Book 120, 2023

Murder With a View by Diane Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Early this evening, I finished the book Murder with a View, which is the third book in Diane Kelly's "House Flipper" mystery series. The main character is Whitney Whitaker, who has recently gotten involved in the house flipping market.

Whitney, along with her cousin and partner, Buck, purchased a run-down motel near downtown Nashville, which they intend to turn into condos. As if renovating the building won't be difficult enough, they discover a squatter living in one of the rooms. Worst of all, however, is when they also discover a dead body in another room. The victim is none other than Beckett Morgan, an up and coming star on the country music scene. Afraid the bad publicity will ruin their chances of turning a profit, Whitney is determined to aid her boyfriend, the lead detective, with the investigation. There is an impressive list of suspects, but Whitney and Collin make a good team as they sift through interviews and clues.

An enjoyable story. I liked that the author alternated active investigation with Whitney working on the renovations. We also saw her relaxing, too. Characters were portrayed well, even Beckett, whom we learn about from others' perceptions of him. The plot had good pacing and made sense. I also like that Whitney has an unusual job, insofar as cozy mysteries go.

Favorite lines:
♦ Some people defended themselves with a Remington or a Winchester. I defended myself with a Craftsman.
♦ "A woman needs her beauty sleep." // "Looks like you should have stayed in bed a few hours longer, then."
♦ Cats never left you feeling lonely.

Very good, four stars.