Review: The House of Seven Mabels

The House of Seven Mabels Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Jill Churchill
Class/Genre: Mystery Amateur Sleuth
Series: Jane Jeffry # 13
Jane Jeffrey and Shelley Nowack are neighbors and best friends.
Jane is a widow with 3 children. Shelley is married and has 2
children.

Bitsy Burnside has bought a decrepit old neighborhood mansion and wants to restore it. She is prosperously divorced and a feminist. She wants to hire an almost all female crew. She approaches Shelley to see if she and Jane would be willing to be the interior decorators for this house. Jane is unsure from day one. She’s never done anything like this. Due to the generous life insurance and a stipend from her husband's family’s business, she doesn’t have to work. But the extra money would come in handy with teenagers in the house.

Jane and Shelley begin contract negotiations with Bitsy. Then mean -spirited pranks begin to happen strange odors, mysterious electrical shorts, a myriad of petty annoyances designed to impede the progress of the renovation. Then the pranks turn deadly. A worker is found lying dead at the foot of the staircase. Murder or accident?

Shelley and Jane set out to investigate things. They get help from her beau Chicago Detective Mel Van Dyne.

Shelley dubs the house the House of Seven Mabels due to the almost all female crew.

There is an abundant supply of suspects. All the building brigade had an opportunity. Then there’s Joe Budley, the contractor originally hired and then fired when Bitsy decided on “no men allowed.”

This is one of my favorite series. I tend to read the books in 1-2 days. I devour them! I like the way the author has Jane and Shelley investigate but they rarely do things that most curious women wouldn’t do! It's very believable.

If you like reading books with an amateur sleuth, you will definitely enjoy this book.

I got to meet and have dinner with Jill Churchill so I have an even bigger interest in this series. Jill Churchill was a lot of fun in person.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Dawn Dowdle

Book Review: The House of Seven Mabels