From Publishers Weekly
In her first hardcover in this popular series (Repair to Her Grave, etc.), Graves entertains with a cozy New England murder as she also treats such dark topics as domestic violence, stalking, date rape and drug abuse. When not do-it-yourselfing around her 1823 Federal house on a Maine island or looking after her son, Sam, Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, a former Manhattan financial manager who's divorced from a philandering neurosurgeon, solves mysteries. In this outing, a neighbor, Faye Anne Carmody, stands accused of murdering her wife-beating husband, Merle, a butcher who was literally butchered. Although no one liked Merle, Faye is the prime suspect, and no one doubts her guilt except her friend Ellie. Ellie encourages Jake to investigate, and before long there are so many likely suspects you wonder if there is anyone on the island who didn't have a motive to kill Merle. But Graves is crafty and craftsmanlike enough to pull a least likely killer out of her top hat. Home repair doesn't figure as much as in past books, but the case is difficult to crack and involves considerable danger for Jake and Ellie. Incidentally, Jake acquires a cat and a mouse to keep her dog, Monday, company; and her ex-husband, who's moved to Maine to be near Sam, asks her help to persuade his new girlfriend to marry him. Graves's characters are very human creations, warts and all, with Jake in particular making fine company. (Dec. 4)Forecast: A most attractive holiday jacket will snag attention, but a few supportive blurbs, particularly from male authors, would help signal that this series isn't just for women.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
In her hardcover debut, series sleuth Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree (Repair to Her Grave) and best friend, Ellie, try to help Faye Anne, an abused wife, after she's accused of butchering her drunkard husband. Unfortunately, their unauthorized investigating results in a stronger case against her. Nonetheless, Jake and Ellie persevere in their quest: they rev up the Eastport, ME, rumor mill and spout various crime scenarios. In spare moments, Jake weather-strips her 1823 fixer-upper. Frequent humor tempers the Down East mannerisms, plucky heroine, and more serious subject matter. Recommended. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Pairing home repair and murder may seem a bit of a stretch, but Graves hits the nail square on the head in her Home Repair Is Homicide mysteries. Even those who don't own a screwdriver will be hooked by this fifth installment in the series. Graves' oddly named but thoroughly likable female protagonist, Jacobi "Jake" Sorenson, left a lucrative career as a New York financial advisor and moved with son Sam to the tiny island of Eastport, Maine, where she devotes her days to the never-ending repairs on her 1823 Federal clapboard home. Jake's enjoyment of the Christmas season is interrupted when she drops in on her friend, Faye Anne Carmody, and finds Faye's abusive husband dead and Faye covered in blood and unsure what happened. With the encouragement of her best friend, Ellie, Jake agrees to help Faye Anne prove her innocence. Meanwhile, domestic tranquility between Jake and husband Wade is threatened by the annoying presence of Jake's ex-spouse, Victor. Graves paints a compelling portrait of small-town Maine in this entertaining cozy. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
“Graves’s characters are very human creations, warts and all, with Jake in particular making fine company.”
— Publishers Weekly


Praise for the Home Repair Is Homicide Mysteries of Sarah Graves:

Dead Cat Bounce

“No cozy this, it’s amusing, cynical, yet warm, populated with nice and nasty characters and some dirty secrets.... All the ingredients fit the dish of delicious crime chowder.... I am already drooling for [Jake’s] return.”
— Booknews from The Poisoned Pen

“In her polished debut, Graves blends charming, evocative digressions about life in Eastport with an intricate plot, well-drawn characters and a wry sense of humor.”
— Publishers Weekly

Triple Witch

“Graves affectionately creates believable characters ... who lend depth and warm humor to the story.... The cozy details of small-town life and home repair make for an enjoyable read.”
— Publishers Weekly

“[Triple Witch] is a smartly written story, with lots of interesting detail about the area and restoration projects. But it never gets in the way of the mystery, which turns out to be both complex and simple, an admirable combination.”
— Contra Costa Times

Wicked Fix

“Graves skillfully ... draws out the suspense. Good entertainment.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Ms. Graves has created a bright and personable new detective who has been welcomed into the Eastport community with warmth and affection.”
— The Dallas Morning News


From the Hardcover edition.


