"A charming start to a "fixer upper" cozy mystery series!"
Dead as a Door Knocker
By: Diane Kelly
Genres: Mystery Cozy
Posted: February 1, 2019
While many women her age are interested in clothes, Whitney prefers her coveralls and tool belt holding her dead blow hammer. She works for Whitaker Woodworking, her cousin's firm, where they produce great projects with pride, made with real wood. Whitney is a certified carpenter. She also works as a property manager for Home & Hearth. She dreams of owning her own home. Whitney saves most of her earnings and finds she is able to housesit and watch her parents' dog when they travel. She still has her freedom and the price is right!
On her way to evict three college boys from a rental property after they are late on paying their rent yet again, Whitney is surprised when one of the college boys threatens her for kicking them out. But when the property owner Rick Dunaway shows up and sees the house in shambles, he decides to list the house for sale. Seeing a perfect opportunity, Whitney decides to buy it and flip it fast for a decent profit. When the house passes its inspection, her loan goes through, and the renovations start, all hell breaks loose...
Whitney and Sawdust are spending the first night at the house when there's a fire and they barely escape from the house in time. Dunaway is murdered and his body is left in the front flower bed. Handsome police inspector Collin Flynn arrests Whitney for the murder, but she knows she's innocent... who is trying to frame her?
DEAD AS A DOOR KNOCKER is a good mystery with interesting characters, nice locale, and will have you quickly turning the pages until the end, and still wanting more. An easy cozy read and I can't wait to read more in this series! I especially want more eye candy from Inspector Flynn. Will I get my wish in the next sequel? Great job Ms. Kelly!
Book Summary
The first in a brand-new cozy series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville—where the real estate market is to die for.
WILL THIS KILLER DEAL LEAD TO A DEAD END? Meet Whitney Whitaker. A hopeless romantic when it comes to real estate, she knows what it takes to find—and flip—the home of one’s dreams. A fixer-upper is like catnip to Whitney: she can’t resist the challenge of turning an eyesore into a priceless work of art. So when one of her clients decides to liquidate a crumbling property, Whitney seizes the opportunity to purchase it for a song. But soon a curious incident of the cat in the night-time leads to a change in tune. . .
Sawdust is the name of Whitney’s cat—of course. Whitney’s passion for gut-renovation may be a mystery to him but one thing Sawdust knows for sure is this: Dead bodies don’t belong in flower beds. So why is there one in this new, albeit old, house? Now it’s up to Whitney, along with the help of hot-and-cold Nashville Police Detective Collin Flynn, to find the truth about what happened before the mortgage property forecloses and Whitney loses her investment. . .and maybe her own life.
Read an Excerpt
by: Diane Kelly
St. Martin's Paperbacks
February 1, 2019
On Sale: January 29, 2019
Featuring:
368 pages
ISBN: 1250197422
EAN: 9781250197429
Kindle: B07FGX2TG7
Mass Market Paperback / e-Book