Read Murder on the House: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery (Haunted Home Repair Mystery) Online
Authors: Juliet Blackwell
Murder on the House: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery (Haunted Home Repair Mystery)
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS
OF JULIET BLACKWELL
THE HAUNTED HOME RENOVATION MYSTERIES
Dead Bolt
“Cleverly plotted with a terrific sense of the history of the greater Bay Area, Blackwell’s series has plenty of ghosts and supernatural happenings to keep readers entertained and off-balance.”
—
Library Journal
“Smooth, seductive. . . . Fans will want to see a lot more of the endearing Mel.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“This is a great ghost book . . . a strong second entry that is developing the characters and laying a solid foundation for a strong series. If you enjoy some spooky with your cozy, this will delight you and have you anxious for more.”
—Mysteries and My Musings
“Juliet Blackwell’s writing is like that of a master painter, placing a perfect splash of detail, drama, color, and whimsy in all the right places!”
—Victoria Laurie,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Psychic Eye and Ghost Hunter Mysteries
If Walls Could Talk
“A riveting tale with a twisting plot, likable characters, and an ending that will make you shudder [at] how easily something small can get totally out of hand. [It] leaves you wondering what you just saw out of the corner of your eye . . . a good, solid read.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“Ms. Blackwell’s offbeat, humorous book is a fun, light read. . . . Mel makes a likable heroine. . . . Overall, a terrific blend of suspense and laughter with a dash of the paranormal thrown in makes this a great read.”
—TwoLips Reviews
“Kudos and high fives to Ms. Blackwell for creating a new set of characters for readers to hang around with as well as a new twist on the ghostly paranormal mystery niche. I can’t wait to see what otherworldly stories Juliet has in mind for us next!”
—Once Upon a Romance
“Melanie Turner may well be one of the most exciting, smart, and funny heroines currently in any book series. . . . There’s enough excitement to keep you reading until late in the night.”
—Fresh Fiction
THE WITCHCRAFT MYSTERIES
Hexes and Hemlines
“This exciting urban fantasy murder mystery . . . is an entertaining paranormal whodunit. . . . Her familiar, Oscar, half goblin-gargoyle, becomes a cute potbellied pig who adds jocularity to the fast-paced story line as part of the quirky cast (benign, kind, and evil) that help make this spellbinding tale a fun read.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
“
Hexes and Hemlines
carries you along with an unconventional cast where nothing is out-of-bounds. Extraordinarily entertaining.”
—
Suspense Magazine
“This is a fun and totally engrossing series that hooks you instantly and makes you want more. . . . I love the mix of vintage clothes, magic, and a lingering possibility of romance combined with mystery.”
—Fang-tastic Books
“Juliet Blackwell has created a series that will appeal to mystery fans as well as paranormal enthusiasts.”
—Debbie’s Book Bag
A Cast-Off Coven
“If you like your mysteries with a side of spell-casting and demon-vanquishing, you’ll enjoy the second title in Blackwell’s Witchcraft Mysteries.”
—
Romantic Times
“This awesome paranormal mystery stars a terrific heroine.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
Secondhand Spirits
“Juliet Blackwell provides a terrific urban fantasy with the opening of the Witchcraft Mystery series.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
“An excellent blend of mystery, paranormal, and light humor, creating a cozy that is a must read for anyone with an interest in literature with paranormal elements.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“It’s a fun story, with romance possibilities with a couple hunky men, terrific vintage clothing, and the enchanting Oscar. But there is so much more to this book. It has serious depth.”
—
The Herald News
(MA)
Also by Juliet Blackwell
HAUNTED HOME RENOVATION MYSTERIES
If Walls Could Talk
Dead Bolt
WITCHCRAFT MYSTERIES
Secondhand Spirits
A Cast-off Coven
Hexes and Hemlines
In a Witch’s Wardrobe
MURDER ON THE HOUSE
A
H
AUNTED
H
OME
R
ENOVATION
M
YSTERY
Juliet Blackwell
OBSIDIAN
Published by New American Library, a division of
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First published by Obsidian, an imprint of New American Library,
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Copyright © Julie Goodson-Lawes, 2012
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Excerpt from TARNISHED AND TORN
To Pamela Groves:
My heart is with you.
Acknowledgments
Thanks are due, as a
lways, to my wonderful editor, Kerry Donovan. You are a woman of great patience, keen intelligence, and obviously of
fabulous
taste!
Many thanks to Jeri Hoag and her husband, Paul, for answering all sorts of gruesome questions about carbon-monoxide poisoning. And to the citizens of San Francisco’s Castro District, past and present, for laying the groundwork for such an incredible, diverse, and vibrant neighborhood.
A special shout-out to my sister Carolyn, who always offers such incredible insights, suggestions, and ideas. To Jace for allowing me to bore you with endless plot problems. To Shay, Suzanne, Kendall, Susan, Chris, Casey, Anna, Mary, Sara, Dan, Karen, and the entire Mira Vista Social Club (and annex)—thank you for being there!
To my father for being such an inspiration in these novels and in life. To my sister Susan for all your support and cheerleading!
Thanks to all my writer pals, especially Sophie Littlefield, Rachael Herron, Nicole Peeler, Gigi Pandian, Victoria Laurie, Adrienne Miller, Martha Flynn, Lisa Hughey, L. G. C. Smith, Mysti Berry, and Steve Hockensmith. You all keep me sane . . . or at least as close as I’m going to get.
Chapter One
W
hat makes a house look haun
ted?
Is it enough to appear abandoned, run-down, bleak? To creak and groan when long fingers of fog creep down the nearby hills? Or is it something else: a whisper of a tragic past, a distinct but unsettling impression that dwelling within is something indescribable—and perhaps not human?