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Domestic Partners in Crime #1
Renovated to Death
Real-life domestic partners and stars and producers of the new hit reality home renovation show Domestic Partners, bestselling mystery author Peter “PJ” Penwell and actor JP Broadway are enjoying work and life in their sleepy Detroit suburb of Pleasant Woods—until a suspicious death makes an unscripted appearance . . .
After a successful first season of Domestic Partners chronicling the renovation of their historic Craftsman Colonial, Peter and JP are taking on a renovation of a local Tudor Revival inherited by identical twin brothers Terry and Tom Cash. But linoleum floors and a pink-tiled bathroom aren’t the only unwelcome surprises awaiting inside the house . . .
Just as the show is set to start filming, Peter and JP discover Tom Cash dead at the foot of the house’s staircase. And when the police ruling changes from accidental death to homicide, the list of suspects grows fast. Could the killer be the crabby next-door-neighbor, the Realtor ex-boyfriend, the bartender ex-boyfriend, the other, much younger, ex-boyfriend, or even renovation-reluctant brother, Terry? And what’s that awful smell coming from the basement? Now Peter’s mystery writer skills, and JP’s experience as the former star of a cop show, will be put to the test—as will their relationship while they uncover the secrets of the house and its owners. With a killer on the loose, this is one fixer upper that may prove deadly . . .
After a successful first season of Domestic Partners chronicling the renovation of their historic Craftsman Colonial, Peter and JP are taking on a renovation of a local Tudor Revival inherited by identical twin brothers Terry and Tom Cash. But linoleum floors and a pink-tiled bathroom aren’t the only unwelcome surprises awaiting inside the house . . .
Just as the show is set to start filming, Peter and JP discover Tom Cash dead at the foot of the house’s staircase. And when the police ruling changes from accidental death to homicide, the list of suspects grows fast. Could the killer be the crabby next-door-neighbor, the Realtor ex-boyfriend, the bartender ex-boyfriend, the other, much younger, ex-boyfriend, or even renovation-reluctant brother, Terry? And what’s that awful smell coming from the basement? Now Peter’s mystery writer skills, and JP’s experience as the former star of a cop show, will be put to the test—as will their relationship while they uncover the secrets of the house and its owners. With a killer on the loose, this is one fixer upper that may prove deadly . . .
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2022
137 people are currently reading
2420 people want to read
About the author
Frank Anthony Polito
15 books117 followersFrank Anthony Polito is an award-winning author and playwright. His published novels include Band Fags (2008 “Best Fiction” – InsightOut Book Club) and Drama Queers (2009 Lambda Literary Award), and the novella “A Christmas to Remember” (the sequel to BAND FAGS!) as featured in the collection Remembering Christmas, and The Spirit of Detroit.
In April 2012, Frank published his first Young Adult novel, Lost in the 90s under his own imprint, Woodward Avenue Books.
Frank grew up in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park. He received his BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University and his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon. He resides in Pleasant Ridge, MI with his partner, Craig Bentley, and their two dogs, Jack and Clyde. He is currently writing a new cozy mystery, Rehearsed to Death, to be published by Kensington Cozies in June 2023.
In April 2012, Frank published his first Young Adult novel, Lost in the 90s under his own imprint, Woodward Avenue Books.
Frank grew up in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park. He received his BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University and his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon. He resides in Pleasant Ridge, MI with his partner, Craig Bentley, and their two dogs, Jack and Clyde. He is currently writing a new cozy mystery, Rehearsed to Death, to be published by Kensington Cozies in June 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
June 20, 2022
Ooof. This was... not good.
From a plot standpoint, it takes 30% of the book to get any murder mystery - at one point, we get a whole rehash of a previous chapter at the beginning of the next, as though the character whose POV we were in wasn't there for everything happened. That was weird! And the murder is pretty easy to solve, even if the motivation is shoved in there at 97%.
But the writing... good lord the writing. Everyone is either a "handsome older man" or a " cute young boy" - like, the former phrase occurs 26 times in the book. That's too many! If you did a shot every time someone was described as "handsome," you'd be hospitalized after the first chapter. And in three consecutive paragraphs, the latter phrase shows up four times. I had an ARC, but if this made it into the final book, someone needs to have a sit down with the copy editor.
There are a million weird asides through the book, too, and so very few of them are relevant. How JP's parents died, the name of the place they got their seat cushions from, PJ's dad's commitment to car culture (and PJ's implied superiority for rejecting it), the marital status (confirmed or assumed) of various characters we see once in the whole book, the flavor profile of a Bell's Two-Hearted... what is the point? Why do we need all this? Why couldn't we do more murder mysterying?
And, of course, we can't forget the names of a few side characters, specifically the real estate agent Cheri Maison and local Detective Nick Paczki. Yes, the real estate agent's name is essentially house and the detective is essentially Detective Donut. I almost put the book down for that second reveal.
Anyways, I think this was poorly plotted and even more poorly written, but if neither of those things bother you, it's not NOT a decently fun read.
Thank you Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC.
From a plot standpoint, it takes 30% of the book to get any murder mystery - at one point, we get a whole rehash of a previous chapter at the beginning of the next, as though the character whose POV we were in wasn't there for everything happened. That was weird! And the murder is pretty easy to solve, even if the motivation is shoved in there at 97%.
But the writing... good lord the writing. Everyone is either a "handsome older man" or a " cute young boy" - like, the former phrase occurs 26 times in the book. That's too many! If you did a shot every time someone was described as "handsome," you'd be hospitalized after the first chapter. And in three consecutive paragraphs, the latter phrase shows up four times. I had an ARC, but if this made it into the final book, someone needs to have a sit down with the copy editor.
There are a million weird asides through the book, too, and so very few of them are relevant. How JP's parents died, the name of the place they got their seat cushions from, PJ's dad's commitment to car culture (and PJ's implied superiority for rejecting it), the marital status (confirmed or assumed) of various characters we see once in the whole book, the flavor profile of a Bell's Two-Hearted... what is the point? Why do we need all this? Why couldn't we do more murder mysterying?
And, of course, we can't forget the names of a few side characters, specifically the real estate agent Cheri Maison and local Detective Nick Paczki. Yes, the real estate agent's name is essentially house and the detective is essentially Detective Donut. I almost put the book down for that second reveal.
Anyways, I think this was poorly plotted and even more poorly written, but if neither of those things bother you, it's not NOT a decently fun read.
Thank you Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC.
May 28, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I enjoyed this book! I decided to give this book a try because I was in the mood for a cozy and I really liked that this book features LGBT+ characters. I found this book to be a super quick read that was hard to put down and I ended up reading most of it in a single day. I thought that this was an excellent first installment in a series that I am looking forward to following.
PJ and JP are almost ready to film the second season of their home renovation show but in order to get things started, they need a house to feature. Luck would have it that there is a house in their neighborhood that was recently inherited by identical twins, Tom and Terry, that needs a lot of updating. Things take an unfortunate turn when Tom is found dead inside the house and it may not have been an accident.
I liked all of the characters and was incredibly pleased to see LGBT+ representation in a cozy mystery. This really was a fun little mystery. I did figure out the mystery pretty early on but I had a good time watching the characters put the pieces of the puzzle together. I had hoped to see a little more home renovation in the story but everything in this book takes place just prior to the start of the actual renovation. I really enjoyed the fact that on top of filming a show and solving a murder, PJ and JP also worked to adopt a dog.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I had a great time reading this book and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out for all of the characters. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this book! I did figure out the mystery pretty early on but I had a good time watching the characters put the pieces of the puzzle together. I liked all of the characters and was pleased to see LGBT+ representation in a cozy mystery. I had hoped to see a little more home renovation in the story but everything in this book takes place just prior to the start of the actual renovation. I found this to be a super quick read that was hard to put down.
