The Last Curtain Call

Mel Turner can’t resist the chance to bring the Crockett Theatre, a decrepit San Francisco Art Deco movie palace, back to life. But there’s a catch for Turner Construction: Several artists are currently squatting in the building, and they aren’t the only ones haunting the once-grand halls of the historic theater so are the ghosts.

When one of the squatters is found dead, the police department has a long list of suspects to investigate. Meanwhile, Mel and her fiancé, Landon, are remodeling an old house for themselves, and Mel finds being on the other side of a home renovation project more challenging than she expected.

When Mel discovers that the former owner of the Crockett Theatre died under mysterious circumstances and that there just might be a connection to the ghost haunting her own attic, the case takes a new turn—one that could bring down the curtain for the last time

Series: Haunted Home Renovation – Book #8
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Genre: Cozy Mystery /Paranormal/Renovation
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 336

Rating:

The latest addition to the “Haunted Home Renovation” series from Juliet Blackwell, The Last Curtain Call, may be the best one yet! As someone who has renovated many houses, I can relate easily to Mel and her father. As characters, they are wonderfully human; the dynamic between father and daughter is filled with everything real parents and children experience. As for Lando, Mel’s finance, he is protective but not smothering so, and it is obvious that he loves and cares about Mel.

The introduction of new characters is always fraught with pitfalls. Ms. Blackwell is a professional at skirting these types of issues and allowing readers to enjoy and get to know new characters without making them so dislikable as to be affronted. Mixing in the renovation of an old vaudeville era theater gives readers a glimpse into history and murder while keeping them entertained and interested.

The victim is very likable, and it was a shame in some ways to see her die. There weren’t too many suspects or motives; most readers will be thrilled when the killer is unmasked. If they haven’t figured out who the culprit is before the final chapter, they will be happy to realize that deep down, they suspected the killer all along but didn’t know it until the end. Murder, ghost, and renovation/restoration make for a captivating story, and The Last Curtain Call keeps readers on their toes. Adding in a resident ghost to Mel and Landon’s new (old) home is delightful, and I hope we get to hear more from this new character in future books. I am overjoyed to recommend this book and the entire series to readers who enjoy ghosts, renovation, phenomenal characters and electrifying plots filled with action.

Other brilliant series readers may enjoy, such as Jill Nojack’s true paranormal/witch stories “The Maid, Mother, and Crone Paranormal Mystery Series” or Diane Kelly’s superb “A House-Flipper Mystery”.

About the Author:

Juliet Blackwell was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the youngest child of a jet pilot from New York and an editor from Texas. She graduated with a degree in Latin American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Anthropology and Social Work from the State University of New York, Albany.

While in graduate school, she published several articles based on her research with immigrant families from Mexico and Viet Nam, as well as one full-length translation: Miguel León-Portilla’s seminal work, Endangered Cultures. Juliet taught Medical Anthropology at SUNY-Albany, was a producer for a BBC documentary about Vietnamese children left behind by US soldiers, and worked as an elementary school social worker in rural New York. Upon her return to California, she became a professional artist and ran her own decorative painting, historical renovation, and domestic design studio for more than a decade.

In addition to mainstream novels, Juliet pens the New York Times Bestselling Witchcraft Mysteries and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind, she wrote the Agatha Award-nominated Art Lover’s Mystery series. She is past president of Northern California Sisters in Crime and former board member of Mystery Writers of America.

Juliet lives in a hundred-year-old house with extensive botanical gardens in Northern California but spends as much time as possible in Europe and Latin America. She believes in the magic of language, travel, and cultural exchange to open hearts, minds, and souls.

Represented by Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.

Contact Juliet: juliet@julietblackwell.net

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