Verdict: Before he became a successful screenwriter, Murphy made his living renovating homes in Los Angeles. He must have seen a lot because he has written one juicy, sexy debut. The author's skills as a screenwriter are evident here--the characters come alive, and the plot just keeps hopping. Contemporary fiction readers will love it. For most popular fiction collections. Background: "The first thing a woman needs to know about renovating a house or apartment is simple: Do not, under any circumstances, sleep with your contractor." Narrator Henry Sullivan tends to break his golden rule repeatedly. He has a dry wit, impeccable taste, great skill as a contractor, and not much patience for the husbands of his clients. After finishing a job for the "sweet-smelling" Sally Stein, Henry begins an affair with her. But as he starts his next job, he finds his new client, Rebecca Paulson, incredibly enticing and ends up in the middle of an emotional mess when he discovers that the two women were once close friends. Add to this drama the hysterically funny stories of Henry's Latino workers who pretend not to speak English, and then tell Henry everything the homeowners say when he's not there.--Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In screenwriter Murphy's breezy debut, Henry Sullivan, a single, in-demand L.A. contractor, can pick and choose his high-end home renovation jobs. Henry's self-imposed rules--don't sleep with clients and don't take on too many projects at once--go out a half-finished window when he falls for two clients at once: Sally Stein, a single and successful purse designer, and Rebecca Paulson, an unhappily married mother of twins who is Sally's former best friend. Why the two women he loves are no longer speaking becomes so intriguing to Henry that he begins to dig for answers while simultaneously finishing (or, rather, attempting to finish) both their houses. How Henry finally solves the mystery is neatly wrapped up at the end of this amusing tour through the perils of poking around in others' intimate spaces. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.