Four-Alarm Homicide

By: Diane Kelly

Publish Date: April 23, 2024

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperback

Mystery and Thrillers

200 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

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

Book Review:

I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars. It is part of a series that I haven’t read from before. I would like to go back and read the first five books. You don’t have to read them in order, but I recommend that you do so you can know who the characters are and why they are in the book. The author does a great job of telling you what you need to know of them.

In this book Whitney and her cousin Buck have purchased a fire house to renovate and also a townhouse to flip. They have their hands full because the townhouse was done through a quick deed and the siblings that they purchased it from are not happy because one of them got a little more than rest of them. The siblings don’t care about the house, but they don’t want to be out done by another. To get there their way they start some issues with Whitney and Buck. The townhouse next door is owned by an elderly lady who brought the house to the attention to Whitney and Buck and once they fix it up, she wants to purchase it for her daughter and her family.

One day the lady shows up at the fire station and she ends up fainting and Whitney calls 911 because she isn’t breathing right. On the way to the hospital the elderly lady dies. Come to find out she didn’t die of natural causes. Who killed her and why?

I really enjoy the friendships and family ties in this book. I love how they all back each up and the love of all.

This story was a great mystery adventure of who dun it. I liked the relationship between the characters and having multiple cats with great personalities was a big plus! Excited to read more of Whitney's stories!

In this cozy mystery installment, Nashville's real estate market isn't just competitive—it's deadly. Whitney and her cousin Buck's renovation dreams at an old fire station quickly turn into a whodunit as neighbors squabble and suspicious deaths pop up. With its delightful blend of house flipping and crime-solving, this one's perfect for fans of charming small-town intrigue.

Whitney and her cousin, Buck, are back at it! This time they’re flipping an old fire house. While they’re working, a woman that lives around the corner asks them for help. The left part of the townhouse she owns is falling apart. Whitney and Buck are able to acquire the townhouse. Not long after they acquire it, the woman who approached them about it turns up is distress. She collapses and dies. Is this foul play? Or was it natural causes? Whitney will stop at nothing to figure out what happened.

This is the 6th installment in this series and it’s just as good as the rest! You could tell that the author did her research when it came to different points of the book. Always enjoy seeing what new life experiences Whitney and her friends and family are about to embark on. And always love the chapters that are from sawdust’s perspective! I did feel the end of the book was rushed especially when it came to revealing who the killer was. Other than that I enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly is the 6th installment and perfect addition to the House-Flipper Mystery series. I highly recommend.

Loved this cozy mystery! The plot was fun and entertaining. It held my attention from start to end! The characters were easy to love and root for and fit well into the story itself. A quick fun read that I definitely recommend checking out.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Book six in a series and I read it okay as a stand alone. Interesting enough characters that I will probably read others.

I like the house flipper series and this is another good addition. The characters are strong (and boy do they work hard)! The mystery was good, with lots of great suspects. And I really like reading about the ideas they have as they renovate - especially with an old-time firehouse, it was fun to think of the potential changes. I'd call this series and this book a win!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I love this series, and this book does not disappoint. I love the characters, and it is also a great mystery. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you should try this book.

When carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck discover an historical fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighbourhood…and are able to buy it…they’re ecstatic. But they’ve barely begun renovations when a neighbour Joanna Hartzell shows up asking for their help. She owns a townhouse just around the corner. She lives in one half and keeps it in perfect condition, but the other side is owned by seven siblings who inherited it and haven’t lifted a finger in years to do upkeep or maintenance. Whitney and Buck manage to acquire the rundown townhouse and it quickly becomes apparent that there are several other neighbourhood members besides Joanna who would like to buy the property once Whitney and Buck make all the repairs and renovations.

All seems to be going smoothly working on the two projects until one day Joanna shows up at the fire station confused and rambling before she collapses and later passes away. Whitney decides to find out what happened, since something about Joanna’s death seems off to her. As she investigates, plenty of suspects pop up — the man across the street who wants to buy the property, a young couple with a baby on the way and desperate for a home of their own, some of the former owners and even relatives of Joanna. And the killer isn’t averse to killing again to get what they want…and stop Whitney.

This is the sixth in a series and is easily readable as a stand-alone. The characters are charismatic and fun to get to know if this is your first book in this series, as was the case for me. There are plenty of “could be” suspects which will keep you reading to see if your theory is right. There is a furry protagonist named Sawdust and we get occasional chapters in his perspective. It didn’t work for me, but many may enjoy this.

This is a captivating mystery that seamlessly blends elements of cozy cozy mystery and suspenseful thriller. Set in the vibrant city of Nashville, the story follows house-flipping duo Whitney and Buck Whitaker as they investigate a murder that takes place within the walls of a historic firehouse they're renovating.

Kelly's writing is engaging and fast-paced, keeping readers hooked from the very beginning. The characters are well-developed and endearing, with Whitney's sharp wit and Buck's easygoing charm adding a touch of levity to the otherwise dark and suspenseful plot. The mystery itself is cleverly crafted, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end.

This book is a delightful addition to the House-Flipper Mystery series and a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and suspenseful thrillers. With its engaging characters, intriguing plot, and vibrant setting, this book is sure to please any mystery lover.

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are really hoping that they will win the bid for a historical property, a fire station that they want to turn into a nice family home. After making the purchase and beginning the renovation, Joanna, the owner of a townhouse just around the corner inform encourage them to buy the left side of the townhome, which has fallen into disrepair. The owner has long since passed away, and none of their seven adult children have done anything to maintain the property.

So, Whitney and Buck just might have two properties that they could be working on at the same time - if they can convince each adult child to sign a quit-claim deed for a set amount of money for each of them. Now with the two projects going on at once, their next challenge is the fact that more than one person is interested in purchasing the townhouse, and the pressure is on.

Shockingly, after coming to the firehouse one day, Joanna suddenly drops dead. As she was one of the eager would-be purchaser of the townhouse, and it doesn’t take Whitney long at all to know that this must be a case of foul play. With more than one suspect that could be responsible, work on their two projects is easily slowed down as Whitney strives to discover the killer. As this is the sixth book in a enjoyable cozy mystery series, it was very nice to revisit Whitney. She never missed a beat, all while the renovations were in progress, as well as planning her impending marriage. I sure hope that this series continues as Whitney is a delightful character.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Paperbacks and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This book is proof of why I love cozy mysteries the best. You can usually start anywhere in the series, and not be confused. I jumped into book six of this series, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I wasn't lost, I love the characters, I loved the mystery, and I absolutely adore Sawdust and reading blurbs of his perspective. This was an all-around treat, and now I need to go back and read all of the other books preceding this one.

I sincerely appreciate the author and NetGalley for the review copy.

This was. a fun cozy read. I always enjoy Diane Kelly's books!

The characters are likeable and the plot moves quickly. I. could not guess the killer in this one. It was a complete surprise.

The book had me at - turning a firehouse into a home!

I so tried to get into this story but it just didn't hold my attention. I'm sure it's a delightful novel but just not for me.

I love this series, but I never feel like you will get lost if you haven't read them all in order. Enough descriptions of secondary characters and their relationships is included in each book to catch you up. Diane Kelly always writes great cozy mysterys. Her mind must be a wild place to be! Loved this mystery especially all the red herrings.

I have loved every book in this series! I really need to look for more books from this author.

I am so late in writing this review for no good reason, other than selling my house, half my belongings and moving over the past 3 months. But really....this book was so enjoyable that I started it and kept reading until I finished it 5 hrs later!!!!

I wish I had the knowledge, skill and back able to do the things that Whitney and her cousin Buck are able to do.

I highly recommend this series, start with the first book because there is a story line that makes more sense if you start with Dead as a Door Knocker.

Four-Alarm Homicide is the second book I have read in this series I must read the others I missed. I was stumped about who was the one who killed Joanna. She was a sweet gramma. Everyone was on my radar of who could be the killer they were all acting suspiciously. The characters are good and the book is amazing and an enjoyable read.. The ending was great. So will there be another book in this series???. I am curious what will be the next house they will renovate,

I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. genealogy, bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend reading Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC of Four-Alarm Homicide. All opinions in this review are my own.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time staying interested in this one and probably should have just DNFed it. The mystery didn’t start until 40% in, which is a problem I found in another one of the author's books too. Because the mystery takes so far into the book to be introduced, the reveal and ending are too rushed. I think I learned more about home renovation than actually solving a mystery.