• Murder on the House

  • Haunted Home Renovation Series, Book 3
  • By: Juliet Blackwell
  • Narrated by: Xe Sands
  • Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (814 ratings)

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Murder on the House  By  cover art

Murder on the House

By: Juliet Blackwell
Narrated by: Xe Sands
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Publisher's summary

Word has spread that contractor Mel Turner can communicate with the spirits of the dead, and she's having a hard time maintaining a low profile. She decides to embrace her reputation for the chance to restore a historic house that calls to her. The new owners, who hope to run a haunted bed-and-breakfast, want Mel to encourage the ghosts that supposedly roam the halls to enhance the house's paranormal charm. The catch: Mel has to spend one night in the house to win the project. During the spine-chilling sleepover, the estate gains another supernatural occupant when someone doesn't survive the night. As Mel tries to coax the resident spirits into revealing the identity of the killer, she risks becoming the next casualty of this dangerous renovation.

©2012 Julie Goodson-Lawes (P)2013 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This book read like a charm. Juliet Blackwell has a knack for weaving supernatural and mysterious elements into a beautiful story that the reader just cannot put down." (Girl Lost in a Book)

What listeners say about Murder on the House

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable

This might be one of the best books in the series so far. It's the perfect blend of a ghost story and a very clever mystery. It also has interesting and likable characters. I especially enjoyed Mel's blossoming relationship. This is a great series and I look forward to the next book.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not my Favorite

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Spend more time developing the additional characters, like Mel's father, his best friend, and the step son. I just love Mel's father, and would love to see more of him other than cooking dinner or breakfast. Xe Sands voice given to Mel's father makes him come alive and makes me want more of him!

What was most disappointing about Juliet Blackwell’s story?

Mel is frustrating with always doing what she wants when she wants and never giving a thought to anyone else. The romance part of the book with Graham is worthless, either have a bit of romance or leave it out all together. A kiss per book is ridiculous.

What aspect of Xe Sands’s performance would you have changed?

I like Xe Sands

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Murder & Mayhem all around

Fun to listen to murder mystery with a tad little bit of romance.Lots of character's,it was a bit hard keeping up with them all but the narrator didn't seem to have any problem with that herself.She did a great job giving each character individuality & personality.The only thing I could be disappointed in was some of the character's in the story weren't accounted for in the end leaving you to wonder what happened to them,like Tom Avery for example.He supposedly to sailed away but to me it didn't sound like something the man would have done.Over all,very cute story with murder & ghosts & lots of curious friends.Would recommend reading for any one at any age.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My new favorite series

The first two books in the series were good. This one though goes a step ahead in developing characters and the story line. It also sets the premise for Mel to accept her unwanted ability to see ghosts.

The narrator is perfect for the series. She sets the right tone and hits all the right emotional pitches.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Toe-curlingly delightful

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It depends on the friend - this sort of writing and story isn't for everyone. If you've listened to the rest of the series, absolutely. This one is the best so far! I'm falling even more in love with Mel Turner and her life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mel is definitely my favorite character, which is atypical for me. I tend to gravitate towards other characters, but I feel such a kinship with her - her skepticism, thoroughness, quirky style, and curiosity.

What does Xe Sands bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The ability to do other things whilst being entertained! I've learned to love Xe Sands' narrative style - at first (starting with the witching series), I found her a little difficult to listen to, but I've grown to appreciate the nuance with which she voices each character. Her soothing voice allows my mind to relax into the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Historical home renovation just got spookier! Which sounds awful. Nobody would ask me to write a tag line for a movie.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

More than one type of competition

Fun book that I would recommend.

The new owners of historic Bernini House want to return it to its original state and make it into a haunted Bed and Breakfast. They have heard about Mel’s special gifts in communicating with the dead and are hoping that she can convince the ghost family to stay. Although Mel has met Annabelle, one of the children (ghost) that lives in the house, she has competition for the job. Avery Builders is also going to bid on the job.

The catch is that both Mel and Josh Avery have to spend the night in the home to win the project. Whoever stays the longest wins the job. Graham, Mel’s boyfriend, doesn't like the idea of her spending the night with Josh and decides to join her. Both competitors end up with an entourage at the house because no one wants them to be alone with the ghosts.

