{"id":27884,"date":"2021-12-09T08:38:13","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T13:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=27884"},"modified":"2022-10-16T03:46:21","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T03:46:21","slug":"review-absence-of-mallets-by-kate-carlisle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2021\/12\/09\/review-absence-of-mallets-by-kate-carlisle\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \ud83d\udd0d Absence of Mallets by Kate Carlisle"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-27884\" data-postid=\"27884\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-27884 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_bbbcac8 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner gutter-narrow col_align_top tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_49667e8 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_7036296 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/absence-of-mallets-kate-carlisle.jpg?resize=309%2C500\" width=\"309\" height=\"500\" title=\"Review \ud83d\udd0d Absence of Mallets by Kate Carlisle\" alt=\"Review \ud83d\udd0d Absence of Mallets by Kate Carlisle\">\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_a1982ef customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Shannon could not be happier that her hunky thriller-writing boyfriend, Mac, has moved in, and it is a good thing they are living together because they are both busier than ever. Mac is hosting writing retreats at his now vacant lighthouse mansion, while Shannon and her crew build Homefront, a quaint Victorian village of tiny homes for veterans in need. Mac\u2019s latest guests are proving to be a handful though, and Shannon has heard some grumbling from the luminaries of Lighthouse Cove about her latest passion project. But nothing can throw a wrench in their plans except a malicious murder.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">When one of Shannon\u2019s new friends is found brutally bludgeoned with a mallet near the lighthouse on Mac\u2019s property, the couple hammers out a suspect list and searches for a motive. As they drill deeper for clues, more violence strikes and a new victim winds up in a coma. The pressure is on, and Shannon and Mac will have to move fast to find an unhinged killer dead set on demolishing anyone who gets in their way. . . .\u00a0<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_23787e9 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_2d1ea91  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-25881 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-recommends-banner-1.png?resize=296%2C72\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong><br \/>Release Date:<\/strong> Dec 7, 2021<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>A Fixer-Upper Mystery<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>9<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $8.99<\/p><hr \/><p><br \/><br \/><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Shannon Hammer<\/strong> and her boyfriend <strong>Mac Sullivan<\/strong> love being busy, and it\u2019s a good thing because they each have so many different things they are working on. Shannon is a building contractor and is working on a couple of large jobs, but building a village of tiny houses for veterans is currently her top priority. Mac is a successful author who recently began hosting writer\u2019s retreats for other authors. All of the prior retreats have gone really well. However, the latest group of six authors range from weird to rude to potentially violent. When a murder occurs, Shannon and Mac immediately jump in to investigate in order to find out who is behind this tragic death.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Absence of Mallets<\/strong> is the ninth book in the <em>Fixer-Upper<\/em> series. I loved the prior book and although this one doesn\u2019t quite measure up, it\u2019s still very good. The best part of the book is seeing Shannon in action. Whether she\u2019s building a house, leading a workshop to train female veterans how to use power tools, or solving a murder, she shows her intelligence and her compassion. I also like her and Mac as a couple. They are always there for each other and I like the fact that as a thriller writer, Mac doesn\u2019t shy away from the investigations and is right there with Shannon gathering clues.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The downside of the book is the appalling behavior of a few of Shannon\u2019s acquaintances, as well as the six writer\u2019s retreat participants. The way these characters behave seems more like that of high school bullies instead of adults in their 30s. As their actions escalate, they become even harder to take. There is a slow build-up to the actual murder and when it occurs, I was very surprised at the identity of the victim, especially in light of the things that some of the other characters do. There are plenty of suspects, though, and although I had theories, I was kept guessing as to what had really happened until the very end. The resolution of the crime is satisfying and I especially like the extended epilogue with updates on a few of the characters over a couple different timeframes. Overall, I like the book and am happy it ends on a positive note.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_eb0616c customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3EKcGDl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3392KW1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/absence-of-mallets-kate-carlisle\/1138980101?ean=9780593201343\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/absence-of-mallets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Kate_Carlisle_Absence_of_Mallets?id=j-QhEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shannon could not be happier that her hunky thriller-writing boyfriend, Mac, has moved in, and it is a good thing they are living together because [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,89,128,48],"tags":[152,223,367,404,405],"class_list":["post-27884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-berkley","category-christine","category-penguin-group","category-reviews","tag-4-stars","tag-cozy-mystery","tag-mystery","tag-recommend","tag-recommended-reads"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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Mac is hosting writing retreats at his now vacant lighthouse mansion, while Shannon and her crew build Homefront, a quaint Victorian village of tiny homes for veterans in need. Mac\u2019s latest guests are proving to be a handful though, and Shannon has heard some grumbling from the luminaries of Lighthouse Cove about her latest passion project. But nothing can throw a wrench in their plans except a malicious murder.<br \/><br \/>When one of Shannon\u2019s new friends is found brutally bludgeoned with a mallet near the lighthouse on Mac\u2019s property, the couple hammers out a suspect list and searches for a motive. As they drill deeper for clues, more violence strikes and a new victim winds up in a coma. The pressure is on, and Shannon and Mac will have to move fast to find an unhinged killer dead set on demolishing anyone who gets in their way. . . .\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/smitten-recommends-banner-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"72\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong><br \/>Release Date:<\/strong> Dec 7, 2021<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>A Fixer-Upper Mystery<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>9<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $8.99<\/p><hr \/><p><br \/><br \/><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Shannon Hammer<\/strong> and her boyfriend <strong>Mac Sullivan<\/strong> love being busy, and it\u2019s a good thing because they each have so many different things they are working on. Shannon is a building contractor and is working on a couple of large jobs, but building a village of tiny houses for veterans is currently her top priority. Mac is a successful author who recently began hosting writer\u2019s retreats for other authors. All of the prior retreats have gone really well. However, the latest group of six authors range from weird to rude to potentially violent. When a murder occurs, Shannon and Mac immediately jump in to investigate in order to find out who is behind this tragic death.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Absence of Mallets<\/strong> is the ninth book in the <em>Fixer-Upper<\/em> series. I loved the prior book and although this one doesn\u2019t quite measure up, it\u2019s still very good. The best part of the book is seeing Shannon in action. Whether she\u2019s building a house, leading a workshop to train female veterans how to use power tools, or solving a murder, she shows her intelligence and her compassion. I also like her and Mac as a couple. They are always there for each other and I like the fact that as a thriller writer, Mac doesn\u2019t shy away from the investigations and is right there with Shannon gathering clues.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The downside of the book is the appalling behavior of a few of Shannon\u2019s acquaintances, as well as the six writer\u2019s retreat participants. The way these characters behave seems more like that of high school bullies instead of adults in their 30s. As their actions escalate, they become even harder to take. There is a slow build-up to the actual murder and when it occurs, I was very surprised at the identity of the victim, especially in light of the things that some of the other characters do. There are plenty of suspects, though, and although I had theories, I was kept guessing as to what had really happened until the very end. The resolution of the crime is satisfying and I especially like the extended epilogue with updates on a few of the characters over a couple different timeframes. Overall, I like the book and am happy it ends on a positive note.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3EKcGDl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3392KW1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/absence-of-mallets-kate-carlisle\/1138980101?ean=9780593201343\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/absence-of-mallets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Kate_Carlisle_Absence_of_Mallets?id=j-QhEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27884"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29068,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27884\/revisions\/29068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}