I enjoyed this book! I decided to give this book a try because I was in the mood for a cozy and I really liked that this book features LGBT+ characters. I found this book to be a super quick read that was hard to put down and I ended up reading most of it in a single day. I thought that this was an excellent first installment in a series that I am looking forward to following.
PJ and JP are almost ready to film the second season of their home renovation show but in order to get things started, they need a house to feature. Luck would have it that there is a house in their neighborhood that was recently inherited by identical twins, Tom and Terry, that needs a lot of updating. Things take an unfortunate turn when Tom is found dead inside the house and it may not have been an accident.
I liked all of the characters and was incredibly pleased to see LGBT+ representation in a cozy mystery. This really was a fun little mystery. I did figure out the mystery pretty early on but I had a good time watching the characters put the pieces of the puzzle together. I had hoped to see a little more home renovation in the story but everything in this book takes place just prior to the start of the actual renovation. I really enjoyed the fact that on top of filming a show and solving a murder, PJ and JP also worked to adopt a dog.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I had a great time reading this book and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out for all of the characters. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this book! I did figure out the mystery pretty early on but I had a good time watching the characters put the pieces of the puzzle together. I liked all of the characters and was pleased to see LGBT+ representation in a cozy mystery. I had hoped to see a little more home renovation in the story but everything in this book takes place just prior to the start of the actual renovation. I found this to be a super quick read that was hard to put down.
May 14, 2022
2.5/5
This was a cute novel. I loved having a predominately gay cast of characters for a cozy mystery. In my mind I wanted to picture Nate and Jeremiah from Hgtv the whole time I read this book. However, PJ and JP seemed underdeveloped so I never grew a strong connection to them.
The writing felt a little forced to me. There were lots of cliche phrases used and slang that just felt out of place and maybe childish? This was a quick, easy to read book that I feel people would enjoy, but I’m not sure I connected enough to read more books in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!
This was a cute novel. I loved having a predominately gay cast of characters for a cozy mystery. In my mind I wanted to picture Nate and Jeremiah from Hgtv the whole time I read this book. However, PJ and JP seemed underdeveloped so I never grew a strong connection to them.
The writing felt a little forced to me. There were lots of cliche phrases used and slang that just felt out of place and maybe childish? This was a quick, easy to read book that I feel people would enjoy, but I’m not sure I connected enough to read more books in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 6, 2022
A gay couple has renovated their own house in a lovely Detroit suburb for HGTV and is looking for another house for a second season. So they get involved in a house owned by gay identical twins, one
of whom needs the money the sale of a renovated house will bring, the other who holds the house sacred to the memory of their parents, who died together in an accident twenty-five years ago. When the dominant twin is killed in what seems like an accident, our renovators (PJ and JP) are afraid that it was murder. The plot is so-so, but I found the writing unsatisfying, and it seemed to get worse the longer I read.
of whom needs the money the sale of a renovated house will bring, the other who holds the house sacred to the memory of their parents, who died together in an accident twenty-five years ago. When the dominant twin is killed in what seems like an accident, our renovators (PJ and JP) are afraid that it was murder. The plot is so-so, but I found the writing unsatisfying, and it seemed to get worse the longer I read.
April 15, 2022
On my blog.
Rep: gay mc, gay cast
Galley provided by publisher
Renovated to Death was a perfectly fine mystery story. I know this sounds odd to say, given my rating, but it was. The issue was, in fact, that I’ve read way too many of them, seen too many TV shows that rely on the same trope as here, and so I could see it coming a mile off.
And since I was reading it primarily for the mystery aspect, that made it a little disappointing.
Let me split this into two sections: reason you may want to ignore my review and read it anyway, and reasons I was less than enamoured of it.
The Good
— It’s always great to see gay main characters in mystery novels. I feel like, at least in traditional publishing, that’s an area where LGBT rep is only slowly growing, but this series adds to that area.
— For all that I’ve rated it how I have, it wasn’t a bad read. It was fun, at times even funny, and definitely memorable.
— It has characters who leap off the page, but not in a way that makes them seem caricateurish. They feel very real and are, for the most part, very sympathetic.
The Less Good
— Like I said, I saw the plot twist that revealed the answers to the mystery coming from a ways off. This one is very likely just a me problem, though, as I said. There’s only so many plot twists that can happen, given the set up, and I’ve probably seen most of them done some way or another.
— The mystery didn’t really start until the last 60 pages or so, which felt quite slow to build up to, and then meant it felt a little rushed through to the conclusion. There wasn’t space to do much investigating, and in the end, the answer seemed to come to the mc in a flash of inspiration. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it was almost as if the author couldn’t think of another way for it to be revealed.
However, as I said, I don’t mean for this review to put you off reading the book! It’s, as ever, always entirely likely that you’ll enjoy it more than I did. And, in fact, I hope you do, should you pick it up.
Rep: gay mc, gay cast
Galley provided by publisher
Renovated to Death was a perfectly fine mystery story. I know this sounds odd to say, given my rating, but it was. The issue was, in fact, that I’ve read way too many of them, seen too many TV shows that rely on the same trope as here, and so I could see it coming a mile off.
And since I was reading it primarily for the mystery aspect, that made it a little disappointing.
Let me split this into two sections: reason you may want to ignore my review and read it anyway, and reasons I was less than enamoured of it.
The Good
— It’s always great to see gay main characters in mystery novels. I feel like, at least in traditional publishing, that’s an area where LGBT rep is only slowly growing, but this series adds to that area.
— For all that I’ve rated it how I have, it wasn’t a bad read. It was fun, at times even funny, and definitely memorable.
— It has characters who leap off the page, but not in a way that makes them seem caricateurish. They feel very real and are, for the most part, very sympathetic.
The Less Good
— Like I said, I saw the plot twist that revealed the answers to the mystery coming from a ways off. This one is very likely just a me problem, though, as I said. There’s only so many plot twists that can happen, given the set up, and I’ve probably seen most of them done some way or another.
— The mystery didn’t really start until the last 60 pages or so, which felt quite slow to build up to, and then meant it felt a little rushed through to the conclusion. There wasn’t space to do much investigating, and in the end, the answer seemed to come to the mc in a flash of inspiration. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it was almost as if the author couldn’t think of another way for it to be revealed.
However, as I said, I don’t mean for this review to put you off reading the book! It’s, as ever, always entirely likely that you’ll enjoy it more than I did. And, in fact, I hope you do, should you pick it up.
October 27, 2022
DO NOT RECOMMEND.
The most common goodreads comments I’m finding in reviews (which I regrettably did not read before getting the novel) are
1. DNF (did not finish)
2. if you were to take a shot every time the phrase “handsome older man” was used you would die of alcohol poisoning (with some reviews noting you might die within the first chapter) I can confirm that this statement is accurate.
The writing is repetitive and irritating
the murder doesn’t happen until 30% until the book
the characters are flat and stereotypical and interchangeable (if every white gay male is going to drink and gossip at night and have brunch with drinks the next morning at least give one of them a personality trait or two, I guess beyond every pet owner also calling them their fur baby)
The characters decide to look into the murder of a man they met once by going to a drag show at the dead man’s bar 60% of the way into the book, because a stranger suggests they look into it at brunch earlier that day.
There’s almost no plot progression, just narrative dumps every time the characters go out to eat at another local spot from whatever character sees them
About 70% of the book is first person narration by one of the gay renovators, but periodically a chapter of someone hanging out with the dead man before his death (most places in the book days after his death) will occur in 3rd person omniscient narration. Some of the time it is followed directly after of a character giving a play-by-play of the scene you just read, now with the main character interrupting in 1st person narration for no clear reasons.
Other times it appears that information from a 3rd person scene is never revealed to any characters at all.
No idea why any of this happens.
