Wall-To-Wall Dead
PRAISE FOR THE DO-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERIES
Flipped Out
“Bentley’s well-developed characters are what makes this cozy so endearing, entertaining, and enthralling.”
—Blogcritics
“The reader will be drawn in like a moth to the flame. This is probably the best book in the series to date.”
—Debbie’s Book Bag
Mortar and Murder
“With plot twists that curve and loop…this story offers handy renovation tips, historical data, and a colorful painting of the Maine landscape.”
—Examiner.com
“Mystery author Jennie Bentley has nailed together another great mystery with
Mortar and Murder
.”
—Fresh Fiction
Plaster and Poison
“A delightful small-town Maine sleuth…Solid and entertaining.”
—Midwest Book Review
“[A] thrilling story that keeps the readers guessing and turning pages.”
—
Fresh Fiction
“A believable and beguiling mystery. Each novel in the series delights, and the third installment only raises the stakes.”
—Examiner.com
“A pull-no-punches mystery.”
—
The Mystery Gazette
“This is one solidly built mystery…Attractive characters and a beautiful setting round out this wonderful read.”
—RT Book Reviews
Spackled and Spooked
“Smooth, clever, and witty. This series is a winner!”
—Once Upon a Romance
“Bound to be another winner for this talented author. Home-renovation buffs will appreciate the wealth of detail.”
—Examiner.com
“I hope the series continues.”
—
Gumshoe Reviews
Fatal Fixer-Upper
“An ingeniously plotted murder mystery with several prime suspects and a nail-biting conclusion.”
—
The Tennessean
“A great whodunit…Fans will enjoy this fine cozy.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Smartly blends investigative drama, sexual tension, and romantic comedy elements, and marks the start of what looks like an outstanding series of Avery Baker cases.”
—The Nashville City Paper
“Polished writing and well-paced story. I was hooked…from page one.”
—
Cozy Library
“There’s a new contender in the do-it-yourself home-renovation mystery field…An enjoyable beginning to a series.”
—
Bangor Daily News
“A strong debut mystery…Do-it-yourselfers will find much to enjoy in the first of this new series.”
—The Mystery Reader
“A cozy whodunit with many elements familiar to fans of Agatha Christie or
Murder, She Wrote
.”
—Nashville Scene
“A fun and sassy journey that teaches readers about home renovation as they follow the twists and turns of a great mystery.”
—Examiner.com
“The mystery is unusually strong. Home-renovation and design tips are skillfully worked into the story, the characters are developed and sympathetic, and the setting is charming. The climax leads to a bang-up ending…A first-rate mystery and a frightening surprise ending.”
—RT Book Review
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Jennie Bentley
FATAL FIXER-UPPER
SPACKLED AND SPOOKED
PLASTER AND POISON
MORTAR AND MURDER
FLIPPED OUT
WALL-TO-WALL DEAD
WALL-TO-WALL
DEAD
JENNIE BENTLEY
BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, projects, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a professional. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.
WALL-TO-WALL DEAD
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / September 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Cover illustration by Jennifer Taylor / Paperdog Studio.
Cover design by Rita Frangie.
Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-58958-8
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
—Prologue—
Derek pulled the boat up to the rickety pier in the cove just below the house on Rowanberry Island. Looking at the old center chimney Colonial, I was reminded, forcibly, of how it had looked the first day we’d come out here to start work on it, some four or five months ago now: run-down, decrepit, and listing to one side, with broken windows, a weather-beaten plank exterior, and a hole in the roof big enough to land a helicopter through.
Now it looked like a different house. Straight and sturdy, gleaming with white paint and a brilliant red door under a fan-shaped window.
“It’s gorgeous.”
Derek glanced at it over his shoulder, in the process of tying up the boat. “Yup.”
“We did a good job.”
“Yes,” Derek said, “we did. C’mon, Tink.”
He extended a hand and hauled me up onto the pier, with special care for my bandaged hands.
It was just a few days since I’d narrowly escaped immolation
when my garden shed went up in flames. I’d been locked inside it at the time, and had to fight my way out, to the detriment of my manicure. My hands were blistered and sore, the skin extra sensitive, and I was currently using salves and strategically placed bandages to get through the days. Derek was gentle as he lifted me from the boat, one arm snaking around my waist to take most of my weight as he pulled me up to stand behind him. “I’ll get the basket.”
He jumped back into the small craft and then crawled back onto the pier a few seconds later, picnic basket in hand.
It was late July, the weather was beautiful, and we were both alive and—as the saying goes—young and in love. The television crew we’d been saddled with for the past week had left town just a few hours ago, headed for their next assignment, and it had seemed a good idea to take the rest of the day off to relax and regenerate. We’d spent the past week working practically around the clock to renovate a little house in the historic part of Waterfield, the Village, for a television show called
Flipped Out
, and while that had been stressful enough in and of itself, things had gone from bad to worse when the owner of the house had turned up dead, followed by a whole lot of other complications, including that burning garden shed. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and when Derek suggested we take a trip out to Rowanberry Island and spend the day there while the weather was still warm enough to enjoy the water, I’d jumped at the chance. We’d packed a lunch, borrowed a boat from a friend, and here we were.
“I like it here,” I said, gazing around at the pine and birch forest framing the house, and the blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds, bleeding into the equally blue water.