Once a Wall Street hotshot, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree chucked it all for a charmingly dilapidated fixer-upper in the tiny town of Eastport, Maine. She was certain she’d left the dangers of city life behind--until she discovered that no place, no matter how idyllic and peaceful it may appear, is safe from murder. Unhinged It began with the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Hollingsworth--Eastport’s snoopiest resident. Everyone is convinced the old busybody bolted out of town to escape her creditor--everyone except Jake and her best friend Ellie who know Harriet would never leave home without her most prized possession. But before Jake and Ellie can persuade police chief Bob Arnold to open an investigation, they’ll need to come up with proof more sinister than a pair of abandoned binoculars. Just as Jake starts poking around for clues, things suddenly take a troubling turn for the worse. A suspicious accident nearly kills her teenaged son, Sam, and her husband, Wade, just misses getting his head blown off. Jake is prepared to attribute these incidents to a spate of bad luck--until another “accident” leaves a visitor to Eastport unmistakably dead. Most perplexing, all this mayhem coincides with the unexpected arrival of a man from Jake’s past: a former New York City cop. Harry Markle claims he has unintentionally brought an unwelcome guest into Eastport: a crook determined to knock off everyone with ties to Harry. Twenty-four hours ago, Jake’s only worry was fixing her broken-down gutters and downspouts before the big storm swept into town. Now, everything seems to be falling apart all around her. Jake knows from experience that the truth is usually as messy and complicated as do-it-yourself remodeling. As it becomes chillingly clear that appearances in this quaint community are more misleading than ever, she’ll have to find a way to lure a homicidal maniac into the light--before he nails another victim. Do-it-yourselfer Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree (Wreck the Halls), a former financial consultant-turned-Maine sleuth, worries about a missing elderly recluse with snooping proclivities. Coincidentally, the retired cop who purchases the old lady's cottage saved Jake's life long ago and has been searching for her father (presumed dead by everyone else) all these years. And the last murderer whom he pursued has apparently followed him to Maine, causing a wreck that injures Jake's son. No down time here, then, either for Jake or her fans, who will be vastly entertained by her sleuthing foibles, animals, fixer-upper accidents, and eccentric friends. For most collections. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Readers who assume that this is a lightweight series because of its title (Home Repair Is Homicide) are doing Graves an injustice. Other than heroine Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree's ex-husband, Victor, there is nothing superficial about this first-rate series. Although the plots include descriptions of Jake's remodeling efforts on her 1823 Federal home in Eastport, Maine, they also examine weighty issues such as Jake's traumatic childhood and her son Sam's drug addiction. Graves populates her series with fascinating ancillary characters, such as Jake's wise native Maine friend, Ellie, and Jake's Zenlike yet macho husband, Wade. The story begins with the strange disappearance of Harriet, a grumpy old Eastport native, and the arrival of kindly old stranger Lian Ash. Another newcomer, former NYPD detective Harry Markle, has a connection to Jake's childhood. When Harriet is found murdered and other nasty accidents and unexplained deaths occur, Harry worries that a serial killer who murdered his family may have resurfaced in tiny Eastport. Another standout in a series that, unlike the homes it features, needs no fixing up whatsoever. Jenny McLarin Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Think Diane Mott Davidson with a tool belt instead of recipes!"— Denver Post "Graves hits the nail square on the head in her Home Repair is Homicide series!"— Booklist "Lively and charming!"— Dallas Morning News From the Paperback edition. Once a Wall Street hotshot, Jacobia ?Jake? Tiptree chucked it all for a charmingly dilapidated fixer-upper in the tiny town of Eastport, Maine. She was certain she?d left the dangers of city life behind--until she discovered that no place, no matter how idyllic and peaceful it may appear, is safe from murder. Unhinged It began with the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Hollingsworth--Eastport?s snoopiest resident. Everyone is convinced the old busybody bolted out of town to escape her creditor--everyone except Jake and her best friend Ellie who know Harriet would never leave home without her most prized possession. But before Jake and Ellie can persuade police chief Bob Arnold to open an investigation, they?ll need to come up with proof more sinister than a pair of abandoned binoculars. Just as Jake starts poking around for clues, things suddenly take