This 6th installment in the House-Flipper mysteries was so fun and entertaining! This time, the crew is renovating an old fire station into a residence. We spend more time with Whitney, Buck, Collin and Colette in their work and the preparations for Whitney & Collin's wedding. We're also treated to some very interesting neighbors and a murder whose solution I didn't see coming. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for the advance digital copy!

I have read other books by this author and when I saw a new series I have not read any books in I knew I wanted to dive into this series.
Four-Alarm Homicide is the sixth book in the House-Flipper Mystery series.
After reading this book I am going to start at the first and read my way to this one. I enjoyed this book very much.
Whitney and Buck are house flippers and cousins. They have flipped many homes and during these flips the duo have stumbled into murders. This flip is one that is going to be fun, and they are looking forward to doing it but as usual. Renovating a vintage fire station is their latest project.
Not to give too much away I will tell you that the twists and turns will keep you guessing who the culprit is in the story.
Thank you NetGalley, Diane Kelly and St. Martin's Press for the copy of Four-Alarm Homicide. This is my personal review.

Another great installment in the House-Flipper Mystery Series by Diane Kelly. I believe this is book six. There is some character development as you read through the series from the start but this book can certainly be read as a standalone. I enjoyed this cute cozy mystery. I loved the humor and the occasional point of view from the cat, Sawdust (what a great name). If you are a cozy mystery reader, I highly recommend this series.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Four-Alarm Homicide is the sixth book in the House Flipper Mystery series by Diane Kelly. A cozy mystery filled with suspects, construction, and wedding planning, this was something a little different in the cozy world, and it totally works!

This is not your average cozy with a baker or coffee shop owner, this main female character is a hands-on house flipper along with her cousin, Buck. When they buy an old fire house and decide to remodel it into a family home, they had no idea what they would be getting themselves into. Within hours, two neighbors show up, asking them to look at a run-down townhouse. Wanting to be neighborly, they go and take a look, deciding it would be their next project, once they can get the family members to sign off on the purchase. Not long after, Joanna, who owns the other half of the townhouse and has quickly become a friend of Whitney and Buck's, shows up at the fire house disoriented and soon collapses. It's soon discovered that Joanna's death wasn't natural, and Whitney is determined to figure out who would kill this friendly grandmother...before the police decide to arrest her for it!

The book went pretty quickly into the story without too much preamble, getting me interested from the start. There are a lot of characters, and sometimes I got a little confused on who was who, but if you have a mind for names, you should be fine (or write them down for your reference later 😁). There were a few times when Whitney was trying to put all the puzzle pieces together that I kept thinking she's an idiot, but if she would have figured it out to quickly there wouldn't have been a book! About halfway through I thought for sure I knew who the culprit was, but after some surprises, I realized I had named the wrong person. Good luck figuring it out!

All in all, a great cozy mystery with a female protagonist who isn't afraid of hard work or confronting suspects, all while planning her wedding. Plus, this was told in two viewpoints, Whitney and Sawdust...the cat.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

This is the sixth book in the entertaining House-Flipper Mysteries, but it works as a stand-alone. This time, the cousins Whitney and Buck, who work together to renovate and flip properties, have begun work on a historical firehouse, and Whitney is planning her wedding. A local woman approaches them. She owns half of her townhouse building, and the other half is in disrepair. The cousins manage to obtain the property and end up with more than they bargained for, and when the woman dies an untimely and mysterious death right in front of their eyes, they step in to help figure out what happened.

As a fan of Diane Kelly's cozy mysteries, I was excited to read this, and it was delightful! Her writing style, an engaging balance of wit, suspense, and misdirection, keeps you hooked from start to finish. The mystery is intriguing, with high stakes for Whitney, a wide suspect pool, and a unique murder weapon used for this crime. This one will keep you guessing.

The characters are very well done, and I love the Nashville area setting. Whitney is a relatable and engaging sleuth, and I enjoy her dynamic with her cousin and work partner, Buck. The regular secondary characters are a warm group who are fun to spend time with, and there's always plenty of laughs. Even the adorable cat, Sawdust, gets his own chapters.

