The Last Curtain Call (Haunted Home Renovation, #8)

by Juliet Blackwell

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 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.

• ISBN10: 0593097939
• ISBN13: 9780593097939
• Publish Date: 30 June 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593097939

Reviews

[Mystereity Reviews]

I saw this book on Netgalley and couldn't wait to get my hands on it and it was every bit as good as the blurb made it out to be. This is my first entry into this series (this one is number 8!) so I can safely say that it can be read as a standalone.

I sat down one evening with some time to kill before LivePD started and ended up missing the show! This was just too good to put down. So much to like about it, from the great characters to the amazing plot to the wonderful setting in an old decrepit theater.

Mel is an expert in renovating houses (always a huge draw for me, I love old houses and I love when people restore them instead of ripping out the character and making it an open-plan-granite-countertop-marble-floor monstrosity. But that's another topic.) So, when Mel lands the plum job of restoring an old run down theater that she once visited with her late mother, she goes to have a look.Purchased by a mysterious organization whose motives are unclear, Mel is wary, especially after another contractor was dismissed from the job seemingly without any reason. At the theater, Mel finds a lot of work that needs to be done, as well as a small group of squatters who have to relocated before work can begin.

While assessing what needs to be done, one of the squatters is found, strangled and set on top of the Wurlitzer organ, which rises slowly, revealing her dead body.

Meanwhile, Mel and boyfriend Landon have bought an old house and are renovating it when they discover the ghost of a flapper in the attic, surrounded by her dresses. One of the dresses has a long rip in it and Mel also tries to unravel why she is haunting the attic.

So, several things to solve in this book, and the pace swept along quickly, always a new clue popping up. I really enjoyed how it unfolded and the exciting conclusion capped off a really great book.

If I was to point out any shortcomings, it's that the ending, while satisfying and thrilling, seemed to come about rather quickly although I do have to say that there was really no clue as to who the culprit was. Still, I enjoyed every bit of it and you can bet I'll go out and catch up on the other 7 books!