The Fixer Upper

Mary Kay Andrews' latest book, The Fixer Upper, has been a fun, entertaining summer read. I love Andrews' work and this latest one is one of my favorites.

Dempsey Killebrew is a twenties-something lobbyist working for a Congressman in Washington, DC. When she is caught in a political scandal - perhaps because her boss has set her up - Dempsey leaves DC jobless, stopping briefly at her father's house. While there her father offers her a proposition: she can move to Guthrie, Georgia and refurbish his family's home and then sell it. The two will "flip" the house and make a profit which they can split. Because she has nothing else waiting for her, Dempsey agrees to this. However, when she arrives at Birdsong there is more than just a little refurbishing that needs to take place. And, a little old lady who happens to be a great aunt is squatting in the home, refusing to leave. To make things worse, the FBI also arrive wanting Dempsey to help them with their need to nail her former boss. Small town life, where everyone knows your business is something Dempsey has to grow used to, as is the amount of work necessary to fix up Birdsong. Andrews throws in a little romance for Dempsey along the way, along with a little suspense as Dempsey tries to help the FBI, and the whole reading experience is a lot of fun. Andrews does not disappoint with this book, which is one of my favorites of the summer season.