Wreck the Halls

Name: Wreck the Halls
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: Sarah Graves
ISBN: 9781602832329

Author: Sarah Graves

Series: Home Repair is Homicide Mysteries #5

Narrator: Lindsay Ellison

Unabridged: 9 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 11/01/2010

Categories: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths

Synopsis

Christmas is just weeks away, but what Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree discovers at Faye Anne Carmody’s house is far from festive: a dazed Faye Anne covered with blood. Her no-good husband, Merle—Eastport’s butcher and least-liked citizen—is nowhere in sight. Nowhere, that is, until Jake finds his body—wrapped in his own butcher paper. It looks like an open-and-shut case, but Jake isn’t convinced. Then another resident turns up dead, and Jake knows the trail doesn’t begin—or end—with Merle. Jake had planned to spend the winter rehabilitating her old house, but now she’ll have to work on nailing a killer before her beloved town gets even smaller.

About Sarah Graves

Sarah Graves lives with her husband in Eastport, Maine, in the 1823 Federal-style house that helped inspire her books. This series and the author’s real-life experience have been featured in House & Garden and USA Today.

About Lindsay Ellison

Lindsay Ellison is a narrator, producer, director, editor, performer, teacher, and a published and recorded songwriter and poet. She has narrated hundreds of audiobooks for the Library of Congress and the Perkins School for the Blind. She is an improvisational storyteller and a spokesperson for art and literacy on several New England television stations, and she coaches the art of narration nationally.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Glen on April 17, 2021

A bit more dour than most cozies, This one is set in a decaying Maine town, struggling for its very existence. With very few differences, this could be the setting for an HP Lovecraft story. An abusive husband is found, vivsected and wrapped in butcher's paper, like something from an old EC comic bo......more

Goodreads review by Cindy on December 25, 2017

This was pretty painful to read and it took me forever to plow through it. These two women ran around like two of the three stooges getting into situations where they are almost killed over and over again but somehow they escape each episode with no lasting damage. And they keep on suspecting practi......more

Goodreads review by Krystle on July 06, 2016

Below average cozy. Didn't care for the ending or the characters.......more

Quotes

“The prose is brisk and the jokes are funny.” Wall Street Journal

“Appealing.” USA Today

“The mystery and its solution are satisfying, but what distinguishes the novel are its likable, no-nonsense protagonist-narrator, her references to home repair that the author cleverly fits tongue-and-groove into the story and, especially, the detailed descriptions of the town.” Los Angeles Times

“This book has it all…fun and gripping.” San Diego Union-Tribune

“An adventuresome spirit makes Wreck the Halls an amusing read…Graves has created a vivid picture of small-town Maine. Her characters are lively…and often charming. Her puzzle is involving and intricate…and Jake’s constant worries about her restoration projects and her love for her home provide an appealing backdrop.” Dallas Morning News

“Wreck the Halls boasts a plot with an edge and characters with a solidity so often lacking in books of this type. And Graves is a whiz at dialog and witty to boot…[A] humorously grisly take wrapped in a picturesque Maine winter. Grab a throw blanket and curl up.” Rocky Mountain News

“A fun read, with just enough mayhem and suspense to keep you guessing until the end. Graves is a clever mystery writer and this proves her talent.” Brunswick Times Record (Maine)

“Graves hits the nail square on the head in her Home Repair Is Homicide series…Graves paints a compelling portrait of small-town Maine in this entertaining cozy.” Booklist

“The ride is fun, and Sarah Graves seems to be having a blast.” Maine Sunday Telegram

“Eloquently depicts the beauties and hardships of life on an island in Maine…Filled with believable and engaging characters, exquisite scenery, and extravagant action.” Greensboro News and Record (North Carolina)