Dead Bolt by Juliet Blackwell

I love this series. I wish Ms. Blackwell would hurry up and write more. I like the main character, I love her interactions with her friends and family. I especially love how much detail the author gives about home renovation. I think it's a nice touch that the main character, Mel, keeps old skeleton keys and interesting knobs and such from her jobs. There is just the write touch of the supernatural without making it seem silly or unbelievable and the mystery is pretty decent. I did not have everything all figured out halfway through. 

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: Ms. Blackwell has another series the The Witchcraft Mysteries that I like almost as much as this one; the first book is Secondhand Spirits. I also like the Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves; the first book is Dead Cat Bounce. No supernatural flair in that series.

336 pages took me about 2 and half hours.

If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell

Just finished, If Walls Could Talk. This is the first book in a new series. I enjoyed it, I liked and empathized with the main character, Mel. Mel is a general construction contractor, she's recently divorced and discovers she has "the sight" and can see/sense (some) ghosts. The ghost of a murdered associate starts haunting her and she is compelled to help him. In between solving murders Mel has to run her construction business and family concerns as well. I especially liked the descriptions of the construction aspects, and Mel's search for period treasures for restoring historical homes. There is a hint of romantic complications too for those of us who like that sort of thing too.
Rating:Over all I'll give this book, 4 out of 5stars, I liked it but didn't *love* it.
Recommendations: Juliet Blackwell has written two other books, Second Hand Spirits and Cast Off Coven*. If you liked this, try Blackwell's other book, Second Hand Spirits,which is the first in that series. If you have a more paranormal bent, try The Trouble with Magic* by Madelyn Alt.

* indicates that I have read a book