plaster and POISON by Jennie Bentley

Jennie Bentley has 

"constructed" another fine mystery!!  

Release Date March 2, 2010.

Avery has left her big city life behind and has joined her new boyfriend Derek in his home renovation business in Waterfield Maine.

In the third installment of her Do-It-Yourself  Mysteries,  

plaster and POISON, 

B&B owner Kate McGillicutty and Police Chief Wayne Rasmussen are tying the knot, but an issue soon arises as to where the couple will live after the wedding.  The Chief refuses to live at the B&B because he doesn't want people seeing him run around in his underwear and they can't move to his place because Kate needs to be close to the B&B.  They come up with a plan to move into the carriage house next to the B&B, but it will need major renovation before they can move in.  They hire Derek and Avery to turn it into their romantic retreat in a scant two months before their New Year's Eve wedding.  The project is moving right along until one morning when Derek and Avery find a body in the new master suite. Thankfully the carpet had not yet been laid. Unfortunately the murder victim is someone Kate knows very well, and all their wedding and carriage house plans are in jeopardy.

There is also a very interesting side story in this book.  While Derek and Avery are tearing things apart for the remodel they come across some initials encased in a heart carved into one of the boards.  The carriage house was originally built in the early 1900's and the initials must have been carved then.  Avery is very curious about who those initials belong to, so in addition to trying to find a murderer, she also trying to track down any information she can about the two people in love from long ago.

Add to this Avery's mom and stepfather come to Maine for the holidays from SUNNY California, and Derek's stepsister has left her husband and moved back home. Put this all together and you have all the materials needed to build another great story.

I really love this series.  They are wonderful cozy mysteries that will keep you turning page and after page. Each book also includes some DIY project following the story.  Jennie, I can't wait to see where you will take Avery and Derek next. Is it the 1783 center-chimney Colonial on Rowanberry Island?

Click the link below to read my summaries and reviews of the first two books in the series, http://dollycas.blogspot.com/2010/01/jennie-bentley-has-hit-nail-on-head.html

For more information about Jennie Bentley and her alter ego check out http://www.jenniebentley.com/


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Berkley Publishing Group a division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”