The Last Curtain Call by Juliet Blackwell (English) Paperback Book

Description: The Last Curtain Call by Juliet Blackwell A ghoulish mystery starring a ghost-whispering contractor who tries to renovate a haunted movie theatre. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description A new ghoulish mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Ghostly Light, featuring Mel Turner, a ghost-whispering contractor.Mel Turner cant resist the chance to bring the Crockett Theatre, a decrepit San Francisco art nouveau movie palace, back to life. But theres a catch for Turner Construction- Several artists are currently squatting in the building, and they arent 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 fiance, Landon, are remodeling an old house for themselves, and Mel finds it more challenging than she expected to be on the other side of a home renovation project.When Mel discovers that the original 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. Author Biography Juliet Blackwell is the pseudonym for the New York Times bestselling author who writes the Witchcraft Mystery series and the Haunted Home Renovation series.Together with her sister, Juliet wrote the Art Lovers Mystery series. The first in that series, Feint of Art, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. She is also the author of the novels The Vineyards of Champagne and The Lost Carousel of Provence. Review "Juliet Blackwell sits firmly on my list of must-read authors...[Her] writing is like that of a master painter, placing a perfect splash of detail, drama, and whimsy in all the right places."—Victoria Laurie, New York Times bestselling author, on the Haunted Home Renovation series "A winning combination of cozy mystery, architectural history, and DIY with a ghost story thrown in."—The Mystery Reader, on the Haunted Home Renovation series "Cleverly plotted with a terrific sense of the history of the greater Bay Area, Blackwells series has plenty of ghosts and supernatural happenings to keep readers entertained and off-balance."—Library Journal, on the Haunted Home Renovation series "This series is exceptional."—Kings River Life Magazine, on the Haunted Home Renovation series "One of the most exciting, smart, and funny heroines currently in any book series."—Fresh Fiction, on the Haunted Home Renovation series "Fans will want to see a lot more of the endearing Mel."—Publishers Weekly, on the Haunted Home Renovation series Promotional A new ghoulish mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Ghostly Light, featuring Mel Turner, a ghost-whispering contractor. Review Quote "Juliet Blackwell sits firmly on my list of must-read authors...[Her] writing is like that of a master painter, placing a perfect splash of detail, drama, and whimsy in all the right places." --Victoria Laurie, New York Times bestselling author, on the Haunted Home Renovation series "A winning combination of cozy mystery, architectural history, and DIY with a ghost story thrown in." -- The Mystery Reader , on the Haunted Home Renovation series "Cleverly plotted with a terrific sense of the history of the greater Bay Area, Blackwells series has plenty of ghosts and supernatural happenings to keep readers entertained and off-balance." -- Library Journal , on the Haunted Home Renovation series "This series is exceptional." -- Kings River Life Magazine, on the Haunted Home Renovation series "One of the most exciting, smart, and funny heroines currently in any book series." -- Fresh Fiction , on the Haunted Home Renovation series "Fans will want to see a lot more of the endearing Mel." -- Publishers Weekly , on the Haunted Home Renovation series Promotional "Headline" A new ghoulish mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Ghostly Light , featuring Mel Turner, a ghost-whispering contractor. Excerpt from Book Chapter One It has been my experience that when homeowners take the time and trouble to permanently seal off a room, they usually have a Very Good Reason. And typically, that means something about that room is Very Not Good. So when my foreman, Mateo, announced that the attic of my new house had a sealed-off closet with a window, I found it hard to keep the tone of my voice casual. "Sealed off?" "Yeah," said Mateo. "The original blueprints indicate a good-sized closet with a little window under the eave. You can see the outline of the window from the outside if you look closely, but the whole thing seems to have been closed up at some point." I reminded myself not to jump to conclusions. This was a marvelous old house. Dating from 1911, it featured the master woodworking and built-ins that typified the Arts and Crafts movement, combined with the original architects artistic flair of Moroccan arches and intricately paned windows. The first time I walked in the door, I experienced a rush of dZj^ vu that was highly unsettling, but later, I came to understand it had been sparked by a psychic and emotional connection with my late mother and her memories of living here as a very young child. Overall, the houses vibes were good-in fact, fantastic. Warm, loving, embracing, just like my mother. If some erstwhile resident had, say, set up a sacrificial altar in a sealed-off attic closet, surely I would have felt it by now, wouldnt I? After all, what good is it being a ghost-talking psychic home renovator if I cant suss out the presence of evil in my own darned house? "Well, I guess it wasnt sealed off, exactly," continued Mateo. "A big armoire was placed in front of the door." "An armoire in front of a door could simply mean there wasnt enough wall space in the attic," I said, relieved. It wasnt as though there were cinder blocks or something permanent blocking access. "Sure," said Mateo. "Maybe the closet was where they stored things they only needed once a year, like Christmas ornaments." "Exactly," I said. We looked at each other, then looked away. My fiancZ, Landon Demetrius, and I were hip deep in an extended remodel of this beautiful and rather good-sized house in Oakland, across the Bay from San Francisco. Many decades ago, my great-grandparents had owned the home for a while, and my mother had lived there for a few years when she was a child. When Landon discovered I had a special connection to this stunning-but terribly faded-grande dame, he had purchased it for us upon our engagement in a sweeping romantic gesture. Which was swell, but . . . My father has a saying: "Theres nothing like an extended remodel to ruin a relationship." Bill Turner is my dad and the founder of Turner Construction, and when it comes to renovating historic buildings, hes the best in the business. Since Dad (semi) retired, Im now running Turner Construction, so its fallen to me to moderate the frequent, and often contentious, "discussions" among our clients about everything from floor plans to choice of low-flow toilet to the precise level of sheen in the paint in the downstairs entry. And true to Dads adage, more than a few relationships go down in flames