Deck the Hallways

Fixer-Upper Mystery #4

by Kate Carlisle

A New York Times Bestseller A Fixer-Upper Mystery Even at Christmas, contractor Shannon Hammer is more spackle than sparkle, so she leaps at the chance to transform a grand old Victorian mansion into ten apartments for homeless families. All of Lighthouse Cove turns out to help ― including her father, Jack, who gets in a heated scuffle with the miserly bank president. And when the man is murdered, all eyes are on Jack.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Christmas, Fiction, Cozy, Holiday, Romance

405 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

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 3 out of 5]

Deck the Hallways is the 4th book in Kate Carlisle's 'A Fixer-Upper Mystery' series. This one has a Christmas theme as Shannon and her construction crew renovate a home for multiple low-income families to move into over the holiday. As a feel-good, cozy story about a small town and the fun inhabitants, I enjoyed this book. As a mystery, it fell short for a few reasons. Let's dive in.

All the makings of a fine whodunit are in place. Shannon and several people clash with the executive from the bank who's making their lives miserable as they rush to close on the renovations. A mysterious woman claims a Santa Claus helper inappropriately touched her during a meeting. Jewelry has been stolen. Many people want that banker to leave for good. At about 20% in, we're prepped for a wonderful mystery full of culprits and side stories. Then things kinda fell apart for me, which is unusual. Rather than kill him off at the normal place in a story, it doesn't happen until almost 50% into the book, allowing for more people to show potential motives. I would've been okay with this except more suspects kept creeping up rather than exploring the 4 or 5 already noted. And then the book quickly jumped through 7 days to get to Christmas Day, giving maybe a page to a few lines of narrative telling us what happened each day. There were lots of those "***" markings noting scene changes which didn't work well in this style of book.

By the time the villain was revealed, it was a little too much for me. I normally try to find the reasoning and get on board, but in this book, it felt like this was rushed way too quickly. I saw several other methods including starting the book closer to Christmas, fleshing out 1 or 2 stories in more detail rather than add 4 or 5 odd red herrings, and adding more twists to the core action. A few items were also left a little too open, and I was jarred out of reading because of the frequent scene changes. All that said, it's not bad... just not the normal caliber I've seen from the author. It felt sort of average, so I ended up with 3 stars on this one. Worth a read to see character growth, learn all about the remodels, and find some good mystery elements... just not complete enough to say it's better than others.

On the good side, Shannon's relationship with Mac changes. I loved the bonding scenes with her father. She and her core group of friends have a solid connection. The town feels real. I like the potential change between Whitney's and Shannon's tension, although it could go in either direction based on what happened in this book. I've already ordered the next one to read soon. I'm sure it was just a one-off, but I look forward to getting back on track.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle is the 4th book in the Fixer Upper mystery series. Shannon Hammer and her construction company, Hammer Constructions, are working on converting a Victorian Mansion into apartments for needy families for Christmas and are being assisted by community volunteers. An obnoxious bank representative is murdered in the mansion causing delays to the work. I found this book to be a bit too slow and drawn out for me. The murder took a long time to occur and we seemed to be subjected to lots of irrelevant details about Shannon's day and mood in the meantime. I also thought that Shannon handled finding a baby left in her truck poorly. A sensible person would have contacted the police for help not taken the baby home. I enjoyed reading about aspects of the construction work but this seemed to be the main focus rather than the mystery. Not as good as the previous books in the series.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

After recently reading and reviewing, Crowned and Moldering, I couldn’t wait to dive right into this story. I was taken aback when I heard Mac was off on a promotional trip and had not even picked up the phone to contact Shannon for over 40 days. What the heck happened between stories? Wait I am getting ahead of myself.

It is the holiday season in Lighthouse Cove and Shannon has taken the lead on a huge charity project. An old Victorian mansion is being transformed into housing for the homeless. Contractors and volunteers join together to get the project completed by Christmas Eve. A group of Santa’s helpers complete with the black boots, beards and red suits even show up to help. The president of the bank managing the funding seems to always be underfoot and soon after the project starts he and Shannon’s father, Jack get into a bit of a fight. When the president is found dead Jack finds himself in the hot-seat as there were plenty of witnesses to their argument. Shannon is on the case to clear her dad of the crime and unwrap the true killer before it is time to jingle those bells.

