Barbara L. reviewed on 3/27/2013 + 988 more book reviews

When ex-Wall Streeter Jacobia Jake Tiptree bought a charming 1823 fixer-upper in tiny Eastport, Maine, she figured shed also bought herself a tranquil, stress-free life. But Jake soon learned that appearances can be deceiving, and that even small towns have their share of dark secrets -- including murder. Wreck The Halls... more »

People hardly ever lock their doors in Eastport. So when Jake and her best pal, Ellie, arrive at Faye Anne Carmodys 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 doesnt 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 arent convinced of Faye Annes guilt.

Jake has enough going on in her life without trying to investigate a murder. After all, shes just married her longtime love, Wade, and the pair plan to spend the winter rehabilitating the paint-encrusted windows in Jakes old house.

But Jake has to admit that there are a lot of details that dont add up: for example, Faye Annes complaint that she was being stalked, and blood-splattered evidence at the crime scene that just doesnt make sense. Then there is the diary that Faye Annes secret, sometime boyfriend claims is hidden somewhere in her house. Could Faye Annes 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 murderers 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 victims name onto a tombstone?

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