The Body in the Basement

Faith Fairchild #6

by Katherine Hall Page

In the sixth Faith Fairchild mystery, actual Yankee recipes, elderly quilters, Down East antiques, and a dead body combine for a cozy summer on an island in Maine. Tour.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cooking, Mystery Thriller, Novels

289 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Katherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-five previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery. The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story “The Would-Be Widower.” The recipient of the Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement, she has been nominated for the Edgar, the Mary Higgins Clark, the Maine Literary, and the Macavity Awards. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine with her husband.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Body in the Basement, the sixth in a series that usually features minister’s wife and caterer Faith Fairchild in Alesford, Massachusetts, breaks with tradition. Not only does the novel take place in the fictional summer resort of Sanpere Island, Maine (like the second in the series, The Body in the Kelp), but the sleuth in this one is Faith’s über-organized sidekick, Pix Miller. It was wonderful fun to see Pix’s very different approach to investigating a mystery.

In this novel, a shady antiques dealer and fix-it man is found wrapped in a quilt and left in the basement of what’s going to be the Fairchilds’ summer cottage on Sanpere Island. The Fairchilds remain stuck in Alesford, so Pix volunteered to oversee construction — and, of course, finds more than she bargained for. Before the summer is over, yet another quilt-wrapped corpse appears, but Pix does yeoman’s work (as always — the book begins with Pix’s husband joke that her epitaph with be “Don’t worry, Pix will do it”) investigating and gets caught with her daughter in a suspenseful situation near the novel’s end. I love Faith, but I didn’t miss her absence at all in this book, thanks to Pix’s good sense and good humor. A great, fun read.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely excellent

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to have Pix in charge, and the Maine setting and the quilt details are charming. Good life lessons, too, about the bittersweet joys of parenting teenagers and worrying about the aging parents and spending time in a much loved but increasingly solitary place.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

BK 6 has Pix Miller and her daughter Samantha up on Sanpere Island off the Downeast coast of Maine, overseeing the building of Faith and Tom Fairfield’s house out in the point but when they go to check on the progress, they only find a hole in the ground and one of their golden retrievers digs and finds a body in that hole for the foundation. If Seth the contractor had been on schedule the body would have been buried beneath concrete. Samantha is working as a sailing instructor for longtime islander Jim and his Southern decorator wife and her deadbeat son Duncan skulking around. Quirky characters abound: Pix’s indominitable Mother Ursula, her exclusive sewing circle including two old women who run a B& B, Addie, an overweight masterquilter who berates her timid sister-in-law, Rebecca, John the ex-priest/sculptor, Earl/ the Island’s only law inforcement officer, Norman Osgood, a NYC antique dealer, etc. pix is the mystery solver this time and she and her daughter Samantha are in danger due to their nosiness.

[Jehnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tired of this series.
And its not a "Faith Fairchild mystery." She's a secondary character at best in this iteration.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, cozy mystery that takes place on the Maine coastline. This was my first by Page and will definitely not be my last. I loved her descriptions of Maine, her characterizations, and just the atmosphere of the story itself.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to have a different POV in regards to the snooping around

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was fun to be in Maine again and have Pix handle solving the mystery along with daughter Samantha.

[Julia Heller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the change of pace and having the story told Pix’s point of view.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and especially loved this book. It's set on an island in Maine and has many twists and turns. New England at its best!

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pix Miller and Faith Fairchild became fast friends when Faith moved to the small Massachusetts town where her husband is a pastor. In previous books in the series, the author focuses on Faith’s remarkable ability to solve mysteries and sometimes endanger her life in the process.

In this installment, you learn more about Pix, and one of the things you learn is that she, too, has the kind of questioning mind that allows her to be a successful sleuth. This is a fun departure from previous books, and Pix’s daughter, Samantha, proves to be the kind of teenager any parent would be proud to claim.

Pix and Samantha are off to their Maine summer house. Pix grew up on the rural Maine coast, so, for her, it’s like a lovely trip home. Her husband, Sam, won’t join her until Independence Day. Her mom still lives in the small community, and Pix’s friend, Faith, and Faith’s husband, Tom, are building a summer house near where Pix vacations. Pix travels to Maine to check on the progress of the construction.

When she arrives, she learns to her horror that the builders have made no real progress on the house the Fairchilds hoped to inhabit by Labor Day. While investigating the lackluster progress of the house, Pix and Samantha find what appears to be a body wrapped in an antique quilt buried in the foundation of Faith and tom’s as-yet unbuilt house. Pix finds the quilt fascinating. Who would use a valuable antique quilt as a burial shroud?

While the local cop and state police investigate the murder, townsfolk gather for a summer celebration. One of the topics that arises is the prevalence of fake antiques throughout the state of Maine. It seems the dead guy was an antique dealer, and there’s some question as to the veracity of the provenance of his antiques.

Samantha gets a summer job at a camp for teenagers as a counselor, and she immediately notices in a negative way the stepson of the camp owner. His demeanor spells trouble, and before the book ends, folks will mistakenly believe he assaults Samantha Miller.

I enjoyed the departure that allowed Pix to be front and center for the book. The author reduced Faith’s involvement to an occasional quick appearance and mostly to phone calls. It was an excellent way to keep the series fresh.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Th Fairchild's have decided to build a vacation home on Sanpere Island close to her next door neighbor Pix's (and her family). When Pix checks to see how far along the construction is, she finds a body in the not yet poured basement. Mtchell Pierce is the body. He is an antiques dealer, part time construction worker and not well liked. He was wrapped in a hand made quilt with mysterious X in one corner. Pix's daughter works at a nearby camp at which "pranks" are being played - decapitated mice left on the kitchen counter, red paint is splashed on the boat sails, a sea gull with a slashed throat). Pix starts investigating the happenings and discovers antique fakes. This mystery is solved by Pix tho it does have recipes in the back. These are Faith Fairchild mysteries, tho she had nothing to do with this book. Pix is a very likable character.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another clever mystery

I always expand my vocabulary when reading a Katherine Hall Page book!

