I have ready Diane Kelly before and enjoyed her writing. This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series.

Getaway With Murder by Diane Kelly is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. A fun read that takes place in an old inn in the Blue Ridge Mountains after Misty Murphy turns 50 and divorces her husband. A murder plays havoc with the success of the inn and Misty puts on her detective cap to try to find the killer.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.

Getaway With Murder by Diane Kelly is a cozy set in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is nice to have an older protagonist going out on her own. Of course the love interest doesn't hurt and the friends she finds add to the story. I am ready for the next in the series!

Great to read a fine cozy set in North Carolina! Diane is a good writer who keeps the story moving with well drawn characters in a majestic mountain setting. The protagonist faces challenges from opening a new bed and breakfast retreat, the diverse visitors to the site, and a murder. I had the pleasure of hosting Diane on a virtual mystery program and she was an agreeable addition to the event. I'll look forward to reading more of her titles.

A great start to a new cozy mystery series, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, an absolutely magnificent part of the United States. How nice to read a book that features a 50-year-old woman, newly divorced, as the main character. In addition, Misty, the new owner of the Mountaintop Lodge, is comfortable in her body. So nice! I loved how the author included a quote about nature and the woods before the start of each chapter. The quotes had varied sources, from Thoreau to Frost to Van Gogh, among others. There are also some very short chapters that describe what Yeti, Misty’s cat, is doing and thinking, another fun touch. The mystery was a good one, with lots of possible suspects, in what was basically a locked-room situation, with several of the hotel guests under suspicion in turn.

I enjoyed the side characters, who I hope will be in upcoming titles in this new series: Rocky, the handyman who quotes Voltaire and Aristotle; Brynn, the cleaning/administrative help who follows Wiccan practices; and Patty, the owner of the Greasy Griddle across the road from the lodge. (Got to love that restaurant’s name!)

Cozy mysteries often have the main character doing something dumb or dangerous. I was SO happy to get through this entire book without the main character doing anything like that! It was also great that Misty worked with the local police, assisting them in an appropriate way.

I’m really looking forward to reading the next title in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed meeting these characters in a new series. The mystery was good and there were plenty of twists. I also liked the setting of the renovated inn. I look forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Diane Kelly’s first book, Getaway With Murder, in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series, is the perfectly crafted “Who Done It”…the twist and turns, misdirections, and a cast of characters who all were the perfect foil to keep the reader guessing, and on edge. Typically it’s not too difficult to ascertain in which direction the story is taking, and get an idea who the culprit might be, but in this case, Ms Kelly had me guessing, and re-guessing until the very end. This first story is an excellent start to what promises to be an exceptional series…already looking forward to the next installment.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Getaway With Murder
First in a new series.
by Diane Kelly

Getaway with Murder
Misty Murphy’s fiftieth birthday starts off unlike most. She’s signed her divorce papers (it’s an amicable split) and sunk her settlement into a dilapidated lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Located in northwest North Carolina, The Ridgeview Inn holds a lot of Misty’s memories. Her parents brought Misty and her siblings here. Misty and her ex-husband, Jack, continued the tradition by bringing their boys Jack, Jr. aka J.J. and Mitch for hiking and skiing. Now Misty owns the 1950s era lodge, which hasn’t fared well over the past few years.
Misty has barely entered the inn with her cat, Baroness Blizzared, aka Yeti, when the rainwater run-off issue the inspector said needed addressed grabs Misty’s attention. Outside, Misty discovers a recent storm had washed away enough ground to collapse a support beam under the great room, causing the floor to drop by a few inches. But there is a silver lining to this situation and his name is Rocky Crowder. He’s the local handyman and Misty hires him to repair the damage to the lodge.
Misty also lands her first guests; a yoga group from Charlotte needs a new retreat venue. The group’s instructor, Sasha Ducharme-Carlisle, decides to give Misty a chance. The lodge, renamed the Mountaintop Lodge, is officially open for business. But the lodge may close before it has a chance to build up a clientele when, several days after their arrival, the Sasha’s body is found under the newly built deck. To save her business, Misty needs to solve a murder.
Thoughts
At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. Chapters alternate between Misty’s point of view and Yeti’s. I found Yeti’s point of view a little distracting to the overall storyline. But the interaction between the characters-Misty, Rocky, Patty (the owner of diner across from the lodge), and Misty’s employee, Brynn O’Reilly, kept me turning the pages. The mystery wasn’t easy to solve, which is always a plus. This is the first book in the new Mountain Lodge Mystery series, and I look forward to reading the next.


