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FATAL FIXER-UPPER
by Jennie Bentley
Berkley, November 2008
332 pages
$6.99
ISBN: 0425224570


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Isn't it everybody's favorite daydream? (Right after winning the lottery, of course.) Being left a fabulous inheritance by an aged relative! Avery Baker isn't aware that she is about to live out a fantasy when she accepts her elderly Aunt Inga's summons to visit her in the charming town of Waterfield, Maine. In fact, Avery is glad to leave New York and her cheating boss-slash- boyfriend. Resigned to the fact that her job as a textile designer for an antique dealer has evaporated along with her romance, Avery feels she is due for a respite and gratefully accepts a chance to lick her wounds and regroup. Unfortunately Avery's plans are changed drastically when she arrives at her aunt's genteel but neglected home to find that the old lady has died.

Avery's arrival surprises Mr. Rogers, Aunt Inga's lawyer, who has been searching the house for her will. With Avery's help they find it hidden in an old desk and it's a toss up who is more surprised to learn that Avery has been named the principal benefactor. As Avery put it, "I was an heiress….Of course, what I'd inherited was a run-down pseudo- shack in the middle of nowhere, full of bad furniture and framed pictures of cats, but still, I was an heiress."

Now, what to do with her inheritance? Despite an offer for immediate sale from the glamorous realtor, Mellissa James, Avery decides that she would come out further ahead by repairing the house before sale, and on the advice of the local B and B owner, hires Derek Ellis to restore it. As Avery cleans out the house she becomes aware of a few disturbing facts. Firstly, Aunt Inga's accidental and fatal fall coincides with the disappearance of a local history professor who seems to have shared her aunt's interest in the life of Marie Antoinette. Secondly, someone seems mighty put out that Avery is staying in town and living in the old homestead, if the accidents that begin to happen are any indication. And lastly, the discovery of an old French chaise longue in the attic brings Avery's old beau running from New York.

Jennie Bentley has stayed true to form in FATAL FIXER-UPPER. True to the demands of the traditional cozy, this book has lots of atmosphere and a more plausible reason than some for the heroine to be investigating the death. Avery is a sharp and determined protagonist and is supported by a cast characters that are equally strong. My favorite secondary character is Avery's former boss the faux Frenchman, Philippe, whom everyone except Avery sees through the moment they meet him. The book's pace is consistent and the mystery satisfyingly sophisticated. Hats off to the author for resisting the temptation to send Avery's handyman love interest to rescue her during the final dramatic scene, in which Avery proves she has the resources to save herself.

The epilogue sees Avery and Derek forming a partnership in the restoration business, a plausible and interesting platform for a series. I look forward to reading more about them, especially if Jennie Bentley continues to allow Avery to take the lead.

Reviewed by Merrill Young, August 2009

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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