What sets this series apart for me is the renovation work. I enjoy the renovation and construction elements in the story, which reads like an HGTV show. These transformations are informative and fun, and I always look forward to the interesting jobs they work on, like the century-old fire station in this one. I also enjoyed all the wedding excitement for Whitney and Collin and loved the satisfying ending. Cozy mystery lovers will want to add this to their tbr!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the free book!

Another delightful story in the House Flipper Mystery series! I absolutely loved this book. It was so entertaining and there is action from the beginning to the end. I loved following along with Whitney and Buck as they flip not one, but two properties! Things of course get complicated and there is a lot of mystery and suspense throughout! Whitney once again has to put her sleuthing skills to the test! If you love cozy mysteries, you have to check out this series!

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc!

An excellent example of what readers look for in a cozy mystery. Lots of mystery with suspects that will leave you guessing from chapter to chapter.

Four-Alarm Homicide is a great story that takes the reader on a journey from one suspect to another. Buck and cousin, Whitney are ready for another property to flip and buy an old fire station which they
decide to turn into a single family home. Around the corner is a duplex with one side in disrepair and the owner on the other side, Joanna, is concerned about the overall building. They offer help and end up
buying the run down side so have two flips going on at the same time. Someone wants to stop them or at least delay progress but who can it be? Plenty of suspects and Whitney goes into sleuth mode. Will she get arrested or figure it all out?
Great story with lots of twists and turns. My suspects changed a lot and I never suspected the main one.
There are lots of ups and downs for all the characters but it comes together in a nice ending. A happy ending for most of them.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I had read the first couple of books in this series and found them ok, so I was interested to see how things had progressed and have to say I enjoyed this book. It was obvious I had missed a few things, but I felt comfortable early in the book with characters and what was happening now. I love that they bought a firehouse and had such fun plans to convert it to a home while keeping its character. Whitney and Buck willing to help a neighbor around the corner continue to speak of their character and that they got dragged into family drama was inevitable. The method of death was fascinating, and the who done it was mind-boggling. It was lovely that we got to end the saga with Whitney and Collin's wedding, and I loved having Sawdust around for the tale. Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinPress for the opportunity to read.

I loved Kelly’s latest book in the Fixer Upper series. She kept me guessing until the very end. As an animal lover, I enjoy reading Sawdust’s view of situations and her loving inclusion of character’s pets. Her books are always enjoyable reading when I want to escape the realities of the world we live in.

This is the sixth book in the House-Flipper Mystery series by Diane Kelly. I am behind a few books in this series, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this story.

Whitney and Buck, her cousin, have won the bid on a fire station to remodel and flip. While they are working on the project, Joanna Hartzell, who lives in the neighborhood, asked them for their opinion on the townhouse that is attached to her house. While she has maintained her side, the owners of the other side have died and the that townhouse is falling into disrepair as the children who inherited it do not maintain it. It was fun to read how Whitney and Buck were able to purchase the shares of the townhouse from the seven children. Of course, there is dissention in the ranks of the children as they all feel they should have received more—after they sold their shares in the property.

When Joanna stumbles into the fire station to see Whitney and ends up dying there, there are many suspects. Was it one of the seven children out of retribution for Joanna telling Whitney about the property? Joanna’s estranged son? Her friend of many years?

It was fun to read about Whitney’s and Collin’s wedding plans and struggle to find a venue. I think readers will enjoy the outcome of the wedding plans.

I have not read a book written by Ms. Kelly yet that I do not enjoy and this is no exception. While the seven children in the story are unpleasant, Buck and his wife Colette, Emmalee (Whitney’s roommate), Whitney, and Collin are enjoyable characters. I especially like Sawdust’s sections in the book where he talks about Whitney and his thoughts on any subject. I do hope the series continues after the wedding as some series use a wedding as a stopping point.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

House flipper Whitney Whitaker and her cousin and business partner Buck are looking for their next project when they find a historic firehouse in desperate need of rehab in Nashville’s trendy Germantown neighborhood. Their plan is to renovate the building into a quirky single-family home, the kind of thing that will appeal to rich hipsters and thus sell quickly. Given their dedication to preserving as much of the building’s original architecture as possible, they easily win the bid, and set to transforming the dilapidated firehouse into a charming modern abode.

The cousins are somewhat surprised at the constant stream of interruptions they get from neighbors interested in the project. Least welcome are a gang of know-it-all retired gentlemen who feel free to dispense unsolicited amateur advice to Whitney and Buck. But when another neighbor comes round with a conundrum, she also brings with her an opportunity the professional house flippers just can't resist.

