A new ghoulish mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Ghostly Light featuring Mel Turner, a ghost-whispering contractor.Mel Turner can’t resist the chance to bring the Crockett Theatre, a decrepit San Francisco Art Deco movie palace, back to life. But there’s a catch for Turner Construction: Several artists are currently squatting in the building, and they aren’t the only ones … and they aren’t the only ones haunting the once-grand halls of the historic theater.…
When one of the squatters is found dead, the police department has a long list of suspects to investigate. Meanwhile, Mel and her fiancé, Landon, are remodeling an old house for themselves, and Mel finds being on the other side of a home renovation project more challenging than she expected.
When Mel discovers that the former owner of the Crockett Theatre died under mysterious circumstances, and that there just might be a connection to the ghost haunting her own attic, the case takes a new turn—one that could bring down the curtain for the last time.
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The Last Curtain Call by Juliet Blackwell the 8th 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.
Blackwell writes about two of my favorite topics—house renovation and ghosts. Best of all, she does it well, with in-depth characterization, rich history, and intelligent plotting.
Mel Turner has taken over her father’s renovation-contracting business, although he still participates. She’s engaged to a hunky math professor who worries about her affinity for ghosts but accepts it. I love that Mel is savvy and not prone to pulling stupid stunts. She does her research—and this time its for an early 1900s movie palace, complete with its own ghost story. The reader is given lovely glimpses into the city of San Francisco, the background of early movies, and insights into the immense undertaking involved in restoring one of these grand old palaces.
At the same time, she’s renovating her fiancé’s home—which has its very own ghost, an old-time movie starlet who reportedly killed her lover, then herself. The ghost is charming, but it’s the murder of a squatter in the movie theater that keeps the story rolling. The mystery is entirely about the journey through the theater’s history to uncover the motive for the killing—and the connection to Mel’s ghost. I’m just thrilled to go along for the ride!
I loved this 8th in the series as I have the whole series so far. Mel has her hands full, planning a wedding, construction on her new home, bringing back to life a new movie theater filled with squatters, ghosts and throw a dead body on top, Mel is pulled in all directions.
I love these characters, I love the whole family relationship. The mystery was excellent and kept me guessing, with everything explained nicely in the end. I will definitely continue on with this series.
The latest addition to the “Haunted Home Renovation” series from Juliet Blackwell, The Last Curtain Call, may be the best one yet! As someone who has renovated many houses, I can relate easily to Mel and her father. As characters, they are wonderfully human; the dynamic between father and daughter is filled with everything real parents and children experience. As for Lando, Mel’s finance, he is protective but not smothering so, and it is obvious that he loves and cares about Mel.
The introduction of new characters is always fraught with pitfalls. Ms. Blackwell is a professional at skirting these types of issues and allowing readers to enjoy and get to know new characters without making them so dislikable as to be affronted. Mixing in the renovation of an old vaudeville era theater gives readers a glimpse into history and murder while keeping them entertained and interested.
The victim is very likable, and it was a shame in some ways to see her die. There weren’t too many suspects or motives; most readers will be thrilled when the killer is unmasked. If they haven’t figured out who the culprit is before the final chapter, they will be happy to realize that deep down, they suspected the killer all along but didn’t know it until the end. Murder, ghost, and renovation/restoration make for a captivating story, and The Last Curtain Call keeps readers on their toes. Adding in a resident ghost to Mel and Landon’s new (old) home is delightful, and I hope we get to hear more from this new character in future books. I am overjoyed to recommend this book and the entire series to readers who enjoy ghosts, renovation, phenomenal
characters and electrifying plots filled with action.
Setting this one in an old movie theater was a good choice. Very atmospheric. I was about to picture it in my mind through my reading.
My one disappointment was the development of Mel’s relationship with Landon. I read this right after I finished Give Up the Ghost where Mel meets Landon. I was expecting their relationship to be developing and that he’d be a part of her ghost busting as he was in the previous novel (still waiting for the library to get A Ghostly Light so maybe the relationship changed in that book) I’d read. In this one he plays no substantive role at all.
Still, I liked the story, the setting, and having most of the secondary characters show up no matter how briefly.
Turner Construction has the chance to restore the Crockett Theatre and bring it back to life. Mel Turner is thrilled to have this opportunity but first, she has to deal with the squatters. And when one of them is murdered, things take a dark turn. When Mel learns that the victim had found something that she thought was special just before her death, Mel looks into it and discovers that the previous owner was killed in mysterious circumstances. In addition, it seems that there’s a connection to the ghost in the attic of Mel’s new house.
I love this series and was thrilled with the release of a new book! The book’s well-written with well-rounded characters and was definitely worth the wait. The story was fabulous, grabbing my attention from the beginning and keeping me hooked until the end. The by play among the various relationships was great. I’m truly hoping that there’ll be more to come in this series. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
family, friendship, ghosts, restoration, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, murder-investigation
This is a series that I really enjoy and can relate to (not professionally but as an old house geek), and I love that each book is fully capable of standing alone. This one ties Mel’s own old house with a gorgeous old theatre and a full complement of ghostly presences. And the obligatory murder victim and investigation. Let the sleuthing begin and enjoy the ride. I did!
Xe Sands has perfected her artistic delivery and should receive more awards!
There are, so far, eight books in the Haunted Home Renovation series and I feel safe in saying that each is better than the last. Now Mel and her fiance, Landon, are planning the renovations they have to do on the once elegant old house Landon bought as an engagement present. At one time Mel’s grandmother lived in the house and Mel is looking forward to moving in. That is until her foreman tells her that there is a blocked and locked door in the attic. Mel’s ghostly radar goes off and she is sure she will meet a ghost on the other side of that door. Sure enough, she is greeted by the ghost of a 1920’s actress, Hildy Hildecott who gives her one of her lovely dresses. That will lead Mel to later meet with Lilly Ivory (from the other series, the Witchcraft mysteries) when she seeks info on the dress Hildy gave her.
If that isn’t enough to keep her busy, the family construction company has the chance to renovate a local picture palace in San Francisco but there are some unanswered questions Mel wants answered. First, who exactly is footing the bill for the massive, millions of dollars, undertaking and second, why did the previous construction company drop the project? Might it have been something to do with a ghost? Is it in any way tied to Hildy? So many questions for Mel to find answers to – Turner construction needs the business and it isn’t as though Mel hasn’t dealt with more than a few ghosts on the job. Mel will take on anything this new project throws at her. I enjoyed every page.
It had been quite a while I’d read a book in this series, and to be honest, in the other series I’ve read of her before. Now that I’ve read this one, I don’t know why I haven’t. This one finds Mel and Landon at odds over some reconstruction on their new house, but of course it doesn’t take long before Mel finds a ghost or two and is drawn into a mystery. This book is a lot of fun, and I love how Mel seems to be able to juggle everything but still make mistakes once in a while. Well-written, fun characters, an interesting mystery and a great plot with moments of fun and moments of chilling terror, this is a cozy paranormal mystery not to be missed even if the end was a little fast. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.