However, that problem all goes by the wayside when a body is discovered in the well. Mel tries to convince Annabelle to tell her what happened but isn't getting any answers. Instead the haunting becomes more menacing and Mel finds herself as a suspect in the murder.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Murder on the house

This book was fun to read! Not only were there ghosts and quirky characters but a bad guy that I didn't guess.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Crafty friends preserving old San Francisco

Love the San Francisco history, the remodel design ideas along with an interesting story line and individuals on the craft industry.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Cozy, Woo-Woo Romance that is delightful

Another very enjoyable ghost story from Juliet Blackwell can be read in Murder on the House. Following Mel Turner's new and developing skills in talking to ghosts, she decides to take on a new challenge. An historic Victorian home needs to be restored. Work has begun on a small scale with a passionate gardener already at work along with other individual repairs.

An elderly woman who spent 60 happily married years at the house until her husband died not so long ago has already signed an agreement to sell the home to a couple who want to convert the mansion into a bed and breakfast ... A haunted B&B inn. Mel already knows from a previous visit to the home that an entire family - medical doctor, his wife, a son and a daughter - died in the home. Mel has used her growing talents of talking with ghosts to chat with the young girl after hearing her singing in the nursery.

Any contractors who are interested in winning the possible AIA award winning job must spend an entire evening at the mansion without leaving. The handful of contractors and their friends or aides all gather with the elderly woman for a pizza dinner. They begin disbanding when a ruckus in the nursery sends them all running, some toward the room and some out of the house. Mel calms everyone in the nursery by showing the toy truck who announces his own arrival, the bag of marbles that spilled, and so on.

When they make it back to the kitchen, they discover that someone is missing. When she is found, she is no longer alive. All involved try to call 911 on their cell phones, but their batteries have been drained. Even the landline at the house is out of order. Mel realizes the pizza place is just down the street, so she runs there and calls 911. In doing so, she's alerted those at the pizza place what is going on and where. The elderly woman had raised many foster kids, some of whom still live and work in town, and eat pizza!

Mel and her entourage make it back to the mansion in time to meet the paramedics and see the dead body removed. The evening is over after that. Mel can't let go of the many unanswered mysteries and soon finds all the men currently in her life following her every move ... Her ex husband and her stepson Caleb who was hurt in his home which is under renovation, Graham, her current date who wants to be more, her father and family friend Stan who ran Turner Construction, and even the Dog who is male!

By the end of this charming story, I wasn't sure if I'd read a cozy, a woo woo story, a romance, or some other category books fall into. Not that it truly matters to me, as long as the book is well written, and this certainly was well written. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was the middle of the story got the "what ifs," which is what I call it if a mystery becomes bogged down with the author asking what if character C killed her, or what if it was character H at the cookie jar, etc. Otherwise, Juliet Blackwell has written an engaging, mysterious, funny, silly yet deadly serious book. The ending brings answers to all those pesky questions as well.

Way to go Juliet for writing a fine story, and to Xe for superbly narrating the many characters in this audiobook. I truly am looking forward to reading the next excellent chapter in Mel Turner's life!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Superb light reading with goosebumps.

Juliet Blackwell's Ghost vs. Contractor series has been a delight. I listen to them in between heavy murder mysteries as they are quick witted, light and usually give me goosebumps at some point. I give a healthy amount of credit for keeping me entertained to the amazing narration by Xe Sands. That woman could probably cry on cue. She makes her voice quivver exactly when the leading lady is scared. She does other people's voices so well you really wouldn't have to say "said Luce". The stories were full of twists and as with all great who-done-it's I find myself guessing at the beginning and then being dead wrong at the end. I'm excited to see that that Ms. Blackwell has book #7 coming out next year as I am a female General Contractor and have run across some interesting things in this business as well. So that made the entire series just a bit more fun and lively.
Book three, Murder on the House describes more of San Fran that I have not seen yet. If you haven't been to San Fran and are reading the series, you really need to take a trip and walk the city. The detail of the houses she describes and the areas surrounding them are quiet accurate. Book three, as with all the other books, has our favorite characters, our work-a-holic leading lady and Dog. The eye rolls, bumps, tool box falling and bumps in the night all make for a perfect ghost story. This one though, I didn't see it coming. Really. All the clues were there but I got too wrapped up in the little girl ghost that I didn't see it coming.

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