Shannon Hammer and her renovation crew are working on rehabbing the Lighthouse Cove Church to turn it into a museum but there are a few problems when a body is found in a secret room.

Love this series and the characters. So well written. ( )

Rehabbing an old church brings more revelations than one would think to find in a church. As contractor, and amateur sleuth, Shannon Hammer begins to work on the overhaul, she quickly realizes there are secrets and mysteries, and, of course, an unexpected body. Kate Carlisle's tenth addition to the Fixer-Upper Mystery series, Dressed to Kill, is a feel-good, charming story with great characters and a mystery that keeps you hooked until the end. It is not necessary to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this book, but it is fun to reconnect with a few characters from the previous books in the series. Readers who enjoy a delightful cozy mystery will not want to miss Dressed To Kill.
I listened to a complimentary copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are my own. Jae Delane did a great job narrating the book which makes for an entertaining listening experience. I can't wait till the next book in the series comes out. ( )

I absolutely love this community of characters. Contractor Shannon Hammer is perceptive and always involved in smart and interesting murders. This is no exception to the clever storylines I enjoy. The old Lighthouse Cove Church is being renovated and repurposed as an art museum space. There are drawers of church vestments, hidden tunnels and secrets upon secrets as Shannon and her friends learn who is at fault for the murder. ( )

I enjoy this series but this particular book trotted out so many Gothic clichés that it became quite unbelievable. ( )

Dressed To Drill is the tenth book in the A Fixer-Upper Mystery series by Kate Carlisle.

Shannon and Mac have returned to Lighthouse Cove from their trip to Hollywood to see the movie premier adapted from a recent novel of Mac’s. Shannon is glad to be home and exchanged her high heels for work boots with her construction crew to start renovating an old Victorian Gothic church. When the work is completed, it will become an art museum. She finds many church items the previous church hasn’t taken when doing a walk-through to plan a work schedule. Shannon asks for help from the earlier church members, fearing they may get damaged. Shannon decides to start packing some items in one of the small chapels, but the door won’t open. She gets a couple of workers to open the door. Once the door is open, the body of Sarah Spindler, assistant art director for the art museum; Spindler had died from massive head trauma. While the area Shannon was working is closed off as a crime scene, she can work in other locations and start talking with those members of the former church or individuals there to help pack items of the former church. Police Chief Jensen will warn Shannon about getting involved in any investigation. Shannon and Jensen have worked together reasonably well in the past. Besides his girlfriend, Chole is Shannon’s sister, and he knows she will watch out for her sibling. Shannon will soon find that there are several suspects. Shannon will find papers and receipts that show that some misdeeds that took place nearly a generation ago may have come to light and caused the murderer to act so that these misdeeds will remain a secret. Of course, Shannon will be able to rely on Mac to be there to bounce her theories off of.

Ms. Carlisle's writing is so descriptive that you feel you’re standing beside Shannon. Including what work is being done and how it is always a plus. She doesn’t overdo the information. The story is well-written and moves at a swift pace. The characters are well-developed, engaging, and friendly. Well, except for Whitney. For me, there is usually a character that I love to hate. There were enough red herrings that I kept guessing until the end of the book when the murderer was revealed.

I can’t wait for the next book about Shannon’s next project in this series. ( )