So you see Shannon has plenty on her plate but she can’t stop thinking about Mac and why he hasn’t called or texted. I thought their relationship was starting to move forward so this kind of distracted me a little bit from the mystery at first. I don’t want to spoil anything so I will leave this topic alone for this story.

Setting the romance aside, there were several new characters introduced. Mr. Potter, the bank president, until he met his untimely demise. He was a character that was very easy to dislike. Several volunteers including one who didn’t really seem to fit in and who kept disappearing. Several “Santas”, who truly helped on the project. All of our favorites from previous stories return too, well with the exception of Mac who finally arrived near the end of the story. Man, I just can’t seem to let that drop.

I do love the setting, another grand Victorian with all the grandeur waiting to be restored and a few secrets that houses like it always seem to have. I would love to have one of my own. We were close to owning one early in the 80’s. I wish we would have made the major purchase but it needed more work that be were ready to take on at the time.

Ms. Carlisle gave us another challenging mystery to solve with plenty of red herrings, twists and turns. I figured it out right along with Shannon.

I did love this story with that little exception I mentioned earlier. Yes, I really missed Mac, darn it, I did

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect cozy read for the holiday season! Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle finds Shannon Hammer and crew renovating an old Victorian mansion that is being divided into apartments for needy families in Lighthouse Cove, but the surly manager of the bank that owns the property is wreaking all sorts of havoc around town and at the site. Good thing it doesn't take long for someone to murder him, but unfortunately they do it with Shannon's father's axe! Add in an abandoned baby and 10 Santas, and you've got a fast-paced and clever mystery! 5 stars to this 4th installment in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series!

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon Hammer is feeling like the Grinch, Mac has been away for two months and hasn't called but on the plus side she is the overseer for a property conversion into affordable rental apartments - her crew are raring to go along with a load of volunteers (including 10 Santas and her Dad!), unfortunately someone from the bank (which donated the property) is getting in the way and upsetting pretty much everyone! and then he obviously really upset someone, enough to get killed ..... with Mr Hammer's demolition axe.

So now Shannon needs to get the apartments finished (working around the crime team) and clear her father, all before Christmas Eve!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, because I enjoyed the last one in the series so much. But there was too much going on it. I don't feel the mystery aspect received enough attention. The vicim was overdrawn and made me shake my head and think, "Really?" I figured out whodunit before the murder even occurred. I hope the next book in the series gets back on track.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Shannon is one of my favorite heroines."

Read this review in its entirety atFresh Fiction

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in the Fixer-Upper series. This one is set around Christmas time and there are many different things that will put you in the Christmas Spirit. Onto the next book in Lighthouse Cove.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I was feeling kind of like Shannon at the start of this book... I wanted to have tons of Christmas spirit, but I was struggling. Well this book helped fix that. Nothing says Christmas like lots of Santas and a nice murder right? I love the holiday spirit and how it was sprinkled in throughout the book. I wish this large mansion being turned into beautiful apartment was a true story, because it was a lovely idea. Shannon Hammer is easily one of my favorite amateur sleuths and it also helps that she is surrounded by an awesome cast. Though I did need more Mac in my life during this story! Some of the things seemed obvious such as Lauren being pregnant and the mother of the mystery baby and I just knew the solution Shannon was going to come too. It still brought tears to my eyes while reading it though. And I had my suspicions about the murderer from about halfway, I was only kind of correct about that. I just love Lighthouse Cove and these stories and I cannot wait to read more!

[Ashley Owens · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, I am so done with these books. They're predictable and not worth my time

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a VERY good installment in this series.
More review to come....

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deck The Hallways is the fourth book in the A Fixer-Upper Mystery series.

I may not have any DIY projects planned, but I love reading this series that has Shannon Hammer, who has taken over her father’s construction company, handling remodeling/renovation projects in the quaint seaside community of Lighthouse Cove.

This year’s project for Holiday Homebuilders project is the restoration of the old Victorian style Forester House. The home is being subdivided into twelve units for needy individuals/families in Lighthouse Cove.

Shannon is concerned when she finds that he will be working on the site. He had suffered a heart attack a few years earlier and she is worried that he will over exert himself. This is compounded when she learns that there has been bad blood between her father and the vice-president of the bank, Mr. Potter, that is funding the project. For some reason, Mr. Potter seems to antagonize just about everyone he comes into contact with. In fact, Shannon had a heated discussion with him over being selected as construction manager. He evened threatened Shannon’s friend, Lizzie, that he would close down her business.

