Thank you to St. Martins Press, NetGalley, and author Diane Kelly for the chance to read this cozy mystery. This is Book 6 in the House Flipper series however, I had not read the series before and was pleasantly surprised how fun the story and main characters were to fall in love with. I will definitely be adding the first five to my TBR now because carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck (and her lovable cat Sawdust) stole my heart.
In this book, they are working on renovating a hundred year old firehouse in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood. While working they are approached by a neighbor who is looking for some advice about the other half of her townhouse. Seems the siblings that inherited it don’t want to have anything to do with it but they don’t want to do anything to it either so it’s deteriorating pulling down the quality of Joanna’s half of the house. It takes some tricky finagling but Whitney and Buck manage finally buy the house and put it on their schedule to renovate. However, there are several people that are wanting to buy the house and when Joanna comes to the firehouse and collapses and doesn’t recover Whitney knows she has to find out who is so desperate for that house that they will kill.
Highly recommend this series especially if you like Kate Carlisle’s Fixer Upper series.

Another cute cozy mystery in the House-Flipper mystery series! Whitney and Buck are renovating an old fire house and a townhouse just around the corner—and they’ve got the neighborhood all atwitter. When one of the neighbors winds up dying, Whitney uses her sleuthing skills to try to solve the case.

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are hot for a historical property that has just come on the market—a fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood that was built nearly a century ago.

The cousins have just begun the interior demolition work at the fire station when Joanna Hartzell, who lives in a townhouse around the corner, comes by with a plea for help. Joanna owns the right half of her building, which she proudly maintains in perfect condition, while the left side falls into disrepair: the seven adult children who inherited it years ago refuse to lift a finger on repairs. Never one to turn down a challenge, Whitney and Buck manage to acquire the rundown townhouse—though it turns out Joanna is only one of the many neighbors interested in buying the property once they’ve worked their magic.

Then Joanna shows up at the fire station confused and rambling, then collapses, never to recover. Alarm bells go off for Whitney: she suspects something—and someone—evil could be the real cause. Can she and Collin put the clues together and smoke out a killer? (GoodReads)

This is a fun, light novel. The epitome of the cozy mystery. I was worried at about the 75 percentage of the novel. However, the author very quickly squashed the potential cliche.

One thing about Diane Kelly’s novels is that she provides random chapters from the pet’s point of view. It’s a unique feature that I have not read by other cozy mystery authors and makes me enjoy the novel more.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Four-Alarm Homicide is the next in Diane Kelly's house flipper series of cozy mysteries. This time Whitney and her cousin Buck are flipping an old fire house. The house flipper crew often seems to come across a dead body somewhere. The plot is fast moving with quite a few twists and turns. This is a nice, clean series and a great change of pace from some of the more gruesome mysteries I've been reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy of this book.

Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly is a cozy/mystery read in what appears to be apart of a 6 book series. This was my first time reading a novel by this author and I am quite the fan. Four-Alarm Homicide is the 6th installment of Kelly's "House-Flipper Mystery" series and from my understanding you do not have to read the previous books to read this one as Kelly does a great job providing background details of all the characters in the book and the plot doesn't seem to relate to any of her previous books in the series and was easy to follow. Along with the background details, Kelly does an amazing job at providing descriptions of everything and anything in the book, I felt like I could see everything being described and as if I was right there with the main character. I do have to admit it does start out rather slow and it took some time to get into this book but once I got passed that it really picked up and made it an enjoyable read, I felt like I was watching an HGTV episode starring Whitney and Buck. I also loved reading from the point of view of Whitney's cat, Sawdust, throughout the book. However, one thing I did not like was the ending. It seemed rushed and as if it didn't really tie together. Once you know who does it you're just left sitting there thinking "Really????". Besides that I do recommend checking this book out if you are into cozy, short mystery novels. I would definitely read another one of Kelly's novels, particularly in her "House-Flipper Mystery" series.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/140903222?shelf=read

Four Alarm Homicide is the sixth entry in this traditional mystery series. Once again, Ms. Kelly tells a good story. Fans of her books will be delighted.

