Diane KellyCritiques

What a fun and instructive cozy mystery, sixth in series, featuring Nashville, TN house-flipping cousins, Whitney Whitaker and Buck Whitaker. How is it that I am just hearing about this fun series now?! This time around they've been awarded the option to renovate and convert an old fire station into a private residence. They've got their schedule set and are well on their way to getting things done in time for Whitney's nuptials. A neighbor around the corner from the station approaches them to ask for professional advice about the neglected adjoining property to her own and wouldn't they consider taking on that project too? Hmmm, what to do? Everything is going according to plan. That is until the neighbor dies in Whitney's arms. Sleuthing Whitney is now on the case.

Although I was familiar with Diane Kelly's Mountain Lodge Mystery series, which I adore, this was my first foray into her House Flipper Mystery series. Ms. Kelly again does not fail to please this reader. Her writing is solid. The characters are well developed. I particularly liked the character strength which Whitney displays yet there is also a tenderness and empathetic nature to her. It's obvious that Ms. Kelly has done her research and the result of which is a fun, informative, and captivating story.

I am grateful to author Diane Kelly and St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary e-book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher:‎ St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: April 23, 2024
No. of pages:‎ 304
ISBN:‎ 978-1250816085

Four Alarm Homicide
House-Flipper mystery series #6. Cozy mystery style. Can be read as a stand-alone although personal relationships are progressing in the series.
Whitney Whitaker and cousin Buck find their newest rehab in Nashville. The cousins begin the interior demolition work of the old firehouse when the neighbor asks for help. They offer their services and end up owning a rundown townhouse. A fire and then a death has Whitney playing investigator.

Mercury, whiskey, cigarettes, and extended family make for suspects and twists as the story progresses. Follow the clues and see if you can predict “the killer” as Whitney asks questions. Secondary series storyline includes Whitney and Collin’s wedding prep.
I love the short chapters that are from the cat’s POV. 🤣 Enjoyable.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Four-Alarm Homicide is the sixth book in the House Flipper Mystery series by Diane Kelly. A cozy mystery filled with suspects, construction, and wedding planning, this was something a little different in the cozy world, and it totally works!

This is not your average cozy with a baker or coffee shop owner, this main female character is a hands-on house flipper along with her cousin, Buck. When they buy an old fire house and decide to remodel it into a family home, they had no idea what they would be getting themselves into. Within hours, two neighbors show up, asking them to look at a run-down townhouse. Wanting to be neighborly, they go and take a look, deciding it would be their next project, once they can get the family members to sign off on the purchase. Not long after, Joanna, who owns the other half of the townhouse and has quickly become a friend of Whitney and Buck's, shows up at the fire house disoriented and soon collapses. It's soon discovered that Joanna's death wasn't natural, and Whitney is determined to figure out who would kill this friendly grandmother...before the police decide to arrest her for it!

The book went pretty quickly into the story without too much preamble, getting me interested from the start. There are a lot of characters, and sometimes I got a little confused on who was who, but if you have a mind for names, you should be fine (or write them down for your reference later 😁). There were a few times when Whitney was trying to put all the puzzle pieces together that I kept thinking she's an idiot, but if she would have figured it out to quickly there wouldn't have been a book! About halfway through I thought for sure I knew who the culprit was, but after some surprises, I realized I had named the wrong person. Good luck figuring it out!

All in all, a great cozy mystery with a female protagonist who isn't afraid of hard work or confronting suspects, all while planning her wedding. Plus, this was told in two viewpoints, Whitney and Sawdust...the cat.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

The sixth in the House Flippers series has Whitney and her cousin Beau renovating an old fire station in Germantown, a Nashville suburb. This leads them to a townhouse around the corner from the fire station which is owned by a bunch of feuding siblings. The owner of the attached townhouse - widowed Joanna Hartzell - is afraid that the neglected building is bringing down her property values.

After some legal manipulations, including quit claim deeds, Whitney and Beau add the townhouse to their slate of renovations. But arson at the fire station, vandalism in the townhouse, and the suspicious death of Joana are delaying their renovations plans. Whitney needs to solve the murder and get the reno done at the fire station because she and her fiancé detective Collin are planning to use it as the venue for their upcoming wedding.

With a wide variety of suspects including the arguing siblings, the man across the street who wants to buy the newly renovated townhouse, the victim's daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, and the family from across the street who also really want to move into the renovated townhouse, Whitney has plenty of people to investigate.

This was an entertaining cozy mystery. I enjoyed the chapters told by Sawdust, Whitney's cat.

This cozy mystery is a quick read but lacks nothing. Entertaining, intriguing, clever, and even humorous at times, it still manages moments of suspense. A resort developer is staying at Misty’s lodge, pitching his concept of a new resort to wealthy investors. It doesn’t turn out well for him, as Misty’s sons accidentally discover when they accidentally uncover a rock that is shaped like a nose. Only, it’s not a rock. This is the third installment in this lovely series, sure to please regular readers as well as those readers new to the series. Don’t skip the chapters from the cat’s point of view - they are quite entertaining.

Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly is the sixth A House Flipper Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those who are new to the series or who may have missed a book along the way. Whitney Whitaker and her cousin, Buck are remodeling an old firehouse into a single-family home and a townhouse. Whitney and Buck need to stock up on the aspirin because these projects are going to be nothing but headaches. I like that the story begins with an amusing scene. Whitney and Buck are cousins, friends, and business partners (as you can imagine, they like to egg each other and compete against each other). When working in a neighborhood, you get to meet the neighbors. As you can imagine, there are an assortment of characters. Whitney and Buck have their hands full. I found the story to be easy to read. It is an active story with two renovations, a murder, wedding planning, the engaged couple need to decide where to live, and so much more. The mystery was interesting. I enjoyed joining Whitney as she searched for clues and asked questions. I like noticing those tiny details that lead to the killer. The method of murder was particularly unique. Whitney’s cat, Sawdust, is cute and helpful. The chapters from Sawdust’s point of view are cute. You can tell that the author has been around cats. The author includes information about home renovations (the various projects that Whitney and Buck tackle), mortgages, loans, home ownership difficulties in an easy-to-understand manner. The ending left me smiling. The one thing I did not like is the repetition of information (a pet peeve). I do not feel that key details need to be repeated several times. I look forward to Whitney and Buck’s next project. Four-Alarm Homicide is a makeover mystery with lingering neighbors, a mystifying murder, planning nuptials, kitty discoveries, mouthwatering morsels, and flipping properties.

Tennessee, small-town, small-business, relationships, relatives, renovation, rental-units, wedding-madness, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement, murder, investigations, verbal-humor, families, family-drama, family-dynamics, friends, friendship, arson, vandalism, pet-cat*****

Buck and Whitney are cousins and partners in a property flipping business. While they have had success with their partnership, they have been involved in solving several murders, and Whitney is soon to be married to the local Homicide Detective. This project is to turn an old firehouse into a home but they soon add a nearby townhouse to their agenda. They make friends with some and adversaries with others. Then an elderly lady dies, and it proves to be murder. All this while getting a wedding together! Good read with a learning opportunity to boot!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley. Thank you!
#HouseFlipperMysteryBk6 Pub Date 23 Apr 2024

This is the third selection in the Mountain Lodge mystery series. Misty looks forward to hosting a group of people who are potential investors in a resort plan in the same mountainous area as her lodge. Local folks take offense to the possible new high-end resort and storm into her lodge to confront Nigel, the head of the investment company. When he turns up frozen to death outside the lodge after a ski adventure, all the potential investors plus the local naysayers come under suspicion.

The chapters in the book alternate between Misty's narrative and her cat Yeti's narrative, which adds interest to the story. In addition, Misty enjoys hosting her two sons for the holiday season in which this story is set. However, the action could have occurred at any winter time.