Some characters just do a couple page exposition dump about how they have means, motive, and opportunity and disappear never to be seen again, like a brunch place owner who shared why they want revenge on the dead man, that her husband would kill him if he had the chance, and his taekwondo qualifications, and then disappears forever.
there are pointless long tangents like about how the main character feels he was a bad dog owner growing up because his family took care of the dog when he went to college (what was he supposed to do bring the dog to his dorm room?)
I don’t know what anyone’s personalities are but I know that certain minor characters always order a specific breakfast and sit at a specific booth in a specific diner though it isn’t relevant at all
I was thrilled when a character finally died because I wouldn’t have to hear him described as a “handsome older man” and be reminded that he looked much younger than 50 because he was muscular from going to the gym every day, and only have to hear that information half as often because it would now only be used to describe his still alive identical twin brother. But there kept being whole 3rd person scenes about him in the past even though he was a murder victim, so I couldn’t even escape hearing about how his 6 pack abs and flat stomach were extra flat today (while he’s eating? Why would they be extra flat?)
There are tons of add-on phrases that are painfully just reiterating what was clear, like “‘are you okay?’ He asked, concerned about my well-being” or “‘don’t make a scene’ like he thought I always made a scene” (paraphrased).
I had grabbed this from libby app as queer, mystery, and no wait to have something easy to listen to while I rested and recovered last week, and while I suffered through it it did not get better even after the murder occurred.
There’s a whole other level of DO NOT RECOMMEND for the audiobook. The default narration is likely the author’s normal voice, which isn’t pleasant enough to listen to for 8 hours but is a so-so gay voice that would be fine to listen to for an interview as one might expect. The only other voice he can do is a screeching grating version of that, which is used for the half of the characters that are handsome young men (the other half being handsome older men) and any women characters.
My unwillingness to leave almost anything unfinished (especially audiobooks that I can put on while doing other things or in the case of last week laying down) caused me to complete this dreadful novel.
I cannot imagine reading or listening to anything else by this author unless someone I know gives a rave review. I can only assume there was no editor.
Of course, I have other mysteries centering gay or otherwise queer characters I’ve really enjoyed that I would recommend over this.
The most common goodreads comments I’m finding in reviews (which I regrettably did not read before getting the novel) are
1. DNF (did not finish)
2. if you were to take a shot every time the phrase “handsome older man” was used you would die of alcohol poisoning (with some reviews noting you might die within the first chapter) I can confirm that this statement is accurate.
The writing is repetitive and irritating
the murder doesn’t happen until 30% until the book
the characters are flat and stereotypical and interchangeable (if every white gay male is going to drink and gossip at night and have brunch with drinks the next morning at least give one of them a personality trait or two, I guess beyond every pet owner also calling them their fur baby)
The characters decide to look into the murder of a man they met once by going to a drag show at the dead man’s bar 60% of the way into the book, because a stranger suggests they look into it at brunch earlier that day.
There’s almost no plot progression, just narrative dumps every time the characters go out to eat at another local spot from whatever character sees them
About 70% of the book is first person narration by one of the gay renovators, but periodically a chapter of someone hanging out with the dead man before his death (most places in the book days after his death) will occur in 3rd person omniscient narration. Some of the time it is followed directly after of a character giving a play-by-play of the scene you just read, now with the main character interrupting in 1st person narration for no clear reasons.
Other times it appears that information from a 3rd person scene is never revealed to any characters at all.
No idea why any of this happens.
Some characters just do a couple page exposition dump about how they have means, motive, and opportunity and disappear never to be seen again, like a brunch place owner who shared why they want revenge on the dead man, that her husband would kill him if he had the chance, and his taekwondo qualifications, and then disappears forever.
there are pointless long tangents like about how the main character feels he was a bad dog owner growing up because his family took care of the dog when he went to college (what was he supposed to do bring the dog to his dorm room?)
I don’t know what anyone’s personalities are but I know that certain minor characters always order a specific breakfast and sit at a specific booth in a specific diner though it isn’t relevant at all
I was thrilled when a character finally died because I wouldn’t have to hear him described as a “handsome older man” and be reminded that he looked much younger than 50 because he was muscular from going to the gym every day, and only have to hear that information half as often because it would now only be used to describe his still alive identical twin brother. But there kept being whole 3rd person scenes about him in the past even though he was a murder victim, so I couldn’t even escape hearing about how his 6 pack abs and flat stomach were extra flat today (while he’s eating? Why would they be extra flat?)
There are tons of add-on phrases that are painfully just reiterating what was clear, like “‘are you okay?’ He asked, concerned about my well-being” or “‘don’t make a scene’ like he thought I always made a scene” (paraphrased).
I had grabbed this from libby app as queer, mystery, and no wait to have something easy to listen to while I rested and recovered last week, and while I suffered through it it did not get better even after the murder occurred.
There’s a whole other level of DO NOT RECOMMEND for the audiobook. The default narration is likely the author’s normal voice, which isn’t pleasant enough to listen to for 8 hours but is a so-so gay voice that would be fine to listen to for an interview as one might expect. The only other voice he can do is a screeching grating version of that, which is used for the half of the characters that are handsome young men (the other half being handsome older men) and any women characters.
My unwillingness to leave almost anything unfinished (especially audiobooks that I can put on while doing other things or in the case of last week laying down) caused me to complete this dreadful novel.
I cannot imagine reading or listening to anything else by this author unless someone I know gives a rave review. I can only assume there was no editor.
Of course, I have other mysteries centering gay or otherwise queer characters I’ve really enjoyed that I would recommend over this.
January 9, 2023
I will be hearing the phrase “handsome older man” in my nightmares for the rest of my life. I wanted to like this but I can’t get past the writing. I don’t need to be reintroduced to every character every time a new chapter starts. This book also feels so lifeless. The characters show pages more emotion over not getting to adopt a specific dog they liked than they show to finding a dead body, which takes almost 100 pages to get to. The book spends almost 70 pages over one night at a dinner party and exploring the house the main characters might renovate but there is absolutely no development over those pages. The only thing we know is that Tom and Terry ARE IDENTICAL TWINS. YOU HEAR ME? IDENTICAL TWINS.
I really got pulled out of the book by inconsistencies in the narrative too. At one point the reader is introduced to a couple that has been together for 20 years (and who are married) but one of the men was married to a woman while he was closeted and has a tween-aged trans daughter which just makes no sense since the reader is told the two men got together after he came out?
There are so many things that stuck out to me about this book that I just could not enjoy and on top of that the solution is laughably obvious even before the reader gets to the discovery of the body. Overall this is a major flop for me.
And honorable mention that the names are so ridiculous. The actor MC’s last name is Broadway, his partner the author is Penwell. The real estate agent is Sellers and there’s even a mention of a hot gym teacher named MR. GOODBODY.
I really got pulled out of the book by inconsistencies in the narrative too. At one point the reader is introduced to a couple that has been together for 20 years (and who are married) but one of the men was married to a woman while he was closeted and has a tween-aged trans daughter which just makes no sense since the reader is told the two men got together after he came out?
There are so many things that stuck out to me about this book that I just could not enjoy and on top of that the solution is laughably obvious even before the reader gets to the discovery of the body. Overall this is a major flop for me.
And honorable mention that the names are so ridiculous. The actor MC’s last name is Broadway, his partner the author is Penwell. The real estate agent is Sellers and there’s even a mention of a hot gym teacher named MR. GOODBODY.