Review
?Graves?s characters are very human creations, warts and all, with Jake in particular making fine company.?
? Publishers Weekly


Praise for the Home Repair Is Homicide Mysteries of Sarah Graves:

Dead Cat Bounce

?No cozy this, it?s amusing, cynical, yet warm, populated with nice and nasty characters and some dirty secrets.... All the ingredients fit the dish of delicious crime chowder.... I am already drooling for [Jake?s] return.?
? Booknews from The Poisoned Pen

?In her polished debut, Graves blends charming, evocative digressions about life in Eastport with an intricate plot, well-drawn characters and a wry sense of humor.?
? Publishers Weekly

Triple Witch

?Graves affectionately creates believable characters ... who lend depth and warm humor to the story.... The cozy details of small-town life and home repair make for an enjoyable read.?
? Publishers Weekly

?[Triple Witch] is a smartly written story, with lots of interesting detail about the area and restoration projects. But it never gets in the way of the mystery, which turns out to be both complex and simple, an admirable combination.?
? Contra Costa Times

Wicked Fix

?Graves skillfully ... draws out the suspense. Good entertainment.?
? Publishers Weekly

?Ms. Graves has created a bright and personable new detective who has been welcomed into the Eastport community with warmth and affection.?
? The Dallas Morning News


From the Hardcover edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"People hardly ever lock their doors in Eastport. So when Jake and her best pal, Ellie, arrive at Faye Anne Carmody's kitchen door, they knock and walk right in. But though Christmas is just two weeks away, what they find is far from festive: a dazed Faye Anne covered with blood, and her no-good husband - the town butcher, Merle - nowhere in sight. Nowhere, that is, until Jake discovers his body - tidily wrapped in his own butcher paper..." "It doesn't take long for news of the murder to race through the small town, and just about everyone has a theory about the grisly crime that has robbed Eastport of its least-liked citizen. But while police chief Bob Arnold considers it an open-and-shut case, Jake and Ellie aren't convinced of Faye Anne's guilt." "Jake has enough going on in her life without trying to investigate a murder. After all, she's just married her longtime love, Wade, and the pair plan to spend the winter rehabilitating the paint-encrusted windows in Jake's old house. But Jake has to admit that there are a lot of details that don't add up: for example, Faye Anne's complaint that she was being stalked, and blood-splattered evidence at the crime scene that just doesn't make sense. Then there is the diary that Faye Anne's secret, sometime boyfriend claims is hidden somewhere in her house. Could Faye Anne's own journal be the key to unlocking an even more fiendish murder plot, or is her double-crossing lover trying to frame her?" When yet another Eastport citizen turns up dead, Jake realizes the murderer's trail began long before the night Merle Carmody died. But what keeps eluding her and Ellie is the motive behind the mystery. The truth is so close, they can almost taste it - but can they stop the shrewd killer before he chisels another victim's name onto a tombstone?

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In her first hardcover in this popular series (Repair to Her Grave, etc.), Graves entertains with a cozy New England murder as she also treats such dark topics as domestic violence, stalking, date rape and drug abuse. When not do-it-yourselfing around her 1823 Federal house on a Maine island or looking after her son, Sam, Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, a former Manhattan financial manager who's divorced from a philandering neurosurgeon, solves mysteries. In this outing, a neighbor, Faye Anne Carmody, stands accused of murdering her wife-beating husband, Merle, a butcher who was literally butchered. Although no one liked Merle, Faye is the prime suspect, and no one doubts her guilt except her friend Ellie. Ellie encourages Jake to investigate, and before long there are so many likely suspects you wonder if there is anyone on the island who didn't have a motive to kill Merle. But Graves is crafty and craftsmanlike enough to pull a least likely killer out of her top hat. Home repair doesn't figure as much as in past books, but the case is difficult to crack and involves considerable danger for Jake and Ellie. Incidentally, Jake acquires a cat and a mouse to keep her dog, Monday, company; and her ex-husband, who's moved to Maine to be near Sam, asks her help to persuade his new girlfriend to marry him. Graves's characters are very human creations, warts and all, with Jake in particular making fine company. (Dec. 4) Forecast: A most attractive holiday jacket will snag attention, but a few supportive blurbs, particularly from male authors, would help signal that this series isn't just for women. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

In her hardcover debut, series sleuth Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree (Repair to Her Grave) and best friend, Ellie, try to help Faye Anne, an abused wife, after she's accused of butchering her drunkard husband. Unfortunately, their unauthorized investigating results in a stronger case against her. Nonetheless, Jake and Ellie persevere in their quest: they rev up the Eastport, ME, rumor mill and spout various crime scenarios. In spare moments, Jake weather-strips her 1823 fixer-upper. Frequent humor tempers the Down East mannerisms, plucky heroine, and more serious subject matter. Recommended. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews