Diane Kelly has written another 5 star mystery. I'm of the opinion that if she wrote it, I want to read it. Murder With a View is the 3rd in her wonderful house-flipper series and Whitney and her cousin Buck are starting a new project and it's bigger than anything they have tackled so far. The Music City Motor Court with its twelve rooms has a great location and awesome views. Their plan is to convert it from a motel into six condos. On this project they find what each previous flip has had - a dead body in one of the rooms. Here we go again - Whitney, with the assistance of her cat, Sawdust, her cousin Buck and her cop boyfriend are on the trail of a killer. With them on the case the killer won't be at large very long.
Along with a great mystery and the regular cast of characters, there is a country song with very funny lyrics titled Party in the Pasture. If you are new to the series, not to worry, it works well as a stand alone but be prepared to binge on the previous books because I'm willing to bet you will enjoy them that much.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Murder with a View is the third book in this series, but the first I've read. It worked as a stand alone and I didn't feel lost while reading it.
The series follows Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck while the renovate a dilapidated Nashville motel into condos. While beginning the renovation they discover a few surprises, one of which is a dead body. I loved how prevalent the city of Nashville is in this book, you really can imagine the setting. Having spent a lot of time in that city I was instantly transported.
The mystery had a few twists and had me captivated until the end. I look forward to reading more from this series.

Engaging and entertaining look at house (? this was a former motel) flipping and a behind the scenes look at the music industry in Nashville. Enjoyed reading about a competent and self-reliant female. Her detective boyfriend is aware of her strengths and utilizes them rather than telling her to butt out of his case. Cute cats and nice family and friend relationships add to the tale. I look forward to reading the further adventures of the cousins.

Murder With a View is the third in a delightful cozy mystery series. In this installment Buck and Whitney purchase an old motor motel to flip into kitschy condos. They didn’t expect it to come with the murdered corpse of a rising country star. This terrific tale has plenty of suspects and lots of inside dish of the country music recording industry. I found this a riveting story with marvelous characters. Though this is part of a series it can be read standalone just fine.

While it's the third book, I felt that the series really hit its stride with this one. Nashville really became a character here, and the setting really sang (ha, pun not intended). My favorite parts of cozies are getting to really know a community and the characters over a series, and this delivered that really well. It seemed to me that the chapters from the cat's perspective were minimal (I'd be fine with this element being completely phased out), which I appreciated. The mystery was good (I definitely mentally substituted a real country singer for the one here), and I loved the motel that Whitney and Buck were rehabbing. All in all, very solid, and I'm committed now to continuing this series.

This is my first book by this author and I know it will not be my last. I loved all the main characters both human and feline. I loved that it takes place in Nashville and that Whitney and Buck are flipping properties. This is a wonderful cozy mystery that does not seem to need to be read in order to understand the characters. I loved the chapters that are being told by Whitney’s feline friend. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Whitney works part-time for a property manager so has connections in the building and repair world. Her uncle is a carpenter so she's learned how to fix and build things over the years. She and her cousin, Buck, want to buy fixer-uppers, repair them and then flip them for a profit.

When a rundown motel comes on the market, Whitney and Buck snatch it up with the plan to renovate it and sell as condos. It's in a great area in Nashville so there shouldn't be any problem. Except a young popular country singer is found murdered in one of the rooms. He was considered difficult and arrogant in the business so there are many who might have killed him, including the mysterious drifter who had been squatting at the motel. Whitney's boyfriend, Collin, is the police detective in charge of finding the killer.

I liked the writing style. It is written in first person perspective from Whitney's point of view and third person perspective from Sawdust's point of view (which is funny since it's written from the perspective of Whitney's cat).

I've read many books by this author and I liked this one. Though it's the third in the House-Flipper series, it works as a stand alone (I read the first one a couple years ago but not the second one, which is now on my list to read). It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity (there's no heat at all between Whitney and Collin).

An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. Great plot and character dynamics along with a beautiful setting. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Whitney and her cousin Buck are exciting about their latest flipping project in Nashville- they plan to convert a motel into condos. Unfortunately, her cat Sawdust (love this cat!) finds the body of Beckett, a future country music star, in one of the rooms. Whitney's detective boyfriend Collin thinks Jimmy, who was squatting there when Whitney bought the property, is the murderer but she's not convinced. Cozy readers know she's right- there's a good list of people who weren't fans of Beckett. I like this series for the characters and the setting (and for the cat) but also for the plotting. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books- Kelly gives you the right amount of background to feel fully up to date. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a classic cozy from a good storyteller- nice red herrings!