One morning as Shannon is going through the house checking on how her father’s work is going in the butler’s pantry, she finds the lifeless body of Mr. Potter. She also notices that her father’s hatchet is protruding from Mr. Potter. She later sees the police find a diamond bracelet, that a young girl had reported missing the day before, in her father’s toolbox.

Now it’s time for Shannon to switch from her hardhat to her sleuthing hat to save her father from being charged with murder.

As always, with Carlisle’s books, the reader is provided with a well-plotted story and most of the enjoyable character’s from the previous books are back again. Carlisle adds just enough information about DIY projects provide an interesting insight into what is needed and how it is done.

Looking forward to the next book in this enjoyable series.

[Diane Rapport · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I love Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile mysteries. I was excited when she added her Fixer-Upper mysteries into the mix. More to read from one of my favorite authors! So here I am, just finishing, "Deck the Hallways", book 4 of the Fixer-Uppers. This book has cute, touching moments and the ending wrapped the story up in a nice, pretty bow. Shannon has no holiday spirit at the beginning of the book, but along the way she finds it. Unfortunately, I was for the most part disappointed in the nuts and bolts of the story.

The plot (all 3 of them) jumped all over the place. The murder victim was written as such a caricature that I really didn't care who killed him. Red herrings were everywhere. There were so many of them, that it was easy to pick out the actual murderer by looking for the one with no evidence pointing their way. A subplot involving Shannon's boyfriend Mac was so out of left field, that I found myself rereading the end of book 3 to see if there was something I'd forgotten. Yet another subplot, involving a baby, was cute but felt a little like "filler". On top of all of this were the many descriptions of various "how-tos" of home renovation. A lot going on in 300 pages.

I still enjoy the basics of this series. Small town, tight circle of friends (who weren't seen enough in this book), interesting occupation and generally interesting main character. I just think this one in particular could have benefitted from tighter editing and a little more development of the main plot.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contractor Shannon Hammer is battling the blahs as she prepares to oversee the transformation of a grand old Victorian into 10 apartments for families and singles needing affordable housing. With the entire town volunteering every job is covered until one of the contractors has to move out of town immediately. Shannon's retired contractor dad and his old crew members step in to fill the void. Since the local bank donated the house, one of its vice presidents thinks he needs to oversee everything and everybody involved. The man turns out to be hated by everyone on the site and has confrontations with many of them, including Shannon's father. When Shannon discovers the banker's body in the apartment that her dad and his friends are converting, her dad becomes a prime suspect due to his previous confrontation with the banker, that was overheard by everyone. Shannon's investigation reveals that the banker had many secrets and none of them were good. The murder plot will keep you guessing as it takes many turns and twists before the banker's biggest secret and his surprising killer are revealed. I love this series. The characters are so real and the background and theme really bring them to life. This is a cozy series for anyone who wants to have adventures, meet new friends and be entertained.

[Meagan Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

rated 3.5

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's about ten days before Christmas in Lighthouse Cove and Shannon has a big renovation project to lead, helping transform an old Victorian mansion into affordable apartment units for lower income people. Even her dad who hasn't worked in construction for six years is eager to pitch in and help, along with his old construction crew buddies. Shannon is a little pre-occupied with the fact that she hasn't talked to her boyfriend, Mac, a local author, in around six weeks. Then when she finds out he's going to be in town for a book signing, her brain is yelling 'awkward' since she doesn't know if he doesn't want to see her or what. Anyway, that's a minor detail of the mystery.

All sorts of volunteers show up to help on the house, some with no experience and ten people in Santa Claus suits from the local Santa Brigade. Everyone who has applied to rent an apartment had to agree to help on the project as well so there is no lack of able-bodied help.

The man who is representing the local bank (financial backer of the project) seems to delight in aggravating anyone and everyone he comes into contact with at the job site including Shannon's dad Jack, who is heard threatening him so it's no surprise when this guy ends up axed, Jack is the person of interest. Although due to Jack's good reputation in the town, the police chief, Eric, is making an honest effort towards clearing him. As usual, Shannon feels since the body was at her job site, she needs to ask around and see what everyone has to say about the dead man. It's no secret that the whole town isn't sad he's dead.

