Review: A Bat in the Belfry, Sarah Graves

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book on Netgalley from the publisher in return for an honest review*

As an epic nor'easter bears down on the idyllic island town of Eastport, Maine, Jacobia Tiptree hurries to prepare her antique house for the big blow, while the town battles to evacuate tourists and save the beloved 200-year-old Seaman's Church steeple, threatened by the storm. But when a local teen beauty-pageant winner from a troubled family is found murdered in the steeple's bell tower and Jake's son Sam's visiting childhood friend comes under scrutiny as a suspect, the resulting storm of gossip and suspicion rivals anything the Atlantic could brew up.

Sarah Graves lives with her husband John and their dog Evelyn in a house very much like the one Jacobia Tiptree is remodeling in Eastport, Maine. When she's not writing Jake's adventures, Sarah works with her husband on the house or in the garden.

It took me some time reading this book. For the 304 pages the book holds 3 days is a bit much but I did know why. There is an 'I' by the person of Jacobia (Jake) Tiptree. She tells the story as 'I', is a witty woman with a sharp brain and a strong will. Plus she is handy and does all the stuff on her house I wished I could do. She gets to tell three pages and than we change point of view. To some other person like Sam, Chip, Lizzie or one of the other characters and while living in their head the story goes to 'he' or 'she'. My poor brain cannot handle this. Each time that happened I had to get out of the one head into the other and I at points I was reluctant to do that because I liked the character I was walking around with or I really needed to know what would happen to that character now and not after Lizzie told what she was doing at that time. I have noticed this before but it was never as clear as with this book that I am simply not made for books with a changing point of view.
And no I did not put the book down. I made it to the end because the story was fun and it was good and I wanted to know what happened, I NEEDED to know what happened. Because there was a young girl murdered and there where so many people who could have done it and and.. I guess you get the picture. I had to help solve this crime so I had to struggle my way trough all those heads to get to the end of the book and arrest someone. Because that puzzle aspect in the story is set really well.
What I also enjoyed a LOT was the atmosphere, the storm, rain and all the bad weather. It was kind of windy outside here while I was reading the book but at one point I looked out expecting it to be really bad weather and yeah there was a lot of wind but the sun was shining and I was surprised because in my head there was rain and a hailstorm. That was a sign for me that the story was catchy enough.
I did not read any of the other books in this series before picking this up and though I sometimes got the feeling I was missing some inside information it was not disturbing.
Despite the fact I did enjoy the story I am not sure if I will read another book in the series due to the multiple viewpoints.

A Bat in the Belfry
Author: Sarah Graves
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN-10: 0345538587
ISBN-13: 9780345538581
Pages: 304
Format: eBook
Series: Home Repair is Homicide #16
Bantam: eBook | Hardcover

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