New @BerkleyMystery #CozyMystery #Book Release ~ Fiddling with Fate (A Southern Homebrew Mystery, Book 3) by Diane Kelly ~ @DianeKellyBooks @BerkleyPub

When a local bluegrass musician disappears and a jug of her shop’s corn liquor is implicated, moonshiner Hattie Hayes must stop further trouble from brewing in this delightful cozy mystery series.

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0B8H4K5XS
Publisher: ‎ Berkley
Publication Date: ‎ April 4, 2023
Print Length: ‎ 286 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/41c7IKe

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61856141-fiddling-with-fate

About the Book: 

It’s August in Chattanooga, Tennessee and moonshiner Hattie Hayes has collaborated with a nearby vineyard to serve her moonshine at a Wine and 'Shine event. Not only is this an opportunity for Hattie to gain more moonshine fans, but she’s also excited to hear the Bootlegging Brothers, a popular bluegrass band. But not every attendee is looking for harmony. When one of the brothers disappears and is presumed dead, Hattie realizes her grace note gathering has suddenly turned more sour than her mash.

Unearthing what happened to the missing musician is more difficult than Hattie first expected. Hattie’s moonshine is tied to the crime and there’s no time to fiddle around—she has to step up to solve the case. Luckily, Hattie’s cool head and quick mind help her understand that when investigating a musical crime, always stay sharp.

Read an Excerpt on Amazon

Visit the Author's Website: https://www.dianekelly.com/

#Review ~ Dead as a Door Knocker (House-Flipper Mystery, Book #1) by Diane Kelly #CozyMystery @DianeKellyBooks @StMartinsPress

 

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B07FGX2TG7
Publisher: ‎ St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: ‎ January 29, 2019
Print Length: ‎ 350 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BaEmAy
Goodreads:

About the Book:

WILL THIS KILLER DEAL LEAD TO A DEAD END?

Meet Whitney Whitaker. A hopeless romantic when it comes to real estate, she knows what it takes to find—and flip—the home of one’s dreams. A fixer-upper is like catnip to Whitney: she can’t resist the challenge of turning an eyesore into a priceless work of art. So when one of her clients decides to liquidate a crumbling property, Whitney seizes the opportunity to purchase it for a song. But soon a curious incident of the cat in the night-time leads to a change in tune. . .

Sawdust is the name of Whitney’s cat—of course. Whitney’s passion for gut-renovation may be a mystery to him but one thing Sawdust knows for sure is this: Dead bodies don’t belong in flower beds. So why is there one in this new, albeit old, house? Now it’s up to Whitney, along with the help of hot-and-cold Nashville Police Detective Collin Flynn, to find the truth about what happened before the mortgage property forecloses and Whitney loses her investment. . .and maybe her own life.

My Review:

Dead as a Door Knocker is a great first book in the House-Flipper series by Diane Kelly. The main character, Whitney Whitaker, is a property manager and works with her cousins in renovation. After she evicts a trio of bachelors from one of the rental properties, the owner of the home offers to sell it to her at a substantial savings. Whitney joins forces with her cousin, Buck and what is supposed to be an easy reno and flip threatens to bankrupt them both. Things get even worse after Whitney finds the body of the former owner of the home dead in her garden. Now a person of interest, Whitney must do everything she can to clear her name and keep herself out of jail. 

I really enjoyed this book. Whitney is an intelligent and capable heroine. Her story has wonderful secondary characters. Her cat, Sawdust, is a nice diversion from the mystery. He assists her and even has mini chapters from his point-of-view. I enjoyed the setting and how the author brought everything to life. The book is engaging and the mystery is thought provoking. Figuring out who committed the murder was challenging and I never did guess correctly.

The story was slow to develop because there was backstory to explain but this didn't detract from the book. In fact, I appreciated how the author set everything up. To just jump right into the mystery would have left me feeling like so much was missing. Instead, we received a nice description of who Whitney is, how she became the owner of the property, and her relationship with the deceased and other suspects. 

There are the makings of a couple potential love angles but the author didn't cram them down the reader's throat. Subtlety was the name of this game. I hope to see some sparks between the two sets of characters. One pair I'm sure will develop but the other pair might just be me hoping for them to get together. We'll see as I move along through the series.

I borrowed this book from my local library using the Interlibrary Loan program.

My Rating:

Visit the Author's Website:

https://www.dianekelly.com/