Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Dead Level-Sarah Graves

Dead Level


Sarah Graves

Bantam, May 1 2012, $26.00

ISBN: 9780553807905



In the medium security prison at Lakesmith, Maine Dewey Hooper is doing twenty years for killing his wife Marianne. The deceased’s spouse looked exactly like Ellie White, the best friend of former Wall Streeter Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree, whi now lies in Eastport, Maine. Dewy escapes and sets up a false trail to fool the cops while heading to the woods near Eastport.



Jake has been working on an 1823 Federal-style fixer-upper for years, but her husband bet her she could not finish a deck in their isolated cabin within a week. Although that means no plumbing, she and Ellie head to the cabin. Ellie plans to stay overnight before returning to Eastport. Dewey sees and recognizes both women; he believes Marianne returned from the dead to haunt him and Jake testified against him at his trial. He tries various means to kill the females, but they survive and deploy a risky counter plan.



The latest Home Repair Is Homicide mystery (see Knockdown and Crawlspace) is exciting due to the strong determined protagonists who reject fear and despair by refusing to be victims. The story line is told in the first person by Jake and in the third person when Dewey leads, readers know the contrasting thoughts of each while Ellie plays a major role. Though bringing the trio together is a gigantic coincidence over the top of Mount Katahdin, fans will enjoy this fabulous thriller that also includes repair tips.



Harriet Klausner



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