May 30, 2022
Renovated to Death by Frank Anthony Polito is the debut of A Domestic Partners in Crime Mysteries. I thought Renovated to Death had a unique premise with a predominately gay cast of characters. We met JP and PJ who are domestic partners and the stars of Domestic Partners, a renovation show. They are going to renovate the home twins, Tom and Terry inherited from their parents. The home has been neglected for twenty-five years. On the day filming is to begin, they find Tom Cash dead at the base of the stairs. The police initially rule the death accidental, but then the case is ruled a homicide. PJ uses his skills as a mystery writer and JP his experience as a cop on a television show to solve the crime. The list of suspects is quite lengthy and includes some of the partner’s friends. The pair work to uncover the truth about the crime. I struggled to read Renovated to Death. The POV switches around which makes it confusing along with the large cast of characters. With so many names sounding familiar, I kept getting the people confused (JP, PJ, Tom, Terry, Cam, Bob, Hank). I did feel the main characters needed to be more fleshed out. The pacing varied throughout the book. Sometimes it zipped along and other times it dragged. There are some chapters that seemed to lag on forever. While I found the chapter about the noxious smell in the basement amusing, I felt like it went on too long. There are several chapters like this. There were also repeated phrases and descriptions especially about people. A couple of examples are the baseball hats the twins wore, a man’s smoking, one man’s muscles, and the gap between one man’s teeth. We only need to be told once. The mystery did not begin until I was a third of way into the book. The clues begin to appear in the second half of the book. There are plenty of them to help readers solve the crime before the reveal. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the various homes. I could visualize the beautiful homes from the author’s word imagery. I can tell the author likes the Detroit area. It really came through in the writing. I enjoyed the side storyline about PJ and JP adopting a puppy. The adoption scene had me smiling. I was put off by the frequent mentions of intimacy as well as how appealing a person is to someone (describing their body in detail for example). There are no explicit scenes, but the connotations are prevalent. I did feel the gay men were portrayed in a stereotypical way (the 80s version of gay men). Renovated to Death was a mixed bag for me. When I end up skimming, I know I am not enjoying the book. If you are on the fence, download a sample to check it out for yourself. Renovated to Death is a campy cozy mystery with troublesome twins, a stinky smell, renovation realities, a stair skirmish, mishap or murder, and snooping partners.
May 10, 2022
I was really torn on how many stars to give Renovated to Death by Frank Anthony Polito. I thought it was really well written and enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the various house’s architecture. The brunch scenes had me wanting to join the guys for a bite to eat, and you could feel so much emotion in the dog adoption scenes. But I found myself skimming a lot with this book.
While I did enjoy the detailed descriptions of the houses, some of the scenes just seemed to drag on and on. The chapter with the horrible smell did make me chuckle, it also seemed to be never ending, and unfortunately that wasn’t the only one. I also found myself skimming some of the conversations because physical descriptions were repeated so much; gap in teeth, type of baseball hat, and smoking are just a few that instantly come to mind.
I requested to read an ARC via Netgalley for Renovated to Death because I was happy to see a cozy mystery include gay men as the main characters. While diversity in cozies is happening, I feel like there could be a lot more. I can see some of the more traditional cozy readers not enjoying this book because of the heavier use of sexuality in it. While there is no graphic sex, it does seem to be a more central theme in the book. The campiness and overtly stereotypical way that the gay men were protrayed did get to be a bit much for me after awhile.
As for the whodunnit, which didn’t start until 30% into the story, which made the beginning drag a bit, I found it very easy to figure out because of all the repetition. But since I read a lot of mysteries, other readers may not have such an easy time figuring out what happened.
I would give book two in A Domestic Partners in Crime series a read, especially since this is Polito’s first book and there are always growing pains, but if I found myself skimming again, I probably wouldn’t continue reading the series.
While I did enjoy the detailed descriptions of the houses, some of the scenes just seemed to drag on and on. The chapter with the horrible smell did make me chuckle, it also seemed to be never ending, and unfortunately that wasn’t the only one. I also found myself skimming some of the conversations because physical descriptions were repeated so much; gap in teeth, type of baseball hat, and smoking are just a few that instantly come to mind.
I requested to read an ARC via Netgalley for Renovated to Death because I was happy to see a cozy mystery include gay men as the main characters. While diversity in cozies is happening, I feel like there could be a lot more. I can see some of the more traditional cozy readers not enjoying this book because of the heavier use of sexuality in it. While there is no graphic sex, it does seem to be a more central theme in the book. The campiness and overtly stereotypical way that the gay men were protrayed did get to be a bit much for me after awhile.
As for the whodunnit, which didn’t start until 30% into the story, which made the beginning drag a bit, I found it very easy to figure out because of all the repetition. But since I read a lot of mysteries, other readers may not have such an easy time figuring out what happened.
I would give book two in A Domestic Partners in Crime series a read, especially since this is Polito’s first book and there are always growing pains, but if I found myself skimming again, I probably wouldn’t continue reading the series.
April 27, 2022
It’s a good book but not make me curious whatsoever. It’s definitely felt like watching renovations home and solving mystery at the same time! It’s funny at the certain parts and I’ll say this was fun mystery thriller! Never read this kind of mystery thriller before!
June 11, 2022
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Bestselling mystery author Peter “PJ” Penwell and actor JP Broadway are real-life partners who have come together to star in and produce Domestic Partners, a hot reality home renovation show. They are getting ready for their second season and have plans to renovate another house in Pleasant Woods, Michigan. Twin brothers Terry and Tom Cash inherited the family home and have let it fall to disrepair. PJ and JP have plans to breathe some life into the home so it can be sold for a pretty penny in this elite Detroit suburb.
Everything is in place to start filming in a few days when JP and PJ discover Tom Cash dead at the foot of the stairs of their project. The staircase is pretty rickety and that leads the police to rule the death accidental. Later when more information comes to light they declare the event a homicide. Tom ruffled plenty of feathers over the years so there are plenty of suspects including his twin brother Terry. The mystery writer skills in PJ start to kick in as do things actor JP learned playing a cop. They know the killer needs to be found quickly or their new reno project could hit the skids and more people could end up dead.
I was excited to review this book because I love that cozies are getting more diverse and this one is truly testing the waters with the cast almost entirely made up of gay men.
The author took a lot of time to introduce the characters which I really appreciate for the first book in a new series but I felt I really didn’t get to know enough. They just felt a little flat. It may be just me but I started out getting really confused between the two main characters PJ and JP. I finally got it in my head to translate the initials with the characters’ last names, Penwell – Author, Broadway – Actor. When I did that the story flowed much better. I did like the characters and that is what kept me reading and not throwing the book at the wall.
We did meet several other characters that were all connected to Tom and Terry. I deal with a set of twins in our family and understand it can be hard to tell them apart which is why I really focused on the differences between Tom and Terry. Who wore what hat? Who had a space between their teeth? Who was more outgoing and who was more passive? Who was enthusiastic about renovating their parent’s home and who wanted it left as is? I really tuned in to how each brother reacted to the people around them too. They may have been identical in looks but different in every other way. It made them very interesting to me and felt they were very well developed.
Mr. Polito penned a very good mystery but I think because I was ultra-focused on the twins I cataloged each clue dropped in a way that had me solving the mystery almost as soon as the death occurred. There were some great twists but they just firmed up my theories.
Something that really struck my heart was PJ and JP trying to adopt a dog. We were disappointed by the pet adoption process ourselves a few years ago and went through some of the same feelings the characters had. Things worked out for us in the long run. You will have to read the book to find out what happens with the Domestic Partners.
I really enjoyed all the descriptions of the homes in Pleasant Woods and that one was turned into a wonderful restaurant. I had hoped for more renovations in this book but the house the stars had previously renovated was mentioned a lot as to what they had done there. I am sure there will be more in the next book.
Renovated to Death lays a good foundation for this series. I am looking forward to more character development of Penwell and Broadway and them getting involved in a more complicated mystery. I am also looking forward to more about their television show including the filming and them actually doing some renovations.
