Flipped Out

 Flipped Out by Jennie Bentley (2011) 293 pages

Avery Baker and her boyfriend Derek Ellis have gotten the opportunity to renovate a house for a TV series called Flipped Out! The plan is to use an empty house owned by Tony Micelli, the local news anchor in their small town of Waterfield, Maine, and to start and finish the renovation in a week. The TV crew arrives, consisting of the director, camera operator, production assistant, tech guy, and the guy who will be interviewing them on camera.  The "before" footage is filmed, and then the couple, along with some friends, start tearing out cabinets, counters, sinks, etc. The next morning, though, Tony is found inside, stabbed to death. Is the murder a random thing, or is it related to Tony's new fiancée (who happens to be Derek's ex-wife), or does it have a connection to the film crew? For instance, Tony had worked with Nina, the director of the show, twenty years prior, and there seemed to be some tension between them when they saw each other again.

After the police release the house back to the renovation crew, the renovations continue as the list of suspects grows and changes. Can the house be finished in time? And more importantly, who murdered Tony? 

The book was an enjoyable read, and like the other book that I read from this series, at the end there were numerous home-renovation tips.