Thank you, Net Galley, for an advanced copy for an honest review.
I have read several books by Diane Kelly and like the way she writes.
This is the one of the books in the fix er up series. They are about Whitney and her cousin Buck who buy properties in Nashville to fix up. They buy an old motel to convert to condos. They find a body and the mystery begins.
I really enjoyed the writing and the story. Whitney is a good sleuth and helps find the killer.
I plan to go back and read the others in the series. This one is as good as the one about the Bridget the K-9 dog which is set in Fort Worth.

music-idol, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, cats, cozy-mystery, family, friendship, renovation, small-business****

If you geek cats and house flipping, you'll adore this cozy set in Nashville. The publisher's blurb is pretty good, but the quality of the story is much better. While there is a hint of romance, it certainly is not blatant enough to take anything away from the mystery but serves as a plot device to enhance the deduction process. The cat seems to specialize in finding dead bodies and the detective is a good guy. A good cozy full of twists and red herrings.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thanks!

A good mix of mystery, humor and relationships all topped off with a dose of Nashville flavor. Finding two people in the motel that cousins Whitney and Buck were going to flip turned out to be a good news, bad news situation. It also could be the thing that ruins their business.

The comfortable relationship between the protagonist and her detective boyfriend was a nice change and Sawdust the cat is a fun addition to the story. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Murder With a View by Diane Kelly (House Flipper Mystery #3) 5 stars

This is the third in the House Flipper mystery series after "Dead as a Door Knocker" and "Dead in the Doorway". I have to confess, "Dead in the Doorway" is on my TBR pile and so I missed the introduction of a new character in the series. But it doesn't matter much for this book.

Whitney and her cousin Buck are at a county tax auction looking to bid on an old motel property that has the potential to be renovated into condos. Thad Gentry, real estate investor (and old nemesis) is also looking at the property. Knowing that they can't match Gentry's wallet, the cousins team up with Presley Pearson ( a character in Book #1) to buy the motel; with a little bit of subterfuge they manage to win the auction. Unfortunately, on the first day of clean up they find a body in Room 9. The deceased is Beckett Morgan, a rising young country star. The mystery is who killed Beckett and how did the body end up in Room 9.

I really loved this mystery. Written in a similar format as the Paw Enforcement Series, some chapters are really short showing the viewpoint of Sawdust, Whitney's cat. The supporting characters may have small roles, but they provide a break from the mystery and renovation details. The relationship between Whitney and Detective Collin Flynn was cute (I have to read Dead in the Doorway) and his respect for her theories and views gave this pair something "extra". I have to thank the author for the Easter Egg from Death, Taxes and Silver Spurs - Brazos Rivers seems to have recovered from his tax evasion conviction to start a new career. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

P.S. BOLO for a new series from Ms. Kelly coming in October 2021 - Getaway with Murder

In this House-Flipper Mystery, Whitney and Buck join forces with Presley Pearson to buy and convert the currently abandoned Music Center Motor Court into condominiums.

On their first visit, Whitney and Buck discover a trespasser living in one of the rooms – Jimmy Weber, a veteran. The two offer Jimmy work to help them with demolition and reconstruction, which he accepts. Whitney returns, with Sawdust, her trusty feline companion, to begin organizing work details. While exploring, Sawdust finds the dead body of Beckett Morgan, a rising country music star.

Concern that a celebrity's death will impact the sale of their condominiums, Whitney decides to find the killer and enlists the aid of Sawdust, a proven sleuth in solving mysteries. Several suspects include Becket's record label manager, his agent, an elusive woman identified by the initials J.C., a couple of back-up musicians, and a fellow musician claiming Beckett's hit is his song.

Diane Kelly captures Whitney and Sawdust's warm relationship by crafting chapters from Sawdust's point of view that alternate with those from Whitney's perspective. Murder with a View is an engaging story with a delightful crew of characters. And it's always fun to catch up with Sawdust, especially since his new housemate Cleo is a kitten full of mischief and in need of guidance from Sawdust.

Yeah, this was another great book in this series! I loved the mystery, taking place in the flip that Whitney imagined doing at the end of the previous book. Which was mirrored at the end of this book with Whitney finding a new property to flip, yeah! Plus we came full circle a bit with a few characters from the first book, yeah! I'm wondering if we'll see anybody from the second book in the 4th?

I really enjoyed this mystery, because hey, they're in Nashville, of course there's going to be a country music murder mystery to solve! And it was so intriguing to read, because there were conflicting messages about who Beckett Morgan was as a person.

There were a few options as to who the bad guy could be. I loved how Whitney inserted herself into this investigation, because her boyfriend detective had to stretch things a little for her to be invited along on the interviews! So that was fun!

The way things wrapped up was spectacular! The successful flip, the last-needed clue at the final second, it all came together really well, and was just a pleasure to read! I just had a great time reading this book, as I have this whole series!

This was a really great book, and I can't wait to continue the series!

Murder With a View is the 3rd instalment in the House Flipper Mysteries series by Diane Kelly. This is first book I have read in the series, and it can be read as a standalone. I have since purchased the previous ones so I can be all caught up in time for book 4 when they flip an abandoned church.

I liked Whitney and her cat Sawdust, it would give you both their thoughts from chapter to chapter which was kind of neat. I also enjoyed the setting of Nashville, Tennessee. Being avid watcher of house flipping shows I rather enjoyed it being the theme of this series.

The mystery is interesting and had lots of twists which kept me guessing. I had no idea who the killer was till Whitney did.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from St.Martin Press and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This series just keeps getting better and better with each book. This latest installment is perfection! The characters, the mystery, everything nailed together to build the perfect story.

I have a tendency to jump in to cozy mystery series in the middle, and this is no exception. Murder With a View is the third book in the House-Flipper mysteries, but the first one i've read. And it's ADORABLE.

The most notable thing about this book (and, I assume, the series as a whole) is the characters. The characters are lovely and hilarious and you can't help but cheer for them every step of the way. Sawdust the cat is a delight. Although I wasn't ALWAYS on board with the short chapters from his purr-spective, I found myself appreciating them more towards the end of the book.

This mystery had me stumped for the majority of the book, and the inevitable "showdown" between our main character, Whitney, and the murderer was pretty thrilling (and also a little terrifying!)

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the NetGalley ARC!

One of the best in the series as Whitney and Buck renovate a 60s motel for condos. Loved the descriptions of the designs, of what is was now and what they went through get the work done with a new ' friend '. The murder is a difficult one to solve but it is solved with good investigative teamwork. So many interesting things in this one you need to read it
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Murder With a View: A House-Flipper Mystery
By Diane Kelly
St. Martin’s Paperback
February 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

Having successfully flipped and made a profit on their most recent renovation project, Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are optimistically headed into Tennessee’s Davidson County Courthouse with the intention of buying the 1960s Music City Motor Court motel and transform it into charmingly retro condos. The presence of rival developer Thaddeus Gentry III threatens their plans, but a spur-of-the-moment partnership with Presley Pearson – and a little deceptive rumor mongering - gives Whitney and Buck just the bump they need to succeed in getting their next project. The rundown music-themed motel comes not just with orange carpet but with a squatter, the drifting vet Jimmy Weber. Despite knowing better, Whitney trusts her instincts enough to hire Jimmy to help them demo the motel as they plan for its grand re-opening. Too bad that Jimmy isn’t the only trespasser staying at the Motor Court, as they discover the body of man boots-up on one of the motel beds with a doorstop plunged through his chest.

Unsurprisingly, Whitney’s boyfriend Detective Collin Flynn suspects wandering nomad Jimmy as being the most likely suspect. Whitney disagrees, especially when they learn that the victim was Beckett Morgan, a country singer with one of the hottest songs and whom infamously ducked an onstage kiss with his duet partner. When not dodging the impromptu memorial and fan gatherings that form outside of the motel, Whitney begins tracking down his spurned bandmates, angry exes, and disgruntled managers. It’s an opportunity for Whitney and her roommates Emmalee and Collette to attend the hottest spots in the lowest places of Nashville’s country music scene.

As in Diane Kelly’s other series, the animal companion gets her own chapters to narrate and offer viewpoints of the human actions and investigation. Characteristic to her standoffish feline nature, Sawdust is less involved than the K-9 Brigit but still lends a paw just when her human needs it the most. It is entirely appropriate that in Nashville the clues leading them to a murderer include a distinct belt buckle, cowboy boot toe shape, and cigar butt. Along with immersing readers in Nashville’s country music scene are enough renovation details to delight any addict of HGTV. Romance abounds as well, from Collette and Buck’s do-si-dosing dating dance to Whitney’s growing partnership with Collin. Sawdust’s very clever and extremely catty perspective adds both humor and animal-loving fun, while still keeping the tone grounded in reality. Extremely well-written and filled with characters whom one would love to call friends, this third in the series continues to delight and builds upon what is becoming a standout mystery series.