Bestselling mystery author Peter “PJ” Penwell and actor JP Broadway are real-life partners who have come together to star in and produce Domestic Partners, a hot reality home renovation show. They are getting ready for their second season and have plans to renovate another house in Pleasant Woods, Michigan. Twin brothers Terry and Tom Cash inherited the family home and have let it fall to disrepair. PJ and JP have plans to breathe some life into the home so it can be sold for a pretty penny in this elite Detroit suburb.
Everything is in place to start filming in a few days when JP and PJ discover Tom Cash dead at the foot of the stairs of their project. The staircase is pretty rickety and that leads the police to rule the death accidental. Later when more information comes to light they declare the event a homicide. Tom ruffled plenty of feathers over the years so there are plenty of suspects including his twin brother Terry. The mystery writer skills in PJ start to kick in as do things actor JP learned playing a cop. They know the killer needs to be found quickly or their new reno project could hit the skids and more people could end up dead.
I was excited to review this book because I love that cozies are getting more diverse and this one is truly testing the waters with the cast almost entirely made up of gay men.
The author took a lot of time to introduce the characters which I really appreciate for the first book in a new series but I felt I really didn’t get to know enough. They just felt a little flat. It may be just me but I started out getting really confused between the two main characters PJ and JP. I finally got it in my head to translate the initials with the characters’ last names, Penwell – Author, Broadway – Actor. When I did that the story flowed much better. I did like the characters and that is what kept me reading and not throwing the book at the wall.
We did meet several other characters that were all connected to Tom and Terry. I deal with a set of twins in our family and understand it can be hard to tell them apart which is why I really focused on the differences between Tom and Terry. Who wore what hat? Who had a space between their teeth? Who was more outgoing and who was more passive? Who was enthusiastic about renovating their parent’s home and who wanted it left as is? I really tuned in to how each brother reacted to the people around them too. They may have been identical in looks but different in every other way. It made them very interesting to me and felt they were very well developed.
Mr. Polito penned a very good mystery but I think because I was ultra-focused on the twins I cataloged each clue dropped in a way that had me solving the mystery almost as soon as the death occurred. There were some great twists but they just firmed up my theories.
Something that really struck my heart was PJ and JP trying to adopt a dog. We were disappointed by the pet adoption process ourselves a few years ago and went through some of the same feelings the characters had. Things worked out for us in the long run. You will have to read the book to find out what happens with the Domestic Partners.
I really enjoyed all the descriptions of the homes in Pleasant Woods and that one was turned into a wonderful restaurant. I had hoped for more renovations in this book but the house the stars had previously renovated was mentioned a lot as to what they had done there. I am sure there will be more in the next book.
Renovated to Death lays a good foundation for this series. I am looking forward to more character development of Penwell and Broadway and them getting involved in a more complicated mystery. I am also looking forward to more about their television show including the filming and them actually doing some renovations.
May 14, 2022
This was a cute novel. I loved having a predominately gay cast of characters for a cozy mystery. In my mind I wanted to picture Nate and Jeremiah from Hgtv the whole time I read this book. However, PJ and JP seemed underdeveloped so I never grew a strong connection to them.
The writing felt a little forced to me. There were lots of cliche phrases used and slang that just felt out of place and maybe childish? This was a quick, easy to read book that I feel people would enjoy, but I’m not sure I connected enough to read more books in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!
The writing felt a little forced to me. There were lots of cliche phrases used and slang that just felt out of place and maybe childish? This was a quick, easy to read book that I feel people would enjoy, but I’m not sure I connected enough to read more books in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 9, 2022
I really wanted this book to be amazing because it’s the first gay cozy I’ve ever read and we definitely need lots of them. However, as far as cozies go it’s mediocre at best. The writing itself was clunky and I wish the editorial team had worked it over a few more times to make it shine. I’ll read more in the series in the hopes of improvement, though!
Read
July 2, 2024dnf at 13%, I couldn't get into it, but it may just be my current mood. Maybe I'll try again at another time.
July 2, 2023
It had a lot going for it, in concept: home renovations, queer culture, mystery.
But if I were still a book editor and this disaster came across my desk, I'd send it back to the author for a COMPLETE rewrite. The plot is fine, though entirely too easy for the reader to solve the whodunit early on. However, this is the most atrocious writing I've encountered since I don't know when.
I'm sure this author is a lovely person, but someone needs to give him a Fiction Writing 101 class. I could be here all day pointing out the rookie mistakes:
- repetition of information (we do not need to restate all characteristics and backstory of characters EVERY time they enter a scene);
- carelessness in regard to consistency;
- a couple weird chapters that deviate from the first-person narrative and suddenly skip around to another characters' experiences in the third person;
- way too many extraneous details that do nothing for either the plot or the atmosphere — for starters.
The literary faux pas that annoyed me the most was the endless manner in which the author would follow up a piece of dialogue by restating what was literally JUST SAID, as if readers are idiots who need every line explained to them. I ended up skimming the last 50 pages because I could no longer wade through all the sloppy writing and non sequiturs.
I love cozy mysteries. I love queer cozy mysteries. I understand that not all mysteries are going to be erudite pieces of literature. But really, I'm sooooo disappointed that the writing was atrocious here, because otherwise it could have been entertaining.
I hope an editor with a stronger hand steps in for the next novel in the series. I don't think I could possibly put myself through reading another one of these unless the writing SIGNIFICANTLY improves.
But if I were still a book editor and this disaster came across my desk, I'd send it back to the author for a COMPLETE rewrite. The plot is fine, though entirely too easy for the reader to solve the whodunit early on. However, this is the most atrocious writing I've encountered since I don't know when.
I'm sure this author is a lovely person, but someone needs to give him a Fiction Writing 101 class. I could be here all day pointing out the rookie mistakes:
- repetition of information (we do not need to restate all characteristics and backstory of characters EVERY time they enter a scene);
- carelessness in regard to consistency;
- a couple weird chapters that deviate from the first-person narrative and suddenly skip around to another characters' experiences in the third person;
- way too many extraneous details that do nothing for either the plot or the atmosphere — for starters.
The literary faux pas that annoyed me the most was the endless manner in which the author would follow up a piece of dialogue by restating what was literally JUST SAID, as if readers are idiots who need every line explained to them. I ended up skimming the last 50 pages because I could no longer wade through all the sloppy writing and non sequiturs.
I love cozy mysteries. I love queer cozy mysteries. I understand that not all mysteries are going to be erudite pieces of literature. But really, I'm sooooo disappointed that the writing was atrocious here, because otherwise it could have been entertaining.
I hope an editor with a stronger hand steps in for the next novel in the series. I don't think I could possibly put myself through reading another one of these unless the writing SIGNIFICANTLY improves.
February 15, 2022
Renovated to Death by Frank Anthony Polito is an excellent cozy mystery that is the first in what I expect will be an awesome new series. I loved it!
Peter and JP are just awesome characters. Their chemistry and interactions really made the day. The concept, the location, the character cast, the sleuthing double-duo, the whip smart sass/dialogue/banter, and the murder/mystery were all spot on.
The idea of incorporating all of these themes into a rehab show of o.d homes, Domestic Partners, is just so creative, funny, and fresh. Plenty of suspects, and the path to the conclusion was just joyful.
I had so much fun with this book and highly recommend it. I can’t wait for the next one.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/31/22.
Peter and JP are just awesome characters. Their chemistry and interactions really made the day. The concept, the location, the character cast, the sleuthing double-duo, the whip smart sass/dialogue/banter, and the murder/mystery were all spot on.
The idea of incorporating all of these themes into a rehab show of o.d homes, Domestic Partners, is just so creative, funny, and fresh. Plenty of suspects, and the path to the conclusion was just joyful.
I had so much fun with this book and highly recommend it. I can’t wait for the next one.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/31/22.
