#50 Plaster and Poison - Jennie Bentley

Avery and Derek are at it again renovating house and solving mysteries. In the third book in the Do-It-Yourself Mystery Series Avery and Derek are renovating good friend Kate's Carriage house to make a new home for here and her soon to be husband Police Chief Wayne Raussman. They're on a time crunch to get it done before the wedding only a few short weeks away not to mention the upcoming visit of Avery's mother for the first time. As if this wasn't enough pressure on Derek and Avery one day when getting to work they stumble across a body. This isn't just anybody though it's someone Kate knows all too well. Can Avery and Derek get to the bottom of this mystery before Kate and Wayne say I do? Will they get the Carriage house done? And what will Avery's mother think of Derek?

Bentley pulls out yet another great mystery leaving you want more and turning the pages. Avery and Derek have such a great chemistry that it just works. You may find yourself wanting to move to Maine and start fixing up some old house, just watch out for dead bodies and handymen with a sarcastic sense of humor.

#48 Spackled and Spooked - Jennie Bentley

I'm pretty sure I've said it before but I'll say it again just for good measure, I love reading cozy mysteries. These are the kind of books you can curl up in front of a fire  with in the winter or read on the beach in the summer. They're entertaining and enjoyable, you may not learn anything profound and it probably isn't going to change your life but at least you're reading. My favorite are cozy mysteries based in Maine (go figure).

Spackled and Spooked is the second in the Do-It-Yourself mystery series. Avery has partnered up with new boyfriend Derek to by and renovate houses to sell. But when Avery and Derek buy a house with a dark past they may get more than they bargained for. This old house has more than on set of bodies buried in it's past. Will Avery and Derek be able to finish their renovation or will history repeat itself yet again?

This series is great because you feel like you're there in Maine but the characters aren't stereotypical with heavy accents. Yeah, there are Mainah accents byt they're not over done. Avery isn't your typical sleuth either. Most, while upset by the death, are drawn to it. With Avery we see a character who, while curious about what happened, isn't necessarily fascinated by it. This give this series a fresh approach as do the how-to home improvement projects at the end of the books.Readers of cozy mysteries or anyone just wanting a good entertaining read will love these books.