House-flipper Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are on to their next renovating project. They found an abandoned church building outside of Nashville and made an offer. The members of the church had moved to a bigger, more modern building and left this one, waiting for 9 years until someone found an interest in it. Whitney and Buck got a good price on it, and they’re ready to get started cleaning it out and deciding what they want to do with it.

They have barely shown up and gotten started, haven’t even let Whitney’s cat Sawdust out of his carrier yet, when they realize that there are horses on the property. Whitney even finds one in the church building. and she’s trying to figure out how to get it out without the horse hurting her or getting too scared. But before she can figure out how, two men show up, one with a big knife in his belt and an electronic cattle prod in his hands.

The man with the cattle prod introduces himself as Nolan and tells them to get off his property. When Whitney explains that they closed on the property that morning, he says that he had put in the paperwork for an adverse possession eight years ago, and since he had been using the property for eight years, it was now rightfully his. Whitney stands by her paperwork, saying that if he had a legal claim to the land, then it would have come up during the title search, so clearly there was no official record of him being the owner.

They both threaten to call the police, but first Nolan and his ranch hand gather their horses and move them back to the farm. Meanwhile, Whitney calls the Nashville police. The property they bought is unusual because most of it is in Davidson county, which is also where Nashville is, but there is a corner of the property that is in Sumner county, which is where Nolan’s ranch is. He calls the county sheriff, and eventually they all meet up again at the church. The two officers confer and tell them that what they have is a civil issue, but they side with Whitney and her paperwork. Whitney calls her attorney, and he begins the search to find out what’s happened.

Nolan leaves after the officers do, but he’s clearly not happy about the situation. Whitney and Buck don’t care, as long as he goes back to his ranch and leaves them alone. As they start to look around the property and think about what they’d like to do with it, they make their way up to the belfry, where there is still a working bell. Sawdust loves the rope and decides to sharpen his claws by grabbing at it. And Whitney gets an idea.

The space is special, and while lots of people are looking to live in a place that has a storied history, she thinks that turning the church into a residence would be a miss. With all the performers in Nashville, there is always a need for more music venues, so she decides they should renovate the church into a small venue, where they can host musicians or dancers or even plays. Then they realize that the parsonage nearby could be a small bistro where customers could eat dinner before the shows.

As the ideas start to pop, Whitney looks at the beautiful stained glass windows that have made it through the years and decides she wants to replace the other stained glass windows with more colorful windows. She finds a nearby artist who can create the windows for her and orders two that are completely custom and two that are ready-made. She loves supporting local artists, but she also has to keep an eye on the budget, and that seems a fair compromise to her. The artist, Lauren, agrees to deliver the new windows in a month, and Whitney gets back to work on everything else that needs to be renovated on the church.

The weeks go by, and the new venue, the Joyful Noise Playhouse, starts to come together. It’s almost the day for their hearing about the property’s ownership, and it’s the delivery day for the new windows. Lauren had hired a delivery company to bring the windows out to Whitney. The delivery driver brings the boxes in to the church, but Whitney and Buck decide to store them in the bedroom of the parsonage until they can get them installed. But while they’re over there, they think they hear the church’s bell ringing. hey run back to the belfry and find the delivery man laying there, unmoving, with rope burns on his neck.

They immediately call an ambulance and the police, and Whitney’s boyfriend, homicide detective Collin Flynn gets called out there too. But who would want to murder the man? Was it a robbery? Could it have been a drug deal gone bad? Did he see something that he shouldn’t have? Or is there some other reason for the man’s death? Whitney is determined to figure it out so she can move forward with her plans for the music venue. But will that determination put her in the crosshairs of a killer?

Batten Down the Belfry is the fourth in Diane Kelly’s House-Flipper Mysteries. The characters of Whitney and Buck, Whitney’s friend and roommate (and Buck’s girlfriend) Colette, detective Collin, and that scene-stealing cat Sawdust are back to fight crime and modernize old buildings. Bringing their hard work and ingenuity to this abandoned church as well as to the crime that happened there.

I enjoyed Batten Down the Belfry. These characters are very likable, and the writing is smooth as silk. Most of the chapters are told from Whitney’s point of view, but every once in a while, you get a different perspective, namely that of Sawdust. The cat gets to tell pieces of his own story, which is a little unusual but definitely fun. This is the first book in this series that I’ve read, so I can say that you do not need to read the previous books to find out what’s going on. Although once you spend some time with these characters, in their Nashville, then you may find that you want to go back to the beginning and read them all.

Egalleys for Batten Down the Belfry were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I really like this series. Whitney is a very cool heroine who, with her cousin Buck, buys and repurposes properties. They do all the work themselves with the help of Colette, Whitney’s best friend and Buck’s girlfriend, and another cousin, Owen. And she has an amazing kitty by the name of Sawdust who adores Whitney. Even though he is a ‘fraidy cat, he would risk all if his human was in peril. This is an awesome team.

It is a derelict church and parsonage that has their attention this time. They plan to turn it into a playhouse and restaurant for Colette. They are salvaging as much as they can but they have a real pain in the you know where in the neighbour who thinks just because he’s used the property like he owned it, he legally does. They are going to have to surmount him before they can breathe a sigh of relief. And this is where my biggest issue with the entire book lies. They spend time making plans, getting partners, looking at incorporating but other than a brief comment that the neighbour might put a monkey wrench in their request for zoning changes, they do not get said changes before going ahead. Small detail in the course of the story but a huge in a business sense.

That aside, two bodies later, including the neighbour whom they have beaten in court, Whitney and her detective boyfriend Collin are trying to figure out a very twisted conspiracy that smuggles real gems in works of art as money laundering. It is big and it is nasty when the truth comes out. But it is also very intriguing and exciting. It has a thrilling conclusion in which Sawdust plays a major role. It was an enjoyable read in spite of that one minor glitch. It still earns five purrs and two paws up.

A fun, casual entry by Diane Kelly: Batten Down the Belfry!

I found this book a wonderful read. This is my first introduction to this series. The story along with the characters kept me reading this book. The protagonists in this story have a unique career in flipping and renovating buildings. I couldn't help but root for the project to be successful, in addition to them solving the mystery.

What a fun visit and adventure with Whitney.


Batten Down the Belfry has Whitney and Buck flipping something a little bit different this time. Instead of a house they are transforming a church with beautiful Stained Glass into possibly an entertainment venue. This fun endeavor takes a turn when a delivery driver is found dead and this becomes all too personal for Whitney when a second body is discovered.


Whitney and her cousin Buck are a great team. I love what they do to the houses and I love that we get a good mystery in there as well. Whitney is smart and beyond capable. I love how she clues in the local detective along the way. We get a bit of suspenseful action with a good storyline and a mystery that I didn’t figure out until the end. Diane Kelly Rights to draw you into the story and gives you and exciting mystery in the end.

What a fun cozy mystery! I enjoyed it so much. Great characters and storyline with lots of twists and turns and possible suspects that definitely kept me entertained....and guessing.
Highly recommend.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.
I also won a paperback copy from the author.

I loved this fast paced story filled with interesting complex and quirky characters. The story captured me on the first page and I could not put this book down! Lots of twists and turns, murder and mayhem, make this a real page turner and a must must read!

The fourth in the series, Batten Down The Belfry was such a fun cozy mystery. I highly recommend this book.

Whitney and Buck are back in another renovation. This time though they are working on a local church. Once there Sawdust, Whitney's cat finds a body. The twists and turns make this a great whodunit.

Batten Down the Belfry by Diane Kelly is the fourth book in the cozy House-Flipper Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each of these books in the series could be read as a standalone if choosing to do so as the mystery within is fully solved during the book. There is of course some character development carried over book to book for those fans following in order from the beginning.

In the House-Flipper Mystery series Whitney Whitaker had been working as a property manager to pay the bills while she had been living in her parents pool house with her cat, Sawdust. Real estate and renovating were really Whitney’s passions so whenever she got the chance she was diving into the house flipping business with her cousin Buck.

This time around Whitney her cousin Buck have purchased and old church that has been sitting empty for years. When they arrive at the property though they find they aren’t quite welcomed by the new neighbor who thinks he owns their land. As Whitney and Buck wait for court date to settle the dispute they begin work regardless but unfortunately a delivery driver ends up murdered in the building while they are away leaving Whitney to figure out just what happened.