Other side stories such as items going missing and a baby girl that Shannon found in her truck bed are happening as well.

I have a feeling the author kind of wanted readers to figure this one out but she was careful to only let out a few clues. I suspected the correct someone as killer, but the reasoning came as a total surprise.

The story was a fairly fast-paced mystery and with the fun side story of the Christmas festival along with the little baby, I couldn't wait to finish and see how everything turned out. It was really in the true spirit of the Christmas season when one of the workers would go home with his or her room unpainted and come back to the site the next day to see that someones (Christmas elves?) had finished the job for them. It was really heartwarming what the community was doing for the less fortunate people so they could have some nice housing. Another fun thing was that Shannon and crew knew which rooms were going to which people too so they could add little special details or take into consideration if a child or senior person was going to be in that apartment.

Once the official reveal happened and the person was in custody, the mystery about the baby and mysteriously-appearing baby items in the house was solved and resolved in a happy ending worthy of our favorite movie channel that also runs this series as one of its mysteries. I'm pretty sure they've never run this one as a Christmas movie but I think they should!

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle is the fourth book in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series. Shannon Hammer is supervising the Forester House project for Holiday Homebuilders. They are dividing the mansion into apartments for people in need. The house was donated by Lighthouse Cove Bank and Trust. Many people are donating their time and services for this special project. Unfortunately, they have a scrooge in their midst. Peter Potter, representing the bank, insists on visiting the site every single day. Mr. Potter is definitely on Santa’s naughty list for the way he manages to antagonize every single person he encounters. Early one morning Shannon is unable to sleep and heads over to the job site. Shannon wants to check the progress the butler’s pantry that is being turned into a kitchen. The door will not budge. She pushes on it and finds Mr. Potter on the other side with her father’s new axe in his neck. Jack, Shannon’s father, had a very loud, public argument with Potter the day before. Someone is trying to frame Jack. Shannon sets out to find the Grinch that is trying to ruin her Christmas. Shannon’s stocking is overflowing with trouble. A troublesome volunteer, a plethora of Santa’s, missing tools, a parade to organize, stolen diamond charm, the return of her beau, and a baby! Someone left a baby in Shannon’s truck. Shannon needs to find the baby’s mother and a killer (and someone to take care of said baby). Will she be able to wrap up her to do list by Christmas Eve? Join Shannon and friends for some holiday hijinks in Deck the Hallways!

Deck the Hallways was an entertaining novel. It has engaging characters, good writing and a beautiful setting of Lighthouse Cove, California. There is certainly a lot going on in this book, but the author makes it work. I give Deck the Hallways 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I just wish that more work had been put into the mystery. It was obvious who would be killed (I think Peter Potter is nastier than Scrooge). The killer’s identity was as obvious as a wrapped golf club sitting under the tree. Deck the Hallways can be read alone. Everything the reader needs to know (about the main characters and town) is provided in the book. I look forward to visiting Shannon again in Lighthouse Cove in the next A Fixer-Upper Mystery novel.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoyed this series, but, now with Hallmark's televised versions airing, I enjoy the books even more seeing the actor's faces when I read the names.

It is Christmas time and Shannon Hammer and crew are busily working on transforming a former mansion into several apartments for lucky lottery winners to live in. Shannon is surprised when she learns three 'Santa Claus' are included in the winners list. The Santa Brigade comes to aid in volunteering and brightens up the construction field...that is until...a real Grinch arrives in the form of a banker who is evil.

No one likes Mr. Potter and as he continues to spew his hatred and evil doings throughout the site, another person, appears and accuses a Santa of sexual harassment. Shannon knows something is very off about this situation, however, being upset with her own personal life, and still???

Then, Shannon heads for home only to find a brand-new baby in a car seat inside the truck. Whose? What? Where? and for Heaven's sake...Why? Angel Baby, as the crew quickly names the wee lass, is adored by all and Shannon works hard to find the baby's mother.

All this plus the renovation must be done in less than two weeks. That is a difficult plan when rooms are being closed off as 'Crime Scenes' with murdered men and Santa's being attacked.

This was a good mystery. I kept thinking of various culprits but then second, third, and fourth guessed myself...when I sort of figured it out...the question ... Why? Kept running through my head.

