by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an e-book copy of the Death at a Fixer-Upper, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Sam Turner may only have been a real estate agent for five months, but she knows that homes can be haunted. Perhaps not in the literal sense, but memories and the feelings they inspire can linger long after the last resident moved out or passed on. The Harrington estate on Thirteen Aster Lane seems to have more than its share of bad karma and haunting menace, but Sam is determined to make a sale for Home Sweet Home Realty. Despite its reputation, Sam discovers that her task may not be as difficult as expected, considering that she is immediately contacted by three interested buyers who include a paranormal investigator, a developer, and an eccentric willing to make an offer by phone.

It all seemed a little too good to be true, although Sam certainly didn’t expect that the prospective buyers would start dropping like flies, or that she would be the one to discover their bodies. While Sam is grateful that the Arlinda, California Chief of Police is her soon to be ex-brother-in-law, she truly wishes that she didn’t get tingles when she once kissed him. Sam herself has a few unresolved issues with her own ex-husband, especially since he suddenly started popping up around town. Their son Max was only a baby when Wayne stepped out to get pizza, and it was a food run that lasted nearly fourteen years. It’s going to test all of Sam’s very limited patience to cope with his sudden arrival, a multitude of murders, and the need to make a sale that will keep her employed. All of this is more than enough to stress out the single mother of a teenaged son, both of whom are facing their own imminent eviction by their scum of a landlord.

This first in a Home Sweet Home Mystery series is filled with dry humor and the acerbic wit of an exasperated narrator with a limited tolerance for people. Her observations of her fellow real estate agents and clients are hilarious, and immediately have readers cheering for her success. The hipster town of Arlinda comes alive with descriptions of the pot-friendly, seaside town’s Memorial Day weekend Kinetic Sculpture Race, which unfortunately does not end well for all participants. Sam is never more relatable than when she delightedly combats against the insane bureaucracy of the DMV.

This is an extremely entertaining mystery with a plot that grows more complex as it progresses, exploring vast reaches of the real estate business and development. Sam’s flighty sister and shady ex are balanced out by her level-headed, aspiring chef son, and her own possible romance only enhances the novel. Strong writing and realistic characters will have readers eagerly anticipating further installments of this promising, and always fun, new series.

To enter to win an e-book copy of Death at a Fixer-Upper, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “fixer,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 25, 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).