June 23, 2022
Lighthearted, but impactful. Cozy, but underlaid by a foundation of seriousness. A lot of fun to be had by both characters and readers, yet with an awareness of the potential dark side. RENOVATED TO DEATH is a strongly Gay cosy mystery, Book 1 in the Domestic Partners in Crime Series. PJ and JP are life partners, and hard-working stars of the Domestic Partners home renovation reality show, heading into its second season. Homeowners in a beautiful historic suburb of Detroit, life is rocking until the newest renovation client dies in a fall on the Stairs of the house they are to renovate. Seems simple: a weak step, an accidental fall with tragic consequences. But writer of high school mysteries PJ and former tv cop Series actor JP view it differently, and they intend to uncover the truth.
May 22, 2022
I was happy to find a cozy mystery series featuring gay main characters. In this book, the main characters are two domestic partners, PJ and JP (I’m not kidding), the stars of a renovation TV series focusing on restoring historic homes in the Detroit area. PJ has a background as a writer of YA mysteries and is the main narrator of the book, and JP is an actor, who is often cast as a police officer. So they have a general background that helps them become amateur sleuths. There are also several minor characters who are also gay. So far, so good.
One of the biggest problems I had with the writing was the repetitive descriptions of everyone and everything. I got tired of reading the same phrases over and over again. I got it the first time: the cop is hunky, the older man is handsome, the house is a Tudor style, and so forth. (I read an ARC, so some of this may have been eliminated in the final published version. I hope so.)
In addition to the mystery, there was a funny episode that involved trying to figure out what was causing a putrid smell in the house they were preparing to renovate, and a sweet side plot involving their attempt to adopt a puppy. The author has an obvious fondness for the Detroit area, which lent an air of authenticity to his descriptions.
There’s a lot of potential here for the series to continue and for the main characters to become more filled out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
One of the biggest problems I had with the writing was the repetitive descriptions of everyone and everything. I got tired of reading the same phrases over and over again. I got it the first time: the cop is hunky, the older man is handsome, the house is a Tudor style, and so forth. (I read an ARC, so some of this may have been eliminated in the final published version. I hope so.)
In addition to the mystery, there was a funny episode that involved trying to figure out what was causing a putrid smell in the house they were preparing to renovate, and a sweet side plot involving their attempt to adopt a puppy. The author has an obvious fondness for the Detroit area, which lent an air of authenticity to his descriptions.
There’s a lot of potential here for the series to continue and for the main characters to become more filled out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
August 24, 2022
If I could give this train wreck a negative rating stars ratibg, I would .Seriously, one of the WORST I've attempted to read .
.
I quit by chapter 3 as my brain was trying to strangle me from such hideous boring writing . I then skimmed the ending and the death explanation was as stupid as the begining .
Its NOT a mystery novel
Its NOT a "witty" humorous novel
Its not even a home renovation novel
Its a horrible no plot dating story.Whuchvwould be fine if that's what I was looking for . I wasn't. I thought I was picking up a slightly funny mystery
As someone else said it does make for a great drinking game :
Every time he writes " handsome older man " or "younger man "
( sometimes 2 or 3 times on the same
page !)....Take a shot.
But be careful you might get alcohol poisoning from rhe amount of shots you'll be downing .
You've been warned🤣!
I think this guy shot to the top 5 most disliked writers I've attempted.
I REALLY need to start reading the first chapter of books before I I take them out, like I used to as a kid . Id save myself a lot of disappointment.
.
I quit by chapter 3 as my brain was trying to strangle me from such hideous boring writing . I then skimmed the ending and the death explanation was as stupid as the begining .
Its NOT a mystery novel
Its NOT a "witty" humorous novel
Its not even a home renovation novel
Its a horrible no plot dating story.Whuchvwould be fine if that's what I was looking for . I wasn't. I thought I was picking up a slightly funny mystery
As someone else said it does make for a great drinking game :
Every time he writes " handsome older man " or "younger man "
( sometimes 2 or 3 times on the same
page !)....Take a shot.
But be careful you might get alcohol poisoning from rhe amount of shots you'll be downing .
You've been warned🤣!
I think this guy shot to the top 5 most disliked writers I've attempted.
I REALLY need to start reading the first chapter of books before I I take them out, like I used to as a kid . Id save myself a lot of disappointment.
June 17, 2022
I was looking forward to reading this because it's a murder mystery/ home renovation combined! And diverse main characters!
However this fell flat for me. I'm not a detail oriented person who knows a lot about architecture so the long explanations had me skim reading. Same with the descriptive brunches. If you are into home renovations (like detailed... not diy type, but architecture type) then you'll enjoy this one! It is just not my thing. Also the writing felt a little forced with lots of clichés.
However this fell flat for me. I'm not a detail oriented person who knows a lot about architecture so the long explanations had me skim reading. Same with the descriptive brunches. If you are into home renovations (like detailed... not diy type, but architecture type) then you'll enjoy this one! It is just not my thing. Also the writing felt a little forced with lots of clichés.
June 18, 2022
RENOVATED TO DEATH is the first in a new series of cozy mysteries from Frank Anthony Polito. I have been friends with Frank for many years. We met on MySpace outraged about the Mysteries of Pittsburgh movie based on the Michael Chabon novel we both loved. I loved his young adult novels and I’m so excited that this gay cozy mystery is in the world.
After their first successful season renovating their home for a TV reality show, real-life partners Peter and JP are looking for their next house to renovate. The writer and actor meet with Tom and Terry Cash, gay twins who own a Tudor Revival in the thriving suburb just north of Detroit, with the hopes that it will be the perfect setting for season 2 of Domestic Partners. When one of the twins is found dead, the duo try to figure out what happened by talking to a cast of gay neighbors and friends, all while trying to adopt the rescue dog of their dreams.
I don’t know if this book could be any cozier since this book has a home renovation show, an adorable dog for adoption, a Craftsman house in a sleepy suburb. It’s like Murder, She Wrote meets Property Brothers meets a Gay Utopia. I loved that the book features so many queer characters in a gay enclave in the suburbs of Detroit. The cast of characters is fun. The mystery drives a really fun plot exploring the world of these two men and their community.
If you’re looking for a gentle, charming book full of warmth and humor, make sure you add this to your Pride month selections.▪️
After their first successful season renovating their home for a TV reality show, real-life partners Peter and JP are looking for their next house to renovate. The writer and actor meet with Tom and Terry Cash, gay twins who own a Tudor Revival in the thriving suburb just north of Detroit, with the hopes that it will be the perfect setting for season 2 of Domestic Partners. When one of the twins is found dead, the duo try to figure out what happened by talking to a cast of gay neighbors and friends, all while trying to adopt the rescue dog of their dreams.
I don’t know if this book could be any cozier since this book has a home renovation show, an adorable dog for adoption, a Craftsman house in a sleepy suburb. It’s like Murder, She Wrote meets Property Brothers meets a Gay Utopia. I loved that the book features so many queer characters in a gay enclave in the suburbs of Detroit. The cast of characters is fun. The mystery drives a really fun plot exploring the world of these two men and their community.
If you’re looking for a gentle, charming book full of warmth and humor, make sure you add this to your Pride month selections.▪️
June 2, 2022
I enjoyed this book! I was in the mood for a cozy mystery when I discovered this book and everything that I learned about it - a Michigan setting, a house renovation show as a backdrop and a modern take on the cozy - all made me jump right in. And it was even better, the fictional Michigan setting is under 5 miles from where we used to live in Michigan, it was a super quick read that was hard to put down. Dog rescue and HGTV (HDTV?) renovation show can it get any better …
PJ and JP, the gay fiancés and main characters, are almost ready to film the second season of their home renovation show but in order to get things started, they need a house to feature. There is a house in their neighborhood but identical twins, Tom and Terry, have not touched their deceased parents’ house in the past 20+ years will they now ? Things take an unfortunate turn when Tom is found dead inside the house and it may not have been an accident…
I liked all of the characters and was incredibly pleased to see diverse representation in a cozy mystery, the genre has been slow in that regard. I was quite excited to discover that the lines of reality and fiction were a little blurred. The author, a Michigan native who lived in New York for 18 years, moved back home with his partner, just like the main characters and also just like the main characters they are an author and an actor respectively. Polito and his partner actually found their home while appearing on the HGTV series “House Hunters“, of course I had to watch that 2013/2014 episode after I finished reading and I loved the 1924 Craftsman Colonial they chose… now let‘s hope they didn’t happen on an accident/murder right across the street …
It was an excellent first installment in a series that I am looking forward to following.
