The 6th in the series, this is the 2nd book in the series I’ve read. Cousins Whitney and Buck are back in action, flipping a fire station and townhouse. When someone connected to one of the properties is found dead, Whitney begins investigating the death. With plenty of suspects and motives she is trying to solve the crime, finish the renovation and plan her wedding all at the same time. The resolution was a little unexpected but that’s what I liked about it.

Too Many Suspects

This is a delightful cozy mystery set in Nashville. Whitney and her cousin Buck are house flippers. They buy an old firehouse and also find a fixer upper townhouse that an elderly lady in the other half talks them into buying and fixing up. They have one catastrophe after another, almost give up and finally solve the mystery of who is vandalizing the houses and why an elderly owner of one half of the townhouse suddenly dies of a mysterious malady which points to murder.

It was a short and delightful read in between more serious historical fiction books. I enjoyed the side trip and would recommend it for an evening of entertaining reading.

Thanks to Diane Kelly for writing the story, St. Martin’s Press for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I have read many Diane Kelly books but not one from this series. As always, this one is fun and has what I call all the “elements” of a cozy, an amateur sleuth, a handsome cop boyfriend, and some nosy friends. Having a steel-toed, sawdust-covered, amateur sleuth makes it have a different bit of a flavor. Redoing or “flipping” a firehouse gives it some variety too.

The best thing I can say about this cozy is what I have to say about the author. There isn’t one of her books I’ve read that I didn’t enjoy. It doesn’t make a difference which series it is. She makes them fun, clean, and enjoyable. I’m not sure how she does it, but she seems quite adept at making each one a stand-alone. And…if you are like me, always anxious to find an author you enjoy, she’s prolific!

I love cozy mystery and this one doesn’t disappoint. Whitney is inquisitive, perceptive, believes in progress as well as preservation, and doesn’t like to be the center of attention. She is engaged to Collin Flynn, a police homicide detective. He is intelligent, has a strong work ethic, a strict moral code, and has recently taken up trail running. Buck has a great sense of humor and handles a lot of the heavier work. He also helps with the wedding planning. Like the Mountain Lodge series, this series has features cats with Whitney’s cat Sawdust’s thoughts being interspersed throughout the book in a few short chapters. While they aren’t necessary to the story line, they provide some humor and insights that made them enjoyable.

I was immediately drawn into the story and the main characters were likeable and relatable. The plot had a few twists and turns and the characters were emotionally rich. By setting this series in Nashville, the types of buildings available for flipping are varied and the descriptions of the firehouse and townhouse made them easy to visualize.
Thank You

I love Diane Kelly's Mountain Lodge Mystery series, so I grabbed this one even though I haven't read the previous books in the series. While I do feel I missed some of the backstory, I was able to quickly learn the characters and also love them. This was a great cozy mystery, and I will find time to go back and read the ones I skipped!

I love a cozy mystery! So add in a cute cat, an intriguing setting, and compelling characters? I’m in! I would recommend to other fans of the cozy mystery genre!

I just reviewed Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly. #NetGalley. I enjoyed this book very much. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery.

Love the story it had great characters and a fun read. This author keeps the stories going and keeps the reader wanting more.

This is a great cozy mystery! It's full of twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the end. I loved it and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery.
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.

Whitney and her cousin Buck are refinishing an old fire house is when they are approached to clean up a town house around the corner. Many neighbors are interested in buying it, but the owners are being stubborn. Then murder! Does someone want the house so badly that they would kill for it?

The latest House-Flipper mystery finds Whitney and cousin Buck buying a fire station with plans to renovate it into living spaces. They end up taking on another project when a nearby homeowner begs them to renovate the adjoining townhouse. They agree, but find themselves embroiled in another mystery when she mysteriously dies.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I do think it took a little too long to get to the true mystery here. This did take a lot of set up but I feel like some of it could have been condensed into pre-book plot that is briefly explained. We don’t have many Sawdust chapters here, which was fine with me as I don’t feel like those add much. This one does end on a positive note though as we get to see Whitney and Collin’s wedding!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series! I love Whitney, Collin, Buck & everyone else. The characters are likable, & real feeling. I like that Whitney works on the renovations herself. It kind of felt like this meant be the last book in the series, if so it ends great. I love the glimpse at their honeymoon. #Four-AlarmHomicide #NetGalley

I wrote about this on Goodreads and the Storygraph and shared the links on various social media sites. I always love a Diane Kelly cozy, and would give this 3.5 stars. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6546670662

This is the sixth book in the House-Flipper series, but the first one I have read. (Although I have read other books by this author!)

Despite being so far into the series, it was easy to jump in as the author does a great job of explaining backgrounds. The reader does not need to spend a lot of time figuring out who is who.

Whitney and her cousin Buck are in the business of flipping houses. Normally, they take on one at at time, but while they are in the process of restoring an old firehouse, they are approached by some neighbors who have questions on a townhouse nearby. Whitney and Buck decide to purchase a second property. However, this causes some concern with the neighborhood, as well as the previous owners of the townhouse. After a mysterious fire and vandalism, Whitney is stressed. Not only is she rehabbing two properties, she is also planning her wedding to Collin, a Nashville detective. Just when she thinks things will be ok, there is a death in the firehouse!

While Whitney has her plate full, she decides to investigate. However, she finds herself being followed, as well as also a suspect in the murder!

Can she solve the case before something happens to her or the wedding?

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book.

I think I might be done with this series- the writing and characters felt incredibly bland, especially considering how much I enjoyed the first installments in the series.

Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly. Fixer Upper Mystery #6. 4 stars

It is wedding bells for Whitney and Collin’s and they are in the midst of preparations. In between looking for wedding dresses, Whitney and her cousin Buck are working on two fixer upper projects - an old historic Fire House and a half townhouse nearby. However, when the owner of the other half townhouse collapsed and is rushed to the hospital. It turns out that there may be foul play involved. There are plenty of suspects and I had my eye on one person in particular, but the real culprit surprised me. I really enjoyed this book, but since the wedding takes place at the end of the book, I was afraid that this i was the last book in the series because this ties up a lot of loose ends. But I just found out that there will be another book next year. I can’t wait for the next Diane Kelly book, Dead Post Society (April 2025)

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

All.Whitney and her cousin Buck wanted was to renovate a historical fire station proper - instead, they found murder and a killer who may have placed a target on their backs!

What a fun series! I love the descriptions of the properties Whitney and Buck renovate. In this book, Whitney has to figure out who murdered an owner of a nearby condo who wanted her to renovate. The mystery kept me guessiing and the renovation descriptions had me wanting a project! Carly is relatable and kind and there is just enough romance to keep things interesting.

I'm ready for a new book (project)!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

FOUR-ALARM HOMICIDE by DIANE KELLY



This is the sixth book in the cosy house flipper mystery series.

This is the first one I read, and I had no problem understanding what was going on.

So this can be read as a standalone if you wish.

Two cousins Whitney and Buck Whitaker are house flippers and in this book they purchase an old firehouse to flip.

There is a fun of characters and a murder with lots of suspects.

I recommend this for anyone who enjoys cosy mysteries, and I may consider going back and reading the rest in this series.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This is book 6 in a series however it was easy to follow. The book follows Whitney and Buck who do ‘home renovations’ . They are eyeing a fire station that has become on the market. However they are not the only ones thinking of renovating this fire station .Its not a renovation without a dead body and a mystery . This is a perfect cozy mystery for fans of home renovation shows -well written, engrossing and witty.

Part of a series but works as a standalone. Goid cozy mystery. Looking forward to reading this series. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book