Diane Kelly

The seventh in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for. This year's honor roll is killer...Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are no strangers to murder. After all, they've encountered corpses on their properties before. But this is the first time they'd decided to take a chance on a property where two suspicious deaths have already occurred. Most buildings on the former boarding school property will be repurposed for an upscale retirement community, but the developer has no use for the headmaster's house given its violent history. The headmaster and his wife were killed there decades earlier, their deaths remaining unsolved to this day. Still, it seems a shame to see the beautiful Victorian give way to decay or the wrecking ball, even if many claim the unsettled souls of the victims still wander its halls, seeking retribution and justice. Can Whitney and Buck exorcise the structure's demons, solve the cold case, and give the building new life? Or will ghosts from the past seek to silence them forever?

International resort developer Nigel Goodwin and his wife Aileen have traveled all the way from London, England to Misty Murphy’s little corner of North Carolina and bought out the Mountaintop Lodge for the week prior to Christmas. Their intention? To pitch an exclusive new resort concept to wealthy American investors. The Retreat on Blue Ridge will be like nothing the area has ever seen, with five-star dining and accommodations, an all-seasons indoor water park, and adventurous offerings such as whitewater rafting, ATV trail rides, and helicopter tours. While the proposed resort might bring tourists and money to the area, it would also bring more traffic to the two-lane roads and lots of noise to this otherwise peaceful community. Locals are at odds over the idea, and come to the lodge to express their opinions to Mr. Goodwin and the potential investors just as a virtual blizzard hits Beech Mountain. Like the weather outside, things become frosty and dangerous, and Misty has to call local police to intervene before things get out of hand. Handyman Rocky Crowder plows the lodge’s drive and, in an attempt to regain a jovial holiday atmosphere, smooths the snow pile into a makeshift sledding hill for the guests to enjoy. Misty’s boys have finished their exams and are “home” from college for the winter break, planning to spend most of their time snowboarding at the ski resort. While taking a few runs down Rocky’s sledding hill, they discover a funny-looking, nose-shaped rock. Only it’s not a rock. It’s the frozen nose of Nigel Goodwin, who’s found dead and buried under the mound of snow. Who put the developer on ice and why?

When a local bluegrass musician disappears and a jug of her shop's corn liquor is implicated, moonshiner Hattie Hayes must stop further trouble from brewing in this delightful cozy mystery series. It's late August in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and moonshiner Hattie Hayes has collaborated to serve her moonshine at a nearby vineyard for a Wine and 'Shine event. Not only is this an opportunity for Hattie to gain more moonshine fans, but she's also excited to see the Bootlegging Brothers, a popular bluegrass band. But not every attendee is looking for harmony, and when one of the brothers disappears after the event and is presumed dead, Hattie realizes her grace note event has suddenly turned more sour than her mash. Unearthing what happened to the missing musician is more difficult than Hattie first expected, and when Hattie's moonshine is tied to the crime, there's no time to fiddle around. She has to step up to solve the case. Luckily, Hattie's cool head and quick mind help her understand that when investigating a musical crime, always stay sharp.

Primer and Punishment marks the fifth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, Tennessee. Whitney Whitaker has a knack for nailing down murderers . . . but this time she might just come unmoored. Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are looking once again to rehab and resell a house, only this particular house is made of fiberglass, floats, and has been dubbed the Skinny Dipper. The old houseboat sure could use some work, but the unusual project has Whitney bubbling with excitement. The charming and handsome Grant Hardisty lives on the cabin cruiser in the adjacent slip, but the cousins soon learn he's left a half dozen angry ex-wives in his wake and made enemies of all sorts of unsavory folks. The man is clearly caught in an increasingly dangerous current with no life preserver in sight. Whitney and Buck are spraying primer on their houseboat when--KABOOM --Grant's boat blows sky high with the man himself inside. Detective Collin Flynn has no shortage of suspects, but the waters become muddied when several of them confess to the crime. Is one of those who confessed truly guilty, or are they taking a dive for someone else? When anonymous threats are made against the cousins, Whitney must quickly determine who killed their neighbor at the lake, or she and Buck might also be sunk.

When the ladies of the Dangerous Curves Motorcycle Club take over the Mountaintop Lodge for their annual autumn ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Misty Murphy couldn’t be more thrilled. Every room is full and the adventurous women couldn’t be more entertaining. The ladies even invite Misty and her assistant Brynn to join them on a ride to admire the colourful fall foliage. Hotel handyman Rocky Crowder is happy to keep an eye on the lodge for the day, and the ladies set out for a fun ride on the scenic road. The skies are clear, the air is crisp, and the leaves are gorgeous. The women are having the time of their lives, stopping to enjoy the landmarks and vistas along the route. But what starts as a perfect ride turns worrisome when the tail gunner – the last rider in their group – fails to show up at the Craggy Gardens overlook. Cell phone service is spotty in the remote, mountainous area, and the group is unable to connect with their friend. Might the missing woman have simply run out of gas? Could a downed tree near Mount Mitchell have forced the missing woman to take a detour or turn back? Has she lost control of her motorcycle on one of the curvy peaks and gone over the edge? Or is something far more sinister afoot? The ladies are determined to locate their ride or die, and Misty is equally determined to help them. But will they be able to solve the mystery when the scenic route seems intent on hiding its secrets?

Moonshine shop owner Hattie Hayes is ready to lend a hand when a mystery starts brewing at a train convention in Chattanooga, TN, in this charming cozy mystery series. Now that her moonshine shop is up and running, Hattie Hayes can focus her efforts on expanding her fledgling business to events in the area, like the Chattanooga Choo Choo Model Train Convention, which is running full steam ahead at the convention center down the block. Hattie is all aboard, seizing this perfect opportunity to promote her Southern homebrew to the folks who have come to the city for the annual event. But when an attendee dies after drinking some of Hattie's moonshine, she'll need to prove her innocence. Between tight-lipped train hobbyists and competitors for a coveted convention prize, Hattie has a wide array of suspects to choose from, and she'll need to use all the tricks up her sleeve to make sure her moonshine business can survive a murderer and stay on track.

Batten Down the Belfry is the fourth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, Tennessee--where the real estate market is to die for. Here is the church, here is the steeple... Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck have successfully flipped houses, but this is the first time they've attempted to renovate a house of worship. Still, the colorful stained glass in the country church has caught Whitney's eye, and she'd love to breathe new life into the abandoned building. What's more, the place has perfect acoustics. Could the worship hall be reborn as an entertainment venue with its parsonage repurposed as a pre-show bistro? Open the doors, and see all the trouble. The owner of the horse farm next door has asserted a legal claim to the church property, rendering their title uncertain. If that's not bad enough, while rehabbing the church, Whitney's cat Sawdust discovers a bombshell in the bell tower--the body of the man who'd delivered their beautiful new replacement windows. What transpired in the spire? Who rang the man's bell and why? The steeple is keeping its secrets and, when a second body turns up, things become even less clear. Can Whitney help Detective Collin Flynn solve the crimes before someone else is sent to meet their maker? EditBuild

Batten Down the Belfry is the fourth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, Tennessee--where the real estate market is to die for. Here is the church, here is the steeple... Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck have successfully flipped houses, but this is the first time they've attempted to renovate a house of worship. Still, the colorful stained glass in the country church has caught Whitney's eye, and she'd love to breathe new life into the abandoned building. What's more, the place has perfect acoustics. Could the worship hall be reborn as an entertainment venue with its parsonage repurposed as a pre-show bistro? Open the doors, and see all the trouble. The owner of the horse farm next door has asserted a legal claim to the church property, rendering their title uncertain. If that's not bad enough, while rehabbing the church, Whitney's cat Sawdust discovers a bombshell in the bell tower--the body of the man who'd delivered their beautiful new replacement windows. What transpired in the spire? Who rang the man's bell and why? The steeple is keeping its secrets and, when a second body turns up, things become even less clear. Can Whitney help Detective Collin Flynn solve the crimes before someone else is sent to meet their maker?

Getaway With Murder is the first in a cozy series from Diane Kelly set in a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where secrets hide behind every hill. As if hitting the half-century mark wasn't enough, Misty Murphy celebrated her landmark birthday by amicably ending her marriage and investing her settlement in a dilapidated mountain lodge at the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With the old inn teetering on both a bluff and bankruptcy, she must have lost her ever-loving mind. Luckily, handyman Rocky Crowder has a knack for rehabbing virtual ruins and for doing it on a dime, and to Misty's delight, the lodge is fully booked on opening night, every room filled with flexible folks who'd slipped into spandex and ascended the peak for a yoga retreat with plans to namastay for a full week. Misty and her guests are feeling zen--at least until the yoga instructor is found dead. With a killer on the loose and the lodge's reputation hanging in the balance, Misty must put her detective-skills to the test. Only one thing is as clear as a sunny mountain morning--she must solve the crime before the lodge ends up, once again, on the brink.

In this intoxicating new cozy mystery series, the future for modern-day moonshiner Hattie Hayes looks bright--until death darkens the doorstep of her Moonshine Shack. The Hayes family has made moonshine in Chattanooga since the days of Prohibition, and Hattie is happy to continue the tradition, serving up fun, fruity flavors in mason jars for locals and tourists alike. All signs indicate her new 'shine shop will be a smashing success. What's more, mounted police officer Marlon Landers has taken a shine to Hattie. For the first time ever, the stars seemed to have aligned in both her work and romantic life. But when a body ends up on her store's doorstep alongside a broken jar of her Firefly Moonshine, it just might be lights out for her fledgling business. The homicide detective can't seem to identify the person who killed the owner of a nearby bar. The only witness is Hattie's longhaired gray cat, and Smoky isn't talking. When the detective learns that the victim and Hattie had a heated exchange shortly before his murder, she becomes her prime suspect. Lest Hattie end up behind bars like her bootlegging great-grandfather a century before, she must distill the evidence herself and serve the killer a swift shot of justice.

Murder With a View is the third book in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, Tennessee--where the real estate market is to die for... A DREAM PROPERTY Carpenter Whitney Whitaker, her cousin Buck, and guard-cat Sawdust just scored a hot property near downtown Nashville in a tax sale. While the Music City Motor Court might not be much to look at now, the two plan to transform the motel's twelve units into six one-bedroom condominiums with popular mid-century styling. But surprises await when Whitney discovers a squatter living in Room 9 and her cat Sawdust uncovers a body in the bed next door. A LIVING NIGHTMARE The murder victim is none other than Beckett Morgan, an up-and-coming country-western singing sensation who's taken Nashville by storm with his number-one hit "Party in the Pasture." Beckett's left a long trail of broken promises and broken hearts, and the list of suspects seems endless. So does the line of female fans intent on halting the flip and turning the construction site into a shrine for the deceased star. If Whitney and Buck don't help Detective Collin Flynn nail the killer, they'll never be able to clear out the star-obsessed groupies, complete the remodel, and recoup their investment. But just who silenced the singer and why?

The line between civil law and criminal law can be thin, but when someone bends the law too far, they break it. And if there’s one thing Police Officer Megan Luz and her K-9 sidekick Brigit don’t like, it’s lawbreakers. A modern day Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre appears to have taken place when the K-9 team is summoned to the scene of what can only be described as a bloodbath, with one peculiar thing missing: the body. With no body, no witnesses, and no concrete clues, it appears the perpetrators committed the perfect crime. Meanwhile, after a powerful spring storm bombards Fort Worth with hail, roofing contractors descend on the city. Is the owner of Trinity River Roofing Company merely behind in his work, or is he a scammer taking advantage of desperate homeowners? One thing Megan knows for certain: she and Brigit are nothing if not determined to sniff out the lawbreakers.

Dead in the Doorway is the second in a delightful cozy series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville--where the real estate market is to die for. A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES. . . Whitney Whitaker has scored the perfect piece of real estate: a ramshackle white Colonial at the top of a hill with views of downtown Nashville. What more could a self-taught home-improvement maven and occasional house-flipper ask for? Ideally, the property of Whitney's dreams would not have come with a dead body blocking the entrance to the foyer. But Whitney, always quick to take heavy-duty matters into her own hands, also happens to be a skilled amateur sleuth. So that helps. AND SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET. Who is this older woman--and how did her corpse end up at the bottom of the staircase of this locked, unoccupied house? That is what Whitney, along with the support of her wood-working cousin Buck, Detective Collin Flynn, and, of course, feline partner-in-crime Sawdust, intends to find out. Her friendly-neighbor investigation takes a sharp turn, however, when Whitney discovers that the house's former owner was a gourmet baker whose secret recipe for peach pie was to die for--perhaps literally. Now it's up to Whitney to learn the truth about what happened before she loses this killer real-estate deal . . . and the killer comes knocking at her door. "Adorable...Whitney and Sawdust are a welcome addition to your home and bookshelf."--Kellye Garrett, Anthony, Agatha, and Lefty Award--winning author of the Hollywood Homicide series