This time, a firehouse in Nashville is a property that is of interest to carpenter Whitney and her cousin Buck. The two are also approached by Joanna who needs some help. When she later seems confused, Whitney and Buck need to figure out what is going on.

Angry neighbors, renovations, murder, a cat…what else could a cozy reader want?

This is an enjoyable entry in the series. Note that the books do not have to be read in order.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable cozy mystery. Four-Alarm Homicide is book 6 in the House-Flipper Mystery series and can easily be read on its own. I loved the mystery of this book, but it did take a while to get to the mystery as the book started out building the house-flipping scenario as well as focused on the relationships. I appreciated the occasional short chapters from Sawdust’s point of view, since it’s not very often that you get to see a pov from a cat. Overall this was a great read that had me guessing until the end. I definitely recommend checking out this series if you are looking for a cozy mystery.

Thank you @stmartinspress for sending me this copy for an honest review.

An accidental death seems to be murder. Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are hot for a historical property that has just come on the market—a fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood that was built nearly a century ago. She is a suspect. But she didn't do it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck flip properties. When an historic firehouse is put up for bid Whitney has visions of a unique home while preserving the outward appearance. When their bid for the property succeeds, they are eager to begin. With the project underway, they are approached by Joanna, an elderly woman who lives around the corner. She lives in a duplex where the other side was abandoned after the owners died. Their heirs have left it to deteriorate and it might be the perfect project for Whitney and Buck. There are a number of neighbors interested in the property, so it would be a quick sale. Shortly after meeting Joanna she dies of a suspected aneurysm while visiting the firehouse. Over dinner with Buck and his pregnant wife the conversation turns to diet. Buck’s wife will not eat fish while pregnant because mercury found in fish could endanger the baby. Discussing the effects of mercury, Whitney begins to suspect that Joanna’s death may have been murder.

Whitney is engaged to Collin, a police detective. Beside the renovation on two property, they are also preparing for their wedding, which is providing challenges of its’ own. Whitney and Buck had to deal with seven heirs who each owned a share of the duplex. Each is in competition to receive the best offer for their share and none are satisfied with the results. Joanna’s son, who has been in trouble in the past, has now come back. Her daughter and her family were also quick to take over Joanna’s property. Whitney, herself, is added to the suspect list since she seemed to know about mercury poisoning. The best way for her to prove her innocence is to solve the murder. I love HGTV and as Diane Kelly describes the changes that Whitney and Buck envision for the firehouse she makes it easy to imagine the beautiful home it will become. With a number of possible suspects and the pressures of both a business and a wedding, the story moves very quickly. Fans of Kate Carlisle’s Fixer Upper series will love Kelly’s House Flipper mystery. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book.

Diane Kelly does it again! I loved Four-Alarm Homicide! There’s something about the combination of murder mystery, Nashville, and home renovation that makes me want to demolish every book!

Four-Alarm Homicide is the is the sixth cozy mystery in the House-Flipper Mystery series. Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck have a house flipping business that is getting off the ground. Their latest project is a firehouse in Germantown Nashville and they are just starting work on it. A woman, Joanna Hartzell, turns up at the striking asking Whitney for help with the vacant half of the townhouse where she lives. The vacant part of the house is run down and in disrepair. Joanna hopes that Whitney and Buck could buy that part of the house and turn it around. Unable to step away from a challenge, Whitney is all in, but when Joanna turns up murdered, Whitney’s attention is pulled away from the flips and into sleuthing mode.

This is the first book I have read in this series, but as a cozy mystery fan I was intrigued when I saw this house flipping series. Other than missing out on a little bit of the background of Whitney’s life, I don’t think I missed anything major reading this book out of turn. I really enjoyed this series and the characters in it. The house flipping sleuth was a nice change of pace from the bakers and coffee shop owners I’m used to reading about. The mystery kept me guessing the whole time and I enjoyed the twists and turns, but at a few points I think the story could have done with less twists. Overall this was a good cozy mystery read and I will be going back and starting this series from the beginning.