PJ and JP, the gay fiancés and main characters, are almost ready to film the second season of their home renovation show but in order to get things started, they need a house to feature. There is a house in their neighborhood but identical twins, Tom and Terry, have not touched their deceased parents’ house in the past 20+ years will they now ? Things take an unfortunate turn when Tom is found dead inside the house and it may not have been an accident…
I liked all of the characters and was incredibly pleased to see diverse representation in a cozy mystery, the genre has been slow in that regard. I was quite excited to discover that the lines of reality and fiction were a little blurred. The author, a Michigan native who lived in New York for 18 years, moved back home with his partner, just like the main characters and also just like the main characters they are an author and an actor respectively. Polito and his partner actually found their home while appearing on the HGTV series “House Hunters“, of course I had to watch that 2013/2014 episode after I finished reading and I loved the 1924 Craftsman Colonial they chose… now let‘s hope they didn’t happen on an accident/murder right across the street …
It was an excellent first installment in a series that I am looking forward to following.
June 22, 2022
Renovated To Death is the debut novel in the “A Domestic Partners In Crime Mystery” series by Frank Polito. Having renovated a home for their TV show, PJ and JP need a new house to work on for season two. Along comes the twins, Tom and Terry, to fulfill their needs. But not all is right in the world with the brothers or the house. I will say straight up that I did not care for this book. I am sure for some people, it is a hit. It just didn't work fo click with me. Not that there aren’t some good parts to this book.
When PJ and JP agree to use a set of twins' family home as a renovation project for their TV show, they never dreamed they would find a body. But the next day, they find one of the twins at the bottom of the stairs of the soon-to-be renovated house. At first, it is believed to be a tragic accident, but was it, or was it murder? There are quite a few suspects and plenty of red herrings, but nothing adds up and before long, the main characters are involved in finding a killer.
Although some characters are likable, they aren’t well written. The location is wonderful, and Frank does a great job describing the area and the homes they are or have renovated. The relationship between PJ and JP is sweet, and their desire to adopt a puppy is heartwarming. The other characters, such as the twin brothers, are described nicely, but all the characters lack depth. There is little mystery in the story, and it doesn’t take long for readers to figure out what is going on and who is to blame. There is too much modern slang and repeated terms to make the dialogue believable, and the names of the characters are far too common and easy to mix up. The body at the bottom of the stairs has been used so many times in a home renovation-based cozy, that it's almost an everyday means of murder.
In general, I would have liked to know more about PJ and JP’s backgrounds and more about the twins and their friends. I would love to see more about the renovated homes and the TV series, and less about who is sleeping with, or was sleeping with, whom. I think this series has potential but Renovated To Death wasn’t what I had hoped it would be, or what it could have been.
When PJ and JP agree to use a set of twins' family home as a renovation project for their TV show, they never dreamed they would find a body. But the next day, they find one of the twins at the bottom of the stairs of the soon-to-be renovated house. At first, it is believed to be a tragic accident, but was it, or was it murder? There are quite a few suspects and plenty of red herrings, but nothing adds up and before long, the main characters are involved in finding a killer.
Although some characters are likable, they aren’t well written. The location is wonderful, and Frank does a great job describing the area and the homes they are or have renovated. The relationship between PJ and JP is sweet, and their desire to adopt a puppy is heartwarming. The other characters, such as the twin brothers, are described nicely, but all the characters lack depth. There is little mystery in the story, and it doesn’t take long for readers to figure out what is going on and who is to blame. There is too much modern slang and repeated terms to make the dialogue believable, and the names of the characters are far too common and easy to mix up. The body at the bottom of the stairs has been used so many times in a home renovation-based cozy, that it's almost an everyday means of murder.
In general, I would have liked to know more about PJ and JP’s backgrounds and more about the twins and their friends. I would love to see more about the renovated homes and the TV series, and less about who is sleeping with, or was sleeping with, whom. I think this series has potential but Renovated To Death wasn’t what I had hoped it would be, or what it could have been.
August 1, 2023
This book is fine, but ultimately, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. I love a cozy mystery but this fell a little flat for me.
A real strength, in my opinion, was the ability to ground the plot and characters in a well-conceptualized world. As a frequent reader of LGBTQIA fiction, I appreciated the representation a lot too. The book (and series) have a lot of potential!
I did find the frequent repetition a bit pedantic. I’m a non-fiction editor by trade, so I recognize the differences in genre and that I bring my own lens, but to my eye, the repeating of plot points, character descriptions, and backstory felt like a lack of trust in the reader to pick up key details the first time or two.
Sometimes the writing seemed forced, too, as others have noted. For example, Pete’s frequent references to JP as his “partner” read to me as an effort to emphasize the series (and show’s) title, but it was too much. For instance, from pgs 249-51, the term “partner” is used five times. (This isn’t the only instance like this.) I think this feels particularly forced because most of us don’t think like that. I rarely think “my husband is calling.” I think, “[insert name] is calling.” It’s overly repetitive and suggests a lack of trust in the reader to remember this primary relationship or its connection to the series title.
I like the world that was built here, and I do think I’ll come back for the second in the series, hoping for less repetition, fewer uses of the word “handsome,” and a quicker, more dynamic plot (that’s possibly less predictable).
A real strength, in my opinion, was the ability to ground the plot and characters in a well-conceptualized world. As a frequent reader of LGBTQIA fiction, I appreciated the representation a lot too. The book (and series) have a lot of potential!
I did find the frequent repetition a bit pedantic. I’m a non-fiction editor by trade, so I recognize the differences in genre and that I bring my own lens, but to my eye, the repeating of plot points, character descriptions, and backstory felt like a lack of trust in the reader to pick up key details the first time or two.
Sometimes the writing seemed forced, too, as others have noted. For example, Pete’s frequent references to JP as his “partner” read to me as an effort to emphasize the series (and show’s) title, but it was too much. For instance, from pgs 249-51, the term “partner” is used five times. (This isn’t the only instance like this.) I think this feels particularly forced because most of us don’t think like that. I rarely think “my husband is calling.” I think, “[insert name] is calling.” It’s overly repetitive and suggests a lack of trust in the reader to remember this primary relationship or its connection to the series title.
I like the world that was built here, and I do think I’ll come back for the second in the series, hoping for less repetition, fewer uses of the word “handsome,” and a quicker, more dynamic plot (that’s possibly less predictable).
May 31, 2024
The first book of the "Domestic Partners in Crime Mystery" series, "Renovated to Death" by Frank Anthony Polito is definitely a first book. About 40% of the book is a copy paste of flamboyant Hollywood stereotype gay man, with minor differences. Not all gay men are like this.
I'm also very sick of the encouraging of much older people to go after barely legal partners. That "age is just a number" bs is just an excuse to okay border line pedophilia. You can't have an underage person so barely legal is good enough for those with moderate self control. There's much more I could say about this but not the venue.
As far as the mystery went, once it started the story significantly improved. I was about to give up on the book when almost half way through there was no mystery yet. I had it figured out pretty early on but it didn't take away from the remainder of the story. Despite the very stereotypical characters, it's still good that more LGBTQ+ books are becoming more mainstream.
