Fixer-Upper Mysteries in Order: How to read Kate Carlisle’s Series?

Adapted for television by the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel (with Jewel and Colin Ferguson), the Fixer Upper Mysteries is a cozy mystery series written by Kate Carlisle (Bibliophile Mysteries). The story takes us to the small resort town of Lighthouse Cove in California. There, everyone knows that the best man for the job is a woman. And that woman is Shannon Hammer, owner of Hammer Construction Company and an expert in Victorian home restoration and renovation. Shannon knows how to expose the old secrets those old houses hide, which sometimes leads her to discover murder victims. She can’t stop herself from investigating–with Eric Jensen, the new chief of police, and Mac Sullivan, a famous crime novelist.

How to read the Fixer-Upper Mystery Series in Order?

Each entry in the Fixer-Upper Mystery book series offers a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one book to the other.

1. A High-End Finish (2014) – On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, Shannon Hammer has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands-on. She’s happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry’s found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she’s been hired to restore, the town’s attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.
2. This Old Homicide (2015) – Valentine’s Day is approaching, and while contractor Shannon Hammer is delighted to be friends with not one but two handsome men, not everyone in Lighthouse Cove, California, is feeling the love. After her elderly neighbor Jesse Hennessey fails to make his daily appearance at the local diner, Shannon swings by his place to check on him. Not only does she find Jesse dead of an apparent heart attack, but she also realizes that his home has been ransacked.
3. Crowned and Moldering (2015) – When Mac Sullivan-famous thriller writer and Shannon’s new beau first moved to Lighthouse Cove, California, he bought the historic lighthouse mansion that the town is named after. Mac needs help cleaning up the place, and Shannon is more than happy to get her handywoman hands on the run-down Victorian. But during demolition, a grisly discovery is made among the debris–the bones of a teenage girl who went missing fifteen years ago.

4. Deck the Hallways (2016) – Even during the holidays, Shannon is more spackle than sparkle, which is why she leaps at the chance to transform a grand old Victorian mansion into ten charming apartments for homeless families. Filled with the spirit of the season, all of Lighthouse Cove turns out to help-including her best friends, a troupe of far-from-angelic Santa Claus impersonators, and her father, Jack. But their merriment is soon dashed by a heated scuffle between Jack and the miserly president of the bank who’s backing the project. When the man is murdered, all eyes are on Jack.
5. Eaves of Destruction (2017) – Shannon is in high demand among rival homeowners, who will do anything to win Best in Show. One-upmanship and even espionage break out among neighbors, construction crews, decorators, and landscapers. Thanks to several new hires, Shannon is sure she can handle the extra load–until murder throws a wrench in the works. The small town’s corrupt building inspector is found dead on one of Shannon’s job sites, and soon plenty of suspects are coming out of the woodwork.
6. A Wrench in the Works (2018) – Shannon’s younger sister, Chloe, left Lighthouse Cove after high school to make it big in Hollywood. And she did it! Chloe is the cohost of a popular home repair show on the Home Builders Network. Now, after ten years, she has returned to their quaint coastal hometown to film several shows featuring her sister, Shannon, along with some special mini-segments on Victorian style and design. But Shannon quickly realizes that things are not exactly blissful in TV land. Bree, the executive producer of the show, has a knack for stirring up sticky situations, and when she’s found dead, Chloe and the entire crew are under suspicion.

7. Shot Through the Hearth (2019) – It’s an exciting time in Lighthouse Cove as Shannon’s good friend and retired tech billionaire, Raphael Nash, 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.
8. Premeditated Mortar (2020) – Shannon Hammer is about to embark on one of the biggest projects of her career. Her best friend Jane Hennessey has purchased one wing of the Gables, formerly the old state insane asylum. Jane plans to turn her section into a small luxury hotel complete with twenty ocean-view rooms, a spa, and a restaurant. Shannon is shocked when a group of unruly protesters shows up at the groundbreaking ceremony and wreaks havoc. She’s even more freaked out when someone pushes her into a pit of bricks in a closed-off room of the asylum. Despite her close call, Shannon wants nothing more than to get back to work . . . until she finds a body not far from where she was pushed.
9. Absence of Mallets (2021) – Shannon and Mac are both busier than ever. Mac is hosting writing retreats at his now vacant lighthouse mansion, while Shannon and her crew build Homefront, a quaint Victorian village of tiny homes for veterans in need. Mac’s latest guests are proving to be a handful though, and Shannon has heard some grumbling from the luminaries of Lighthouse Cove about her latest passion project. But nothing can throw a wrench in their plans except a malicious murder.

10. Dressed to Drill (2023) – While Shannon Hammer is thrilled to attend the premiere of the movie based on her boyfriend Mac’s latest book, she can’t wait to trade her killer heels for work boots and start her next renovation project in Lighthouse Cove: a quaint Victorian church that has seen better days. And will see them again–as a museum–if Shannon, her talented crew, and her sister Chloe have anything to say about it. But on the first day of demolition, work comes to a screeching halt when they stumble on the body of a beautiful young woman in one of the chapels. Who killed the assistant art director?
11. The Knife Before Christmas (2024) – Christmas has come to Lighthouse Cove, but business hasn’t slowed down for Shannon Hammer. She’s been contracted to renovate a local hotel owned by the Garrisons, a family that’s so devoted to the holidays they serve a seven-course dinner every night from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Last year’s festivities featured a train that transported guests around the breathtaking Cliffside property. This year, Shannon and her crew have been commissioned to build a Victorian-style carnival midway with games and prizes galore. Things turn nasty when a mischief-maker close to the family is found dead. 

If you like the Kate Carlisle’s Fixer-Upper Mysteries reading order, you may be interested in Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mysteries, Jenn McKinlay’s Hat Shop Mysteries, Eva Gates’s Lighthouse Library Mysteries, Ellery Adams’s books…