I've read a number of this series, but will not read any more as I find the main character Avery, very whiny and critical of other people. I like more positive, upbeat characters. ( )

This isn't a series I ever rave about, but one of those solid, well-written ones that you can generally depend on for a satisfying read, if not necessarily one that's going to knock your socks off.

Avery had a scene or two in the beginning of this book where she was channeling a whiny, pouty child, but otherwise all the characters here are good, solid, hard-working Mainers (Mainiacs?). Likeable, and three-dimensional.

The setting is Christmas time, although the focus is completely on the mystery for most of the book, so it didn't feel "Christmassy" - but there is a project for using Chinese lanterns as oversized Christmas ornaments that sounds like fun.

The mystery was excellent: the author gives you all the clues but builds the story to perfectly lead you down the wrong path. The ending was both expected and shocking at the same time. The final scene felt forced; even the characters recognised it was a fruitless endeavour, but I suspect the author needed it in order to truly illustrate the scope of wrong-doing.

I don't get excited about these - perhaps the stoicism of the characters rubs on on me? - but I would never tell anyone they aren't worth reading. This is a good book and a good mystery. I don't need forced drama (a/k/a love triangles) to keep my interest; I just need an author who writes good mysteries and writes them well. Ms. Bentley does just that. ( )

This cozy mystery features Derek and Avery, a husband-and-wife home renovation team with a tendency for stumbling on dead bodies. In Home for the Homicide, Avery finds something shocking in the attic of a home they're renovating, that stirs up a missing persons case from decades ago.

Avery and Derek are fun protagonists, and a very sweet couple. They do come across as almost too perfect, a trend I've noticed in some genre mysteries, with Derek a former doctor who is now an expert home renovator, and Avery being able to learn how to make Tiffany-style glass lamps in an hour. But their charm outweighs any of their unrealistic tendencies, and the mystery is an interesting one with a great twist in the last few chapters I didn't see coming.

I would definitely like to read more of this series, I found this book a lot of fun! ( )

Home For The Homicide is the #7th book in the A Do-It Yourself Mystery series.

The elderly Greene sisters have had to move into an assisted care facility and Avery and Derek have bought their Craftsman bungalow to restore. While Derek is working on the plumbing, Avery begins to walk through the house to get ideas for decorating the rooms. She decides to check the attic, to make sure it is clear of the previous owners possessions. She finds a crate nestled against the chimney and when she opens it there are the bones of an infant in it. She soon learns that the sisters brother had gone missing when he was just a baby.

One of the sisters, Mamie, is mentally challenged and soon goes missing from the care facility. She is soon found at her old home asleep, then the next time she goes missing, things don't turn out good for her.

Even though Avery is quite busy with the house renovation, she is also busy getting her home ready for the Christmas Tour of Homes. But still, she wants to know how the bones got in the attic and who they might belong too.

A few of the past characters make an appearance in this book. Of course Kate and Wayne, Kate being her best friend and Wayne the police chief. Derek folks are also are around to help with the search of information about the babies bones. Of course, Melissa, Derek ex is around to try and get Avery's "goat".

A very interesting story and wonderful cast of characters. Looking forward to the next book. Home renovation tips and designs included. ( )