I'm on a cozy mystery tear so far this year, and I'm going with it, hoping to get through a huge backlog of mysteries while also getting my now annual cozy cull underway.

I'm a huge fan of Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile series, and while I like this one, I can't say I like it quite as much. I'm enjoying the characters a lot and the setting is gorgeous (can you ever go wrong with northern California?). But she's set up a f*^king love triangle between Shannon, the police chief and the famous novelist living in Shannon's backyard. Shannon is single, so it's not the kind of triangle that screws with an established relationship, and there's a definite absence of male posturing, thank the stars, but it's still tedious. And here's the thing: she's described the police chief as looking like Thor. Done! Why are we wasting our time with the man who does not look like Thor?!?! Honestly, I find the whole thing a waste of time.

The story was probably a bit more drawn out that it could have been; it didn't flow as smoothly as it could and lagged a bit in the middle (probably because there wasn't enough Thor), but the mystery plotting was pretty inspired. The author leads the reader through the story by the nose and then tweaks it a bit towards the end by having the author-who-does-not-look-like-Thor discuss the mystery writing process, specifically how to plot a murder, with Shannon. So just when I thought it couldn't possibly be anybody but X and why am I still reading this? (right, Thor) new clues emerge and suddenly the whole thing goes off in a different direction. Well played Kate Carlisle.

So, giving an extra star for seriously yanking my chain (in a good way) and taking away 1/2 a star because in my world, Thor has no rivals. ( )

contractors, family-dynamics, family, friendship, small-town, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, romance, cozy-mystery, murder, murder-investigation, pets*****

The first dead man Shannon finds looks like natural causes. Except that the entire house has been tossed while there seemed to be nothing stolen that could be pawned for quick sale. Meanwhile she is rehabbing a friend's newly purchased Victorian and another friend's B&B complete with ghost. Great believable characters and good sleuthing.
I started to buy the earliest books in series because I liked the newest one so much, but the narrator's
overly dramatic, saccharine style makes me wish I had a good robot to read it to me. ( )

The combination of hidden treasure,wonderfully descriptive settings and characters and a mystery that is fun to follow, makes this series one to keep an eye on. ( )

For my money, Kate Carlisle's two-book-old Fixer-Upper cozy series is her best. Readers get a beautiful coastal California setting complete with beaches, redwoods, a lighthouse, and wonderful old Victorian houses, as well as a strong cast, and writing tips from one of the characters. Combine all that with This Old Homicide's tales of shipwrecks and hidden treasure, and what's not to like?

Carlisle doesn't forget that her main character has to work for a living, so readers are treated to regular visits to old homes being renovated. Shannon knows her stuff, so she's seen working alongside her crews, and along with renovation tips she shows us how to take care of scheduling, supplies, permits, and all that other "fun" stuff.

Shannon's an endearing character, and I'm really enjoying getting to know both her and her best friends. I can even tolerate Shannon's nemesis because, while Whitney is an obnoxious cow, she's not over the top. I think Carlisle's giving Whitney a genuinely nice guy as a husband helps temper my reaction to her.

Shannon's one lucky woman for she's been blessed with not one but two thoroughly handsome, smart, and funny guys. When this budding romantic triangle began to blossom in the first book, I was wary because one of the reasons I stopped reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books a few years back is because Stephanie refused to make up her mind-- Joe or Ranger? Unlike Stephanie, Shannon can make up her mind, probably because she runs a successful business. She also has a very strong sense of what's right. She knows she has to make a decision. I'm looking forward to seeing how Carlisle deals with the situation. It should be very interesting. Do I know which guy I'd pick? Yes, I do!

Carlisle's mystery-- especially with the added bonus of a shipwreck and hidden treasure-- is a good one, even though I did think the identity of the killer was a bit obvious. For as most cozy readers know, it isn't just about whodunit; it's got even more to do with the characters-- and Carlisle's got both a winning cast and a winning series. ( )

I really enjoyed this story. Although I didn’t read the first book in this series, A HIGH-END FINSH, I never felt lost or like I was missing anything.

THIS OLD HOMICIDE was fast paced and entertaining. A good, tightly written mystery with plenty of suspects to make you wonder “whodunit”.
Ms. Carlisle is a superb storyteller. Her descriptions of the quaint town of Lighthouse Cove, CA, and the beautiful Victorian homes it is known for, were very vivid and truly drew me in.

My favorite part of this book is protagonist, Shannon Hammer. Her chosen occupation, a building contractor, is very refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, I love lead characters who own shops and restaurants, but this is a fun change. And while Shannon is a woman doing a “man’s” job, she keeps the girly alive by using pink tools, hard hats, tool belts, goggles, the works. Too fun. (No, she doesn’t make her male workers wear pink ;-) )

There is also a fun secondary story for fans who like a bit of a paranormal twist. I look forward to seeing how this will play out in future books.

The only drawback in this book for me, was the over use of curse words. H*ll and a*s made several appearances, but the over use of the word d*mn because very distracting to me. One of my favorite things about cozies is the lack of cursing. I only bring this up because I know a lot of people who read my reviews feel the same way and I thought you would a heads up. However, if you can look pass this or it doesn’t make a difference to you at all, then please do get yourself a copy of THIS OLD HOMICIDE.

You can pre-order your copy now for the January 27 release! ( )