Joanna Hartzell owns a townhome in a building split between her own well-maintained residence and the sorely neglected adjoining property. The elderly couple who once lived there passed on several years ago, bestowing their half of the building to their seven squabbling kids. None of the Bottiglieri kids have done any maintenance on the family home since then, resulting in it slowly but surely sliding into disrepair. Joanna is worried that any structural issues caused by this neglect will inevitably creep over onto her own side of the building. She asks Whitney and Buck to take a look at the other house and give her a professional opinion on its state and her options.

The cousins do her one better: after inspecting the place and finding that it has good bones, they decide to buy it from the Bottiglieris, remodel and resell it. This not only greatly allays Joanna’s concerns but also draws the attention of others who are interested in purchasing the property once Whitney and Buck are done fixing it up. Perhaps a little too interested, as the cousins quickly find themselves put in one uncomfortable position after another both by overeager buyers and by remorseful sellers. But no one would actually murder over a townhouse, would they? When a dead body lands on their doorstep, however, it's up to Whitney to figure out whodunnit before anyone else gets hurt.

I love how naturally the writing flows in this sixth book of the House-Flipper Mystery series, especially as Whitney juggles wedding planning with two big renovation projects. It was also pretty hilarious when Diane Kelly turned the tables on her heroine near the end of the book and had Whitney become the subject of suspicion by other sleuths, amateur or otherwise. It’s not something you read a lot of in cozy mystery novels, and was a very clever way to flip the script.

There were three recipes included here. I felt that I absolutely had to try out this one:

QUOTE
Chickpea-of-the-Sea Mock Tuna Salad

1 can garbanzo beans
1 ½ cups plant-based, egg-free mayonnaise such as Vegenaise (No cholesterol, gluten, or preservatives! Yay!)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic salt
¼ cup chopped celery (optional)
¼ cup chopped green, white or red onion (optional)

Using a potato masher, mash the beans in a large bowl until the skins separate and the beans are reduced to a lumpy paste. You may use a food processor instead if you prefer, transferring the beans to a large bowl once you've processed them. Add the other ingredients and stir together thoroughly. The chickpea salad may be served cold or at room temperature, and is great as a sandwich spread, on crackers, or on celery sticks. Enjoy that plant-based protein.
END QUOTE

I had two major notes while making this surprisingly yummy dish. First, make sure to drain the garbanzo beans before mashing them. I wasn’t sure whether to mash the chickpeas up with the liquid they came in, but decided to separate them and hang on to the aquafaba, just in case I needed it later (I did not.)

Second, put in just a cup of Vegenaise to begin with, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Add more Vegenaise till you get the consistency you prefer. I felt that one and a half cups was actually a little too much, and gave this a thinner consistency than I liked (hence why I recommend draining the chickpeas first, too.) It was great for a dip, but definitely felt too runny for a sandwich filling.

All that said, this was an incredible vegan dish! I used garlic salt instead of just powder, and added chopped red onion before enjoying the dip mostly with a variety of savory crackers. I loved the combination of the lemon with the garlic, and the way that the sharpness of the onion contrasted well against the creaminess of the Vegenaise. I definitely recommend this dish for anyone wanting to try something new and delicious, vegan or otherwise.

Next week, we travel northwest to bake up some goodies while investigating a death that threatens to derail another heroine’s wedding. Do join me!

This is the sixth book in the House Flipper Mystery series. Like the prior books, it's an enjoyable cozy mystery. It was good to see Whitney, Buck, and Sawdust again. It's fun to sleuth along with them. While this is a series, the story could be read as a standalone novel, but reading the prior books gives the reader a greater appreciation for the characters.

I always enjoy the installments in the House Flipper mystery series. The characters are like long lost friends. My inner child, who loves to see old made new in home renovations, gets excited reading about the renovations to the old buildings in Nashville.