Although this is the sixth book in the House-Flipper Mystery series, and I've read no other titles by this author, I had no problem jumping in to this story. I expected this to be a relatively easy read, and on a certain level it was, but it also kept me guessing until nearly the end, which was a pleasant surprise. The timelines for the construction portions were definitely unrealistic, but it didn't really hurt the story so much. Lots of characters, lots of action, lots of questions. I could have done without the talking cat chapters, they don't add anything to the story, but overall a fun read.

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

When Whitney and her cousin Buck, partners in their house-flipping business, saw the old firehouse, they had ideas for rehabbing it. The city had built a new, more modern fire station and sold this one to the historical society. The historical society wanted to sell it to someone who would find a new use for it but keep the original charm intact, especially on the exterior.

Whitney and Buck want to turn it into a high-end home, with a circular staircase going around the fire pole, and keeping all the charm of the firehouse on the exterior. With a roof patio that shows off a gorgeous view of Nashville and generous rooms, the unique home won’t be on the market for long. Once they’ve put in the hard work of repairing and rehabbing.

As they’re getting started on the demo, an older man and woman approach Whitney with a question. There is a townhouse nearby that they want her to take a look at, to see what they recommend. Buck agrees to go along and look at it as well. What they find is a building where one half of the building is well kept and the other is abandoned and falling apart.

The well-kept half belongs to Joanna, who had asked them to take a look at the other half, along with her friend Gideon. Joanna explains that the couple who had lived there had passed away, and their 7 kids never did anything with it. Whitney and Buck look around and find good bones, so they promise Joanna to look into the ownership and see what could be done. They figure that since they’re already doing a flip so close, they could save some money and energy by doing both at the same time.

Meanwhile, Whitney is also trying to plan a wedding with her fiancé, Collin. He’s a detective, so his schedule is a little erratic, but they make some time to look at venues, none of which work for them. They want to get married before the end of the year, but none of the venues have a weekend open for a year or two. Then Whitney has a great idea—they can use the firehouse. She and Buck can get it finished in time if they’re careful with their schedule, and it would offer a place for a modest wedding and a roof patio for an amazing reception. Collin agrees, and they’re one step closer to being husband and wife.

But then things start going wrong on the job sites. There is a fire at the firehouse that looks like arson. Someone broke into the townhouse and painted “Theives” on the walls. And then Joanna comes to the firehouse one day to see Whitney, and she is not well. She’s falling over and unable to focus. Buck called for an ambulance to take her to the hospital, but later they find out that there was nothing they could have done for her. And when it turns out to be murder, Whitney wants to find out who could have killed her. But will she be able to solve the mystery in time for her to get the firehouse finished for her wedding? And will she live long enough to enjoy it?

Four-Alarm Homicide is the sixth book in Diane Kelly’s House-Flipper mystery series. These mysteries feature Whitney and her cousin flipping properties and solving murders. But they also feature her cat Sawdust, who gets to contribute a chapter every so often, adding his point of view and his helpful care tips for humans when they get stressed. With likeable characters, strong mysteries, and scene-stealing cats, the House-Flipper mysteries are light-hearted puzzle-solving fun.

I liked Four-Alarm Homicide. I am a fan of Nashville, so I enjoy hearing about the city, and I love the house-flipping fun. I think mystery fans who watch a lot of HGTV will enjoy this series a lot. Whitney and Buck are easy to spend time with, and it’s a very cat-friendly series, which I love. Having them work in a historic firehouse was a lovely idea, and I look forward to seeing what kind of projects they take on next.

