I’m a little too close to the book I just finished, so I was happy to find Sandie Herron’s review in my email. Perfect timing for a “Sandie’s Corner” post. It gives me time to think about my book before writing my review. Diane Kelly’s latest mystery, Dead as a Door Knocker, is released on Tuesday. If you read the book, I hope you enjoy it as much as Sandie did.
*****
Dead as a Door Knocker
by Diane Kelly
A House-Flipper Mystery
(Book 1)
(Book 1)
·
St. Martin’s Paperbacks (January 29,
2019)
St. Martin’s Paperbacks (January 29,
2019)
This is the first in
a delightful new series about Whitney Whitaker and her cat Sawdust. She’s as passionate about good woodworking as
she is about fixing up homes. Working
for a property management company in Nashville means Whitney must not only tend
to repairs and rentals, she must also evict tenants if need be. This book begins with her evicting three
college boys who have damaged much of the classic old house they rented. The boys are angry and threaten her as they
leave. The owner of said home, Rick
Dunaway, is on site to inspect the damage with
Whitney and offhandedly says he would sell the home to her at a
discount. His main competitor in the
real estate development business, Thad Gentry, is overseeing a project at the
house next door and had just made an offer on the house.
a delightful new series about Whitney Whitaker and her cat Sawdust. She’s as passionate about good woodworking as
she is about fixing up homes. Working
for a property management company in Nashville means Whitney must not only tend
to repairs and rentals, she must also evict tenants if need be. This book begins with her evicting three
college boys who have damaged much of the classic old house they rented. The boys are angry and threaten her as they
leave. The owner of said home, Rick
Dunaway, is on site to inspect the damage with
Whitney and offhandedly says he would sell the home to her at a
discount. His main competitor in the
real estate development business, Thad Gentry, is overseeing a project at the
house next door and had just made an offer on the house.
Whitney works the
finances and invites her cousin Buck, also a woodworker, to help her fix and
flip this lovely old home. Whitney moves
into the home on a temporary basis while the work is completed. On her first night a fire breaks out with dense
smoke spreading everywhere. Whitney
rescues Sawdust, and the two get out of the house just before the flames engulf
part of the roof. The cause of the fire
is something the home inspector should have caught. With finances squeezed tight, Whitney asks Rick
Dunaway to cover the large deductible the insurance company imposes before
reimbursement. He agrees to pay the
amount and is to meet Whitney at the house on Friday night to give her a check.
finances and invites her cousin Buck, also a woodworker, to help her fix and
flip this lovely old home. Whitney moves
into the home on a temporary basis while the work is completed. On her first night a fire breaks out with dense
smoke spreading everywhere. Whitney
rescues Sawdust, and the two get out of the house just before the flames engulf
part of the roof. The cause of the fire
is something the home inspector should have caught. With finances squeezed tight, Whitney asks Rick
Dunaway to cover the large deductible the insurance company imposes before
reimbursement. He agrees to pay the
amount and is to meet Whitney at the house on Friday night to give her a check.
Whitney waits at the
house for hours, but Dunaway never shows.
However, when Whitney decides to give up on waiting, she discovers a
package outside the front door containing the check he’d promised. The next morning she and Sawdust return to
the house and decide to brighten things up with flowers in the front beds,
after she cleans up the eggs thrown at the front door. As she plants, Sawdust plays in the dirt and
uncovers a finger. Then a hand. Whitney is horrified.
house for hours, but Dunaway never shows.
However, when Whitney decides to give up on waiting, she discovers a
package outside the front door containing the check he’d promised. The next morning she and Sawdust return to
the house and decide to brighten things up with flowers in the front beds,
after she cleans up the eggs thrown at the front door. As she plants, Sawdust plays in the dirt and
uncovers a finger. Then a hand. Whitney is horrified.
The bad news keeps
coming, with Whitney doing her best, with Buck’s help, to deal with the murder
investigation, and everything that follows.
Whitney and Buck investigate with Nashville
Police Detective Collin Flynn on the case. It is as if this house in
jinxed. I dare not share any more
details so as not to spoil another reader’s fun in jumping from paragraph to
page to chapter to see what happens next!
coming, with Whitney doing her best, with Buck’s help, to deal with the murder
investigation, and everything that follows.
Whitney and Buck investigate with Nashville
Police Detective Collin Flynn on the case. It is as if this house in
jinxed. I dare not share any more
details so as not to spoil another reader’s fun in jumping from paragraph to
page to chapter to see what happens next!
The story was
delightful, delivered with suspense and humor and a big dose of catnip. The mysteries were real with several suspects
and a side story that fed the main plot.
Solutions twisted and turned around each other until the real culprit
was revealed. I thoroughly enjoyed
reading this book, and I look forward to the next in the series.
delightful, delivered with suspense and humor and a big dose of catnip. The mysteries were real with several suspects
and a side story that fed the main plot.
Solutions twisted and turned around each other until the real culprit
was revealed. I thoroughly enjoyed
reading this book, and I look forward to the next in the series.
This sounds like a new series I can get into!
I think I would like this series too. 🙂
I have a copy of it as well. I'm looking forward to reading it.
Sounds like a great read.
jwhaley@aol.com
I am finally getting to see those flipper shows on tv. I think they would be much better with a cat or two.
Some would be more exciting with a found body or unexplained death to solve.
I am adding this to be TBR. I love finding new series to indulge in.
I put it on my library list…Thanks.
Thanks to Sandie, and to everyone who's stopping by! I had so much fun writing this book. Whitney is a fun character, and Sawdust, the kitty, is a total sweetie. I'm totally hooked on home renovation shows! It's amazing how they can take a house that looks hopeless and turn it into such a beautiful home. That's what gave me the idea for this series. Whitney has great design ideas and the contacts and skills to turn a rundown house into a beautiful abode . . . if only the dead bodies would stop turning up! ha ha Enjoy!