The House-Flipper Mystery series is another that I have followed from the beginning and have really enjoyed so far. This one goes right along with my love for all things HGTV, cute kitty cats and a quirky fun story to get me laughing. Cute Sawdust the kitty gets his own point of view often stealing the show which I love. Whitney also has a detective boyfriend helping solve the cases which I also enjoy. This fourth book in the series landed at four and a half starts for me so I’ll definitely be on the look out for book five.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Whitney and her cousin, Buck are starting another house flip and this one is nothing like their past flips....except, of course, there is a murder or two to solve. Their last project made them enough money to allow them to purchase and old church and the parish house plus some acreage. Once they do a walk through, Whitney sees its possibility and Buck agrees. They will turn the old church into a music/theater venue and the house will become a restaurant. With those plans in mind they are ready to begin...as soon as they remove the various horses from the church and deal with their neighbor. Turns out he is convinced that some time ago he got some Google forms and filled in the blanks thereby making a claim to the "abandoned" property as his own. With their lawyer giving them the go ahead after looking over the not at all legal papers, Whitney and Buck are shocked when the man who had earlier delivered some stained glass windows to the church is found dead on the stairs to the belfry. With only her cat, Sawdust as a witness, it's on Whitney and Buck to reveal the killer.
This is a great cozy mystery series, full of likable characters, a satisfying mystery to unravel and a sweet cat, as well. It's the perfect winter escape read and, if you haven't read the previous entries, it works fine as a stand alone.
My thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Whitney always has creative ideas for the real estate flips done by her and her cousin. This time they are turning an old church into an entertainment venue. The trouble is the dead bodies.

In a fun twist we get chapters from Whitney's perspective and a few from her cat Sawdust's perspective. The flip is creative and the mystery original. This is the fourth book in the House Flipper series but could easily be read as a stand-alone. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Batten Down the Belfry by Diane Kelly is the fourth installment of the House-Flipper Mystery series. I have read and love all the books in the House-Flipper Mystery series and have anxiously looking forward to reading Batten Down the Belfry. Batten Down the Belfry continues the story of Whitney, her cat Sawdust, and Whitney's friends and family and the adventures and mysteries they get into in Nashville, Tennessee.

In this instalment of the House-Flipper Mystery series, Whitney and her cousin Buck bought an old church property as well as the parsonage with plans to turn the church into a music venue, similar to the Ryman, and the parsonage into a restaurant. While preparing the venue there have been property disputes and a couple of deaths on and around the property. Whitney and her detective-boyfriend Colin are on the case again when a delivery man is found dead in the church's bell tower.

Batten Down the Belfry is full of twists and turns, that opens up the ugliness of the horse world and international shipping. I loved the intrigue in the book. I loved seeing the continued growth of the main characters that have went forward from each book of the series. I love how some of the favorite characters from previous books in the series make an appearance in Batten Down the Belfry. I really enjoyed Batten Down the Belfry. If you're are looking for a nice cozy mystery, I highly recommend Batten Down the Belfry and the entire House-Flipper Mystery series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

Another fun installment with Whitney, Buck, Colette, Collin and Sawdust!

Whitney plans to flip an old church into a theater and it should have been easy, right? But of course they find a body and Whitney just can’t help trying to find out whodunnit.

This book series is always refreshing because Whitney is very smart and capable. She isn’t a nosy business, she really just wants to figure out what happened!

I liked this story, it has horses (a personal favorite) and a tricky mystery. My only complaint is that a lot of the ending was exposition. Sometimes you really need to break up all that information with a conversation or an interaction.

There’s also some fun recipes!

I continue to enjoy this series. I look forward to more.

Batten Down the Belfry is book #4 in the House-Flipper Mystery series by Diane Kelly.

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin, Buck, purchase a former church and parsonage to renovate. A neighbor claims it is his property causing stress between the neighbors. Then there is a murder to deal with as well.

This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I really enjoyed it. I had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone. The characters are wonderful. It is fun reading how they bounce ideas off each other regarding the property and how excited they are. I really liked the Sawdust chapters. The mysteries were complex and when I thought I had it figured out, there would be another twist.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Batten Down the Belfry combines two of my favorite things to do: read cozy mysteries and watch house flipping shows.

Whitney and her cousin Buck flip unusual properties. This time they buy an abandoned church and parsonage, which they plan to make an entertainment venue and restaurant, respectively. Not only is that a lot of work by itself, but they are plagued with a lawyered-up neighbor who is convinced their property is his. Then, a deliveryman is murdered in the church’s belfry! This is definitely not your usual Flip or Flop!

