I have been on a mystery kick lately and this book was one of the many that I enjoyed. A Trip with Trouble follows our friend, Misty and her cat Yeti, who have moved to a mountain inn to the North Carolina mountains. This is the second in the Mountain Lodge series and this time, Misty uncovers many secrets that are disrupting the fun vacation weekend of her guest, a female motorcycle club. This series features a 50 something year old, who is starting a new chapter of life after raising two sons and divorcing her husband, thus giving us older ladies a hero to cheer on. This whodunit keeps you guessing until the end as it follows several leads to conclusion. Misty and her friends are as intrepid as ever as they work to find the killer - part of their inn’s hospitality. This is a very fast read, wonderful for a rainy afternoon or day on beach. While this also means it is easy to read, with some conclusions spelled out for the reader, it flows well and nothing is spoiled as you try to work out who was the killer. For folks who enjoy mysteries with a side of romance and without anything graphic, this is a great series for you.

Ms. Kelly’s Mountain Lodge series is a winner.
Divorcee Misty Murphy’s dream Mountaintop Lodge is turning a profit. After her disastrous start last year, she’s worked out the bugs and has a romantic attachment to her handyman. Together along with Brynn her assistant, they have things running smoothly. A reservation from a ladies MC club fills the lodge and things are going great...until they aren’t. The club’s leader turns up missing and is found dead. Is it accidental or murder? Misty is determined to find out, as are the club members. Well written and fast moving, this tale is a definite must read. I recommend highly to any cozy fan that likes a few twists thrown in.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A Motorcycle club trip turns dangerous as one of its members goes missing. No way to contact her leads them to search among the foliage. Could it just be something simple as running out of fuel or something more nefarious? Are these ladies in trouble they cannot handle?

A fun cozy read where danger lurks around the bend.

North-Carolina, wiccan, murder, murder-investigation, pets, divorcee, of-a-certain-age, cozy-mystery, small-business, small-town, hotelier, motorcycles, secrets, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, suspicion, suspense****

I still think that the wrong person got knocked off.
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 Wiccan), and Rocky is the local handyman who also lives at the lodge. The members of the Dangerous Curves Motorcycle Club (a nonbranded club) are guests at the lodge for the week. Some of them have secrets, and some have unpleasant hangers on, one is a loose cannon. Predictably, one member of the group has a single cycle event that might be an accident or probably murder Let the sleuthing begin!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was a cute cozy mystery with actually two mysteries involved—the murder and another one that may or may not be connected. There are plenty of suspects to go around and just enough clues to keep you guessing (though, I’m sorry, I had the perp pegged almost from the beginning). The addition of the scenery on the NC/TN area is a highlight of the story. Although I’ve been through the area, I did have to look up the “Tail of the Dragon” route - not a road I’d ever try driving!

In this story, Misty Murphy’s mountain lodge is hosting a women’s motorcycle club for a week. They’re there to see the sights, hike, and generally enjoy themselves. But when the leader is murdered, things go south in a hurry. Plus there are other things going on, like a white van that keeps showing up and sinister figures attempting to gain entrance to the lodge. Misty and her friends Rocky, Brynn, and Patty band together along with local cops to figure out what’s going on.

One thing I did *not* like were the chapters from the cat’s point of view. They made no sense and added nothing to the plot at all. You could completely remove them from the book and nothing would be lost.
Recommendation: This is a decent cozy with a satisfying ending. I do recommend you skip the chapters from the cat’s POV. Trust me, you won’t miss anything.

Disclaimer: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

4.5/5 Stars!

When I found out about Getaway With Murder
(The Mountain Lodge Mysteries #1), I just had to read it. The series sounds like a cozy casual read, with a female protagonist, her cat, and her new lodge set in the mountains.

Diane Kelly has another winner on her hands with A Trip with Trouble. All the characters from Mountain Lodge staff from the first book are back, along with new characters. The story along with a new season makes this book a wonderful read.

I highly recommend checking out this series!

My thanks to NetGallery and St. Martin's for a digital copy of this book for my review. I can't wait to read the next book in The Mountain Lodge Mysteries!

A trip with trouble was a readable mystery with a likable protagonist and typical unlikable antagonists. The use of a women’s motorcycle club in the plot was new for me. I learned some information about bikes and the setting, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC. There were enough twists to finding the murderer to hold my interest.

Second in this series about a middle-aged woman who runs an inn in the mountains of western North Carolina. It was the first I had read, though, and worked perfectly well as a stand-alone or a place to start. Misty hosts a womens’ motorcycle club at her inn, and some odd or aggressive behavior becomes something more when a club member is killed. Misty helps solve the murder and some other associated crimes. It’s an enjoyable read, with likeable, believable characters and a nicely plotted mystery. Misty works to solve the crime without doing some of the frankly implausible or horrifying things that amateur sleuths do in other books. Highly recommended for a light, fun read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Trip with Trouble is the second book in this cozy mystery series. A ladies motorcycle club book the Mountaintop Lodge for their annual fall ride along the Blue Ridge Highway. There is some friction between the leader of the Club and one of the newer members, and another member seems to be hiding a secret. When one 9f the members is killed on their ride, Misty is sure it was no accident and sets out to find the murderer. This was a fun quick read with plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing til the end. Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.

Diane Kelly brings plenty of mystery, atmosphere, and secrets to the second book in her Mountain Lodge cozy mystery series, A Trip with Trouble . It features 50 year-old Misty Murphy who has recently signed her divorce papers and purchased a mountain lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwestern North Carolina. A women’s motorcycle club, Dangerous Curves, has rented the entire lodge for the week to enjoy rides, hikes, and companionship during the fall season. However, things don’t go well when the last rider in their group fails to show up at an overlook during one of their rides. Cell phone service is spotty at best and there’s no response to the handheld radio. What has happened? Misty is determined to help them.

The story is mainly told from Misty’s point of view, but there are a few chapters interspersed with thoughts from her cat, Baroness Blizzard also known as Yeti. While Yeti’s chapters aren’t necessary, they provide some humor and I enjoyed them. Misty is independent, resourceful, organized, and good with people. She quickly starts to make friends. Rocky, the handyman, Brynn, her assistant, and diner owner Patty play pivotal roles as secondary characters and the club guests are a mixed group of personalities with secrets to lend a sense of realism.

The setting was perfect for this novel and Ms. Kelly does a great job of transporting readers to the mountains of North Carolina. The winding roads, the fall color, the scenic views, and even the southern foods were authentic. There are several plot twists along the way along with plenty of suspects. The dialogue and pacing were on target. The characters and humor enhance it with both relatable characters like Misty and Rocky along with some obnoxious ones and a bit of everything else in between. I also liked the fact that Misty worked with the police rather than hiding her sleuthing activities. However, it seemed like the deputy shared more information with her than he should.

I was immediately drawn into Misty’s life and enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and the development of friendships. The story captivated me from the beginning with a good plot, great world-building details, and characters that are emotionally rich. The novel shines a light on death, relationships, friendship, family, life’s curveballs, and a bit of romance.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which was suspenseful, engaging, and atmospheric. In all three of the books I have read by this author, I had a connection with the writing style that I found relatable, vivid, and irresistible. I can’t wait to find out what happens during the next book in the series. I recommend this to those that like cozy mysteries with a more mature main character.

St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Paperbacks and Diane Kelly provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently expected to be October 25, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

When I read the first book in this new series by Ms. Kelly, Getaway With Murder, I wasn’t a fan of Rocky’s speech pattern (felt he sounded a little uneducated) or the quoting. This time around, I was actually looking forward to the quotes and wasn’t disappointed.

I really enjoyed the women’s motorcycle club that stayed at the Mountaintop Lodge. Each member of the group definitely had their own personality and I know I was wondering which one would end up dead. It was really nice of them to include Misty and Brynn on a ride on their motorcycles because Misty was interested in the motorcycles. The ride turned to tragedy when the last rider didn’t appear at the overlook where the remaining women had stopped to regroup.

I know I was surprised by who ended up dead because I was expecting another woman to die. However, when the dead woman was revealed, I felt the killer could only be one person. That being said, I think Ms. Kelly did a good job with providing other suspects because it just as well could have been one of the other suspects.

I think Yeti having his/her own chapters throughout the book is an interesting twist. I also am glad that Misty is taking a chance on Rocky after her divorce and went on a date with him. I am looking forward to more stories in this series and hope that her ex and sons show up for a visit because I would like to see how they interact with her new friends.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dangerous Curves Motorcycle Club have come to Misty Murphy's lodge to enjoy Fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Misty and her assistant, Brynn, play hooky from their housekeeping duties and join the ladies on one of their rides along a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. While on the ride, one of the club members goes missing. Gerri's body—alongside her wrecked motorcycle—is found in the woods flanking the parkway. What appears to be a tragic accident quickly turns into a murder investigation after the police determine that Gerri was run off the road and forced to crash. With a lodge full of suspects, and a few other suspicious people hanging around the area, Misty is determined to help the police find the person responsible for Gerri's murder before anyone else becomes a victim.



A TRIP WITH TROUBLE is a great follow up to GETAWAY WITH MURDER. The Blue Ridge Mountains make for an idyllic setting, and the lodge allows for a new cast of characters with each novel. I'm not really a fan of the chapters that are written from Misty's cat's perspective. Those few chapters don't really add to the story and can be skipped without missing any of the plot. Aside from a few sections that seemed to drag, I enjoyed the book. There are a number of red herrings and enough suspects to keep the reader guessing. The final confrontation with the killer was a bit ridiculous and over the top, and I would have enjoyed more scenes with the killer to further set up the reason behind the murder. That being said, I'm looking forward to the next Mountain Lodge Mystery.

This was a delightful follow up to the debut of this cozy mystery series. I love the setting, a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the characters who flow through the series. I would definitely recommend this to cozy mystery readers.

A Trip with Trouble is the second Mountain Lodge Mystery by Diane Kelly. In the previous book Misty bought a mountain lodge after her marriage ended and in this installment a group of women motorcyclers, called the Dangerous Curves Motorcycle Club, has taken a trip to take in the fall scenery and ride the curvy roads in the mountains. There is already some drama upon arrival and then the leader of the group is found murdered on the side of the road after one of the group's rides. It's Misty (and Brynn and Rocky) on the case!

Once again Diane Kelly has written a mystery with an idyllic setting, I absolutely adore the mountain lodge, but if Misty gets any more popular she's going to need to hire some staff! Misty is a great protagonist and her evolving relationship with Rocky is always fun to read about. The diner across the street is a great addition to the setting and I loved reading about the owner's part in this story. She's a tough lady!

If you're looking for a new cozy series, I definitely recommend this one and I can't wait to see what's next for Misty and her crew.

Misty has all the rooms of the lodge booked to a ladies motorcycle club. Business is picking up, and even more exciting, she’s invited to ride along with the club to see the changing leaves. But when the ladies reach a stopping point, their tail gunner, the last bike in the group, doesn’t show up.

Misty offers to help the ladies find out what happened to their fellow rider. Will they figure out what happened to the rider, or will another one of them be next…maybe even Misty?

The second book in this series hits the mystery mark, just as the first one did. I love strong female characters and this book spades with the Dangerous Curves ladies. A great cozy series to add to your cozy pile…you wont regret it!

This is the second in this new series by Diane Kelly. I have to be honest, this is not my favorite among her books. This was a bit of a muddle. Misty somehow knew Reyna's name without ever being introduced to her. There were inconsistencies such as Misty being open for only a few weeks and yet her talking about all the clients that had gone away happy. The back patio and deck had been constructed in that time as well. It was improbable that the deputy would allow such leeway and contribution on part of Misty in an actual investigation. There were so many suppositions thrown out there that had no basis in reality . The actual culprit's motive was explained in a tenuous manner at best.

A Trip with Murder was a fun read. This is the second book in the Mountain Lodge Mystery. I read the first book. Missy Murphy is the main character along with the characters in the town of Beach Mountain, NC. She owns an Inn. Brynn O'Reilly works for her as Missy's assistant manager along with Rocky who owns the High Country Handyman Service. He lives at the Inn in return for keeping the Inn in good repair. He has given his house to his daughter to use so he needed a room. Patty Williamson own the Greasy Griddle Diner. She supplies breakfast at the Inn every morning.

The Dangerous Curves is a female motorcycle club from Raleigh who have come to stay the week to motor around the countryside. They arrive on their motorcycles along with an RV driven by their leader, Gerri. When they are settled Missy receives a strange call from a man asking for Sadie Hardin, There is no one there registered to that name. Katie Martin is the only one in the group who pays in cash for her room. When Gerri is out on one of their rides her step-daughter, Mariah arrives with her mother=in-law, Andrea and her husband, Sterling asking for Gerri. She was not happy to see them when she gets back. they want to speak to her about the trust that her husband set-up when he died that she oversees. Early one morning a van arrives and a man gets out to check-out the motorcycles and gives a thumbs up when he sees one of the motorcycles and then leaves.

The club is on a ride and when they stop for lunch they realize that Gerri who was taking up the back on her bike did not arrive. They check in with Missy to see if she came back. Missy, Brynn and Katie (who hurt her hand) so did not go on ride go out in Missy's car to see if they can find Gerri. They find Gerri dead Was it an accident or a murder? A Deputy Gilespie arrives to the scene. He is assigned in finding out what happened to Gerri.

This is where the story takes off with Missy trying to find out what happened to Gerri.

Another part of the story deals with Sadie Hardin, who is hiding under the name of Katie Martin. Early one morning two men with face coverings try to rob Sally while she is bringing breakfast to the Inn. They try to get away but one is caught and the other gets away. The man caught is Sadie''s boyfriend. When the other man is finally caught both men blame the robberies on Sadie. The deputy looks up Kattie's name and finds out that she is really Sadie. There had been restaurants in Mississippi have been robbed. She had left and hid as a member of the motorcycle club.

I will leave the rest of the story for the reader to find out what and who killed Gerri to an exciting climax as well as what happens to Katie.

I look forward to the next adventure of Missy and her friends in the town of Beach Mountain. Will a romance between her and Rocky develop.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for his ARC.

I received a free copy of A TRIP WITH TROUBLE (Book 2 of the Mountain Lodge Mysteries) by Diane Kelly in exchange for an honest review. Misty Murphy is currently hosting a ladies' motorcycle club. The ladies are lots of fun, and they invite Misty to join them on their rides. However, it seems like trouble is stalking the motorcycling ladies. When one outing ends in the death of the matriarch of the club, Misty uses her connections to find the killer. I like this book as well as the first in the series. I'm a fan of Diane Kelly's writing.

#ATripwithTrouble #NetGalley

Loved this book! I have to say I did receive an advance copy of this book but that has no effect on my review of this book at all. I know the places in North Carolina that are referenced in the book and it’s almost like you are there too. Can’t wait to read more books in this series!

I love this series! My only complaint is that I am not a fan of animals that narrate chapters in books. In this series I ignore this fact because I love the mountain lodge setting and the human characters. I just feel that the book would be better without Yeti's (the cat) opinion.

The Mountaintop Lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains run by Misty would be fun to visit and the breakfast provided by Patty sounds great. I really enjoy the regular characters who come together to solve the crimes and I like the motorcycle ladies that are the visitors to the lodge in this book. They are a diverse group all with different personalities. I hope a few of the motorcycle club members come back in the future. I will for sure continue with this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to an eARC so I could give an honest review.