because the couples cant agree on how to remodel their damned house. With the arrogance of one who hasnt experienced something firsthand, I used to believe that going through a home remodel was a relationship litmus test: If a couple couldnt handle being together without a working kitchen or a functioning bathroom, found it just too much to live surrounded by noise and dust and chaos for months or years on end, or couldnt navigate the million and one decisions that had to be made-not to mention wrestling with budget overruns and clashing tastes-then how in the world could that couple expect to face the stresses inherent in a long-term relationship? Except now I was one half of a renovating couples "discussion," and I was on the verge of losing it. The crux of the problem, at least as I saw it, was that I, the professional home renovator with years of construction experience, had certain ideas about what I wanted, and what the house needed, while Landon, a math professor who had never even picked up a paintbrush, had very different and, in my view, stupid ideas. This mornings argument circled around whether to install period wallpaper borders in the living room. Landon didnt want to use the gorgeous William Morris designs I had suggested because of the appalling history of wallpaper manufacturing in nineteenth-century England, whose use of poisonous dyes had blinded many of their workers. "They dont blind their workers anymore," I said through gritted teeth. "Ill think of it every time I look at that border," responded Landon. "I have a lot of experience in this sort of thing, you know," I said for the thousandth time. "I understand, and I respect that immeasurably," he said in that laudable but at times annoyingly formal way of his. "But I must insist that it is I, after all, who bought the house." "So you want to make this about money? Really?" "Of course not. You know I dont care about that." "Besides, I thought you bought it for us." "I did, indeed. And it will be ours just as soon as you marry me. When will that be, did you say?" For someone as measured and perpetually pleasant as Landon, this was a highly snide conversation. But he had a point: I hadnt exactly settled on a marriage date. Being engaged suited me quite well, but actual marriage still scared the hell out of me. I had tried it once and it hadnt ended well. "The wallpaper-versus-painted-border discussion can wait a while," Mateo said in a casual but firm tone. Mateos in-charge demeanor was at odds with his small stature; apparently he had decided to take on the role of mediator. "The plasterwork isnt even finished yet." "But thats my point," I insisted. "We would need a different level of finish, depending on whether were planning on paper or paint. Also, the genuine Morris paper has a long lead time-I want to get it ordered as soon as possible." "I agree with Mateo; we should table this discussion for the moment," said Landon. "Have you decided whether you want to repair the walls with the original lathe and plaster or with drywall?" asked Mateo. "Plaster," I said. "Drywall," Landon said at the same moment. Our gazes locked, and not in a romantic way. "Ooookaaaay," said Mateo, who was not a stupid man. "Howsabout you two take some time and talk that one out? In the meantime, want to check out that attic closet situation?" "This sounds like your department," said Landon to me, as he checked his watch. "And I must leave now or risk arriving late to class." "Your class doesnt start for another hour," I pointed out. Landon was teaching a graduate theoretical physics seminar at UC Berkeley, which was a twenty-five-minute drive from where we were in Oakland. I was an on-time kind of person, myself, but Landon was irritatingly so, blaming it on the unpredictable traffic in the Bay Area. "Better to be safe than sorry," he would say cheerfully as we sat in the car in front of a friends house for a quarter of an hour so as not to catch our dinner host stepping out of the shower. "Better safe than sorry," Landon said now, right on cue. He smiled and gave me a little squeeze. "This is looking great, Mel. Everythings on track, eh? Well figure out the wallpaper thing, not to fret." I managed a smile. Its just a decoration, I reminded myself. "And good luck at your meeting later," Landon said, leaning down and kissing me good-bye. "The Crockett Theatre, yes? Let me know how it goes." "The great old theater in San Francisco?" asked Mateo. "I stopped by there last time I was in the Mission. I always heard that place was haunted." An uncomfortable silence descended. My experience with ghosts tended to bring conversations to a standstill, rather like discussing a tendency toward flatulence in polite company. The meeting this afternoon was to discuss Turner Construction taking over the renovation of the old-style movie theater. The previous contractor had abruptly dropped out halfway through the project, citing an "unforeseen scheduling conflict," but I suspected something else was afoot. I was familiar with the century-old Crockett Theatre and its reputation for being haunted because not only do I run a construction company, but Im also something of a ghost buster. And, apparently, a glutton for punishment. "Be that as it may," said Landon as he gave me a quick hug and took a brief moment to gaze into my eyes. "See you tonight. Promise me youll be careful?" I nodded and watched as Landon picked his way through a maze of two-by-fours and sawhorses and compressors, politely wishing a good day to each member of the Turner Construction work crew as he passed. Landon was tall and broad-shouldered, with slightly long brown hair and a trimmed beard. He wor Description for Sales People One of the most interesting and original cosy crime series out there, featuring ghosts and home renovation as hooks! Paranormal cosy mysteries are extremely popular with both cosy fans and readers of light paranormal fantasy. Features a twisty plot that will keep readers guessing right up until the very end - an ideal haunted whodunit. For fans of Kate Carlisles Fixer Upper Mysteries and Heather Blakes Wishcraft Mysteries. Details ISBN0593097939 Author Juliet Blackwell Pages 336 Year 2020 ISBN-10 0593097939 ISBN-13 9780593097939 Format Paperback Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Language English Series Haunted Home Renovation Series Number 8 UK Release Date 2020-06-30 Publication Date 2020-06-30 US Release Date 2020-06-30 Narrator Jonathan Glover Birth 1908 Death 1988 Affiliation Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Bipolar Clinic and Reseach Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Position Associate Professor of Psychiatry Qualifications Ph.D. Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc Imprint Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S. DEWEY 813.6 Audience General NZ Release Date 2020-09-24 AU Release Date 2020-09-24 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:133211690;

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