to do with.
I thought the mystery was well crafted, and the characters well-drawn. I am not looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in the Shannon Hammer series and the books just keep getting better and better! I love the characters in the book and they get more fully developed in each book. While you wouldn't necessarily have to read the entire series, if you like a good cozy mystery mixed with rehab/restoration of old homes then you are going to love this series! It has something for everyone with strong female relationships that are both long standing as well as newly formed, strong relationships between the male and female characters and a blossoming love triangle between Shannon and two very handsome fellas that are intertwined in her daily life. Toss in some unsavory characters, face it you have to have the protagonists to twist the story line up and create the mystery, and a murder or two and you have the perfect formula for a great story!

[Marin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off as a lovely small town murder mystery the book slowly lost me. The teacher student relationship was just creepy and no one in the book really seemed to react to that. The plot contrivance of how they later found crucial pieces of evidence just made Eric and the rest of the police look like they are just bad at their job. And I kept losing respect for the main character excusing bad behavior just because she was friends with the person who did it, or being ok with bad things happening to people she didn't like. The main character's repeated habit of dramatically running away every time someone does something she doesn't like get old very quickly too.

This book started on a high note. I liked the characters to begin with but the book just lost me with poorly done tropes, annoying main character, and two denensional bad guy whose continued employment was never explained.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this was my first Fixer-Upper Mystery (I'm usually a Bibliophile Mystery girl.) and I am hooked! I loved reading this book and could not put it down! I wanted to know what happened to Lily Brogan, and I wanted to know now!!! Shannon was a great character in that you could trust her, and since she is liked by the majority of the town she can get answers. It also helps she is quite clever and keeps finding dead bodies!

I can't say too much because I don't want to give anything away! I can just say that I can't wait to read more Shannon Hammer mysteries because this one drew me right in! I love how the town is small enough that everyone seems to know everyone else....including all their past secrets!

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Great! I so enjoyed this cosy by Kate Carlisle. Crowned and Moldering, A Fixer-Upper Mystery #3, is a dynamite read. I even solved the mystery before I finished the book. As Mac Sullivan, the new owner of a historic lighthouse in Lighthouse Cove, CA starts the renovation of the lighthouse with a crew headed by a contractor, Shannon Hammer, everything must stop as human bones are found in the lighthouse. Fifteen years earlier one of the high school students, a girl, left town or did she? Her brother is on Shannon's crew, and upon the discovery of the bones, Shannen wonders if that student really did leave town. The book becomes a 'cannot put down' book. Beautifully done and highly recommended!

[Janet C-B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by Kate Carlisle. I chose it because I expected it to be a cozy mystery that would lighten up my recent serious reading. It was a good story, with an ending that I did not predict. The first half or two-thirds of the book seemed a bit light for my taste, with hints of romance and a perfect heroine / sleuth. Towards the end, I was really drawn into the complexity of the mystery. I did enjoy that the protagonist was a respected business woman in a traditional male trade (construction.)
Overall, I rate this book 3 stars. I will try another book by this series in the future.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy of this book is an ARC so I don't have one with the pretty cover on it. But it was a very good read. Again. I really like the characters and getting to know all of them. I like the addition of Mac's niece. And I like that Shannon goes to the high school for career day.

I thought I knew who had done it fairly early on, but, like always, Kate writes a good story so I didn't really know until the end.

I definitely recommend this series. Thank you, Kate!

[Gina H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m taking off stars because of subject matter in this book

At no point as a teacher having sex with a student OK! It is illegal and unethical not romantic! I don’t know if you don’t have kids or if you don’t know any teachers, but the subject matter of this book is just not OK! Not that you make someone who has no ethics someone heroic in this book. By the way, I am a teacher and a mother and no, just absolutely not!