I'm also very sick of the encouraging of much older people to go after barely legal partners. That "age is just a number" bs is just an excuse to okay border line pedophilia. You can't have an underage person so barely legal is good enough for those with moderate self control. There's much more I could say about this but not the venue.
As far as the mystery went, once it started the story significantly improved. I was about to give up on the book when almost half way through there was no mystery yet. I had it figured out pretty early on but it didn't take away from the remainder of the story. Despite the very stereotypical characters, it's still good that more LGBTQ+ books are becoming more mainstream.
June 8, 2022
Disappointed
This book sounded good from the summary, but was disappointing in the end. I was looking forward to reading about different protagonists then the usual cozy which almost always has a woman going home to her small town place of birth after the husband, fiancé, etc has done her wrong to work in her grandmother, aunt’s bakery, bookshop etc. I really wanted to like PJ and JP, but I never really got a sense of them, they’re totally interchangeable, like the cutsie names (which was really a big mistake). Also the “Big” plot twist at the end was totally obvious in chapter 10 when the body was found, the only information that I did get from the ending was whether the death was an accident or actual murder.
So, I did read the whole book, but I can’t really recommend it.
This book sounded good from the summary, but was disappointing in the end. I was looking forward to reading about different protagonists then the usual cozy which almost always has a woman going home to her small town place of birth after the husband, fiancé, etc has done her wrong to work in her grandmother, aunt’s bakery, bookshop etc. I really wanted to like PJ and JP, but I never really got a sense of them, they’re totally interchangeable, like the cutsie names (which was really a big mistake). Also the “Big” plot twist at the end was totally obvious in chapter 10 when the body was found, the only information that I did get from the ending was whether the death was an accident or actual murder.
So, I did read the whole book, but I can’t really recommend it.
April 29, 2022
"Real-life domestic partners and stars and producers of the new hit reality home renovation show Domestic Partners, bestselling mystery author Peter “PJ” Penwell and actor JP Broadway are enjoying work and life in their sleepy Detroit suburb of Pleasant Woods—until a suspicious death makes an unscripted appearance . . ."
As a reader who lives in Michigan, I enjoyed the story - especially, the tiny thrill one can get while recognizing areas described!
As a former fiction editor - word repetition and themes slowed the story down, names of places are too close to real names which became distracting. Characters are developed, hope to see a bit more of their personalities in the next one and loved the twist at the end.
As a reader who lives in Michigan, I enjoyed the story - especially, the tiny thrill one can get while recognizing areas described!
As a former fiction editor - word repetition and themes slowed the story down, names of places are too close to real names which became distracting. Characters are developed, hope to see a bit more of their personalities in the next one and loved the twist at the end.
June 2, 2023
Huh, I really looked forward to this book and boy was it a dud. I was disappointed. The book was a caricature of itself. That’s the best description I could come up with. The mystery had so much potential and fell short. The dog adoption storyline was bizarre the way it was written. 👀👀👀👀 this was just a no no no and I so wanted to like it. I also have book two, and now I’m dreading it.
January 19, 2025
I actually liked this even though it had one of my most hated problems of murder mystery novels: introducing the murder very late. According to my audiobook reader, it was almost 30% in before the murder victim was found. Yes, the beginning was establishing all the suspects, but I prefer most of that to happen after. The other thing I don’t like are too many points of view. In a cozy mystery, IMHO there should only be one.
It wasn’t a difficult mystery at all. I figured it out before the body even appeared. There were so many clues it was ridiculous. I like being able to solve the mysteries but not this easily. You won’t be fooled either, I’m afraid. But it was still entertaining.
There was an excessive amount of description. Every house they visited was described in detail from the style to the color to the state of her interior. It made sense for home renovators to observe this but it’s excessive for the reader. But, as a huge fan of home renovation shows, I didn’t mind.
Even though he was too stupid to live, I liked the main character. But he had quirks. He was big on calling people and places by a descriptive feature or thing. For example, one character was constantly referred to as “The Handsome Older Man.” Actually two because they were twins. He called them that more often than their names. For a while I thought he just didn’t know who the guy was and that it was one person.
The house at the center of the story was always referred to as 4 Fairway Lane. One friend was Fairview Bob. I actually think the repetition was supposed to be funny. Whenever the MC mentioned his grandmother he’d say “rest her sweet soul.” He did have really good grammar though.
I didn’t always like the characterizations whether I liked the characters themselves. I don’t think we were supposed to actually like them because we were supposed to think everyone was a suspect.
The author read the book in the audio version and he did a pretty good job in all ways except most of the voices were this screechy, nasally, horrible sound. And only a gay man is allowed to make such stereotypical voices for gay men which many are. As it was voiced by the author who mentions his partner at the end, there you go. Practically every page had a reminder that they were gay men. He did a great job of voicing the Black drag queen. I wondered if he does drag himself.
It’s not “over exaggeration” that’s redundant. It’s just exaggerating. Odd because he was great on grammar such as mentally correcting a friend about who and whom and correctly knowing that the expression is actually “if you think this, you have another think coming.” Look it up. That alone made me like him. Just kidding. But I really did like him, both the character and the author which is why I’m planning on reading the next one.
It wasn’t a difficult mystery at all. I figured it out before the body even appeared. There were so many clues it was ridiculous. I like being able to solve the mysteries but not this easily. You won’t be fooled either, I’m afraid. But it was still entertaining.
There was an excessive amount of description. Every house they visited was described in detail from the style to the color to the state of her interior. It made sense for home renovators to observe this but it’s excessive for the reader. But, as a huge fan of home renovation shows, I didn’t mind.
Even though he was too stupid to live, I liked the main character. But he had quirks. He was big on calling people and places by a descriptive feature or thing. For example, one character was constantly referred to as “The Handsome Older Man.” Actually two because they were twins. He called them that more often than their names. For a while I thought he just didn’t know who the guy was and that it was one person.
The house at the center of the story was always referred to as 4 Fairway Lane. One friend was Fairview Bob. I actually think the repetition was supposed to be funny. Whenever the MC mentioned his grandmother he’d say “rest her sweet soul.” He did have really good grammar though.
I didn’t always like the characterizations whether I liked the characters themselves. I don’t think we were supposed to actually like them because we were supposed to think everyone was a suspect.
The author read the book in the audio version and he did a pretty good job in all ways except most of the voices were this screechy, nasally, horrible sound. And only a gay man is allowed to make such stereotypical voices for gay men which many are. As it was voiced by the author who mentions his partner at the end, there you go. Practically every page had a reminder that they were gay men. He did a great job of voicing the Black drag queen. I wondered if he does drag himself.
It’s not “over exaggeration” that’s redundant. It’s just exaggerating. Odd because he was great on grammar such as mentally correcting a friend about who and whom and correctly knowing that the expression is actually “if you think this, you have another think coming.” Look it up. That alone made me like him. Just kidding. But I really did like him, both the character and the author which is why I’m planning on reading the next one.
March 1, 2022
To know me is to know that I love a good whodunit. I like the hunt, the Chase, and figuring out what happened. This is my first time reading anything by Frank Anthony Polito. I'm always excited to find new voices in this genre. I enjoyed the back-and-forth chatter, the antics of their friends, and all the interpersonal relationships. Having said that, the constant change of POV could be at times confusing. I did find the constant razing and amplified drama of mundane issues to be a bit taxing but overall I enjoyed the feel and premise of this book. Will I be picking up the next book in the series? Absolutely! I feel like its gonna keep getting better the further the series (hopefully) moves along.
~Tanja
*Thank you to KensingtonPublishing via Netgalley for the ARC
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~Tanja
*Thank you to KensingtonPublishing via Netgalley for the ARC
Follow me on
Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok
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