Author Information
Diane Kelly

Publishing information

St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN 9781250815989


#netgally, #getawaywithmurder #cozymystery

Getaway With Murder by Diane Kelly is the first in the new The Mountain Lodge Mysteries.
I love that the protagonist is strong, independent, middle-aged woman ready to start a new chapter in her life. Misty has recently divorced and bought a motor lodge. Little did she know her first guest would be found murdered.
This well written Cozy has plenty of suspects and twists, likeable characters, humor, a hint of romance and two adorable pets.
I am ready to make a reservation at the lodge!
I was given an ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

Misty Murphy is celebrating a huge milestone, her fiftieth birthday. She rid herself of her husband and bought a run down and ramshackle building she hopes to turn into a lodge. She was amazed how popular her idea of a yoga weekend has become. That is until the yoga teacher winds up dead. This is such a witty and wonderful first book of a new series. I am definitely a fan. It kept my eyes glued to the pages as I read long into the night. It is definitely brilliant.

I love a good mystery and if murder happened, I can’t wait to see if I can figure out who did it. I was given an Arc copy of this book however all the opinions are my own.

The book opens up to a recently divorced mid aged woman, Misty, who has decided to buy a lodge in the mountains of North Carolina where she has spent happy Winters skiing with her family. She feels at home here with her cat, Yeti.

There are some hiccups which come with making some renovos on an older lodge but never fear, Misty has Rocky, a handsome handyman who needs a place to stay to help her out. She also has the owner of the dinner, Patty, who has become her fast friend and Brynn, the excentrate housekeeper to keep her out of trouble.

Misty’s first guests are from a yoga studio from Charlotte. After a couple of days, the leader of the studio was found dead after she didn’t turn up for the morning mediation. Her room was locked from the inside and no sign of entry or exit of the killer. Her jewelry and her priceless singing bowl was missing.

Who would have killed her? Was it one of the students? One of the instructors? A stranger? Or other guests? Only one way to find out for Misty, Rocky and Brynn, they would have to help the sheriff's officers investing this murder.

The story began easy enough but the author kept a great yarn unraveling for the reader to be entertained. Also the little clues the author gave away, kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Getaway With Murder is the first book in Diane Kelly’s new series, Mountain Lodge. Recently divorced Misty Murphy has invested in a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The place needs work, but she finds a handyman who can get it done quickly. Her first booking is a group of guests on a yoga retreat. Everything seems to be coming together, until the yoga instructor is killed. Misty wants to solve the case, so her new investment doesn’t suffer any more.

I have read other books by Diane Kelly, including her Paw Enforcement and House-Flipper mystery series. Since I have enjoyed both of those series, I was happy to see a new series available. As expected, I found Getaway With Murder to be a charming book with likable characters and a lovely setting.

Getaway With Murder is a delightful cozy mystery. The characters are relatable, and the story is fun. I look forward to reading more of this series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Getaway with Murder" features a newly-opened mountain lodge as a backdrop for murder. When Misty hosts a yoga retreat at her mountain lodge, she never expects to host a venue for murder. Suspects abound, with plausible reasons for many of them to commit murder. There are plenty of rabbit trails and red herrings to satisfy readers of cozy mysteries.

I would have liked to see less detail and repetition in the story, so I skimmed parts of it to get to the ending. I like cats, and Yeti seemed like a fun feline, but I found the short chapters that described Yeti's thoughts to be a distraction. Cute, but not necessary to the story. The characters are interesting and diverse, and the stage is set for future novels in this series. I liked that the love interest did not detract from the mystery aspects of the story, and there is room for development of that relationship in future stories as well. Law enforcement was treated with respect, not made to look like bumbling idiots as in some mystery novels.

Readers who enjoy clean and cozy mysteries set in unique locations will find this an intriguing addition to the genre.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

What a great addition to the cozy mystery genre. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next installment. Love Diane Kelly

A delightful start to a new series. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend.
Misty Murphy celebrates her birthday with an amicable divorce from her husband Jack. Their sons are off at college, and they've grown apart.

Misty has fond memories of a mountain lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains that she spent time with over the years and decides to purchase it even though it had been operating in the red and the market had changed with the advent of VRBO and Airbnb. She does have a marketing plan and reached out to a yoga group whose original venue had a fire.

The yoga group arrives, and the owner of the studio is a diva. So, when she is found murdered, there are plenty of potential suspects.

While the book is primarily Misty's voice, there are chapters that are narrated by the Misty's cat, Yeti. Each chapter has the name of the narrator. That threw me a bit and I'm not sure if it added to the story.

I liked the MC and the supporting cast of friends and employees. The mystery was well plotted with plenty of red herrings.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinion expressed is my own.

Getaway with Murder is a promising start to a new cozy series set in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Main character Misty Murphy, fresh from an amicable divorce, invests her settlement in the purchase of a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains she has frequented both as a child and as an adult. Misty needs to do some major repairs to the lodge and stumbles upon handyman Rocky Crowder while eating at the diner across the road from the lodge. Rocky is able to make the needed repairs in time for the arrival of a yoga group from Charlotte for a week long retreat. All is going well until the lead yoga instructor for the group is found dead under the lodge's newly constructed deck. Misty is determined to not let the murder ruin the lodge's reputation and using her 'mom deductive skills' is able to discern who murdered the instructor before the group leaves the lodge at the end of the week.

The book has a great cast of characters and Ms. Kelly does a wonderful job building the story around all of them, including Yeti, Misty's pet cat, and Molasses, Rocky's pet dog. We even gain insight into what Yeti is thinking throughout the story! Misty is immediately relatable, having just turned 50 and dealing with the many things life has handed her with patience, calm and thoughtfulness. Rocky is slightly younger than Misty, but turns out to be an all around good guy, taking care of lodge maintenance, transporting guests, sharing some of the same life story as Misty (children and divorce) and helps Misty solve the murder in the end. Patty, the local diner owner adds her wisdom to the story and Brynn, newly hired as a housekeeper, brings her own sense of spirit to the story. These four characters quickly form a bond and are part of the reason the book grabs you from the start.

As soon as you meet Sasha, the yoga instructor, you can pretty much assume she is the one to be murdered or have something happen as she is a very unlikable character. Very few of the guests on the yoga retreat are likable, making it difficult to settle on any one of them as the culprit! Few have more reasons than some of the others to murder Sasha, but I found myself anticipating their departure from the lodge so that Misty could get some 'real' business and help re-establish the lodge as a retreat center/event venue.

Characters aside this is a great book. The author does a wonderful job establishing place, describing well the setting of the lodge. The murder itself is slowly introduced and you get wrapped up in Misty, Rocky, Patty and their daily activities getting the lodge ready for guests that you almost forget it's supposed to be a mystery! Once the murder occurs the solving of the crime keeps you engaged as there are characters you hope have not committed the crime and others that you are sure did - never quite being able to figure out who the true culprit is. There is one sentence in the book that enabled me to determine who murdered Sasha, but the why and how of the crime was not revealed until the end. The book ends on a high note with the lodge being booked with guests, leaving you to wonder what adventure awaits for Misty, Rocky, Brynn, Yeti and Molasses at the Mountaintop Lodge.

Turning 50, Misty Murphy celebrates by ending her marriage and investing in a dilapidated mountain lodge.

With the inn needing lots of repairs, Misty hires Rocky Crowder to fix up the lodge. Opening night all the rooms are filled with guests ready to enjoy the new yoga retreat. Unfortunately, the yoga instructor is found dead. Misty investigates before the inn is ruined before it even began.

I love stories with animals so I was happy to see them in Getaway with Murder. Especially when the animals are part of the story and help with the story. This is my first read from Diane Kelly and it certainly won't be my last.

The plot of the book was such a great page turner. I truly cannot wait to read another wonderful book from this author. This was a truly great book.

What a charming first installment in a new cozy series. Two things I enjoyed immensely were the mountain lodge setting and Misty, who is older than many cozy main characters. This is a promising start for this series. The mystery was also laid out well.

I'm usually more of a fan of beach settings, but I love Diane's books and this was no exception. I read this in two days and it was hard to put down. I really enjoyed the mystery and didn't figure out the killer until the end. It's refreshing to have a main character who is still friends with her ex instead of the ex being a cheating, lying sleazebag. Fun story!