Shannon and her team have been slaving away at the renovations for Rafe Nash's farm/conference center and now the time has come for the big event. The conference is opening with the barn raising but before the construction can be completed, Rafe's ex-partner is found stabbed to death in the midst of the construction materials. While the murder investigation goes on, so does the conference minus the barn. When shots are fired at Rafe and his guests, and another body is found, Shannon and Mac are enlisted to keep an eye out on the conference and the attendees.

I think this was the best in the series so far! Shannon and Mac have a great connection and the other characters are really fleshing out nicely.!
I've been binging on this series and have only the newest to finish but I hope there are many more! ( )

I love old houses, and the idea of a construction company that specializes in the restoration and reconstruction of old Victorians makes me happy in my soul. There's just something magical and homey in an old house. The main character in Kate Carlisle's Fixer-upper Mystery series, Shannon Hammer, breathes new life into old Victorian houses...so of course, I had to give this series a try!

Shot Through the Hearth is the 7th book in the series. Normally I don't jump into a series after so many books, but I was willing to try it to see if I would like the characters and the plot. I'm glad I did! This was an enjoyable cozy! I was easily able to figure out most of the characters and their relationships, although I think I would have understood the nuances a bit better had I started at the beginning of this series.

In Shot Through the Hearth, Hammer Construction is hired for a complicated reconstruction and new construction project. They have 8 months to refurbish a large Victorian home, and build some green eco-friendly structures, including an eco-friendly barn. Their client, Rafe Nash, made his millions in the tech industry and energy efficient inventions. He plans an eco-friendly convention just after the construction projects are finished. Shannon finds herself really liking Rafe (which is good since he is engaged to a close friend of hers), but his business partner, Dillon, is another matter altogether. Things get dicey when a body is found in the barn during the convention.....and then another body turns up. With more than 500 people in attendance at the conference and most of them quirky in one way or another.....there are a lot of suspects and lots of investigation!

For me this was a nice introduction to this series. I'm definitely going to backtrack and read the Fixer-upper Mysteries from the beginning!

**I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book from Berkley via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

A good cozy series, although a bit Pollyanna-ish at times, but I love her descriptions of house renovation (I, like so many, am a HGTV junkie). This time around, she’s hired to do a major renovation for her friends Rafe and Maragold. Tech billionaire Rafe wants to save the world and he’s has a lot for Shannon and her crew to do on his property to prepare it for a conference full of inventors wanting to help make that happen, including a barn raising! It seems that murder does not leave anyone alone, even do-gooders, but the fun here is in the odd ball conference goers Shannon encounters along the way. The killer in this one was easier to spot than most, but relationship dramas made up for that. A solid entry to the series ( )

This was a timely topic for a cozy mystery. Billioniare Raphel Nash is settling in to his retirement in Lighthouse Cove, but needs an outlet for all his creative ideas and humanitarian dreams for the world. He plots out a huge conference to invite people to understand and help with Global Survival and hires Shannon to help renovate not just his home, but provide conference space, a tall building for plant life and an old fashioned barn raising. The books covers a lot of time, months in, the framework is set for the conference, which brings all sorts of new faces (and suspects) to LIghthouse Cove. When Rafe's former partner is found dead, Shannon is on the scene to try to understand the dynamics of the pair and how to clear her friend's name. There was a lot of time spent at the conference and I liked the peek into the world of wind turnbines, smart mice, living plants and how patents for new ideas are started. ( )

This is by far my least favourite book in the series. I had to force myself to finish reading the first chapter which was a lot more technical than interesting.

Usually, books in this series have the charm of a small town, with a hometown contractor renovating buildings in her town while solving crimes using her knowledge of the town and its people.

This book brought in a huge number of strangers, most of them whack-a-doodles or psychos, and put them in an essentially unfamiliar environment. There are more than enough suspects and victims to go around but nobody that you care about.

Somehow, Shannon manages to be busy enough in the book to pretty much miss seeing, or even talking to, her father for a year while a mysterious romance develops. Hard to believe when they live in the same town.

The cover is misleading. The patio shown does not belong to the protagonist but has her pets firmly in place and the fireplace, which had a corner of the hearth shot off, instead displays a huge chunk missing from the chimney.

I did not find a single typographical error in the book which is becoming more rare so kudos to the proof-readers. ( )

As one of Kate’s Raters, I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's all about saving the environment in this seventh installment of Carlisle's fixer-upper series. Narrated by Shannon Hammer, contractor and protagonist of the series, it introduces new characters and brings back familiar ones. Retired tech billionaire Raphael Nash is hosting a grand conference in Lighthouse Cove and has hired Shannon and her crew to renovate his home and barn for the on-site event. Not only is he the fiancée of Shannon's friend, Marigold, the namesake of his foundation, he is gorgeous and a genuinely nice guy.

Unlike Shannon and the business-owners of Lighthouse Cove, who stand to benefit from the conference, Rafe's former business partner, Dillon Charles, is less than thrilled. Vitriolic, condescending, and rude, he rubs everyone the wrong way. Virtual opposites in both looks and personality, his association with Rafe is a puzzle. He vents his feelings of frustration and betrayal on Rafe, trying to convince him to return to their company. But, his criticisms and insults only make things worse.