Written with intelligence and an almost Austen-like description of people, these stories draw you in with well-developed characters & relationships. The mystery is engaging, but almost secondary to the personalities involved.

My only quibble would be the ending which was thin. SPOILERS BELOW!!



The villains had been well-developed, but the personality change at the climax stretched believability. The denouement returned to form, however.

[Jan]

As slow moving as summer along the coast of Maine, but there's an undertow to watch out for. I haven't read this series in quite a few years, so getting the names sorted out again.... Having been in that region, the story did bring back pleasant memories and vistas. And, I love quilts! I wish I could turn them out as Addie did in the story. (Katherine Hall Page had checked with a noted authority on quilt designs and ages. Score points!) A pleasant bedtime/summer read.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good - it features the Miller family, Pix in particular, with Faith and family as side characters. I enjoyed that. Unfortunately, the author still doesn't give enough clues - although I got part of it right. I do love Pix and her family. And Sanpere Island - I'm glad that Faith and Tom are building a house out there, it means we could have more stories in that setting.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. A body is found in the newly dug basement of new house on a Maine island. Naturally a a woman who has visited the island for years begins looking for the murderer.

I enjoy cozy mysteries, but this wasn't great.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A non-Faith Faith Fairchild book is an interesting experiment, and I think it worked once. I don't know that it would work again. Enjoyed the characters, especially the smart Samantha.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right book at the right time.

[Anne Libera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid cozy mystery set in Maine, the characters and the details are great fun - the mysteries themselves are a bit structurally repetitive.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading Katherine Hall Page novels -- she writes exquisitely.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Page's later books in the series more than the earlier ones, and ones starring Faith more than the ones with Pix. They have more sparkle or something. Still well worth the reading.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun mystery read - with some great recipes, too!

[Hallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but not gripping

[Lyn Soulia-Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good addition to the series

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sixth in the Faith Fairchild amateur sleuth mystery series about a caterer.

My Take
The focus here is on Pix detecting in Maine while staying at her summer home — Faith is on "vacation" in this book.

I found this installment a bit Nancy Drew-ish. And all the controversy in the story revolves around fake quilts and antiques, and it ticks me off about the "fake" quilts. I understand being angry with the Smithsonian for contracting toe-catching reproductions from the Chinese, but why get pissy about 10-12 stitches-to-the-inch quilts found in an antique store? Just what makes that quilt a fake? Does this mean any quilts I've made are fakes?

Makes me think of that stupid toilet paper commercial where they were using knitting needles to quilt the toilet paper… Do some research and get it right…

Anyway, if quilting and antiquing while enjoying lobster-clam bakes and village Fourth of July events is your thing — read on!

The Story
Faith's catering service is booked through the Fourth of July so Pix is going to oversee Seth's construction of the Fairchild's cottage only Pix finds a dead body in the dirt basement instead of the concrete she's expecting.

The Characters
Pix Miller is Faith's next-door neighbor and best friend. She and her family introduced Faith and her family to Sanpere Island, the Millers' summer destination.

Seth is building a cottage for Faith and Tom Fairchild on Sanpere Island.

The Title
Yep, that's what it is…The Body in the Basement.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good book in this enjoyable series.

[Theresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a REALLY hard time getting into this one; it really isn't a "Faith Fairchild" mystery considering the story is all about Faith's friend Pix and her daughter. I also didn't like the resolution with Duncan. A rather long and tedious read.

Note: I've read this entire series up to The Body in the Attic, and the best rating I've given any of them is 2 stars, which is sad and says a lot about the series. I kept reading because it really has potential but it never lives up to it, so save yourself the trouble and agony and try a a different series, such as Carolyn Hart's Death On Demand series, most of which are fun and enjoyable, or stop after The Body in the Cast, which was probably the best of the series. That's my recommendation, anyway.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book as much as the previous ones in the series, since it was about Faith's friend, next-door neighbor and now employee, Pix Miller. Faith phones it in, literally, and only appears on the scene in the last ten pages. I checked the font cover, and it doesn't say "A Faith Fairchild Mystery," but it is part of her series. The mystery was decent, although Pix doesn't come close to actually solving it, but just stumbles blindly into the path of the murderer holding a gun. I do like Samantha's character, however. I tend to like kids and teenagers in books, as long as they're portrayed realistically.

[BJ Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe if I'd started this series at the beginning, I'd know enough about the characters to accept the premise that Faith and Pix (how's that for the name of a thirty-something woman?!) would conduct their sleuthing over the telephone. Apparently, Faith is the expert amateur sleuth, and Pix needs help from her friend and mentor.

This was an OK read, but a very weak 3* from me; usually a cozy-mystery moves along quickly for me, but this one was very sluggish. It's apparently a successful series, but just not my cup of tea.

[Fmorlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This takes place in summer with Faith in Alford and Pix in Sanpere. The Fairchilds are building a house on Sanpere Island. With Pix there to supervise, Faith knows it is in good hands. Pix and her daughter Samantha walk over to see the site. They take the dogs and it is the dogs that find a body in the basement of the Fairfield's unfinished house. Samantha works for a children's camp where some odd activities start toccur. Without Faith, Pix starts to vsearch for clues to tge murder and the antics at the catmp.