Her son has recovered from his addictions and her semi-contrite ex-husband followed her up north and has slowly re-worked himself into her life. Even with her somewhat estranged father chipping away at the foundation of her house, Jake feels all is reasonably under control. Ellie and Jake have recently purchased a property they want to restore and turn into rental income.

Even though the property is far from being complete, Jake agrees to rent the cottage for a week to a group who is taking a “witch seminar.” One stormy night Jake is called out to make a few minor repairs to the cottage. When she gets there she discovers the body of local self-serving fire and brimstone preacher Eugene Dibble. Dibble is also suspected in trafficking prescription drugs and when Jake finds some in the crawl space under her cottage it seems to point to a motive for Dibble’s murder.

However, there are some things that don’t quite add up to Jake, including the disappearance of the teenage daughter of one of the seminar participants and a con-artist who asks a lot of Jake when he asks her to believe the biography he tells her. As her Victorian house’s foundation begins to crumble and other parts of Jake’s life reach no-turning back points, she finds herself caught up in another investigation that she has no interest in being involved in, something that may just be too dangerous for her.

Nail Biter, the ninth Home Repair is Homicide mystery, is full of a lot of good things, but is a bit uneven and sometimes there is too much going on. Jake has finally come to terms with Victor’s presence in Eastport when she senses that something is going on beneath the surface. Jake is also beginning to work her father back into her life, but grows quickly frustrated with him, especially when the foundation of her house begins to prophetically crumble. Jake feels a certain amount of responsibility for the young girl who disappeared and searches the darker side of Eastport at her own peril for the girl. Jake has also developed an annoying habit of looking at someone’s dwelling and making a mental list of the tools she would need to fix a problem.

The mystery is complicated and engrossing, but all the drama in Jake’s life takes away from the tension as she worries whether she should be looking for the girl at all. A Halloween setting is quickly lost and the story could have taken place at any time of the year. A box found in the foundation adds an eerie touch and foreshadows an interesting turn for Jake’s next adventure.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry