Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly is the second book in A House-Flipper Mystery series. Dead in the Doorway can be read without having picked up Dead as a Doorknocker. However, I recommend reading the cute debut of this series. A House-Flipper Mystery series is similar to A Paw Enforcement series written by Diane Kelly with chapters from an animal’s point-of-view. Sawdust, Whitney’s cat, is cute and smart, and I like reading about his perspective on things. I would like his chapters to have a wee bit more humor (I love Brigit’s snarky comments from A Paw Enforcement series). I thought Dead in the Doorway contained good writing, steady pacing and friendly characters. Whitney Whitaker works as property manager as well as a carpenter (for her uncle’s carpentry business). Her true love, though, is flipping houses which she does with her cousin, Buck Whitaker. They are both hoping for a better experience after the murder that happened in their first slip that prevented them from selling it (Whitney and two roommates are currently living in it). Whitney arrives early on demo day to find a woman dead at the base of the stairs and the deceased owner’s grandson squatting in the house (that gets the blood pumping). At first blush, it appears the victim fell down the steps during the night. Unfortunately, Detective Collin Flynn soon informs Whitney that the victim did not fall on her own. Whitney, who was going to snoop anyway, is thrilled when Detective Flynn asks for her assistance. There are definite sparks flying between the detective and Whitney (and he is a cat lover too). The mystery had a handful of suspects along with misdirection. There are clues to aid a reader in solving the crime. I would have preferred more sleuthing and less speculation. There was too much conjecture for my liking (I ended up skimming through some of it because it was repetitive). My favorite line from Dead in the Doorway is courtesy of Detective Flynn when he said, “You again?” when he sees Whitney at the crime scene. I did enjoy reading Dead in the Doorway, and I will be reading the next A House-Flipper Mystery with Whitney, Buck, Detective Flynn and Sawdust. Dead in the Doorway is a purr-fect cozy mystery to cuddle up with in a comfy chair.

Another hit for Diane Kelly! Whitney and her cousin Buck are house flippers. The day they are planning to start renovations in their flip Whitney finds the body of a neighbor, Mrs. Dolan, deceased inside the home’s entryway. Was it an accident or foul play? And why was she in there? These are all questions Detective Collin Flynn is determined to answer. Since the deceased was generally disliked by all that knew her the list of potential murderers is very long. He enlists Whitney’s help to uncover if the murderer is one of the neighbors. This was a great cozy mystery with a hint of romance and lets not forget the awesome cat, Sawdust.

One of the things that a mystery reader dreads is a five star first book in a new series only to be followed by a not so great second book. such is not the case with this fixer upper series from Diane Kelly. It deserves it's five stars and then some. Whitney Whitaker is back and so is her wonderful cat, Sawdust. Along with her cousin Buck, she is getting ready to flip another house. Whitney is a carpenter with dreams of entering the real estate world flipping houses. While she works towards her dream she works as a property manager, too.
On the first day, ready to start the transformation of a run down colonial with great potential and a knock out view of Nashville, Whitney can't get through the front door. When she does enter the house she discovers the cause of the blocked entry - a corpse at the foot of the stairs. On top of that shock, there is a young man living in the empty house. What the heck is going on? The woman who owned the house died of natural causes. Such is not the case with the woman dead in the foyer.
A corpse in the house can really make a mess of resale value so Whiney joins forces with her friend Colin, the detective on the case, and they set out to find out who dunnit. The neighbors in the cul de sac know a lot about each other and nobody is broken up over the dead woman. Did one of them dislike her enough to toss her down the stairs? Or was it somebody else?
This is one of my favorite series and not just because it includes a clever cat. Whitney is a well developed character, there is plenty of humor, the puzzle is complex and I have already reserved a spot on my TBR pile for book #3.

Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly
Book #2: House-Flipper Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Rating: 3½/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: I liked this second installment of the House-Flipper series, but if I’m being honest, and I am, it isn’t my favorite of the genre. That honor goes to Judi Lynn’s Jazzy Zanders Mystery series 😊 what I liked about this book is the premise: a murder of a wretched woman, a missing winning peach pie recipe, and a neighborhood full of suspects who disliked the deceased and coveted the missing recipe. Once again, Whitney gets pulled into the investigation when the murdered woman shows up in her newly purchased flip house. While she and her cousin would like to get on with their work and flip the house, they can’t do that until the murder is solved which means Whitney is right in the thick of it. My favorite part of this book wasn’t the investigation, but the gaggle of neighbors who embrace Whitney as one of their own even if her stay is temporary. The more Whitney gets to know the neighbors, the more she likes them and the closer she gets to solving the crime. I think where this book falls a bit flat for me is in the overall telling of the story. There isn’t a great sense of urgency, nor is there a great sense of developing the characters and making them more well-rounded. The story and the characters seem to plod along rather than naturally and smoothly progress. Again, if I’m being completely honest, I may feel this way because I am both consciously and unconsciously comparing this series to my preferred Judi Lynn series. With all that being said, this is still a decent book and if you like the cozy mystery genre, it’s certainly worth a try!

Dead in the Doorway is a fast paced cozy read embedded with humor and wit. Diane Kelly thoroughly entertains her readers with fantastic main characters, a solid plot and a peach pie to die for.


Whitney Whitaker is a busy woman. Property manager, Carpenter and flips houses on the side. She is a lady that knows how to get things done, has a good head on her shoulders and is genuine to the core. I enjoyed her relationship with her Uncle Buck. The back and forth banter between the two is comical and entertaining. They are a solid team and it shows. The chapters from the cats, Sawdust, point of view are priceless. That is a wonderful addition to the story, as Sawdust is in tow Whitney quite a bit. The flip house neighbors were a lively bunch that kept the story interesting. Another enjoyment of the story was seeing the house come together. Ms. Kelly balances the details of the restoration of the house without going overboard, yet has a reader interested in the outcome of not only the mystery of what this house is gonna look like at the end.


Dead in the Doorway takes the saying this pie is to die for to a whole new meaning. Diane Kelly has wrapped home improvement, some delectable eats, a little bit of romance and a well spun mystery into an enjoyable and entertaining cozy read. Whitney is a wonderful lead character. She’s smart and funny and adds so much personality to the story. Ms. Kelly twisted the story well as I had no clue who had done it yet should have known from the clues she is giving us. Dead in the Doorway was much more enjoyable than I expected and I give my highest props to the Author for her enjoyable tail.

Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly is the 2nd book in the House-Flipper Mystery series, and another good addition. Whitney Whitaker manages real estate properties and flips houses. When she tried to go into the new house, she can't get in because there is a dead women blocking the door. Who is this women? There are so many suspects, since the women was not well liked. Whitney is determined to find the killer and not lose her investment. I really enjoyed this book, it has a lot of action and suspects to sort through. I can't wait for the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries than I highly recommend this one. Ms. Kelly is no stranger to writing good books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

With her trademarked wit, Diane Kelly delivers another fantastic cozy mystery with Dead in The Doorway: A House-Flipper Mystery (book 2). Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for my advanced reader copy.

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin, Buck, purchase a fixer-upper from two brothers whose mother recently died of a stroke. In exchange for a cheaper price, the brothers left a lot of their mother Lillian’s personal effects in the home, including her many blue ribbons for her famous peach desserts. Unfortunately, Lillian’s recipe box does not contain any of her award-winning recipes.

The home sits in a cul de sac on Songbird Circle, where most of the neighbors have become life-long friends. On the first day of rehab, Whitney arrives early only to find the front door is blocked. She enters through the garage and is shocked to find not only the dead body of Nelda Dolan, a neighbor, blocking the door but also the former owner’s grandson, Dakota Walsh, coming down the stairs. It turns out no one really liked Nelda, including her own husband and daughter.

The plot has many possible suspects including Dakota and his father, Wayne; all of the neighbors in the cul de sac; a ride-share driver who seems to have a secret; an unknown burglar who breaks into one of the houses; and Nelda’s family. The big question is whether Nelda was killed for trying to take Lillian’s prized recipes from a secret hiding place that Whitney’s cat, Sawdust, was able to locate?

With a murder threatening the resale value of the house, Whitney is determined to resolve the case as quickly as possible. There is a sweet storyline where Whitney and Buck give a second chance to a young man who needs some direction in his life.

The novel has hints of two possible romances, first between Whitney and Detective Flynn and second, between Whitney’s roommate Collette and her cousin Buck. The story ends with Whitney and Buck looking at an old motel near downtown Nashville that is going up for a tax sale. I can’t wait for the third installment of the series to see what blossoms.

With this second book in the series this has become one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I love that the heroine has a non-traditional job and isn’t close to perfect. This installment has a cul-de-sac full of suspects and a victim that won’t be missed by any of them. I love the slowly growing relationship between Whitney and Colin and what looks to be a burgeoning relationship between Buck and Collette. As always Sawdust is too cute for words. I can’t wait for the next installment.

