Shannon and Mac are working on a veteran's village, one of the subcontractors gets killed and one of the veterans seems to be the chief suspects. Shannon and Mac set out to find the culprit and clear the doom hanging over the village.

This series is such a delightful change of pace, the characters are tremendous, so well written, and a joy to read. It was great to see Shannon and Mac's relationship moving forward! ( )

ABSENCE OF MALLETS by Kate Carlisle
Shannon and her boyfriend are now living together but working on separate projects. Shannon is building tiny homes for veterans; Mac is hosting writing clinics. There is some grumbling in Lighthouse Cove about the tiny homes and Mac’s current writing guests are uncooperative to say the least. Then one of the veterans is found murdered with one of Shannon’s mallets.
A well plotted and peopled cosy that will keep you entertained without taxing your brain too much trying to figure out who did the dastardly deed.
4 of 5 stars ( )

I really liked Shannon's latest project in this story, a veteran's community filled with tiny homes and the facilities and services available on site for those who live there. Another nice feature in the Fixer Upper series is that the murder tends to happen further into the book. The stage is set, and new characters are developed and met. Mac has decided to rent out his home for writer's retreats, and this group is decidedly quirky. Told to stay away from the Lighthouse, for instance, off they go. Several vets are introduced as well, all with their own stories to tell. Shannon's sister Chole makes another appearance and I have hopes she may figure into the next installment if the epilogue is any indication. This is a good, interesting series that always entertains. ( )

Shannon Hammer is back. Shannon and her crew are busy working on the veteran’s village project. They are near completion and then they will be moving on to renovate Mac’s lighthouse. Mac Sullivan has a writing retreat coming into town that day. The group will be staying for two weeks. At the end of the first day, it is obvious that this writing group is going to be a handful. Shannon and Mac are both busy with their various projects. It is a good thing they live together, or they might never see each other. Life takes a dark turn when a new acquaintance of Shannon’s is murdered near Mac’s lighthouse. Shannon and Mac dive into investigative mode to discover who committed this heinous act. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. Shannon and Mac need to work quickly if they are to stop this unhinged killer. Absence of Mallets by Kate Carlisle is the 9th A Fixer-Upper Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but I recommend reading all the books in this entertaining cozy mystery series. I always enjoy visiting Lighthouse Cove to spend time with Shannon Hammer, Mac, and the rest of the great characters in A Fixer-Upper Mystery. The characters are developed and relatable. I love Shannon and Mac together. They are a cute couple. They really get each other. Shannon’s sister, Chloe is back in town. I am glad the sister’s relationship is going well. The members of the writing retreat are unique. I can understand why Mac is rethinking having writer’s retreats after this bunch. The whodunit is well-plotted with several suspects, good clues, and misdirection. Shannon and Mac actively work the case. There is plenty of action which had me quickly turning the pages to get to the enjoyable reveal. I do wish, though, that the mystery had been more complex. I did not feel it was at the same level as the past A Fixer-Upper Mysteries. Absence of Mallets is a feel-good story that will leave you smiling. I liked the epilogue that gives us a hint of what will take place in the next book. Absence of Mallets takes us back to Lighthouse Cove where there are cute couples, a veteran’s village, a newcomer is nailed, a murderous mallet, a soothing staple gun, a lethal lighthouse, a wonky writer’s retreat, and killer clues. ( )

I've long been a fan of Kate Carlisle's Fixer-Upper cozy series. There's always something to learn in the fields of architecture and construction. There's always an intriguing mystery to solve. Shannon and her friends are good people who go out of their way to do the right thing, and the resident ill-tempered diva makes her presence known without overpowering my patience (or lack thereof). Absence of Mallets is another strong entry in this engaging series.

Shannon and her construction crew are working on probably their best project of the entire series: a veterans' village. This village is for veterans in need, with fifty tiny houses being built and given to the vets on a first-come, first-served basis. The community center is large and has just about everything these men and women could need.

Shannon's boyfriend, Mac, has moved in with her and has turned his lighthouse keeper's house into a writers' retreat. His latest group, a bunch of entitled, argumentative, sneaky know-it-alls, fuels most of the action in the book and has Mac wondering if he needs to pull the plug on the whole retreat idea.

If you find yourself feeling the need to spend some time with good people, I've got just the people and just the place for you: Shannon Hammer and her friends in Lighthouse Cove, California. So what if a dead body or two may be involved? These folks will restore your faith in amateur sleuths specifically and in the human race in general.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )