Getaway with Murder is the first book in Diane Kelly’s new Mountain Lodge Mystery series. I had high hopes for this series and I was not disappointed. The beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains is a wonderful setting, and the description of the lodge allowed me to form a picture. I found the limited locations to be a nice change from most cozies. There’s a character for everyone to love, or hate, and they are well developed. I was delighted to find chapters featuring the cats point of view. Maybe in the future we can have the dogs point of view as well. The budding romance between Misty and Rocky holds real promise. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone, especially those who need a mental getaway to the mountains.

Getaway With Murder by Diane Kelly is the 1st book in a new series Mountain Lodge Mystery, and it's off to a great start. I have enjoyed the author other series, so I was excited about this book. On Misty Murphy's 50th birthday her mutual divorce was finalized and she bought a lodge in the Blue Ridge mountains. Misty grew up vacationing at the lodge, and was very excited. On opening night the lodge was fully book, after handy man Rocky help with repairs. The booking was for a yoga retreat, until someone died and the sleuthing begins. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next adventure. I highly recommend this book for all cozy mystery readers, you won't be disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Getaway With Murder is a strong entry in a new series. I fell in love with the main character, Misty, almost from the first page. The other cast of characters will steal hearts, and the mountain top Inn will keep readers wanting to know more. You couldn’t ask for a better location for a murder, and the small-town location high in the Blue Ridge Mountains makes the series stand out among others of its kind.

Misty uses her divorce settlement to buy an old run-down inn that she loved from family visits as she grew up and her children enjoyed. She didn’t realize how much she would need to fix a few hidden issues, but when they spring out of nowhere on her first night, she almost panics and runs away. Misty is determined to make her business hopes come true; repairs are just power for the course. Luckily, she meets Rocky Crowder, who saves her mountain top dream and her pocketbook. With the repairs completed just in time for her first guests to check-in, she is beginning to feel that everything will work out. Unfortunately, the murder of a guest almost puts her out of business before the ink dries on the registry.

The suspects are mainly guests at the Inn, students, and friends of the victim. But what appears to be innocent bystanders soon turns into a lesson in what you see is not always what you get. Misty realizes quickly that she has to find the killer and solve the case before her Inn becomes nothing more than a bitter-sweet memory.

Clues are peppered throughout the story, suspects change almost from one page to the next, and readers may find that they aren’t sure who the killer is until the very end. The supporting cast of characters warm the heart and leave readers wanting to learn more about their backstories. The Inn is described lovingly and reminds me of a few I spent my childhood in with my parents. All of this is what makes Getaway With Murder a delightful mystery and keeps readers reading. I can’t wait for the next installment.

Talk about a leap of faith. Misty reaches her 50th birthday and turns her life in a really different direction. With the amicable end to her marriage, signing the papers on her birthday, she heads for the hills. All the way to the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains and her new life. She has bought the Ridgeview Inn, a place where she has a history. The previous owners had turned it over to their grandson and he failed. Now Misty plans to rent the lodge to groups rather than a collection of random people. Business groups, weddings, family reunions, bird watching clubs - she'd set out to let them all know she had the space to welcome them.
Her first "oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into" moment after being pleased to see that the lodge looked pretty good as she stood in the entrance area- just some dusting, etc. and she would be opening on schedule - came as she settled herself and her cat, Yeti, in their new digs. Then she heard a creak and a rumble and OMG the floor under her feet moved. So much for the inspection she had done. This would certainly put a crimp in her plans.
Misty manages to hire a handyman to get the lodge ready for its opening. Rockford "Rocky" Crowder can fix anything and he's real easy on the eyes. Other people help her get things going as she hires Patty to cater breakfasts and Brynn as her assistant. Nobody anticipated helping to solve the murder of a yoga instructor. Oh dear. How will that play on a Yelp review?
From the well developed characters of Misty, Rocky, Patty and Brynn and the lovely setting to a well crafted mystery, this new series hits all the right notes for a great cozy. Having read the other series penned by Diane Kelly - I enjoyed them all, I had no doubt that this series would earn its spot on my must be read list.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the advance copy, i enjoyed this book a lot. This new cozy mystery series is one I look forward to continuing.
The main character, Misty, just turned 50 and is at a place in her life where she is starting something. She is a very likable character as are the others in the story. They are quirky and fun and recommend this to all those cozy mystery lovers!

This is the start of a new cozy mystery that I cannot wait for the second book in this series. I love Misty, Yeti and Rocky. I love that Misty is a 50 year old that is starting something new. There are quirky characters and maybe a love interest. This has all the best parts of a cozy mystery. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Getaway With Murder is the first in a new cozy mystery series. After turning fifty, Misty Murphy has been busy with getting a amicable divorce and deciding to buy a mountain lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Misty soon finds out the local handyman can fix what’s wrong with the lodge and he’s not hard on the eyes either. Her grand opening fills the rooms with members of a yoga group on retreat but things take a turn when the yoga instructor is found dead. Murder, mystery, and some impressive chemistry lead to a page turner of an entertaining cozy mystery with memorable characters. I love the addition of a little more mature heroine and a fun one at that. The series is now on my must read shelf along with the author. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

This was a fun and different main character who for once wasn't the bummed-out result of an ugly divorce. She and Jack actually got along and hugged goodbye. The lodge that Misty bought sounded pretty rough, but I sure can't blame her for wanting Rocky to be part of that employee team. He sounded pretty amazing...and cute! I'm sure in the coming books we'll get to see them grow even closer, but I really enjoyed the little friendship they had and the funny banter between them. I liked Brynn who Misty hired to help her with the housekeeping and other general lodge jobs. She walked to her own drummer for sure, but she did seem like she'd be a loyal friend and employee. And that Patty from the diner! I liked her immediately and can totally picture her and Misty becoming besties.

The yoga retreat group was sure a mixed bag of people and emotions. The spoiled brat leader getting offed was the whole focus. While it was kind of an obvious-not-obvious type thing when thinking about whodunit, the showdown was still very good. I don't want to say much and spoil it, but I was really happy with the turnout and am eagerly looking forward to more books in this series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Diane Kelly gives readers a thrilling beginning to her new Mountain Lodge Mystery Series with Getaway With Murder.


Getaway With Murder was a fantastic read. This was a different type of cozy and it was welcome and refreshing. Missy has lived a good life, yet herself and her now ex husband have grown out of love and decided that they could go their separate ways and maintain the friendship that they have built over the years. Missy is starting over in a place she enjoys and loves. Purchasing a mountain resort, packing up herself and Yetti, her lovable feline companion, to embark on their new lives. Sounds easy right? Well not so much. After a night of bad storms, an encounter with a nose in the contractor, and a few local locals that genuinely care, Missy takes a deep breath and takes her leap.


Getaway With Murder is a fantastic beginning to why I feel is going to be an amazing series. Missy is independent, strong and resourceful. She knows what she wants and will do what she can to make it happen. I enjoyed that Missy. She’s a great character and I know I will be eagerly waiting to see what comes next. The mystery side of this tale was definitely a twisty one. Well written and plotted, Diane Kelly had me guessing throughout the story. Entertaining and funny, with a good mystery and just a splash of romance. Getaway With Murder will transport reads to a beautiful mountain town, with great characters and an even better story.

New cozy mystery by Diane Kelly, this is the first book I've read of hers. There were a few times that the story seemed a bit slow, it took a long time before the murder even happened (almost halfway through the book). The murderer was not who I thought it was and wow the way the murderer got in the room surprised me! I would read the next book in the series without even thinking about it. Can't wait to see what happens to Misty next!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I like when I get to start a series at the beginning. Our amateur sleuth in Getaway with Murder is Misty Murphy, the new owner of the Mountaintop Lodge. Our murder victim is of course one of her guests.

Things I liked about Getaway with Murder:

Our main character is 50, with plenty of life experience. Also, her love interest is a couple of years younger than her and not involved in law enforcement.
The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina is a wonderful setting.
The secondary, probably returning, characters are a slightly quirky bunch who will be fun to spend time with.
The plot was well-done. The clues were there if you caught them, but also plenty of red herrings. And there were a few reasonable suspects in the circle.

Things I didn’t like:

A few chapters were from the cat’s point of view, which I wasn’t expecting based on the blurb. I like pets in cozies, but don’t really need their thoughts or opinions.
While Misty did a decent amount of investigating, she spends way more time spinning theories, mentally accusing anyone who had even a vague opportunity which got a bit annoying.
Misty’s 50 and fresh off a divorce. I would have thought she would be a little less immediately trusting of people. And couldn’t she have had a couple of weeks at least without a love interest?

Overall I enjoyed the book. I’ll probably give the next in the series a chance, hoping for a little less of Misty theorizing to herself. And at least now I’ll be expecting the cat’s chapters.

I din't love the lengthy quote at the beginning of each chapter - especially since the chapters are short. I started skipping them after Chapter 3 which is too bad since they probably were thoughtfully selected by the author to correlate with the story. But I didn't pick up a cozy murder to brush up on Thoreau's Walden. Then we meet the handyman character who likes to spout philosophical quotes in conversations. This was just too much quoting.

I also didn't really care for the chapters from the cat's point of view. It didn't add anything to the story.

Otherwise it was a standard cozy mystery set in the Blue Mountains of North Carolina.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

Misty turns fifty, sends her last child to college, gets amicably divorced from her husband, and buys a remote mountain lodge in one whirlwind week in Getaway with Murder.

After arriving at the lodge, Misty meets a hunky handyman and hires a Wiccan assistant. She makes friends with the owner of the diner across the lodge’s parking lot too. She books her first group at the lodge. When the head of the group is murdered, Misty feels she must solve the crime to avoid bad publicity.

Getaway with Murder is the first book in a new series by an accomplished cozy mystery writer. The first third of the book sets up Misty’s world including the beautiful setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The rest includes a challenging whodunit to solve. The clues are all there but cleverly hidden by multiple red herrings. I look forward to reading more about Misty’s adventures. 4 stars!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Good start to a new series. I like the main characters. Since the location is a lodge, there is potential for quite a variety of people in the future. Pleasant cat and dog addition. Clever repartee. I look forward to the next one. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Misty Murphy celebrates her 50th birthday in an unusual way. She signs divorce papers and moves to the inn she has purchased at the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. While the inn needs a considerable amount of help, the divorce does not. She and her husband have parted amicably and remain friends.

After a misstep with one contractor, Misty meets Rocky Crowder. He gives her a bid for the work needed that won’t break her budget while adding a fantastic new space and even better he can start the work immediately.

Rocky’s speedy maintenance and construction and Misty’s new hire Brynn allow her to host a yoga retreat that fills every room for the whole week. But the week doesn’t go smoothly as the yogi instructor is found murdered. This isn’t good for Misty or her business. She didn’t know she was going to have to add detective to her innkeeper skills but with the yogis set to leave in just a few days, she is going to have to catch a killer before the bus arrives to take them back down the mountain or die trying.

I really enjoyed this story.

It is so great to have a protagonist leave a marriage and both parties are happy and remain friends both for themselves and the college-age sons. There is no tension and no animosity. In fact, her husband sends her a wonderful gift and offers his help after the murder. This all means Misty Murphy is comfortable in her own skin and ready to take on the huge venture she has ahead of her.

I also am very happy with Rocky Crowder, like Misty, he has grown children he spends time with but his wife is out of the picture. This leads he and Misty to make an unusual arrangement that works for both of them with the promise of their relationship growing in interesting ways.

Misty’s assistant Brynn is more of a wild card as she didn’t reveal some things about herself during the interview. Misty also makes quick friends with the diner owner, Patty, across the parking lot.

All these characters are believable and well fleshed out for the first book in the series. Misty has a connection to the inn from her childhood too which makes her huge move and purchase very understandable.

The guests are a diverse group and barring that someone traveled literally over hill and dale to kill Sasha Ducharme Carlisle one of them is a killer. So Misty has access to all the suspects and the rooms in which they are staying. I enjoyed the way she handled her investigation by getting to know her guests. She took part in some of the yoga sessions and observed them during breakfast and their downtimes in the evening. At one point, I took a little break to formulate my own suspect list more formally because I was as in the dark as Misty and the police. The author was very tricky. She gave an excellent clue to the culprit that I totally dismissed.

Diane Kelly really took her time describing the location of this inn including Misty’s trek up the mountain, and when the guests took a hike. I loved that. She painted wonderful pictures of the area for someone like me that has never had the pleasure of traveling the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Another element that I really enjoyed was that Misty has a cat named Yeti and Yeti gets to pen some short chapters from his point of view. Knowing what a cat is truly thinking is never really possible but the author really captured this cat’s catitude really well. They are also good for a chuckle or two.

Getaway with Murder was such a captivating mystery. I had a hard time putting it down when I had to close my eyes to sleep. I did that one more chapter thing until my Kindle fell to the floor as my eyes slid shut and my hand let it go. The next day I hurried through my work so I could get back to it.

This book has everything I look for in a Perfect Escape – Strong characters that are easy to become invested in, a setting I loved to visit and want to visit again and again, and a mystery that tests me by being well-plotted.

I am excited about this series. The author needs to tread carefully because while an inn brings in a new set of guests for each installment, she can’t kill too many people on the premises because tourists will not want to stay there. It will be fun seeing how the series continues.

This was a quick read though I didn't like it as much as the other series I've read by Diane. Mainly do in part of the age of the heroine, but I'm willing to read the next one in the series. I got to say my favorite chapters though were the ones from Yeti the cat. Jut like her other series there are chapters from either the heroines cat or dog.

Getaway with Murder by Diane Kelly is the debut of The Mountain Lodge Mysteries. Misty Murphy has just signed her divorce papers ending her twenty-year marriage on her fiftieth birthday. She is starting over in Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Misty has purchased a rustic lodge where she spent many vacations. Her new venture gets off to a bad start when minor drainage damage turns into a major problem. Misty is fortunate to get Rocky Crowder, the local handyman, to complete the repairs just in time for a yoga retreat. The owner of the yoga studio turns out to be demanding and rude. The yoga instructor is murdered putting Misty’s new venture at risk. Misty must use her skills to locate the killer before her new lodge is sunk permanently. Getaway with Murder is an engaging new cozy mystery. It is well-written with steady pacing and realistic characters. Misty is a smart, resourceful, and friendly. I like that she is fifty and experiencing menopause systems. I could certainly relate to her hot flashes. There are some great secondary characters that include Rocky the handyman, Patty who owns the local diner, and Brynn the assistant and housekeeper. I thought Diane Kelly captured the area with her beautiful descriptions. The winding roads up the mountain, the trees, the cool air, the Southern food, the mountains, and the Appalachian trail. The whodunit was fun with several suspects. I enjoyed piecing together the clues. I liked Misty’s approach to sleuthing. There is humor scattered throughout the story and I loved the chapters from Yeti’s (Misty’s cat) point-of-view. I thought the author really captured a cat’s personality (this is a feline with catitude). Getaway with Murder was a fun story that made me smile. I am eager for the next book in The Mountain Lodge Mysteries. Getaway with Murder is a welcome whodunit with a hunky handyman, a Wiccan assistant, an intense yoga instructor, a missing singing bowl, a lodge in peril, and a setup trail trekker.

This was a good light mystery with very little suspense or action. The mystery itself was very well plotted with great characters. I loved the setting and the atmosphere at the mountain lodge. It was a quick read and had a satisfying ending. I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book #1 in a great new cozy mystery series set in a mountain lodge, rehabilated and opening as a retreat. Diane Kelly has built a wonderful community, even the lodge becomes one of the characters, and populated it with a very unique cast of characters. From the new owner of the lodge and principal murder investigator to the guests in her lodge who not only provide entertainment but manage to get at least a few killed, I thoroughly enjoyed this new series and am eagerly awaiting the next wave of guests.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of "Getaway With Murder" in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series and before I even finished reading it, I was already looking forward to the second book. Misty Murphy is 50 years old and after signing her divorce papers from her husband of 20 years she buys a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains that holds many happy memories for her.

The story is told from Misty's perspective and delightfully from the perspective of Yeti - her cat.

She has a staff of two - Rocky Crowder, a handyman who will also be living at the Lodge and Brynn - her personal assistant/housekeeping manager. Rocky also has a fabulous dog named Molasses - named mostly for his speed.

The very first guests to check into the lodge are a group on a yoga retreat. As the title of the book implies - there is a murder. Everyone on the retreat is a suspect. Misty also suspects Brynn and the staff at the restaurant across the street. An almost perfect murder is committed and Misty is determined to help the Sheriff solve the case before the group leaves the lodge.

A truly great mystery with some humour in it as well. I'm very much looking forward to more books in this series - and soon! I'd give more stars if it was allowed.