Although this novel is advertised as a "cozy mystery," readers should be aware of gruesome descriptions of the corpse, which were unnecessary to the plotline. The author also paid a lot of attention to explaining the diversity amongst the people staying at the lodge. This third novel in the series can be read as a standalone. Inn truth, I liked the first and second novels better.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly takes us back to the Mountaintop Lodge in North Carolina owned by Misty Murphy. The locals are up in arms over a resort that Nigel Goodwin wishes to build on Beech Mountain. When Nigel is found dead, Misty’s curiosity has her searching for clues. The story is told from Misty and Yeti’s point of view (Misty’s cat). Yeti’s chapters did not add anything to the story, and I did not find them entertaining (they are not like Brigit’s chapters in the author’s A Paw Enforcement series). I found the story’s pace to be slow with the murder not occurring until I was about halfway through the story. It was obvious who would die from the beginning. I thought how the victim was found to be clever (I had to laugh at the “rock” Misty’s boys found). There are a handful of suspects. Misty searches for clues and asks questions. Misty listens to conversation and then we get to hear her thoughts (and doubts) about what she heard. The investigation was rushed. The killer can easily be identified. I wish the story had focused more on the mystery and less on Misty and Rocky’s relationship. This is supposed to be a cozy mystery not a romance novel. Misty and Rocky’s college aged kids come home for Thanksgiving and the holidays. Of course, they wish to spend time on the slopes. I thought the characters were realistic and developed. I did not enjoy Snow Place for Murder. It did not feel like it was written by the same author of The Paw Enforcement series with the slow pace, repetitive details, and the excessive romance. Snow Place for Murder is the third book in The Mountain Lodge Mysteries. While Snow Place for Murder can be read as a standalone, I believe it is helpful to read Getaway with Murder (it will allow you to get to know the main characters). The author captured the mountains of North Carolina as well as the chilly climate. It had me wanting to settle into a chair with a cozy blanket and a cup of cocoa where I could watch the snow fall (I have no desire to hit the slopes). Snow Place like Murder is a winter cozy with Thanksgiving turkey, ski slopes, a disruptive project, a peculiar rock, a dead developer, curious conversations, and a happy holiday.

Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly
Mountain Lodge Mystery #3. Cozy mystery style. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Misty Murphy owns a small inn on a Beech Mountain adjacent to a small ski resort. She has booked a group of guests, paid for by resort developer Nigel Goodwin. He proposes to build a huge resort on undeveloped property on the same mountain. As the inn fills, Misty hears talk of protests, complaints about other resorts that Nigel owns, and concerns about crowds of people where there used to be wilderness and quiet. Snow piles up outside and Nigel turns up dead. Suspicious of everyone, Misty stars putting the puzzle pieces together to figure out who might have killed him.

Clever and entertaining. Misty does sleuthing via the internet and pretty much defines how he was murdered before the police autopsy results are returned. Misty’s family and friends add color and background as well as a few amusing chapters for the family cat’s POV. Overall an amusing cozy and a mountaintop I would visit again from my comfy armchair.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This third installment in the Mountain Lodge cozy mystery series (though the first one I read) is a charming cozy set in a North Carolina mountain lodge. A noted resort developer travels to Misty Murphy's lodge and pitches his development plans to wealthy potential investors.

This book features likeable recurring characters, Misty and her family and friends, as well as a clever plot. Definitely a series to watch and I've picked up copies of the first two books in the series so I can get caught up.

Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans!!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly is a cosy mystery set at a mountain lodge in Beech Mountain, NC. That was pretty much all I needed to know to grab my interest and ask my friends at St Martin’s Press for an early copy. I love the Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s always like going home. This time of year the draw is especially strong. I loved immersing myself and read this in an afternoon.

Misty Murphy made some big life changes in the last year. An amicable divorce, a move, and the purchase of a mountain lodge on Beech Mountain, NC. It’s hard work but she’s content and feels at home here. With the help of her handyman/boyfriend Rocky Crowder, assistant Brynn, and neighbor Patty who owns the Greasy Griddle the lodge is doing well. After agreeing to host a real estate developer and potential investors Misty has second thoughts. It’s clear there’s pushback from the local community. With her college age boys home to help for the holidays she has extra hands so she can try to find out what they’re planning. When her sons find the developer murdered things take a sharp turn and everyone is a potential suspect. He was on the outs with his wife, his previous projects have frustrated potential/past investors, his assistant has acted strangely since arriving, and the locals had vowed to stop him. Afraid of a potential murderer as a guest, or someone else becoming a victim, Misty cooperates with local law enforcement to try to solve the case.

This is the third in the Mountain Lodge Mysteries, and reads really well as a stand alone…but you’re going to want to go back and read the previous two to get all the mountain goodness! I recommend for fans of cosy mysteries set in small towns, especially if you’re looking for a winter theme!

Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly was another good book in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. Once again Kelly does a wonderful job with the descriptions of the lodge and surrounding area, and I really enjoyed reading more about Misty’s boys and Rocky’s daughter who are on winter break from college.

