omgoodness y'all! This series gets better and better! I love Misty, Rocky and getting to meet their families for the holidays! This was such a fun mystery, great location, and set during my favorite time to read about...winter! I can't wait for the next installment! I would recommend this series to cozy fans!
I would like to thank netgalley, the author Diane Kelly and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I had not read books one and two and although they were mentioned, I think this one read well enough without having read them first. I enjoyed the setting and the characters, even the occasional voice of the cat. I will go look to read the others.

In Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly, Misty Murphy's scenic Mountaintop Lodge is bracing for the holidays. As fresh snow brings in hoards of skiiers, Misty sits down for a holiday meal with her new boyfriend, her ex, her (nearly) grown sons, her boyfriend's (nearly) grown daughter, an adorable cat, a fluffy dog. The lodge is booked by a developer and their investors, looking to transform the serene, low-key mountain getaway into a over-the-top commercial resort, but the locals aren't having any of it.

What could possibly go wrong?

It's a satisfying murder mystery with a huge cast of potential killers, that's all wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion. And honestly, if Diane Kelly (one of my favorite mystery writers!) ever decides to write an entire mystery from the POV of Yeti the cat, I'm here for it!

Great mystery! It was fun and cute and exciting. Everything you would want in a cozy mystery. Can’t wait to read more from this series.

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.

I really enjoyed this 3rd installment of the Mountain Lodge Mysteries. Misty's two sons are staying with her over winter break and come across a frozen nose at the bottom of a sledding hill. What a unique way to find a clue to a dead body. I enjoy the way that Misty and her handyman boyfriend work together to solve the murder and the way that the author weaves together the stories of all of the inn's guests to keep you guessing the whole way. This is a great series by a wonderful author. Looking forward to the next book! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Misty Murphy runs the Mountain Top Lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A developer is staying at the Lodge with plans to present a resort idea to investors. Locals are not happy with idea.

Snow Place for Murder is the third book in Mountain Lodge mystery series. This book can be read as a standalone, but I suggest starting with the first book in the series, Getaway With Murder.

Snow Place for Murder is a charming cozy mystery with likable characters and a lovely setting.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.

This book was good. I would give 3.5 stars but the writing was well done. It was a little slow in the beginning but the lodge owner Misty and her sons discover another dead body. She’s determined to find out who killed this investor before the group goes back home.

This is cozy set in the Carolinas and can be read as a standalone. I loved Diane Kelly's Death and Taxes series but I found this book to be too slow given the murder didn't happen until 1/3 of the way through. The story was told in dual points of view, MC Misty and her cat Yeti. but Yeti's point of view made no sense to me and seemed to be just a way to make the book quirky without adding actual value.

The writing itself was generally okay as there were so many characters and possible suspects. When Misty spent page after page investigating the case in her head by asking endless questions and doing internet research it felt a little off=putting. I would rather have seen Misty do some actual investigating - asking questions of guests, snooping around, getting herself into some trouble, etc. to make it a little more exciting. Similar to how her MC in the Death and Taxes operated.

I appreciated that the book didn't make it easy to solve the mystery right away and it gave plenty of red herrings.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

fun, entertaining and heartwarming cozy mystery.
This is the third book in the Mountaintop Lodge Mystery series set in the North Carolina mountains, but it was the first in this series for me, also the first by this author. But it definitely works with this book if you are looking for a seasonal cozy - jumping in the middle of the series was not an issue.
The story was well written with good pacing and nicely developed characters. I enjoyed the flow of things and wasn't sure about who might be the murderer until later in the story, there were the usual multiple viable suspects, motives and opportunities. What really stood out about this book was not the mystery however but how genuinely goodnatured and kind Misty and her boyfriend and handyman were treating each other, her sins, her former husband and other people. It was just so nice to see them all get along so well and be considerate apart from the little inconvenience of a murder. This was a fun, seasonal and fast read that took me to my beloved snowy mountains.

I had really high hopes for this to be such a cozy mystery, but mostly I'm just annoyed with the MC and sick of reading every single thought that goes through her head. The mystery didn't even begin until nearly 50% of the way through. Maybe it's just not for me, but I did not connect with this book at all.

SNOW PLACE FOR MURDER
by DIANE KELLY

This is the third book in the Mountain Lodge mystery series. However, I don’t believe it’s necessary to read the other two books before this one.

Misty Murphy owns a lodge in North Carolina. I resort developer has bottle the lodge for the week prior to Christmas and has invited some wealthy American investors. It is a wonderful setting for a story.

I don’t like to do spoilers but because it’s in the title there is a murder, and they need to solve the crime.

It was a nice cozy read, and I can see how the rest of the series would be enjoyable to read as well.

I have added both of the previous books to my tbr.

If you want an enjoyable Christmas read, you may wish to pick this.

Thank you to #stmartinspaperbacks and @netgalley for the advanced reading copy.

Snow Place for Murder: A Mountain Lodge Mystery
By Diane Kelly
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
October 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s the winter season, and North Carolina Mountain Lodge owner Misty Murphy is thrilled that her college-attending sons will be visiting for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. And since their divorce was about as conscious-uncoupling and friendly as one could be, Misty doesn’t mind that her ex-husband Jack will be accompanying them. Jack’s first meeting with Misty’s new boyfriend does go a little awkwardly though, with Jack knocking on her bedroom door with a bottle of wine only to discover that Rockford Crowder already had the same idea. Once that is out of the way though, they all take advantage of the season with Misty’s sons joining Rock’s daughter on the slopes for snowboarding and warm meals by the fire. Misty still has to attend to her guests though, as venture capitalist Nigel Goodwin has come all the way from London to host prospective investors in his next development. Misty is a little worried about what a new resort could do to the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, but her concern is nothing compared to that of environmentalist/photographer/researcher Gus Bingenheimer. Things take a dire turn when Jack Jr. and Mitch Murphy discover what they have yet to realize is a nose on the slopes, with the rest of Nigel Goodwin’s body buried under the snow. It doesn’t take long for police to discover that the investor was frozen even before he was buried, meaning that his death was not an accident and that one of Misty’s guests could be a murderer.

The occasional chapters narrated by Misty’s fluffy white feline Yeti always provide unique yet very cat-like observations, keeping the novel grounded in reality. The Murphy and Crowder family meals provide an immense amount of relatable humor, and readers will be wanting more of the brief appearances by Phoebe “Pebbles” Crawford. Unexpectedly fascinating are Misty’s responsibilities running the lodge, not to mention the laws regarding guest privacy and lack thereof. The writing is always clever and filled with humorous dialogue, and Misty continues to be an extraordinarily likable character. She is probably the most relatable heroine of Diane Kelly’s many hilarious novels, but that doesn’t mean that she isn’t just as compelling. These snow-filled adventures leading up to Misty’s Christmas celebration ensure that this is the perfect cozy read to snuggle up with and enjoy for the holiday season.

A great holiday cozy read when you are ready for snow! Misty Murphy is still fairly new to owning the Mountaintop Lodge in North Carolina, but is preparing to be fully booked up for a whole week after Thanksgiving. But the boost in business goes bad when the would-be resort developer who brought a full house of potential investors along is found frozen dead outside her lodge.

The characters are down to earth and charming. Misty, along with her handyman love-interest. The plot has some unexpected twists along the, but the lodge stays cozy, warm, and inviting even while it seems a murderer may be living alongside them.

This is book three of The Mountain Lodge Mystery series. I have read the first two, but this could be read as a stand-alone if you haven't.

Once again, we are treated to the POV of both Misty and her cat Yeti. I sort of like Yeti's perspective. Sure, it doesn't add anything to the story, but everything's better with a cat.

Snow Place for Murder was very slow paced. It seemed like the murder happened farther into the story than most cozy mysteries, but once it got going, it was a well thought out mystery. I also enjoyed the snowy winter vibes and the charming setting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When I started reading this book, I thought it sounded vaguely familiar, then I discovered it was one of a series. The plot was very similar to the other one I read. Shysty person brings people to the resort, subsequently is found murdered and all the guests are suspects. In this book, the motive was very weak and really did not feel right. Also the incident with the sleds was unbelievable and lame. I doubt I will read any more of this series. Too bad when I read the first one, I thought it had potential.

First and foremost I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishing company for allowing me to read this ARC. Thank y’all so much!

What would describe as a cozy mountain murder mystery has lodge owner Misty on her toes.

Such a fun read and it’s easy to follow consider I didn’t read the other books in the series

In Diane Kelly’s latest Mountain Lodge mysteries, Snow Place for Murder, it’s almost Christmas and her two boys are spending their college break at her lodge in Beech Mountain to help out and get some snowboarding in. A developer wanting to build a resort nearby has booked her lodge for the week so he can present an investment pitch to wealthy investors. With locals against the idea & a blizzard what can go wrong? Great characters, perfect setting since I enjoy vacationing there!

Returning to the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountain town setting and the cozy comfort of Misty’s inn for a new seasonal mystery was an anticipated reading experience for me and I was not disappointed.

Snow Place for Murder is the third installment in the Mountain Lodge cozy mystery series. Each book can be read standalone and, in fact, I started with book two and did just fine.

Misty hosts a family Thanksgiving for her ex and two college age sons, JJ and Mitch, her new boyfriend, Rocky, and his daughter. A good time was had by all. JJ and Mitch stay on to help Misty at the lodge while her assistant takes a long holiday break. The lodge is hosting an international resort developer who is the new owner of a nearby patch of land he plans to turn into a resort, his wife, assistant, and his potential investor guests. First, a local group of protestors who, for their various reasons, don’t want the land developed into a resort and then the murder of Nigel, the developer, turn the cozy mountain holidays into a murder investigation.

After reading, A Trip With Trouble, I was positively impressed with Diane Kelly’s writing, the setting, the characters, and her mystery plot so I wanted to keep going with the series. Like that book, Snow Place for Murder took some time to develop the ongoing relationships and give a wonderful seasonal feel starting with the family Thanksgiving. It might seem there would be some drama since Misty hosted her ex and kids with her boyfriend and one of his kids, but she had an amicable divorce after the kids were grown, and a careful slow burn romance with Rocky, her boyfriend and handyman.

The story then changed gears and it was time for Misty, Rocky, and her sons to go to work hosting a group for a week at the lodge. A blizzard sets in adding atmosphere when the mystery part of the story gets going. The pacing stays steady and slower as an observant Misty works with the police sharing what she has seen and heard, using her position to subtly question suspects and witnesses, and follow a moderately twisting path to the reveal. I do like how Misty works with law enforcement and duly considers her actions.

The conclusion with the family Christmas and the hot tub Rocky put in to improve the lodge’s appeal was the perfect satisfying finish to a holiday cozy mystery. I enjoyed being back in the Blue Ridge with Misty and the others and will be continuing with the series. I invite you to join me.