A new cozy mystery series by Diane Kelly gets off to a great start. It's set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern North Carolina and features Misty Murphy, fifty, newly divorced, and the new owner of a mountaintop lodge. She arrives with her cat Baroness Blizzard, aka Yeti, and almost immediately discovers that the lodge needs some structural work. Her first hire then is a handsome handyman named Rocky Crowder who has both the skills needed and some great ideas--plus a big furry dog named Molasses. Rocky strikes a deal with Misty to be her live-in maintenance man.

Her next hire is a woman named Brynn O'Reilly who will be her assistant. Brynn is also a practicing Wiccan and one of her first acts on the job is to perform a purifying smudging ritual with burning sage to clear any bad vibes from inside the lodge.

Knowing guests will expect breakfast, Misty makes an arrangement with Patty, the owner of the Greasy Griddle across the street, to cater breakfast for Misty's guests.

Now Mountaintop Lodge is all set to open and they get their first booking--a yoga retreat for 18 people during the first week in September! On the day planned, a chartered bus arrives to drop the guests off and first off the bus is the organizer, Sasha, a 30-year-old woman who looks like a porcelain doll. She is the owner of the yoga studio named Third Eye and seems to be rather demanding, not at all what you'd expect from a practitioner of yoga and meditation.

After everyone is assigned rooms, two more people join the group of lodge guests--a newly-married couple on their honeymoon who have been hiking the Appalachian trail and could use a much needed break, a decent meal or two...and a shower.

All seems to be working out well until the morning the body of one of the guests is spotted under the lodge's newly built deck. It's definitely a case of murder so no one can leave until the crime has been solved. But wait! The two hikers left that morning before anyone else was up! Were they fleeing?

I so enjoyed spending some time in this Blue Ridge mountain setting, one of my favorite places to vacation. Each chapter opens with a lovely quote about communing with nature from one of the great naturalists and philosophers, like Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Muir, and others. An interesting cast of characters rounds out the story told from Misty's first person pov, with Yeti chiming in with her own opinions in chapters from time to time. The crime itself is puzzling and the final solution, satisfying. Sending appreciative kudos for the cover art as well.

So who's booking the lodge next? A ladies' motorcycle club from Raleigh who call themselves the Dangerous Curves. Can't wait to see what trouble the biker chicks will get up to!

I received an arc of this new cozy mystery from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity. I will definitely look forward to reading more in this series.

3.5 stars. This was mostly a 3 star book for me...engaging enough, nice setting, but didn't necessarily grab me, plus I found Misty a bit irritatingly prudish at times. But I have to round up because I was so pleased by the ending! I have been complaining for ages that in every cozy mystery these days, the protagonist does absolutely no successful sleuthing or detecting. Normally, she just stirs things up enough that eventually the murderer decides to kill her too (and this is the only way she figures out whodunit), and then she makes a narrow escape. But not Misty! Misty put this thing together on her own with clues and everything, and I found that super satisfying.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Fun cozy mystery and just what I needed for a break from the serious stuff.
Interesting plot that keeps you guessing. Likeable main characters. Ill be glad to see them back.

Misty is fifty and is starting a new life. She and her husband have amicably split after many years and her sons are off to college. She buys a mountain lodge which she'd visited many times and has fond memories of. It needs some repairs and luckily Rocky, a local handyman, will do them cheaply and stay on to do maintenance in return for a room. Misty hires Brynn as her assistant and the restaurant across the street will be providing a buffet breakfast in the mornings so she's good to go. She even has a group booked for a week for a yoga retreat. Things become not so zen when the leader of the yoga retreat is found murdered. Misty is concerned because there may be a killer staying at her lodge, which is not a good way to start a business.

I've read many books (and series) by this author and I liked this one ... it's the first in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. I liked the writing style. It is written in first person perspective from Misty's point of view and third person perspective from Yeti, Misty's cat's point of view (the author has done this in other series ... had dogs and cats share their point of view, which as an animal lover I find cute).

It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. I liked the characters and look forward to reading others in this series. And I liked that Misty is a more mature age (so closer to mine) than a younger woman.

I liked the book about a new owner of a lodge in the mountains and her guests. One is murdered and it takes a while to find the murderer.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Getaway with Murder is the first book in a new series, Mountain Lodge Mysteries, by Diane Kelly. It was a real pleasure to read this book. The main character is a no-nonsense woman, Misty, who decides to give a new direction to her life after her divorce by becoming the owner of a lodge. The story kicks off pretty quickly with the repairs, immediately followed by a group of people who have booked the place for a yoga retreat. With a nice variety of guests, some pleasant, some despicable, it helps propel the story forward, without forgetting Rocky, the handyman. The victim is a real pain, and many people had potentially good reasons to get rid of her. The ending was a nice surprise. I also liked the qhotes at the beginning of each chapter, some of them were quite beautiful. With such a strong beginning for this new series, I definitely do not want to miss the next book. Highly recommended!

Lovely start to a new cozy mystery – Misty Murphy turns 50, time for a new chapter in her life. Children have grown up, and after living complete opposites for many years, Misty and her husband, Jack, divorce.
Misty sets out to Blue Ridge Mountains, her happy place, to buy the hotel that has many happy memories. Can she make a go of it? And opening with a murder is probably not the best way to attract customers.
Looking forward to reading many more adventures of Misty, her handyman Rocky, Brynn her assistant, and Patty her now found friend.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Copy in exchange of my honest opinion.

I would have enjoyed this book more if the murder had not happened so late. The pacing was off and I did not feel
I had enough information as to why the victim was murdered.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. This book was just amazing. I just lost myself in this story and didn’t want it to end. It was really well written and just drew in you into these characters lives. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

Enjoyable first book of a new series. Misty Murphy has just divorced her husband and bought a mountain lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She hires a hunky maintenance man and a quirky housekeeper. All goes smoothly until one of her first guest ends up dead.

I always enjoy reading this author's work and this new debut series is a charming cozy mystery .
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.

This was a perfect cozy mystery debut for a wonderful new series.
Getaway With Murder is the first book in Diane Kelly's Mountain Lodge Mystery series. I thought this was a delightful read . I like the protagnist Misty. Misty is starting over after a divorce by purchasing an old mountain lodge at the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She ended her marriage on good terms with her ex. The setting is described beautifully by the author. Misty's first guests are a yoga retreat. When the yoga instructor is found dead, suspects are many and Misty must solve the mystery of the murder to save her business and her reputation.

A fun read with great supporting charcters, nice relationships and a beautiful setting. Very well done and I look forward to the next in series.

This is a fun mystery that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. It has just enough twists and turns to make it a very enjoyable read. It will keep you guessing until the end.
I received a complimentary copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Diane Kelly and St Martins’s press for the copy of Getaway with murder. This is my personal review.
This is the first book in a new series- The Mountain Lodge Mysteries. I enjoy reading the first book in a new series to get to know the charters what are in the series.
Misty is newly divorced and decides to buy an inn in the mountains of North Carolina. The inn is just the thing she needs in her new life and working on the inn to fix it up is the way to do it for her.
She has a lodge full for a yoga retreat. Every thing seems to be going fine until yoga instructor is found dead!
Misty along with a great cast of friends are determined to solve this murder to get life back to normal.

Starting a brand-new life isn't easy for 50-year-old Misty, even though her recent divorce was so amicable that her to-be ex brings a chai latte for her to sip while they sign the papers. But nobody expects to arrive at one's new home only to have the ground fall out from under your feet. Seriously, that's a bit much!

Misty Murphy has just bought an old lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As the Ridgemont Inn, it had been a happy place during her childhood and honeymoon. Misty and her extremely observant and opinionated cat, Yeti, have just arrived to begin renovating. Her business plan is clever: knowing that people these days book B & Bs for individual vacations, she decides that her lodge can be the place to go for weddings, receptions, hiking clubs, reunions, and other occasions, where people can relax and enjoy a few days in the country.

The elements have not been kind to the old place, as Misty learns when a section of the floor and foundation literally crack off under her feet, victims of poor drainage and neglect. Fortunately, her new friend at the nearby diner not only agrees to cater the daily breakfast for Misty's guests, but also introduces her to Rocky, a hunky handyman who can bring the old building up to snuff while quoting Epictetus ("the greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it").

Soon, the newly-christened Mountaintop Lodge has its first guests - a group from an ashram in Asheville whose building was turned to ash in an incense malfunction. The owner, snooty and demanding Sasha, begins a yoga and meditation retreat in the newly-smudged building. The guests, including a celebrity NASCAR driver, a sturdy masseuse, and a peaceful/blissful/unflappable meditation instructor, gather for their yoga session on the deck, signalled by the tone of a Tibetan singing bowl, and then retire for the night.

Yes, a murder ensues. Yes, everyone except Yeti seems to have enough animus and motive to kill the victim. Yes, visiting hikers are found to have been investigating native poisons. References are made to types of karma, including the one that is accumulated for past bad actions - which proves to be heavy indeed for the victim and killer. Yeti, whose witty thoughts occupy their own chapters, does not actually speak, but she does add zingers as she observes and judges humans. (Salmon again? And how un-cat-like humans are, getting together to mimic each others movements. )

Best of all, the scenery surrounding the lodge is described so beautifully that the reader wants to be there. NOW! - or, at least, once the murder is solved.

This is the first in a new series. I'm looking forward to more! 5 stars, and thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review.

With the weather cooling down and fall upon us, I needed a new cozy mystery to get me into the change of the season. This book was perfect!

Getaway with Murder is the first in a new mystery series by Diane Kelly. After a divorce, Misty purchases her dream mountain lodge with the settlement. She is ready to settle in and enjoy the quiet life but unfortunately, a murder happens during her first hosted event.

Diane’s characters are relatable and the location really drew me in. She gave us plenty of suspects to choose from and a mystery that was engaging. There were a couple of red herrings, which heightened the suspense and certainly mislead me. I enjoyed the ending and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

I want to thank NetGalley, Diane Kelly and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Paperbacks for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

Don't you love a new cozy series? I do. Misty's marriage broke up even as the kids moved out, and now she's bought the Riverview Lodge high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's made friends with Rocky, the handyman, Brynn a Wiccan who works with her, and Patty who owns the diner. Her first big event is a yoga weekend and it's looking good until...the instructor is murdered! Misty might be new to the area but she's determined to find answers. It's classic. Know that there are some chapters where her cat, Yeti, offers up thoughts (I didn't need these but ..). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to more !

An okay cozy but I wasn’t drawn in. The characters and situations aren’t as good as some of this author’s novels
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc

4.5 is a more accturate number, but I will round up.
I loved the setting. I have visited some of the locations mentioned, so I could really picture the area. Mountain lodges are a favorite setting of mine. And the author did a great job showing us the limitations and joys of living in an older hotel, like not having a kitchen on the premisis and having a deck with great views. I definitely want to visit the Mountiantop Inn again.
Misty is our main character and slueth. She is surrounded by a few friends, Brynn, housekeeper, Patty, restaurant owner across the street, and Rocky, handyman and love interest. I like that she is starting over after an amicable divorce becasue that goes against the trope. However, the break with her husband and kids seemed too clean. She is shown texting them once, but mentions other texts. So I assume she is communicating more than we are shown just like she is eating and sleeping more than is shown. So I talked myself out of having a big issue with that. I like that we see her meeting new types of people and adjusting her views, like with Brynn being Wiccan.
Her flirtations with Rocky are a nice slow start to a romance. They seem apporpriate for a woman who is coming out of a polite, but passionless marriage. The set up to get him staying at the lodge was a little weird, but not completely unheard of. So I am skeptically optomistic about where this is going.
Her cat does narrate a few chapters. It was interesting to get a view of the place that was not Misty's view. The cat was humorous, but wasn't vital to solving the mystery. It did add some fun and levity to the story.
The victim was obvious from when she showed up. I liked the way that some of the red herrings were presented. We had good reasons to suspect them and then we found good reasons to clear them. They made for memorable characters that were dealing badly with the death. The 'giveaway' clue was well hidden, so I completely missed it. But when Misty figures it out, it made sense. The sherrif's deputy was a great police officer. She did not jump to conclusions. She valued Misty's input without depending on it. The solution was satisfying.
Overall, there were a couple details that sat funny with me, but they didn't detract from the overall story, setting, or characters.
I got an ARC of the book. This is my review.

Getaway with Murder by Diane Kelly is the first book in the brand new Mountain Lodge Mystery series. If you love cozy mysteries, this is definitely a book worthy of your time!!!

I love when an author does such a great job of characterization that even the way the characters talk to others as well as body movements show what they are thinking. Diane Kelly definitely does an excellent job with this. She also throws in some characters that are likeable and some not so much. If that wasn't enough, she starts each chapter with a quote that goes along with the book.

I highly recommend this one, and I can't wait to see what she does in the next book in the series.

Getaway with Murder – Diane Kelly

5/5 stars: I really got a kick out of this opener to the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. It was fun getting to know Misty, Rocky, his dog Molasses and the new cast of characters, I especially loved reading the chapters from Yeti's (Misty's cat) pov. Also the Mountaintop Lodge made a unique setting in a cozy mystery landscape inhabited with the more traditionally set Victorian-style B&B stories. The mystery was well paced with great clues, plenty of false leads and an awesome reveal. Overall, I really enjoyed Diane Kelly’s writing style and sense of humor and can’t wait for book two.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. @netgalley