There were lots of suspects with varied motives since a group of investors had taken over the lodge. While that was enjoyable having so many choices to who could have been the murderer, I also found I wasn’t as engaged because while the investors were well written, I just couldn’t get too invested in them because I knew they wouldn’t be in the next book.
I am wondering if this might be the same for future books since the lodge is more isolated with only the diner nearby, will there be enough repeat characters to keep me interested?

After I read the next book in the series, I guess I’ll find out! And this is just my own quirk, so please don’t let that stop you from reading the series.

This was a fun and delightful cozy mystery set in the mountains of North Carolina during the holiday season. Misty Murphy, owner of the Mountaintop Lodge prides herself on fine and friendly service. She is conflicted in booking the lodge to a resort developer as he pitches his plans to a group of investors. Many of the locals are not happy about the development, but business is business. That is until the developer is found buried under a mound of snow at the bottom of the lodge's hill. That's definitely not good for business. Misty is known to the local constabulary as being observant and helpful on previous investigations and welcomes her assistance. With so many possible suspects, will the right one be found before the potential investors head homeward?

Diane Kelly has a real knack for mystery writing. Her timing is spot on and the red herrings are plentiful. Her writing is engaging and her main characters are likeable. The settings are well laid out and the characters' banter charming and oftentimes amusing. This was definitely a fun and quick read. I look forward to reading the earlier two books and future books in this series.

I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Anticipated Publication Date: 10/24/2023
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-1250816016
No. of pages: 304

Whitney Whitaker is the Property Manager for Home & Hearth Realty. Whitney also moonlights, adding her carpentry skills to her uncle’s business, Whitaker Woodworking, loving the work and working alongside her Uncle Roger and cousins Buck and Owen. While Whitney dreams of owning a home one day, she’s saving money by living in the renovated pool house at the back of her parents’ property. Whitney may have even more opportunities to find a home when she passes her real estate exam. Before the upcoming exam, she has a chance to purchase a house to flip and is hopeful that Buck will agree to a partnership on the opportunity and needed renovations. After all, what could go wrong with their combined experience in construction and comfort in working together?

This cozy mystery has many delightful aspects, from the Nashville, Tennessee setting to wonderful characters, beginning with Whitney and the whole Whitaker tribe, the Hartleys at Home & Hearth, and best friend Colette Chevalier. An extra-special mention of love is for Sawdust. His name is purr-fect for the feline sharing Whitney’s life. I loved Sawdust’s intermittent narrative chapters throughout the story, especially when he shared his fear of a demon in his home with Whitney.

I enjoyed the multiple aspects of real estate within the storyline. The twists and turns in the investigation kept spinning, and I didn’t figure it out before the reveal.

I’m looking forward to reading more of this series!

Misty Murphy has rented out her Mountaintop Lodge to international developer Nigel Goodwin the week before Thanksgiving as he pitches a new resort to investors. Misty isn't sure that she is in favor of the new resort and quite a number of the townspeople are also opposed to it.

When Goodwin is found dead at the base of a sliding hill at the Lodge, it is first thought to be a tragic accident. However, when the medical examiner determines that he was murdered, Misty finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation again.

There is a large pool of suspects from the victim's wife to his assistant to the various investors to the disgruntled townspeople. It will take all of the police and Misty's actions to find the murderer.

I liked the setting. I liked Misty's determination to make a new start after her amicable divorce. I liked her new relationship with Rocky. I liked her relationship with her almost grown sons and with Rocky's daughters too. I also liked chapters told from Misty's spoiled cat Yeti who has her own unique viewpoint about all the activities at the lodge.

This was an entertaining story which manages to discover the murderer and tie up all the loose plot threads before it is finished.

Skip this and Read the rest of the series

Not as good as the rest of the series. This storyline is simpler than her other books, and really just doesn't come across as believable.

Sorry Ms Kelly

I liked the Pae novels, the adventures of Megan Luz and the lady law dog were fun, and had some plausible plots. This book is the first of another series of her, but I just couldn't buy into it.
DNF

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck have decided that their flipping business is going to take on a houseboat renovation. During the work, they get acquainted with the owner of the boat "next door". Buck is also getting ready to get married so Whitney plans the bachelorette party at the houseboat while the bachelor party will also be there at another time. When the neighbor is murdered, Whitney is caught up trying to figure out why and by whom.

