The Last Curtain Call by Juliet Blackwell

Happy Fourth of July!

Welcome!  I hope everyone is having a happy and safe Fourth of July!  My mother and I (along with the fur babies) are enjoying a quiet day.  I will be grilling hamburgers for our dinner tonight.  Unfortunately, there will be no fireworks tonight because of the pandemic.  What are doing for Independence Day?

Similar to Crockett Theater in book

The Last Curtain Call by Juliet Blackwell has Mel Turner working on renovating the home Landon Demetrius purchased for them.  A renovation can make or break a couple.  Unfortunately, Landon and Mel have very different ideas when it comes this beautiful old home.  Plus, Mel discovers an unexpected occupant in a hidden closet in the attic.  Mel has a meeting with Gregory Thibodeaux regarding renovating the Crockett Theater in San Francisco.  Despite the toll time has taken on the historic building, Mel admires the Moroccan Renaissance architecture with Art Deco influences.  The one problem is the squatters that currently occupy the space.  While touring the property, Mel can smell freshly popped popcorn.  As the Mighty Wurlitzer starts rising from below the stage, a ghostly audience appears.  She then sees one of the theater’s residents draped across the organ and they are not moving.  Mel dials Inspector Annette Crawford who cannot believe that she has found another victim.  Mel, of course, begins investigating and finds some clues that lead her back to the individual currently occupying the attic of Mel’s future home.  Will Mel solve the case, or will she end up as the theater’s next victim?

A Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ

The Last Curtain Call by Juliet Blackwell the 8^th A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series, but I recommend this spirited cozy mystery series.  Melanie “Mel” Turner learned construction from her father and she now runs Turner Construction which specializes in renovating historic homes.  Mel is a smart and gutsy woman with special abilities that she inherited from her mother.  I would like to see Mel embrace her gift fully.  Mel recently became engaged to Landon Demetrius, a math professor.  There is some tension between them over the renovation and Mel’s inability to set a wedding date.  I thought The Last Curtain Call was well-written with developed characters and steady pacing.  I love the humor in the story that had me chuckling frequently.  I also enjoyed all the paranormal activity in this story.  Spooky sounds and a variety of ghosts liven up this tale.  The mystery was entertaining with a variety of suspects, active investigating, and misdirection.  Mel questions a diverse group of people in her quest to find the killer.  There are ghostly clues and suspense.  I like how everything tied together and wrapped up at the end.  It was great that the author included Lily Ivory and Oscar from A Witchcraft Mystery series (just love that series).  I cannot wait for the next A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery.  The Last Curtain Call is an enchanting cozy mystery with renovation rows, spooky specters, taboo tenants, a historic haven, and multiple murder mysteries.

Charlie Chaplin -- The Little Tramp

The Last Curtain Call can be obtained from Amazon*.  You can find the other titles in A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery series here.  You can find Juliet Blackwell's A Witchcraft Mystery series here (delightful cozy mystery series starring Lily Ivory).  Thank you for reading my review.  I hope that you have a spectacular day.  I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Witch Hunt by Cate Conte tomorrow.  Have a wonderful Fourth of July!  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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