Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle

Shannon's good friend and retired tech billionaire Raphael Nash is loving his new retired life, but he can't stay unoccupied for too long. He's started the Marigold Foundation, which helps fund small companies and individuals who do humanitarian work around the world. It's an exciting time in Lighthouse Cove as Raphael hosts the first ever global conference, inviting big thinkers from every area of industry to give presentations on eco-living.

Raphael's old business partner arrives in town with a grudge and a plan to steal him away from his important new passion project. Shannon knows her friend has no intention of giving up Marigold and is proud of Raphael for sticking to his guns. But when his former associate winds up dead, all signs point to Raphael.

It's up to Shannon to hammer out the details of the murder before her friend gets pinned for the crime.

 Series: Fixer Upper Mystery #7 | Publisher: Audible | Narrator: Jae Delane | Length: 8 hours 47 minutes | Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery  | Source: Publisher  | Rating: 4.5

Challenges Read For:  - Audiobook Challenge 

I’ve had some ups and downs with this series but I’m happy to report that I really enjoyed Shot Through the Hearth. Even though this is the seventh book in the series, I think the series finally found its footing.

Here’s what’s going on. When Raphael Nash hires Shannon to doing a barn raising during his eco-living conference, Shannon can’t refuse, especially since the foundation is named after her close friend. But things get off to a rocky start when Raphael’s former business partner starts causing trouble then ends up murdered. With everyone at the conference in danger, including Shannon and her friends, Shannon takes it upon herself to discover the killer.

This one has to be my favorite in the series. I’ve had some problems with Shannon acting a bit immature and overly annoying in the previous books but this book showed a lot of growth with her and I’m hoping that stays the same in the books to come. She was more mature, more likable, and just a delightful character. There was also a solidness and maturity in her relationship with Mac that I hadn’t seen before.

The mystery in this one wasn’t unique but the situation—the eco-conference—that brought the characters together was something that I’ve not seen before in a cozy mystery and I enjoyed that. I also enjoyed that this book used a few red herrings to throw you off the murderer. While this wasn’t the hardest mystery to solve, I thought this was exceptionally solid.

I just want to touch on the backdrop—the eco-conference—for a minute. I really enjoyed how bits and bobs of the conference were woven into the book without overwhelming the plot. It was interesting and added a fun layer to the plot, especially with all the eccentric characters it included.

This was my first time listening to Jae Delane narrate and this was the first time she has narrated this series. While she was okay, she wasn’t my favorite and some of her accents, especially the Scottish were just off to me. I really wish they would stick to one narrator for this series instead of switching around so much.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I felt like the book was the best in the series thus far. If you are going to pick this one up, I would suggest you skip it on audio and go for the actual book. 

Fixer Upper Series

A High-End Finish (A Fixer-Upper Mystery, #1)

This Old Homicide (A Fixer-Upper Mystery, #2) 

Crowned and Moldering (A Fixer-Upper Mystery, #3)

Deckthe Hallways (A Fixer-Upper Mystery, #4) 

Eaves of Destruction (Fixer-Upper Mystery #5) 

A Wrench in the Works (Fixer-Upper Mystery #6)

Shot Through the Hearth (Fixer-Upper Mystery #7)