PREMEDITATED MORTAR

5 stars out of 5

As cozy mysteries go, this series never fails to bring a breath of fresh air (albeit infused with the scent of sawdust). I've read three so far - I believe this is the eighth - and thoroughly enjoyed each one.

As this begins, building contractor Shannon Hammer has signed on to renovate and restore a wing of a long-abandoned mental hospital known as the Gables. The wing will become an upscale hotel owned by Shannon's friend, Jane Hennessey; when completed, the rest of the property will become a large retail complex that, hopefully, will attract visitors to Lighthouse Cove, North Carolina. Shannon's main squeeze, successful writer Mac Sullivan, has invested in the hotel project, so she's eager to get started.

But at the groundbreaking ceremony, her hopes are dashed a bit as a group of protesters show up to create a media circus. But wait, there's more: After the protesters disburse and she heads inside to get a better look at what needs to be done during the year-long renovation, someone pushes Shannon into a huge stack of bricks. Once she gets back on her feet - literally and figuratively - she goes back in to check out a hidden space and finds the body of one of the protesters.

From there, it's a merry chase to identify the killer that brings most of Shannon's close friends and her sister Chloe together (Chloe, for the record, has been in a serious relationship with the local chief of police). The investigation takes several turns, revealing previously unknown relationships and the possibility that the murderer might be someone close to Shannon. In between are details of the restoration project and the dark history of the mental institution - all interesting in and of themselves. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the chance to read and review another winner - and now I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle (Berkley, December 2020); 304 pp.