I love the characters and the mysteries were a challenge to solve. There are also some real house flipping tips sprinkled throughout the book. Batten Down the Belfry is a fun read. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

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

It looked like Whit and Buck had scored themselves another nice property, and with all the ideas they collectively had for it, it promised to be a good profit and future moneymaker for them. Only the one little problem of the body in the bell tower needed to be addressed first. And if that wasn't bad enough, there was another death on the property after that.

I loved the idea Collette came up with for having a cafe to go along with the theater venue building. It was cute how she and Buck were getting closer. I like where Whitney and Collin are in their relationship. He finally realized she's useful to investigations, and it doesn't do any good to tell her to keep away anyhow.

The showdown was crazy exciting! Sawdust got to play a part, and that old bell in the church definitely came in handy! The very ending was so sweet and now I can't wait for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC provided by St. Martin's via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Whitney and Buck purchase an abandoned church and parsonage on several acres for their next project. On their first visit to their newly acquired property, they encounter horses roaming the property and an abrupt encounter with the horses’ owner, who informs them this is his property. And so the adventure begins.

Whitney, Buck, and Colette come up with great ideas for the old church and house. Unfortunately, within a short time, they find themselves dealing with two deaths. First, someone kills the man delivering new windows for their project. Next, the horse owner on the farm next door is found dead. Whitney and Sawdust, Whitney’s sleuthing feline, begin investigating while working on the new project.

Diane Kelly’s House-Flipper Mysteries continue to intrigue, and the read is all the more engaging, with Sawdust writing his chapters through the narrative. Ms. Kelly continues to build the primary characters’ relationships, and her storytelling skills generate creative, twisty plots. Batten Down the Belfry is an entertaining entry in Ms. Kelly’s captivating

Whitney and her cousin, Buck, buy fixer-uppers, repair them and then flip them for a profit and then move on to their next project. They buy an old church and parsonage and instead of selling them, they envision the property as a playhouse and bistro. Whitney's best friend (and Buck's girlfriend), Colette, is a chef and is excited to run the bistro.

After some windows are delivered, Whitney discovers the delivery man dead in the bell tower. Whitney's boyfriend, Collin, is the police detective in charge of finding the killer. Then a couple days later, Whitney and Buck see their neighbour next door, who they were having issues with, dead in his yard. Are the deaths connected or just a coincidence?

I've read many books by this author and though the whodunnit is a bit convoluted, I thought this one was okay. Though it's the fourth in the House-Flipper series, it works as a stand alone (I've read the first three). It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity (there's no heat at all between Whitney and Collin).

I liked the writing style. It is written in first person perspective from Whitney's point of view and third person perspective from Sawdust's point of view (which is funny since it's written from the perspective of Whitney's cat), although Sawdust wasn't in this book much.

4.5 Stars
I requested this when I saw it on NetGalley; I read the first book, Dead As A Doorknocker, a few weeks ago, so it was nice to have that background when I started this one. Buck, Whitney and Sawdust are back, this time they've just bought an old, disused church and parsonage with plans to turn it into a playhouse and café entertainment value. But trouble begins before they can even swing a hammer when adjacent property owner Nolan claims he owns the property, a delivery man is found dead after delivering stained glass windows, and then Nolan himself is found dead. Are the deaths related? Whitney and Sawdust go to work to find a murderer.

I loved the first book and this one was even better, and I would say this can be read as a standalone or an entry into the series, as there were very few references to the earlier books. I love the little bits of humor and absurdity, from finding a horse standing in the middle of the church to Sawdust's thoughts about kitty friend Cleo and the playhouse and cafe idea was amazing, definitely a place I'd love to check out!

The plot really shone in this one, I loved that the plot wasn't one seen often in a cozy - I won't expand on that, as it would definitely clue readers in to where to look, so there weren't a lot of clues pointing at anyone in particular. A lot of it came down to observation, sleuthing and interviewing, but there was enough there for me to chew on as I read and I didn't guess the culprit until the conclusion (where hero cat Sawdust saves the day yet again!) Delightful from start to finish, this is definitely a great cozy series for young and old.

Batten Down the Belfry by Diane Kelly has Whitney Whitaker and her cousin, Buck purchasing an old church and parsonage. After finalizing the purchase, Whitney and Buck go out to admire their acquisition and decide how they are going to transform it. Shortly after they arrive, their neighbor, Nolan Sibley shows up with a cattle prod in his hand. He claims to own the property through adverse possession and wants them to skedaddle. The only way to settle this land dispute is through the courts. While waiting for their hearing, Whitney and Buck begin the remodel. They are going to turn the old church into performance venue. The old parsonage will become a café where Colette, Whitney’s roommate and Buck’s girlfriend, will serve her epicurean delights. There project goes south when a man is found at the bottom of the stairs leading to the belfry. He is pronounced DOA on the way to the hospital. Before long, a second body turns up nearby. Are the two deaths tied together? Whitney sets out to get answers with help from her sidekick Sawdust. Batten Down the Belfry is the fourth A House-Flipper Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading all the books in this engaging series. I thought Batten Down the Belfry was well-written with developed, relatable characters. I like Whitney Whitaker who is down to earth. She is friendly and works hard flipping buildings. Buck Whitaker, Whitney’s cousin and business partner, is a nice guy who is dating Whitney’s roommate and friend, Collette. Sawdust, Whitney’s cat, steals the show with the chapters from his point of view. He is a cutie. Sawdust’s chapters will have you laughing and going “ahhhhh.” I enjoy the author’s descriptions of Nashville and how she incorporates history of the city (an example is details about the Belle Meade Plantation). The mystery was well thought it. I like how everything tied together into one fun whodunit. The mystery has unusual elements which I enjoyed. There are twists and unexpected revelations that I found delightful (I just love a challenging whodunit). There is a great reveal, and all the details are provided at the end, so I did not have any lingering questions. I just love how one character met his maker. It was very fitting. Whitney and Buck transformed a church into a performance venue. I liked reading about the various details and the work they did to accomplish the task. They also turn the parsonage into a café with Collette as the chef. I like the name Collette came up with for the café. I cannot wait to read the next A House Flipper Mystery. Batten Down the Belfry is an entertaining cozy with a land clash, a thoroughbred tyrant, a clever kitty, a bonging bell, a converted church, a disordered delivery, a messy murder, and a curious carpenter.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoy Diane Kelly's cozy mysteries so didn't hesitate to jump in on the fourth book in this series when it became available through NetGalley. It is easily read as a stand alone as most of the past details are filled in.

What a fun plot idea--the main characters, Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck, are house-flippers! One of my daughters and her husband bought a 100-year-old farm house that had been flipped and it's a great home. I thought it would be interesting to read about the process.

In this outing, Whitney and Buck have just closed on a parcel with an old church and parsonage on the outskirts of Nashville, TN, when a cantankerous neighbor shows up, claiming he owns the property by 'an adverse possession' claim (squatter's rights) he filed years ago. The sheriff is called, documents examined and a standoff is declared until it can all be decided by a judge.

Meanwhile Whitney and Buck look the buildings over and come up with a unique idea--to turn the church and parsonage into a playhouse and eatery! And it's full steam ahead for those two!! Whit contacts a stained glass artist to design some replacement windows for the old church and they are soon delivered. But before they can be installed, the cousins discover a body in the church belfry! The Metro Nashville police are called, the cousins are questioned, and Collin, a homicide detective with the Nashville police who happens to be Whitney's boyfriend, arrives on the scene. They are all flummoxed by the man's murder. Why was he there? Was it a drug deal that went badly?

Later, just as the installation of the windows is about to be completed, the stained glass artist shows up claiming the wrong windows have been delivered and she needs these back. They look right so what the heck is going on? Once the windows are switched, the playhouse project moves forward quickly and smoothly. The cousins involve some talented friends, including Colette, a great chef who is Whitney's best friend and roommate, and whose dream it has been to run a restaurant. She comes up with some great-sounding recipes, three of which are included in the novel. (Yay!)

As far as the investigation goes, Collin becomes rather stymied and allows Whitney to help out by asking a few probing questions. But things get more complicated when she spots another dead body...

This is a pleasant and entertaining cozy mystery with likable characters. The mystery plot is complicated and keeps the reader guessing. I enjoyed the Nashville setting and hearing about places we've visited like the Belle Meade Plantation with its history of successful thoroughbred horse breeding. There is also a winery on site with wine sampling and I can recommend their delicious blackberry wine. (Fortunately they do mail order shipments so it's not necessary to drive back there for more.)

I received an arc of this new cozy mystery via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. What a delight to see that this book is dedicated to her friend, Kerrin Parris, who also happens to be my friend on Goodreads. Cute cover design too.