Egalleys for Four-Alarm Homicide were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Four-Alarm Homicide is the sixth book in the House-Flipper Mystery series, as well as my introduction to the series. I am familiar with Diane Kelly's writing, as I thoroughly enjoy the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. Cousins Whitney and Buck purchase and flip buildings, not only houses. In this book, the building is a fire station, which made it quite interesting. When someone in the neighborhood ends up dead, Whitney investigates. She is an interesting, no nonsense main character, which makes the book enjoyable. Buck is also a nice character, as well as Sawdust the cat. It's fun to read from the cat's point of view! There are quite a few twists and turns in this well written, intelligent cozy mystery. A truly delightful read!

Four Alarm Homicide
House-Flipper mystery series #6. Cozy mystery style. Can be read as a stand-alone although personal relationships are progressing in the series.
Whitney Whitaker and cousin Buck find their newest rehab in Nashville. The cousins begin the interior demolition work of the old firehouse when the neighbor asks for help. They offer their services and end up owning a rundown townhouse. A fire and then a death has Whitney playing investigator.

Mercury, whiskey, cigarettes, and extended family make for suspects and twists as the story progresses. Follow the clues and see if you can predict “the killer” as Whitney asks questions. Secondary series storyline includes Whitney and Collin’s wedding prep.
I love the short chapters that are from the cat’s POV. 🤣 Enjoyable.


I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Four Alarm Homicide is the 6th installment in this super fun cozy mystery series. I love following along as Whitney and Buck work on flipping a property and Whitney, as she somehow finds herself in the middle of some murder mystery.

Diane Kelley does an amazing job of bringing these characters to life, and I love the occasional chapters from Whitney's cat! They are super adorable and I think this is exactly what my kitty thinks like!

There are plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings to keep you guessing. Every time Whitney had a suspect I was just as convinced as she was that they were the killers. I enjoy everything about this series and hope there are more to come!

Four Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly is another of her charming House Flipper series. Whitney and her cousin, Buck, are house flippers, well, anything flippers, really. Their newest project is an old fire station. Additionally, just around the corner is an abandoned townhouse that looked promising. It turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. Seven siblings owned it and could agree on nothing, so there it sat. Whitney did get to know some of the neighbors, though, which was amazing, if somewhat troublesome. She was also planning her wedding to police detective, Collin, which was proving to be harder than she thought. They wanted to get married in three months and the venues didn’t agree. Some were booked out as far as a couple of years. Then they hit upon the idea of the fire station. It looked doable and they would be done in time. One day, weeks later, the owner of the other half of the house, Joanna, wandered into the firehouse as Whitney was working. She seemed out of it and as she fell, Whitney caught her. She called to Buck to call 911, but she feared it was too late. Things started moving quickly then.

Whitney and Buck are quite the pair, written as if Kelly knows them. They are excellent characters, yet far from perfect. They make a productive duo and have plenty of fun with it. The mystery was a good one, the murder weapon somewhat obscure. Whitney was the lead suspect for a while, which was an uncomfortable situation for everyone. It was a good read and the solution was surprising. Whitney is good people and she worked hard to make the outcome as good as possible for everyone involved. This is a terrific series, relatable and fun. Thanks, Diane Kelly!

I was invited to read Four Alarm Homicide by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #DianeKelly #FourAlarmHomicide

A good fast read. I personally enjoy the details about rehabbing since I’ve experienced that. to #NetGalley and #Four-AlarmHomicide for advanced digital copy.

This is such a fun series! I learn so much about home renovations and get to follow along step-by-step like the shows I enjoy. Whitney is smart, savvy, and a good investigator without being intrusive. Her relationship with Colin has developed well and his willingness to let her help him investigate makes this such a breath of fresh air; there’s no constant remonstrations to leave it to the professionals. The advancements in the various relationships (don’t want to give anything away) were a nice touch and made the perfect ending. Looking forward to the next!

Plenty of twists and turns in this cozy mystery. I was kept guessing as to what would happen next. Great characters as well. I love the idea of renovating an old firehouse into a single-family dwelling.
Entertaining and easy to read. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.