Love the writing style, especially the tiny chapters narrated by the cat. Fun series.

North Carolina, small-town, rural, hotelier, small-business, suspense, local-law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, murder-investigation, divorcee, pets, of-a-certain-age, cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, series, developers, snow-season, friendship, friends, ski-season*****

Mountains do not survive by development alone.
Missy is the main character and is the owner of The Mountaintop Lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. Brynn works for her as Missy's assistant manager/general factotum and Rocky is the local handyman who also lives at the lodge. I think that this one can stand alone, but I have read the first two and loved them.
This time the Lodge is host to a developer with grandiose plans and potential investors. There are also those who are deeply offended by what the man wants to do to a beautiful natural area. Then someone stops the plans with murder. Let the sleuthing begin! Interesting characters, beautiful descriptions, smooth pacing with sneaky red herrings and a surprising twist or three. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Fiddling with Fate is the third book in the Moonshine Southern Homebrew Mystery series by Diane Kelly, and each one that I’ve read have been a wonderful read filled with well developed characters, history on moonshine (and this one the reader gets to read more about bluegrass music, wine, and wineries!), and detailed descriptions of the Chattanooga, Tennessee area.

What I really enjoy about Hattie is that she, for the most part, uses her brain and shares the information she gathers with the police. And usually she’s a bit smarter when confronting the killer… although in this one there is a killer chasing scene that is a first for me, and I’ve read a lot of cozies. Hattie really puts herself at risk in this one, the scene was a bit amusing though.

We got more time with Hattie’s grandpa and his group of friends, which was fun. And a bit less of Hattie’s boyfriend, but their love is still going strong. There’s also some more development of Hattie’s girlfriends which I always like seeing. And Smokey, the cat, who goes to work with Hattie, is as cute and sassy as ever. Can you tell one of the reasons I keep coming back for the series is the characters?!?

If you like cozy mysteries you should grab yourself a copy of the series, starting with The Moonshine Shack Murder.

Primer and Punishment is the fifth A House-Flipper Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series or if you have missed a book. I was immediately drawn into this engaging cozy mystery. I liked Whitney and Buck’s latest flip. It was interesting learning about a houseboat. I can certainly see the perks to living on one. Buck and Collette (Whitney’s roommate and friend) are getting married. There is wedding planning and preparations for their bachelor and bachelorette parties. The houseboat is the perfect venue for both parties. Whitney finds herself drawn into the murder of Grant Hardisty, the man who lived on the houseboat next to them. Whitney ends up with a lengthy suspect list. Grant had a string of ex-wives and owed money to several people. The mystery kept Whitney hopping. I enjoyed piecing together the clues and identifying the bad guy. I was delighted with the stimulating reveal. Sawdust had a good time on the houseboat. He was not a fan, though, of his life vest. He did enjoy getting to meet a new friend. The chapters from Sawdust’s point-of-view are entertaining (they make you smile and laugh). The ending of Primer and Punishment will delight fans of the series. Primer and Punishment is a cute cozy with a feline in a life vest, a joyful JoJo, party planning, a slain smooth talker, an overhauled houseboat, a wonderful wedding, and a special surprise.

n this novel, two cousins rebuild a house boat, and also solve a mystery. I have read others by this author but not in this series. This book was as well-written and enjoyable as the others I read. My only problem with this book was the added chapters after the mystery was solved, which seemed unnecessary, other than as a lead in to the next book in the series. This was an easy, cozy read, without strong language or explicit violence or intimacy. It can be read as a stand-alone even though it it part of a series.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I voluntarily agreed to read and honestly review this book.
This was a great read. It was fun having a switch from “watching” a boat being flipped instead of a house. Add in the romantic element of preparing for a wedding for the heroine’s cousin, and her best friend. Also, the heroine being an amateur investigator trying to solve a boat explosion, there were a lot of things going on with the story. With all these elements combined I was reading as fast as I could just so I could get the answers.

recipes, moonshine, law-enforcement, small-business, small-town, to-read, cozy-mystery, jug-band, siblings, family-dynamics, family-drama***

Familiar author, unfamiliar series.
Cute dialog and interesting premise. Sleuthing is pretty good. Easy read.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!