Snow Place for Murder is the third installment in Diane Kelly’s Mountain Lodge mysteries. The series features Misty Murphy, a divorced single parent of two boys, who purchased an old mountain lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her divorce settlement. If you are a cosy reader who prefers to read books taking place during the same season you are in, Snow Place for Murder is the perfect book to read now as it takes place over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although it is the third book in the series, it is not necessary to read the first two books beforehand as Kelly spends a lot of time up front introducing you to the main characters and to the Mountain Lodge where the action takes place. The pace really picks up with the arrival of Nigel Goodwin, a real estate developer, and the guests he invited to the lodge as potential investors. The resort project he is planning is opposed by many locals and environmentalists. After confrontational meetings with the investors and local protestors, Goodwin goes skiing only to be found frozen to death outside the Mountain Lodge. After setting the table, the bulk of the novel is spent trying to figure out who did it and why. The plotting is excellent, and I did not lose interest since there are so many suspects with motives. The ending is unexpected and does not disappoint. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of the book.

Misty, Rocky, and Yeti have their hands full when a group of investors book the lodge for a week. Before the week
is over, the CEO of Adventure Capitol would have to handle local protesters and trespassers. But when he is found dead, outside under a pile of snow, questions rise. But it is the manner of his death that has Misty and the local police buzzing around. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

Cozy wintery mystery set inside a mountain lodge. This series doesn't blow me away, but it is really pleasant when I need a comfort read and this book was no exception. I enjoy the brief vignettes narrated by the cat.

A murder mystery and a beautiful mountain lodge - what a great combination for a book. Set in the mountains of North Carolina, the author describes the beauty and feel of being right in the lodge. Pristine snow falls, spending time by a fireplace and trying to keep a lodge running are all parts of this story.

Resort developer Nigel Goodwin has booked the lodge so he can pitch his new resort to investors. Misty Murphy is very grateful for the booking until a group of locals come into the first meeting protesting his idea. The next thing you know, Nigel is as cold as a popsicle and just as dead.

Lots of well developed characters such as Rocky, the handyman, Misty's two sons, JJ and Mitch, the diner's owner and best friend of Misty and several others add interest and reality to the story. Of course, the bottom line is "who dun it" and that may surprise you.

This is the 3rd book in the series and I wish I had read the first two before I read this one but it was a perfect stand-alone story so I had no trouble following along.

This is a great cozy mystery that I read in one setting. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. It's well written and has just the right amount of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. It's a great addition to the Mountain Lodge Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed the characters and the story. There was enough to the mystery to hold my interest. If you are looking for a nice escape, this is a great book to read and I will be looking for more books by this author!

This is the third book in the Mountaintop Lodge Mystery series, but the first for me, as well as the first with this author. That said, there were no issues with jumping in the middle of the series, which was helpful.

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 late in the story, which is always nice for building anticipation. It did get a little character heavy at times, but that was just a minor issue for me. I also didn't see the value of having chapters from the POV of the cat, felt like unnecessary filler. Overall a fun and fast read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Snow Place for Murder is the third mystery in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. Lodge owner, Misty Murphy, is getting ready for the holidays with her sons in town and an English resort owner and his investors in residence. When a dead body shows up, everything is put on hold as the police, with the help of Misty, rush to find the killer before Misty’s guests check out and leave town.

I haven’t read and of the other books in this series, but I found this to be a good mystery that is able to be read as a standalone if you are okay with missing out on a little bit of Misty’s background info. The characters in this series are engaging and relatable. The mystery itself was captivating and fun to follow along with and the Mountain Lodge setting is inviting and quaint. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and I look forward to going back and reading the first two mysteries in this series. This is a great winter cozy to curl up with in a cold day!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!

Snow Place for Murder

By: Diane Kelly

Publish Date: 24 October 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martins Paperbacks

Gener fiction (adult)/Mystery and thrillers

100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

Good Reads Synopsis:

The third in the charming and engrossing Mountain Lodge mystery series by Diane Kelly, in Snow Place for Murder, the weather at the Mountaintop Lodge is truly frightful…

International resort developer Nigel Goodwin has traveled all the way from London, England to Misty Murphy’s little corner of North Carolina and bought out the Mountaintop Lodge for the week prior to Christmas. Their intention? To pitch an exclusive new resort concept to wealthy American investors.