This is a great mystery novel and I'm looking forward to the television version in the future.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Shannon! She keeps finding dead bodies, and in Kate Carlisle’s Deck the Hallways, Shannon finds another dead body only 11 days until Christmas. Needless to say, this does not help her get into the holiday spirit. There is another reason Shannon, head contractor of a charity project of turning an 1867 Queen Anne mansion into 15 apartments for ‘people in need’ by Christmas Eve, she ‘knows’ her personal life is non-existent, but she is excited to begin turning this Victorian mansion into apartments for the people in town who will be moving in on Christmas Eve. But nothing is easy for Shannon. The second day of work she finds the dead body, and the police have to shut down the house as it is too big to search in one day. Will the project get done in time? Also why does mean Mr. Potter of the bank which donated the house to the charity keep showing up at the site to fight with so many of volunteers, both professional and people of the town? And who is April? Is Mac really having a book signing intown & Shannon did not know This is a fun cozie & it helped me get into the holiday spirit!

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

Fix yourself up with a copy of this latest addition to the Fixer-Upper Mystery series by author Kate Carlisle!

Impeccably written by author Carlisle, DECK THE HALLWAYS was packed full of mystery and excitement, and there was no shortage of fun, and sentiment. An energizing cozy from cover to cover, I had a hard time putting this book down, and I know you will too.

I really like learning all the contracting information. It’s fun to feel a part of the projects while reading the story. It gives me the confidence that I could do more projects on my own. (Not going to, but I could if I wanted.) It really is fascinating.

I adore the characters in this series. Protagonist Shannon Hammer is a strong, feisty lead character. She has no problem holding her own with anyone! She’s a girly contractor with pink tools, but don’t think that means she can be pushed around. Even during the reveal, and the battle with the killer that must certainly happen in all mysteries, Shannon wishes she had her tools, but managed to handle matters in a very girl like way. LOL I loved it!

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon is in charge of restoring a Victorian mansion that will divided into apartments for low-income families. They are working on a Christmas deadline with contractors and volunteers. Even her retired dad and his cohorts have come to help. Things are going along swimmingly, right up and until a cranky banker is found dead in the butler’s pantry. When the murder weapon is linked to her dad, Shannon is determined to prove his innocence. The problem? Narrowing down the list of suspects: it seems nearly everyone involved in the project had a reason to the hate the banker. With the addition of a troupe of Santas, this Christmas cozy will put you in the holiday mood. Not for murder, of course, but for decking out your own house with greenery and trees. A great plot with likable (and not-so-likable) characters, this mystery can only add to your enjoyment of the season.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun holiday cozy mystery

This is a new to me series and I enjoyed it very much.
I liked the idea of renovating the big home into smaller apartments.
I was shocked at the end and was surprised when the killer was revealed.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good addition to this series!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving right along in this series, my latest visit was Christmas-themed. Being in the midst of Florida August, this was a welcome diversion, allowing me to pretend it wasn't actually steamy and sweltering outside.

What I liked about Deck the Hallways:
A twisty mystery - Technically, there were dueling mysteries in this one, but it's the primary one I am referring to here. (I had the secondary one figured out -- source, reason, and resolution -- when it was still only a vague squirrely lie told by a couple of high school girls.) The main mystery, though, had me bewildered and guessing from start to finish. By the reveal, it all pieced together but I never saw it coming.
Some feel-good human interest side stories - At the risk of spoiling, I will avoid providing actual details, but there were three different social issues addressed within the plot of this book, and they felt so organic to the story and were handled so thoughtfully. I actually felt a little misty a couple of times.
The direction of Shannon's personal life - For the sake of spoilers (again), I will refrain from sharing which team I am on, but suffice to say I might have internally cheered by the turn of events in this book.
Villain irony? - I have no clue if it was intentional, but a Christmas tale where the villain is a cantankerous bank executive with the surname Potter? I was tickled. (For the uninitiated, that description also fits the villain in the classic film It's a Wonderful Life. Also my all-time favorite movie.)

What I didn't care for:
Inaccurate details - I am not sure in what world a week old baby gurgles, giggles, and kicks her feet, but every newborn I have ever met has been basically a potato that occasionally howls for food and fresh pants. I am a stickler for things like continuity and accuracy of details, even in my lighter, fun reads.

