The entire Julius family (except the mother-in-law) seemed to vanish into thin air one morning six years ago. This event doesn’t bother Roe, in fact, she seems to enjoy the idea of owning a house with a past.  Just before the wedding, Martin must leave the state on business and hires army buddy Shelby and his wife Angel to help Roe oversee the renovations on the house.

Roe quickly figures out that Shelby and Angel are not just there as caretakers, but as bodyguards. Roe also gets the feeling that Martin is not telling her everything about his past. Prior to the presenting of the Julius House, Roe returned to Martin’s hometown to purchase his family’s farm and learns some more about him, or rather that there IS more to learn about him, from Martin’s ex-wife who also knows little about his past.

Uneasy, Roe still marries Martin, though she is concerned about the secrets he is hiding, especially when an ax wielding maniac chases her through her new backyard. With too much time on her hands, Roe spends a lot of time thinking about the Juliuses and realizing some stories don’t quite add up. A roofing project uncovers three sets of bones, although they are the skeletons of three adults, rather than two adults and one teenager as would have been expected. Roe and Angel head to New Orleans to locate the only known living relative of the Juliuses, a spinster aunt, and come face to face with a past they never expected.  

The Julius House is an entertaining mystery with a good plot, but Roe is a hard character to figure out. As this is the fourth mystery featuring Roe, it would be expected that she would be a very solid character by now. Most of the time she is very sure of herself, except when it comes to Martin, yet she marries him anyway, doubts and all. 

Roe does not seem the type to be a suburban stay-at-home mom or a country club wife, but without a job, she is at loose ends and doesn’t seem to be able to get settled. The mystery of Martin’s past is interesting, but ultimately unsatisfying. The Julius mystery is very interesting and Roe’s research skills make the investigation compelling and believable. Readers starting with this entry in the series will find themselves at a bit of a disadvantage where Roe is concerned, but will find her enjoyable enough to seek out the earlier mysteries.                                           

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry