Pro:
* The mountain setting
* The ongoing developing relationships among the regular characters
* I like having Misty and Rocky’s families in the story
* Like the first two books, I find myself drawn in and simply wanting to read it.
* The first third is promising.

Con:
* Gimmicky cat perspective chapters.
* I appreciate diversity, but it feels contrived and announced in this series. I’d like to see character descriptions blended into the plot more smoothly.
* Misty’s constant violation of her guests’ privacy.
* The figuring out the mystery process is painfully unbelievable: Police are not going to share every bit of information about the case with a civilian like Misty when the case is ongoing.
* She doesn’t weave the clues in subtly enough. Too much “beat you over the head with it” repetition.

Thank you to Diane Kelly, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have [mostly] enjoyed this series [more on that later] and I was really looking forward to reading this new one. While I am not sorry I read this [because again, I mostly enjoyed it], I am a little disappointed in how this one played out.

Misty is typically a great MC and she does a good job here, but some of her actions throughout the book have dipped into an area that I dislike - where nosiness and curiosity dip into borderline criminal behavior [one should NOT be sneaking outside of other's windows with their phone video camera running, NOR is snooping in the rooms and deliberately listening in on other's conversations] and it made me uncomfortable while she was...ahem, helping. There was also quite a bit of repetition throughout the book [a new trope that is already O L D imo] and that got old and tiring after awhile.

I liked the addition of her sons [even though their borderline disrespect for their mother grated on my last nerve] and their willingness to do their job and do it well before spending the day skiing and Rocky's daughter Pebble [such a cute play on words there] was also a welcome addition, though we don't see much of her.

I knew who was going to be killed, I knew who the murder was [though not the why and that was heartbreaking. WRONG of course. 100% wrong, but grief and the idea of revenge will never steer anyone towards anything good] from the moment they were introduced and [the biggest thing], those D*MN CAT CHAPTERS. I hate them. They are stupid, they don't add to the story, they interrupt the flow [and often made me want to chuck the book across the room] and did I say how STUPID they are?? IF they were adding to the story, or helping the MC solve the mystery, then I could probably wrap my head around the need for them, but that is not the case here and UGH UGH UGH!!! I do believe, should there be a book 4 [which I would read], I would make a list of all the Yeti chapters and just skip them so the flow for me would be a lot smoother, and there would be a lot less potential book throwing. It is because of all of this, that I cannot rate it higher than 3 stars.

Like I said, I will absolutely read book 4 [if one is written], and I can only hope some of the issues with this book will be resolved in that one.

I was asked to read/review this book by the publisher and I'd like to thank them [St. Martin's Press] along with the author Diane Kelly and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In short: It’s the week before Christmas and the lodge is fully booked by Nigel, a resort developed, who has invited various wealthy guests for a week of skiing and pitching his resort idea as he’s seeking investors.

What I liked:
🎿The winter & Christmas time setting
🎿That Misty’s twin sons and her ex are visiting.
🎿The semi-locked room situation. So many suspects to investigate between the investors and those opposed to the project stuck there during a storm.

Final thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and think the series just keeps getting better and better. In this book we get to see more of Misty’s personal life between her kids home for the holidays and the continuing evolving relationship with handyman Rocky. I also really like the mystery in this one from finding a the body frozen on the ski hill to sorting through suspects.

Misty is getting the resort’s rooms for her ex-husband Jack and her two boys J.J. and Mitch. They are coming for Thanksgiving. Before that Misty and Rocky are talking to Nigel Goodwin about the resort he hopes to buil — Goodwin has booked the Mountain Lodge the week before Christmas to talk to potential investors for the resort. Thanksgiving arrives and her boys and ex arrive the day before Thanksgiving. Rocky has gone down to pick up his daughter. Rocky comes back late with flowers and wine for Misty. Jack comes into Misty’s room and is surprised to see Rocky. Misty decides to make the best of it and the three of them have a visit. Jack and Rocky get to know each other. The week before Christmas is filled with Nigel Godwin’s investors. Will they decide to invest in his lodge? It snows and the boys can’t wait to snowboard at the ski resort. When they find out that Rocky has made a spot into ca snow hill, the boys run out to try snowboarding. They discover a strang rock in the snow which turns out to be the nose of Goodwin. He is dead. Misty calls the police. Who killed Goodwin? Why?

The author has done an excellent job of writing — pacing the story. The author has the reader involved in the different suspects who might had killed him.. The police watched each suspect’s behavior,. As I was trying to solve the mystery by clues given I found myself wondering if I was going to solve the mystery. It was fun to read even if there was a mysterious death.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. This is the third installment in the series but it can be read as a stand alone. I have enjoyed the first two but this one is definitely the best with the development of the characters. I’m excited to see what Misty and company get up to in the next one!

Snow Place for Murder continues to follow Misty and family as the holiday season hits, and with it, the possibility of new development in the local area. A variety of guests are invited to learn about an amazing investment opportunity, but before they can dive too deep into the logistics of it all, someone is found dead, leaving the guests and lodge employees unsettled and insecure.

There are many thoughts about who could have done it and why, and Misty is determined to play amateur sleuth not only for the dignity of the victim, but also to help her lodge maintain it's good name. As all this occurs, her cat, Yeti, pops in with her observations of the happenings in the lodge, providing a good bit of comedic relief.

I completely enjoy Diane Kelly's novel, and look forward to reading the others in the series. It was an easy read, kept on the PG side, but it was not an easy giveaway as to what really happened to the victim. I recommend this for anyone who likes mysteries but doesn't want anything too intense.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoy this series quite a bit and was so excited for this installment. In this one, a developer comes to Beech Mountain to try to drum up enough investors to open up a high end resort. Not everyone is keen on the idea and when the investor ends up murdered, there are lots of suspects.

This book is set around Christmas. Misty's boys are home for the holidays from college and play a larger role in this book. I loved all the family being together this time. Although the weather is definitely wintery, Christmas plays a back burner to the mystery and is not a major part of the book.

I am liking this series more and more with each new book and hope there is more to come.

Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly
Mountain Lodge Mysteries Book 3
I did not really like this book as much as the first two in the series. I thought the way the body was discovered was just weird and kinda gross. Then, I did not like the conclusion. Can’t say why because no spoilers so that’s all I can say.
I will read another book in this series but it’s going to be my last if I don’t like it better than this one. I have enjoyed other books in some of this author’s other series so I have hope for further books.

Lovely Christmas read!
Great 3rd installment. Mountain Top is booked for a private event by a resort developer. Misty is having some second thoughts, what will a big resort do to the Lodge, and even the locals are mixed about the idea.
Misty’s boys are staying with her during the Christmas break, to help out and of course take advantage of the ski hills. Things take quite the turn when they find a rock that isn’t a rock, and leads to the frozen body of the resort developer.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It wasn’t my first book by this author but the first in this series. I will definitely be going back and reading the first two. I really liked the setting and the story had a good amount of mystery and suspects. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

This was a charming cozy as we follow as her boys and her ex visit for the holidays. I loved seeing the development of her and Rocky's relationship as she discovers another murder on her cozy property.

Misty Murphy's Mountaintop Lodge is the site for developer Nigel Goodwin's investor pitch. Nigel has purchased a piece of property to build a high end resort and needs investors to make his dream a reality. Misty and her handyman/boyfriend become concerned when locals react strongly to the concept. With Misty's sons and Nigel's daughter visiting for the holidays, the protective instincts are strong when danger approaches. Snow Place for Murder is the third installment of Diane Kelly's new series, Mountain Lodge Mysteries, Bundle up for a holiday read that involves family, friendship and intrigue. I adore this series and look forward to number four

I love this cozy mystery series about the owners of a mountain lodge in NC! Great characters, nice mix of humor and mystery, and engaging plots make this series a very enjoyable cozy mystery series!

Snow Place for Murder is the 3rd book in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. This time, a resort developer visits the lodge just before Christmas. Locals are angered, tempers flare, a blizzard rolls in.....and the developer is found frozen under the snow. Who put the resort plans on ice?

Another great book in this series! The stories are always fun to read, engaging and enjoyable. The mystery moved along at a nice pace. There was plenty of sleuthing, local color and humor mixed in.

Nice cozy to read just before the holiday season starts to get going! I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

Also, the cover art is wonderful!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A nice cozy mystery. Liked the main characters and the police detectives. Great setting, good plot. I’m undecided about the chapters by the cat. I liked that Misty didn’t put herself in danger to solve the mystery and that she worked with her boyfriend. Overall a nice read.

Nigel Goodwin is an international resort developer that came from London, England to Misty Murphy’s little corner of North Carolina and bought out the Mountaintop lodge for the week prior to Christmas. Nigel is here to pitch an exclusive new resort concept to wealthy American investors. The locals are at odds and come to the lodge to express their worries when a potential blizzard hits Beech Mountain. Things get heated and Misty has to call in the local authorities to intervene. Misty’s boys are home from college to help at the lodge planning to spend most of their time snow boarding at the ski resort. While taking a rundown the sledding hill they discover a funny-looking nose-shaped rock. Only it’s not a rock it’s the nose of Nigel Goodwin who’s found dead and buried under the snow mound. Now everyone at the lodge is a suspect and they need to find out who did it. I really enjoyed this story great characters great story line and lots of suspense. I recommend to all.

A Cozy Mystery That Keeps Your Interest & Keeps You Guessing!



This is a series that has a great setting that has plenty of room for more books. I wouldn’t be surprised if Misty becomes a Detective! She’s got the perfect mind for it! Haha! It was a great whodunnit and very entertaining. Perfect for a rainy weekend read! Enjoy… I did!



*I switched back and forth between reading and listening to the Audiobook Read by Holly Adam’s. She had just the right voice for this book and did not distract or read too slow. It was easy to listen to and keep interested.

I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Although this book is third in a series, I hadn’t read the previous two and followed along just fine.

Innkeeper Misty Murphy is looking forward to hosting resort developer Nigel Goodwin for the income he’ll bring but she’s also apprehensive, suspecting he and his guests might be demanding, and knowing some of the Beech Mountain community does not welcome the scale of development he proposes.

Her fears are realized and surpassed when Goodwin’s frozen corpse is found on her lodge’s property. Finding suspects isn’t hard—several people seemed to despise him—but who had the capacity to murder him in such a gruesome way?

Like many cozy mysteries, the book is half over before the murder occurs, chock full of details about meals, squabbles, budding relationships, etc. This might be considered a flaw, but the setting is so charming and the characters so inoffensive, it was really a welcome respite fro real life worries and the other angsty books I’ve been reading. If you fancy a snowy make believe getaway to a ski resort over the holidays, with a random murder, you’ll like this book. I did. #SnowPlaceforMurder #NetGalley

“Snow Place for Murder” the 3rd instalment in the The Mountain Lodge Mysteries series by Diane Kelly. The weather at the Mountaintop Lodge is truly frightful…

I really enjoyed this instalment, we had Misty’s family and handyman Rocky’s daughter at the lodge for winter break. I liked How the author gave both Misty and her cat Yeti, a voice throughout the story. I also enjoyed the winter vibes as everyone was there to ski Beech Mountain.

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

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy friends. Can’t wait to read the next instalment.


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

I really enjoyed this addition to the series. It was the perfect read to add to my feelings of loving snow and the upcoming winter season. I just find this series to be so cozy. I love the characters, the setting, everything! The mystery of this one was good, it felt fresh and I didn’t guess the killer. Overall a very enjoyable read.

While this is the third in the Mountain Lodge Mysteries, it is a stand alone novel, with a lot of back story explained (unnecessarily since most of the back story had nothing to do with the current story). This is technically a cozy mystery: there is a death and it is mysterious. I was just so frustrated with so much of this novel that it was distracting, and I was just counting the pages until the end. Misty, the narrator and owner of the lodge, explains things to the reader as if we are stupid and unable to understand anything unless it is explicitly spelled out. There are clichés upon clichés, and the characters are so sophomoric it's ridiculous. For example, Misty's college aged sons behave more like middle schoolers than young adults, constantly rolling their eyes with no patience for mom and her attention. The novel is chock full of unreasonable events as well (why would the deputy investigating a murder call the owner of the lodge to come to a suspect's house before even collecting all of the evidence??). There are too many random tangent lectures too - I feel like the book would have been too short had we not had so many of these useless side stories/lectures/comments. And while I am a cat lover, I don't understand the value of adding in a couple of chapters from the cat's perspective. We didn't learn anything new or get any new insight from the cat...maybe just added pages to an otherwise short story....?

While I didn't enjoy this novel, I am super grateful for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks!!