The long-awaited second book from Diane Kelly in the "House Flipper Mystery" series, Dead In The Doorway, is available at the end of March. This intriguing house renovation cozy published by St Martin's Press will leave readers itching to renovate and investigate the old broken down houses in their neighborhood.

Whitney is a remarkable character in this enjoyable and entertaining cozy series. She is hard-working, dedicated, and mindful of the people around her, even strangers. The characters in this series are exceedingly likable; readers will find at least one or more that they can relate with. The detective, Collin, is slowly becoming essential and hopefully will continue to be involved with Whitney. Sawdust, Whitney's beloved cat, steals the show more than once. I could read his thoughts all day and have a smile on my face the entire time.

In this addition to the series, Whitney's dream house flip turns into a nightmare when she finds the body of a neighbor in the entryway. Skeletons come out of the closet as she and Sawdust investigate. The old woman wasn't well-liked by many, not her family or neighbors. She was bossy, rude and at times downright nasty to everyone around her. But no one deserves to be pushed down the stairs and left to die alone. It doesn't take long for Whitney to find the killer and figure out that sometimes motives, like people, are just plain crazy.

Ms. Kelly is a dynamic writer. Her work is smooth, easy to read, and fills the reader with a sense of having been a part of a real mystery. Dead In The Doorway is a fantastic, fast-paced, enjoyable read that readers will not be able to put down. I highly recommend this cozy book and the series, as well as all of Diane's other mystery series. If readers want exciting reads and happy endings, they will love this book!

This was an okay mystery for me. The main character was likeable and had an interesting job. Her relationship with the Detective was intriguing and I can't wait until they (hopefully) become a couple. The only thing that put me off was I felt the story was too long winded. I received an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly is book two in the House Flipper Mystery series. I have been waiting for this installment and was not disappointed. I do wish Sawdust was featured more though.
Whitney and her cousin, Buck, have found the next house to flip located in a close knit, friendly neighborhood. Whitney arrives to start work on the house but can't get in as something is blocking the locked door. Once she is able to get the door opened a little, she is shocked to find the body of one of the neighbors. How did she end up in a locked house and why was she murdered. Whitney is bound and determined to find out. The neighbors all seem to be close but do not seem too broken up over the death and all had a problem with her. So who is the guilty party, a neighbor, a family member, or was it a random break in gone bad.
The story has a great cast of characters, humor, friendship, family, and has you guessing until the end.
I'm already waiting for Whitney and Sawdust to flip another house.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Love the cover. The cat is inviting you into the story. This is the second book in the House-Flipper mystery series by Diane Kelly. I like the author’s Paw Enforcement series and thought I’d give this one a try. I am so glad I did.
The humor mixed in with the story made it an easy and entertaining read.

Thank-you for allowing me to read this book.

Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly is a cozy mystery that I could not put down. This mystery is purr-fect for people who love home renovation shows. Kelly’s writing style is straight forward, clear, and easy, yet she uses such unique phrases to describe emotions and movement during her story.

The characters in this story are so tangible. They are already well developed in this first book. I can only see more layers being built in future books. Sawdust the cat was my favourite character. The relationship between Sawdust and his owner Whitney is perfection. I enjoyed how Whitney takes Sawdust to work and has conversations with him. There are also chapters written from Sawdust’s point of view! His points of view are hilarious and heartwarming, and I wish there were a few more scattered throughout the story. With cats being such a curious animal, combining a cat’s point of view with mysteries is so clever! I enjoyed Whitney’s disposition, character, and work ethic. She is a fun protagonist to follow around throughout the story. I also cannot wait to see where her relationship goes with Detective Flynn.

The story and mystery were very creative and well crafted. I did figure it out, but I did also keep questioning and changing my choice of murderer until the end. What I did not figure out was the motive. Kelly’s murder scenes are a little creepier than other cozy mysteries, but I like that.

This is the first book in a new series by Diane Kelly. Kelly is a new authour to me, but she has become an auto buy authour. I cannot wait to read more by her and especially for the second book in this newest series. I cannot recommend this story enough!

I received an electronic advanced reader copy from St. Martin’s Press through Net Galley. All opinions are 100% my own.

Diane Kelly's second House-Flipper Mystery si a winner as Whitney and Sawdust investigate the murder of a woman found in their new fix-it and flip-it house. Please see my detailed review on www.reviewingtheevidence.com.