What left me conflicted:
Key issue arriving out of left field - The book opens with Shannon feeling very melancholy about something. And that something felt like it was a thing I was supposed to know going into this book. But even though it has not been all that long since I read the previous installment, I felt completely at a loss. It was revealed later, and it did fit once an explanation was given, but I still felt completely blindsided by it.

This series is firmly in the category of those I will happily devour for as long as they keep being released. Book Four was engaging and engrossing, and toward the end, I could not put it down. I am so ready for more, I already have the next two in the series waiting for me at the library.

[librarybythebeach · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVEEEEEE this mystery! There was so much going on from start to finish and I couldn't read the pages fast enough! Shannon is back and it's Christmas time in Northern California buuuut she's not in the Christmas spirit just yet! (Something I can't relate to whatsoever...lol) A lot of the story took place prior to the murder happening and that was a new & refreshing take to cozies. There were lots of suspicious people in this one and LOTS of different mysteries. Every time I turned around someone else was having an issue. It was like a train wreck -just can't look away!

The Victorian mansion they were fixing into apartments was such a wonderful story time -it could put even the biggest scrooge into the Christmas spirit! And the ending....KATE....MY HEART IS BURSTING WITH JOY! Wow....what a way to finish. Truly a Christmas miracle.

You can bet that I'll be continuing with this series!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying all of this Fixer-Upper series! The main character has a great personality and nice friends and colleagues. This book includes ethnically-diverse Santas and a lot of Christmas-related ideas.

[Caitlin C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th in the series. I really enjoy the characters. In this Christmas installment, Shannon is working with the town folk (including a bunch of men, and one woman, dressed us Santa's) rebuild a 10 bedroom Victorian in Lighthouse Cove. After it is turned into a bunch of apartments it will be rented out as low-income housing. Shannon has organized shifts of volunteers to come in and work all day to get the apartments ready for a Christmas move in date. From the beginning things start going wrong. A woman accuses Santa of grabbing her backside, bracelets go missing, Santa's are acting out, oh and the the mean, nasty, hated bank president who is funding the operation ends up dead....in a closet....with Shannon's dad's new axe in his neck... Shannon is nursing a broken heart after not hearing from Mac for months while he is away on a book tour and this turn of events makes her holiday's less than jolly. To make things even weirder, a baby shows up in the back of Shannon's truck...this is a Christmas to remember...

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment in the fixer upper series! Shannon Hammer is charged with organizing area contractors to rehab a massive Victorian into multiple apartments for families in need before Christmas, but plans get derailed when a particularly mean spirited person ends up dead in the butler's pantry of the house. The only problem is that there are too many suspects including Shannon's dad! Great plot twisted in a fantastic way with multifaceted mysteries that may or may not have anything to do with each other. Sprinkle in a bit of malicious story telling that sends Shannon's personal life into a tailspin and you've got quite the mystery to entertain and delight you! If you haven't read the entire series, you should especially since Hallmark is now going to make the first two books in the series into movies for their mystery channel! I can't wait for those movies, but I really can't wait to see what happens in the installment of the "Fixer Upper" book series!

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad this was short because there wasn't much to it story wise. It takes literally half the book for anything to happen, such as the murder. The first half of this book is an ode to old Victorian houses. And the fact that everyone and I mean everyone volunteers for community service. The rest is all the characters saying how much they hate the murder victim and how they all had fights with him recently. The main character talks to herself out loud constantly. Also in this small town either you are rich and own a big fancy Victorian house or you are poor and homeless. Also, every greets everyone even new comers they've just met with hugs and they tell the main character things she has no business knowing about their personal lives. At least she stays out of the police's way and doesn't poke her nose into things that aren't her job.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I must have liked this book because I stayed up until 6:30 am to finish it! I've been charmed by this series. I love the attention to detail about the old house they are always working on. I love the little town and all the people. Except for Whitney, the bratty, spoiled, mean, woman who constantly finds a way to make Shannon miserable. This has been happening since they were in school. Each book Whitney does something so nasty, you wonder why someone doesn't punish her for it. She always gets away with the hurt and pain she causes. When are we going to see her crawling on her knees to her husband, begging for forgiveness and he just leaving her there. I just want to reach into the book and teach her some lessons of her own! But besides that, they rest of the stories are wonderful.