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck have become known for their expertise in the renovation business. They love to take something old and make it new while also maintaining the integrity of the original building, as well as sometimes showcasing its history. This time they have purchased an old firehouse which they plan to make into a new home for someone. I loved the descriptions of the firehouse, and their renovation plans. While renovating the firehouse, they are approached by a local neighbor, Joanna. Joanna owns one half of a townhouse. The other half is in disrepair and desperately needs a facelift. The only problem is the townhome is now owned by 7 siblings who cannot even agree that the sky is blue. By using their expertise and charm and a little legal assistance, Whitney and Buck are able to purchase the townhome for renovation as well. So, they have two projects going on in this story.

While working on the firehouse, Joanna comes in and it is obvious that she is not well. After her mysterious death, Whitney's armchair sleuthing skills are put to use. The local neighbors and families in the surrounding area, as well as the 7 siblings who previously owned the townhome provide some more mystery. Red herrings are scattered throughout the story. There is also a little danger as it seems that someone wants Whitney and Buck out of the neighborhood. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, and this one did not disappoint me. I was so excited to see that wedding bells are finally ringing for Whitney and Collin. You do not have to read the other books in this series, but I highly recommend that you read them all. It will be worth your time so that you can better understand family dynamics. Sawdust, the cat, always provides some humor with his point of view of everything going on with Whitney.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are in for more than just flipping an old firehouse when Joanna Hartzell asks them to look at a townhouse that she owns half of. When word gets around that they are working on the townhouse also, they are many people who want to buy it. But first they have to get ownership of it, and that won't be as easy as it sounds from the seven siblings that own it. But who would want to harm Joanna? She is murdered, and the police think Whitney may have something to do with it. Oh no! Not before her wedding and all this flipping! I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

Real estate and family lead to murder in this latest in a fun series that can also be read as a fine standalone. Whitney and Buck were meant to be renovating a firehouse but then Joanna approached them about the rundown other side of her duplex which is owned by seven siblings. And then Joanna is murdered! Whitney and her fiance Colin, a homicide detective must solve the crime, with help, of course, from Buck. I like this series for the tidbits about home renovation and the insight from Sawdust the cat as well as for the mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for cozy fans.

Whitney and Buck are great characters and easy to become attached too and root for. Many changes are at work in their lives as the series continues. There was a great blend of characters, with an exhilarating and engaging plot and an unexpected conclusion to the mystery. The story moved at a nice pace, and you can tell the author enjoys writing this series.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

This is a solid and entertaining cozy mystery series featuring two cousins, Whitney and Buck, who flip houses in the Nashville, TN area. In this outing, the team takes on two jobs--an old firehouse and a townhouse in the same neighborhood. Whitney and her fiancé Colin are also planning their wedding and decide the firehouse would be the perfect venue for it, if it can be finished in time. But all doesn't go smoothly: first there's a fire, then a death. Can Whitney help figure out who is behind the crimes and wrap things up so she can walk down the aisle?

A nice mixture of mystery and romance with interesting characters makes for a fun, entertaining read. The solution sure kept me guessing. I thought I had it all figured out but then my guess was the first t0 be disproven! There's even a few fun chapters written from the cat's pov and three yummy-sounding recipes, including one for the wedding cake.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new mystery via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Once again Diane Kelly brings plenty of mystery, atmosphere, and conflict to a series. Besides the mystery, the author gives readers insights into the personal lives and events affecting several of the characters. While I’ve read the first three books in her Mountain Lodge cozy mystery series, this is the first one that I’ve read in House-Flipper Mystery series. Four-Alarm Homicide is the sixth book in that series, but I had no problem reading it as a standalone novel.

Carpenter and designer Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are in the business of buying and flipping buildings. This time around they pursue a 1930s era fire station that has just come on the market in Nashville. During the interior demolition stage, Joanna Hartzell who lives in a nearby townhouse comes by and pleads with them to help her by buying the other half of her townhouse which is in disrepair. When Joanna later shows up at the fire station and collapses, Whitney suspects foul play.

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. However, I didn’t get a feeling for the city itself. While I guessed some of the items related to the mystery, this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story as I sped through it effortlessly. Food is mentioned through the novel and several recipes are included at the end of the book.

Overall, this is a fun, light, and enjoyable cozy mystery with great characterization and some humor. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author’s writing style is easy to connect with and draws me into her stories. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.

St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Paperbacks and Diane Kelly provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be April 23, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Loved reading this book and series. I always love reading this series. Hopefully you enjoy it also. Looking forward to the next book in the series