But locals are at odds over the idea, and when a group comes to the lodge to express their worries to Mr. Goodwin and the potential investors, a blizzard hits Beech Mountain. Like the weather outside, things quickly get frosty, and Misty has to call local police to intervene. Handyman Rocky Crowder plows the lodge’s drive and, in an attempt to regain a jovial holiday atmosphere, smooths the snow pile into a makeshift sledding hill for the guests to enjoy.

Misty’s boys have finished their exams and are “home” from college for the winter break, planning to spend most of their time snowboarding at the ski resort. While taking a few runs down Rocky’s sledding hill, they discover a funny-looking, nose-shaped rock. Only it’s not a rock. It’s the frozen nose of Nigel Goodwin, who’s found dead and buried under the mound of snow.

Who put the developer on ice and why?

Book Review:

I enjoyed this book even though I haven’t read the first two. I gave it 4 stars. I loved the family and friendships that it portrayed. Even though Misty is divorced she gets a long great with her ex-husband which makes it easier for the boys. They get together for the holidays and have a great time. Except this time something happens to one of her customer’s. As the synopsis explains. Misty wants to know why Nigel is dead. Was it an accident, natural or murder? You will have to read the book to find out. It was interesting on how they found out he was dead and a little gross. One of her son’s found a weird, shaped object and thought it was rock but come to find out it was Nigel’s nose. I know this is in the synopsis, but I thought it was worth another telling because that has stayed with me since it was so weird. Just in case you want to read this you really don’t have to read the other two before this one, but it would give you some details about how Misty came to the Mountain Lodge.

I enjoyed the mystery, and found the family dynamic refreshing. I must admit I was surprised by the ending.

Snow Place for Murder is the third in the series set at Misty Murphy’s Mountaintop Lodge. I have the previous two and I do think it’s a series best read in order to get to know the characters better. The mystery is self-contained though, and the author does a good job re-introducing the regulars, as well as adding new characters.

Misty’s lodge is hosting resort developer, Nigel Goodwin, and his guests, all potential investors, for a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Misty is happy with the business, but leery about the planned resort. When Nigel is found dead, Misty fears that someone in her lodge is a murderer or maybe one of the townspeople. She, of course, sets out to help the cops find the killer.

The story moves along at a good pace and we have a nice mix of well-rounded characters. There is enough humor mixed in to keep things light. I even enjoyed Misty’s cat’s chapters. Yeti definitely has her own way of seeing the people and creatures around her.

I look forward to visiting the Mountaintop Lodge again.

I love a good cozy and this one was quite good. I enjoyed the characters, storyline as well as the writing.

I look forward to reading more of this authors work.

I received a copy for the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

Thanks to St. Martins Press & NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my honest review.

This is the 3rd book in the Mountaintop Mystery series by prolific cozy mystery author Diane Kelly. As with so many of these books, this one is filled with many characters, a mysterious death, multiple potential suspects, along with red herrings galore! The plot revolves around Mountaintop Lodge owner Misty Murphy who is hosting real estate tycoon Nigel Goodwin who is pitching potential investors for his new resort in Beech Mountain, NC. After the first day of presentations, marred by local protesters opposed to such a resort, Nigel, et al head to the ski slopes for a night of skiing prior to more presentations the next day. Time approaches for that presentation and Nigel is not at the lodge. No, no! He discovered dead in the lodge parking lot, buried under a mound of snow. And so the race is on to find Nigel's killer, aided by Misty who sees and oversees all that goes on at her lodge. Unlike many cozy mysteries, there are no cutsie names of towns, streets or shops; nor are the police portrayed as simpletons who cannot tell a clue from a cruller. There are a lot of characters in this book, so much so that I actually had to make a listing so that I could keep everyone straight. These characters range from an overlooked wife, to an overworked assistant, along with 2 or 3 local characters and all of the potential investors. Everyone is fair game, and Misty is keeping track of one and all, Filled with absolute corny jokes, Kelly also brings up through Misty the question as to whether the main character is a nosy person or just curious. For me Misty is both, but without her insights it would be difficult for the police to get to certain hard evidence. This is well written and a very fast read., with plenty of potential motives for everyone involved to have wanted Nigel dead. So as the days grow shorter and colder, snuggle up and follow along with Misty Murphy for this 3rd edition of the Mountaintop Mysteries.

