Mel Turner specializes in restoring old homes in the San Francisco Bay area – and it should come as no surprise that those homes have ghosts. Some are as old as the homes they haunt, but one ghost in particular is very new at the ghost gig, as Mel finds out. Meanwhile, home renovation sets the stage for a treasure hunt, and for murder.

This is a pretty standard contemporary cozy mystery; there’s the feisty heroine, the possible love interest, the dead body (and the dead body’s ghost), the heroine’s parent (I hadn’t mentioned this before, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious that parents are important players in lots of these books), and of course the killer.

Also, there’s a carsick chocolate lab who is probably my favorite character.

This is a pleasant read with no huge detractors. It didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat, but what cozy mystery does that anyhow? If you like the genre, you may like this book, although a subgenre of haunting and construction is a biiig stretch. Three stars. ( )

A quick, enjoyable read with a likeable main character. The mystery and the supernatural elements worked fine within the story. I could do with much less (or none) of the old-flame-reappears part of the story as it was unnecessary and quickly became oh-isn't-it-convenient-that-he's-around. ( )

While I felt like the mystery part of this mystery novel was a bit on the light side, I generally enjoyed it. I actually found the discussion of historic restoration & house flipping more enjoyable than the murder mystery, although the "case" felt really natural in the context of the main character's life and job, so perhaps the fact that it was a bit lightweight was fitting. I thought the supernatural part of it was completely unnecessary, but it wasn't distracting. I also enjoyed Xe Sands narration - I think this is the first I've listened to one of hers, and it was very well done. I'd probably read more in this series if I was looking for something sort of lightweight and fast. ( )

Melanie Turner remodels homes. Not just any homes....historic San Francisco homes. Rejuvenating properties to their former glory is Melanie's favorite thing to do. She's taken on a problematic project this time. A dilapidated Pacific Heights mansion needs a makeover. The property owner attempts a drunken DIY session that ends with a death by power tool. Melanie steps in to help finish the remodel work, but the dead man's ghost won't leave her alone. She begins investigating to save her reputation as a contractor and rid herself of a pesky spirit.

I listened to the audio book version of this story and enjoyed every minute of it. The background theme (historic homes restoration), characters, and mystery were all interesting. I'm not sure how I would respond to the situation (death by power tool is pretty gruesome), but Melanie stepped right in to try and help. I like her as a MC. She is intelligent, very good at her job and feisty when required. It would be difficult to be a woman in a typically male job, but she pulls it off with gusto.

This book is definitely a cozy. While the death is a gruesome, it isn't described in graphic details. There is no sex, cussing or otherwise distressing moments. The story is a nice mix of humor and mystery. I like the combination of historic home renovation and murder mystery. It just works well. And wouldn't that be a fun job?? So much history! And getting to bring an old home back to life. It would be so interesting! Lots of work....but rewarding!

There are seven books in this series. I'm definitely going to be reading my way through the rest! This was a fun book to read! Juliet Blackwell writes several other cozy series including Witchcraft Mysteries, and Art Lover's Mystery series.

Moving on to book two -- Dead Bolt! ( )

Good concept. Poorly executed. ( )