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BOOK INFO
Title: Dead as a Door Knocker
Author: Diane Kelly
Publisher: St. Martin
Publish Date: January 29, 2019
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: House-Flipper Mystery #1
My Rating: 4/5
BOOK BLURB
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.

MY REVIEW
Whitney Whitaker is a property manager with dreams of making it big in real estate. When she gets the chance to buy a property to flip it, she thinks it might be too good to be true. And it is. Especially when a dead body is found buried in the flower bed.
Dead as a Door Knocker is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. Whitney is a likable character. She is single, living in her parent’s guest house, and working all the time. She’s a hard-worker with good relationships with her family and friends. In addition to her family and friends, Whitney has a cat, Sawdust. The reader gets insights to their relationship, since a few chapters are from Sawdust’s point of view.
A cute and entertaining cozy mystery. With this being the first book in a series, a lot of the story is spent getting to know the characters. The murder mystery doesn’t get started right away, but when it does, it’s clear Whitney needs to investigate on her own to find the killer.
A fantastic start to the House-Flipper mystery series. I look forward to reading more about Whitney in future books.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Books in the House-Flipper Mystery Series:
- Dead as a Doorknocker
- Dead in the Doorway
- Murder With a View
- Batten Down the Belfry
- Primer and Punishment
This seems like fun!
It was! I was in the mood for a cozy mystery. 😀
This sounds like a wonderful start to a new series! Love the premise- house flipping! Wonderful review, Darinda!
Thanks, Jennifer! It was a great start to the series. 😀
I always love cozy mystery titles! Fantastic review!
Thanks! I enjoy a good cozy, especially this time of year. 😀
Sounds like a good start to a new series. I love watching all those house flipping shows on television, so this series is definitely intriguing to me. Nice review Darinda.
Thanks, Carla! I think you would enjoy this one! 😀