When Dillon is found dead during one of the opening events of the conference, it is a shock, but not a surprise. Shannon finds herself at a crime scene, a familiar, yet unfortunate occurrence for both her and police chief Eric Jensen(AKA "Thor"). And, as if that wasn't bad enough, it is followed by another death. Then, a series of events too numerous to be coincidental.

This was another enjoyable book in the series. It had a good mystery, likeable characters, and humor(sometimes laugh-out-loud). And, as always, I learned something new. ( )

SHOT THROUGH THE HEARTH by Kate Carlisle
When a multimillionaire throws a conference in a small town, attendees start dying. If you can overlook a “small town” with hotel accommodations for over a thousand people, a well-planned conference with no apparent security, a police force that chooses to stop for a steak dinner instead of investigating the second murder at said conference, and a number of other improbable incidents, this is a pretty good mystery.
Those murdered aren’t very likeable, the main characters are likeable and red herrings abound in this cozy mystery by a well known author. The characters are well developed, the plot is interesting and intricate, and writing is more than adequate.
A fast, easy read for a lazy afternoon. Carlisle fans will like this outing in the “fixer-upper series.
4 of 5 stars ( )

This light and fun mystery proves that sometimes a person is just plain crazier than you think, but when it comes to retired billionaire Raphael Nash's conference on eco-living, the ideas that are described are often every bit as interesting as the mystery and the characters.

It's nice to read about a billionaire who actually wants to do good and pay his good fortune back, but it's just as much fun to try to figure out who killed his old business partner. Shot Through the Hearth (love the title) is another strong entry in one of my favorite cozy series. Now it's back to waiting for the next one... ( )

Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle is the seventh A Fixer-Upper Mystery. It can be read by those familiar with the series as well as newcomers. I found Shot Through the Hearth to be a delightful cozy mystery. Shannon Hammer is excited by the challenge of Rafe’s project. He not only wants his Victorian farmhouse renovated, Rafe wishes a unique tower (the Ecosphere) to be constructed and for them to hold a barn raising. It will be Shannon and her crews first barn. Rafe also wants them to use green materials as well as unique eco-friendly gadgets. The one downside is they only have eight months to complete Rafe’s list since he plans on holding the first Future Global Survival Con. The conference begins and we are introduced to a quirky cast of characters. There is Marcus Reedy with his special vine, Stephanie to Midge Andresen with her sandcastle worms. Sketch Horn, an author, is also in attendance and Mac is not thrilled (wait until you meet him). When Rafe’s old business partner, Dillon Charles is murdered, there are a host of suspects who could have killed the unpleasant man. There are good clues and some unexpected revelations. As the conference continues, there are a series of unfortunate events including another death. Shannon with help from her boyfriend, Mac work to uncover the culprit. I love the banter between Mac and Shannon. They are a couple who are truly meant for each other. I appreciate that Shannon and Mac share information with Eric Jensen, the chief of police. The female readers will relish the character Niall Rose with his Scottish brogue and the descriptions of him wearing his kilt. I laughed often while reading Shot Through the Hearth. It is a humorous story that I was sorry to see end. I especially enjoyed Shannon’s reaction to the smart mice (it was hilarious). Shot Through the Hearth is told in the first person which I normally dislike, but it works for this series. We get to see things from Shannon’s perspective which can be highly entertaining at times (like with the smart mice). There is one scene at the end that had me in stitches. I cannot wait to read the next installment in A Fixer-Upper Mystery series. Shot Through the Hearth is a captivating cozy mystery with a barn building, flirtatious fauna, puzzling patents, malicious mushrooms, wacky worms and a dazzling detective duo. ( )

This was my first book in this series and I am impressed. Of course, I expected to be impressed since I have read all of the books in the author’s Bibliophile Mystery series and have loved each and every one of them. I’ve also watched a few of the movies based on this series and liked them okay, but wasn’t totally impressed. My belief is that the book is always better than the movie – and that was certainly correct this time. I like both Shannon and Mac much better in the book! I liked the lighthearted banter between Shannon and Mac and also between Shannon and her friends.

Shannon and her construction company are undertaking their biggest job yet and it is really exciting for them because they will be doing some types of construction they’ve never done before. Not only will they be refurbishing an old farmhouse, but they’ll also be constructing all the venues for a huge environmental/earth survival conference where all of the latest green building technologies will be featured. This is all at the behest their client Raphael (Rafe) Nash who is a retired tech bazillionaire who is engaged to one of Shannon’s best friends – Marigold.

As the conference begins, Shannon meets some really strange people who are involved in all sorts of planet-saving research and/or projects. Some are true ding-a-lings, some are serious believers, and others are putting their drive and intelligence to good use by developing earth sustaining products. Everybody seems really excited about this first-ever conference – and the chance to win a grant from the newly formed Marigold Foundation.

It isn’t too long into the conference before a body is found. The victim was a real dastard and wasn’t liked by anyone – meaning that there are well over five-hundred suspects. Finding someone who didn’t want him dead would be an easier task. As both the conference and the investigation continue – other strange things happen – and then another body. Who is trying to ruin the conference? Or – is someone also trying to kill Rafe or Marigold?

Mac and Shannon continue to help the Police Chief with the investigation because they want to assure that their friends, Rafe and Marigold, aren’t harmed.

One of my favorite parts has to do with Shannon and the ‘smart’ mice. Also, as I mentioned before, the humor and banter among the main characters are delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and definitely recommend it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )