From Publishers Weekly
Against her better judgment, Josie Pigeon (last seen in Deck the Halls with Murder) single mom and owner of Island Contracting, agrees to allow her all-woman crew to be filmed by a PBS remodeling series, only to find that the show's beautiful host, Courtney Castle, is her childhood nemesis. Ever protective of her past, Josie tries to hide her connection to Courtney, but when the popular host goes missing and is presumed dead, the small island town's citizens are soon whispering that Josie had something to do with it. Josie turns to her boyfriend, former lawyer Sam Richardson, for advice on how to clear her nameAand to protect the members of her crew from unwanted scrutiny. Josie is an expert carpenter, and loveable and entertaining to boot, but she's no Nancy Drew: she jumps to conclusions and fails to ask the obvious questions necessary to solve the mystery. Somehow, though, everything comes together in her mind, and she single-handedly divines the killer's identity. Wolzien has an annoying habit of not telling the reader what Josie knows until after the fact, which detracts from what little suspense there is. The insight into Josie's secret past, however, will surely delight the series' fans, and a visitor from Wolzien's Susan Henshaw series is a clever tie-in. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
"A nice writing style and considerable wit."
--Chicago Tribune


Review
"A nice writing style and considerable wit."
--Chicago Tribune


Book Description
When the production crew for Courtney Castle's Castles invades contractor Josie Pigeon's job site to shoot a PBS remodeling series, Josie's fifteen minutes of fame seem imminent. Unfortunately, the confusion of taping compounds the chaos of construction, and Josie is soon ready to kill.

Which is why, when a bludgeoned body appears on the premises, Josie is a top suspect. That's when she decides to make her own suspect list. But the more Josie hammers down the facts, the closer to home she hits . . .



From the Inside Flap
When the production crew for Courtney Castle's Castles invades contractor Josie Pigeon's job site to shoot a PBS remodeling series, Josie's fifteen minutes of fame seem imminent. Unfortunately, the confusion of taping compounds the chaos of construction, and Josie is soon ready to kill.

Which is why, when a bludgeoned body appears on the premises, Josie is a top suspect. That's when she decides to make her own suspect list.  But the more Josie hammers down the facts, the closer to home she hits . . .


From the Back Cover
"A nice writing style and considerable wit."
--Chicago Tribune



About the Author
Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Ms. Wolzien lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached on-line at valerie@wolzien.com


Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One

JOSIE PIGEON EXAMINED her reflection in the dressing room's mirrors, a frown creasing her freckled face.

"It looks--You look--uh, lovely--dear." The slim, young saleswoman seemed to be having a difficult time finding the right words.

Josie didn't bother responding. She knew she didn't look lovely. She never looked lovely. Slightly overweight, with frizzy red hair that she had given up trying to control, she was usually satisfied with perky and thrilled if anyone thought she was cute. "Maybe I should try a smaller size?"

"It's not fashionable to wear them tight."

"I'm not trying to be fashionable! I'm buying them to work in," Josie explained. "They're carpenter's pants. I'm a carpenter."

"A carpenter?"

"Yes, in fact, I own my own contracting company." She was bragging, but after three years it still pleased her to say those words.

The saleswoman was not impressed. "I did think you were a bit old to be a student."

"I'm going to be on TV," Josie stated, trying to gain prestige. "On Courtney Castle's Castles."

"Courtney Castle! She's wonderful. So pretty and chic. You would never know she's a carpenter from just looking at her--" Realizing that she was possibly treading on less than popular ground, the saleswoman changed the topic. "And she builds the most wonderful houses! Did you see that log cabin in Minnesota? My husband was watching with me and he said it looked more like a log palace. Of course, that's why they call them Courtney Castle's castles, isn't it?"

Happily, the woman chatted on and on and Josie wasn't forced to admit that she had never seen the Courtney Castle show. To tell the truth, watching builders on television wasn't her idea of a relaxing way to spend an evening. And every time she happened on a show while channel-surfing, there seemed to be a man explaining just how easily the homeowner could do something Josie and her crew were well paid to do. "I'll take these and another pair, if you've got them in my size," she finally interrupted.

"Of course, and maybe you could tell that lovely Courtney to come in here if she needs any clothing. I'd be happy to put aside some things for her."

"Yes, I'll do that," Josie lied, fumbling around in her purse for the one credit card she possessed that wasn't maxed out and then handing it to her.

"Josie Pigeon." The saleswoman, reading the name on the card, was now gushing. "Ill be watching for you on television. Wait until I tell my husband I met someone who actually knows Courtney Castle. He'll be so excited!"

Josie just took her card back.

The level of excitement in the office of Island Contracting made the saleswoman seem blasé by comparison.

"I can't believe we're going to meet Courtney Castle. She's been my idol since I was a little girl!" At nineteen, the speaker was the youngest member of Josie's crew. To most of her coworkers, Annette Long still was a little girl. Sitting on the floor, legs crossed in a yoga position, blond hair tied in a skinny ponytail snaking between bony shoulder blades, she barely looked old enough to smoke the cigarette she was holding.

"You know, TV people are real snots. You probably won't like her at all in person." Dottie Evans was the oldest member of the crew as well as the most recently hired. In the few weeks she'd been with Island Contracting, no one had heard her say anything positive about anyone. Her graying hair was badly cut, barely covering her ears. Her skin was pale, puffy around the eyes, and the frown that was usually found on her face did nothing to enhance her appearance.

The third member of the crew spoke up. "I just wish they were filming a different job. I mean, Island Contracting has remodeled some great houses--old Victorians downtown, big modern things on the water, that little chapel we turned into a family home over the winter--Now that job would have interested television viewers. But a 1964 A-frame on the bay--it's so dull.' As she was speaking, Jill Pike looked around at the birdhouses decorating the shelf that circled the room near the ceiling. Each one represented a remodeling job completed by Island Contracting. Brightly colored cottages covered with ginger bread sat beside modern duplexes, that were next to the little Cape Cod boxes, and so on. A frown caused her sunburned nose to crinkle. "It would be nice if we made a really good impression," she said wistfully.

"Why? You think someone watching the show will see you working, fall in love with you, and take you away from all this?" From the blush on Jill's face, it was apparent that Dottie Evan's comment had hit at least one nerve.

"I don't think we should get our hopes up about becoming rich and famous. After all, how many people even watch those building shows?" Josie asked, hoping to change the topic.

"How many people? Thousands--maybe millions! They're some of the most popular shows on television! And Courtney Castle's show is the best! There was an article all about her in Parade magazine just a few months ago. She lives in this fabulous penthouse apartment on the water in Boston. She gutted the whole place--even replaced the windows with huge made-to-order Pellas. It's fabulous!" Annette waved her hands around to demonstrate the size of the glass as she spoke.

"Working as a contractor for a  television show must pay really well," Dottie commented sarcastically.

"Better than working for a contracting company," Jill agreed somewhat wistfully.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Just about a decade ago, Valerie Wolzien, who was then a housewife, began composing her first mystery novel on a warped old card table in her basement. All her subsequent whodunits pay implicit tribute to that hard-won apprenticeship: Each of them has the conciseness and seamlessness that only revision can bring. In this engaging home construction drama which has all the excitement of a slippery roof, contractor Josie finds herself twice famous and once accused. After a PBS remodeling series invades her site, Ms. Pigeon fights back intrusive media people. But when the hostess of the show turns up as a bloody corpse, Josie's curses turn into pleas. Straight-edge sleuthing.

FROM THE PUBLISHER