I enjoyed this book so much that I went back and read the first one in the series and am waiting to get a copy of the second book. I am now a huge fan of the Mountain Lodge series! The author does a great job of developing the characters and the setting. As a North Carolina resident and a visitor to the Beech Mountain area, I could envision the lodge and the scenery. Misty, the owner of the Mountain Top Lodge, is a great character. Even though she is divorced, she and her ex, Jack, get along well. And her sons, J. J. and Mitch, as well as Rocky’s daughter, Phoebe, add to the story. The murder mystery has you pulled in from the beginning and I was guessing at the person responsible until almost the end! There are lots of twists, turns, and clues that keep you invested in the story. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next adventure in the Mountain Lodge series. I guarantee you that I’ll have it on my to-be-read list as soon as it’s released!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Always like a good cozy since these are my go to books. This book had me guessing till the very end. The human gives her point of view but what I enjoyed it when the cat decided to put her 2 cents in. Very enjoyable..

This is such a wonderful series. I’ve truly been enjoying reading it. And while this book is part of the series it can be read as a stand alone.
This book has a land developer renting out our main character, Misty’s, lodge to try to sell his local development ideas to some investors. There are many people who hate this idea of developing this beautiful natural area and they let their feelings be known. Things heat up when Nigel, the developer is found dead.
There are many twists and turns and a few red herrings leading us to the conclusion of this enjoyable mystery. I recommend this well written cozy mystery.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Christmas at the Lodge is going to be a full on family affair for Misty and Rocky. But first she has to get through an investment group who booked the entire lodge. They seem nice enough although Misty has some reservations about the land they want to develop for a new resort. There are others in the community who are hostile to the group so when the investment guru who is putting the deal together is frozen to death there are lots of possible suspects including some of the group itself.

The local police value Misty’s input and the collaborate on things that she discovers. They band together and they are able to discover motives for several of the suspects but it will take Misty’s ability to take things that were said and piece them together. It is a good series but one of the things I enjoy most is the Yeti chapters. Yeti is Misty’s cat and she adds a feline perspective to what is going on around her. Very enjoyable.

Five purrs and two paws up.

I enjoy the characters, and the mountain setting. The mystery kept me guessing. I liked meeting Misty & Rocky's kids.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy series is so good! I just love the main characters. In fact, the whole cast of characters is strong, and the fact that this is a mountain lodge means the players change often, depending on who comes to stay. That keeps everything fresh and new.

Although most of the chapters are from Misty’s point of view, there are a few that are from the point of view of her cat, Yeti—such a fun twist.

As I live in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, I love books that are set there, and this one does not disappoint. I am very familiar with some of the towns mentioned in this book. There is also a very real problem in the North Carolina mountains of rich corporations coming in and buying up the land, making it unaffordable for locals, and bringing in more tourists and traffic than towns are structurally able to support. That is addressed in this installment of the series.

I also love that the main character, Misty, is in her 50s. There are enough young protagonists with perfect bodies out there. It's nice to read about someone like me.

The mystery is compelling and has plenty of twists and turns. The ending is unexpected., but it is the characters and setting that will keep me coming back to this series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Third in the Mountain Lodge series, <i>Snow Place for Murder</i> has everything you would expect from a cozy. There’s a large cast of characters led by amateur detective, Misty Murphy, the owner of a charming lodge in a small town nestled in the mountains of North Carolina. With the arrival of Thanksgiving, the story takes place just as the winter and holiday season arrives in Beech Mountain with fresh snow for the skiers and snowboarders and delicious sounding holiday fare on the menu from the Greasy Griddle Diner just across the parking lot from the lodge.

When resort developer Nigel Goodwin turns up missing there are plenty of suspects as well as twists and turns in solving his disappearance. As is typical of a cozy, the twists and turns and numerous suspects take a while to unfold. But the backstory and details of the impact of the developer’s plans give the story added interest. The close relationships between the family and lodge employees and neighbors are well developed and genuine. The seasonal theme was a plus and made for perfect Fall reading.

Although this is the third in the series, it can be read as a standalone and made a good introduction to the series - I look forward to reading more.