This was a fun second entry in the series, and I enjoyed it more than the first. Now that I knew to expect a few chapters from the cat's perspective, it worked better for me (though I still think they are unnecessary, there seemed to be fewer of them). Often cozies are set in smaller communities, and while this one is set in the larger city of Nashville, the author has still cleverly used a key group of characters to make the setting feel like a cozy. This was enjoyable, with a clever criminal and I am looking forward to more in this series.

It's not looking good for Whitney and Buck's new project- there's a dead body for one thing. Whitneyt and her cousin Buck flip houses and, as it turns out, solve murders too. Readers of cozies know that the dead woman had more than one person who didn't like her but who did it- and why? You might know that early on but that's no reason to stop reading this nicely done cozy. Ir's set in Nashville with a nice cast, a nascent romance with Detective Collin Flynn, and a cat (yes there is some pov from the cat) named Sawdust. It's got some chuckles too- so needed right now! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I missed the first one so this was a standalone, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Now I'm looking forward to number 3!

Whitney Whitaker is a property manager and carpenter in Nashville, Tennessee. She likes her job, but her real passion is flipping houses. In this second installment in the House-Flipper Mystery series, Whitney and her cousin have partnered to flip a ramshackle colonial-style house with views of downtown Nashville. When she arrives one morning, she is horrified to find a woman dead in the house. With an entire neighborhood of suspects, Whitney and Detective Collin Flynn, work together to catch the killer.

I found this book to be a delightful and humorous read. Whitney is a witty, smart, and likable main character. I loved the relationship between her and Buck, with its bickering and witty banter. Sawdust was adorable and reading the brief chapters from his perspective was fun and added to the story. I enjoyed spending time at Whitney's temporary neighborhood. The friendship between the ladies was wonderful and really gave me that small tight-knit community feeling that I love. I was really sad when I got to the end and realized that I will never get to meet the characters again.
The mystery was well-crafted, with plenty of suspects to throw readers off the scent. Overall, this was a fun cozy mystery, and I eagerly await the third book.

I received an ARC from St Martin's Press through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the House-Flipper mystery series by Diane Kelly.

Can you imagine buying a property in order to flip it and when you get there for day one of work there is a dead body blocking the doorway? Disturbing. This turned out to be a great read. I had no idea what to expect since I hadn’t read a Diane Kelly book before. I do have book one in this series, DEAD AS A DOOR KNOCKER in my paperback collection. Need to get to that one for sure!

I am wondering who the main cast is as I ponder this review. Seems like in a story like this the setting could change from book to book and thus the cast would change as well. Besides Whitney and her cousin Buck, I assume Detective Flynn is a mainstay. I am not sure if this limited of a main cast would make it harder or easier for the author. It will make it totally interesting for the reader since we will never know what to expect when we pick up the next book.

It was interesting getting Whithey’s take on everything. At times I felt like I was reading from a male POV since I am not used to women fawning so much over building things and doing renovations. Not sure why that baffled me considering how man DIY shows there are on tv right now. This is the perfect time for a series like this.

Loved how we got to know so many people and how Whitney fit so easily into the new neighborhood. Not sure it would be that way in real life, but I loved the whole hometown feel of this book. Wonderful experience all around.

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I thought Dead In The Doorway was a solid followup to the first book in this series. The author, Kelly is a strong writer and the story flows effortlessly. I love the group of characters she's created and the down-home flavor full of southern food. The mystery element is sound with plenty of suspects and red herrings to throw you off the scent of the murderer. I couldn't figure out the whodunnit, which was a nice surprise.

Cute cozy mystery, set in Country Music City, Nashville, Tennessee. A set of elderly neighbors, who have lived next to each other for decades, know all about each other, their children, and grandchildren, have a murder on their cul de sac. Whitney, her cousin Buck flip houses for a living, a' la Chip and Joanne Gaines, on a smaller scale; Whitney is the mystery sluth. I like Whitney, she has an interesting job, yet she is very feminine, extremely likeable, with good roommates. Detective Flynn, handsome, smart, of course, he allows Whitney to assist him in his investigations, and I can't wait until they become a real couple! Cozy Mysteries are great after reading a grim thriller, or a gritty murder mystery, but come on, two thirty something year olds need an adult relationship, the story is more believable to me when it happens like real life. There is one narrative flaw in the story, I say this in case readers think I missed it, I didn't. However, knowing who probably did it, and knowing why from the very first, did not stop my enjoyment of the story. I give it three and one half stars.
I highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley!
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