Whitney and her cousin Buck make a living flipping houses. They are trying a new flip: a houseboat. The person in the next boat, Grant, initially seems friendly, but apparently he has a lot of baggage: multiple ex-wives, no job, and a questionable injury he says prevents him from working. There is a terrible explosion at the marina, and Whitney decides to investigate. I really had to suspend disbelief when so many people agreed to talk to her, since she was basically a busybody and not an investigator or in law enforcement. Every time she got some new information, the professionals would look into it; surprisingly, they did not tell her to back off. I did like the house flipper mystery premise and the animals in the book, Sawdust and Jojo. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Always a good read. Diane Kelly is a master at taking a cozy mystery and putting a great twist on them. You never worry that the killer won’t be caught.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Whitney and her cousin are excited about Flipping a house boat. Its their first time that they will be working on a house. Their neighbor is not very well liked and when their is an explosion on his boat, the number of suspects who wanted him dead is very long. This book kept me guessing.

I enjoyed this fun cozy mystery. Likeable characters and a fun mystery through the story. I really enjoyed the mystery, trying to figure out who did it.

This is only the second book I've tried in this series--and I didn't finish the first one I tried. I like this one--I enjoy the fun relationship between cousins/house-flippers Whitney and Buck. And the setting of a houseboat that they're staying on as they refurbish it is a nice change of pace. Dating apps, explosions, multiple confessions, and multiple exes make for a quick-paced book with a satisfying resolution.

But...why the chapters "from" Sawdust, the cat? They're not told from the cat's point of view, and they are *extremely* extraneous and irritating. They add no plot content and feel like the author said, "Ya know, people like cats. Let's give them some cat chapters." They're bizarre and intrusive and knocked this book from 4 stars to 3 stars for me.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read this series before, but I loved the cover and the story description, so I jumped in and so glad I did!

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are house flippers in Nashville. Buck comes across a unique opportunity...flip a houseboat named the Skinny Dipper. Even though they have never done it before they jump right in with the help of Whitney's research and both their outstanding skills. They both live on the boat while they are rehabbing it. They meet their "neighbor" Grant Hardisty who is living on his boat since he is in the middle of a divorce. Grant is in search of his next sugar mama and has several exes as well as ways to make easy money. It's not long before there is an incident and Grant is blown up with his boat. There are no shortage of suspects and actually three confessions to sort through. Whitney finds herself in the middle of her police detective boyfriend's case while trying to finish the work on the skinny dipper and plan the shower and bachelorette party for her best friend and Buck's fiancé.

It's a great mystery with twists and turns and wonderful characters. I had no trouble catching on even though it was my first book of this series. I am definitely going to be looking to read books 1-4 of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher, St Martin's Press for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Whitney and her cousin, Buck, are in the business of flipping houses. Buck finds an old houseboat and they decide to take this on as their next project.
They witness an explosion of a boat that kills someone and Whitney decides to try and discover the murderer.
This book is full of both suspense and a little romance.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and leaving my own review.

Primer and punishment is a new twist to flipping a house, this time its a houseboat. Interesting characters and a murder to follow with lots of twists and motivation to unravel.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Oh, this book was such a pleasure to read! There are times (like when you have the flu) that you just want a cozy mystery, where the guy who dies is an absolute jerk, the gore level is low, you can catch up with favorite characters, and get a little touch of HGTV house flipper as well. I hesitate to use the word uncomplicated, because the mystery actually had me guessing, but this is a well executed pure cozy in a great series. Recommended.

While this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone novel. The characters and setting are realistic and enjoyable, and the mystery is solid. It was fun to sleuth along with the characters. This is the first book I've read about houseboat flippers, so I enjoyed that unique angle.

I have read all the books in the series, and this is very good. Whitney and Buck decide to flip a houseboat which is different for them.
Grant is living on the boat next to them and is killed when the boat blows up. Several people confess and it is up to Whitney to try and help figure out who really did it.
I really enjoyed the book and the mystery. We get to read about all the characters we have met in the series -- I recommend this series and any book by Diane Kelly. – Love the cat’s point of view too!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

I didn't realize at first this was a series...but it was easy to understand and catch up on details! I enjoyed the characters, setting, and the mystery. It was a cozy, quick, read and I'll definitely look into this author more! I haven't read a cozy mystery set on a houseboat/flippers until now!

Whitney and her cousin Buck are house flippers and have taken on the challenge of rehabbing a houseboat for resale. It makes sense for them to live on the houseboat while doing the work.
The neighbor in the adjacent slip is Grant Hardisty who seems like a charming fellow until one learns of his ex-wives and the number of people he's crossed. When the cruiser that Grant lives on explodes and several suspects confess to the murder, Whitney sets out to unmask the real killer.
Fifth in a series, can be read as a stand alone. Fun cozy with likeable characters.
#PrimerAnd Punishment #NetGalley

"I confess. I did it."

Normally Whitney Whitaker's detective boyfriend, Collin, would be happy to have someone confess early on to a crime. This time, however, he has three people claiming they are the guilty party. So, who literally blew up Grant Hardisty, who was living on the boat docked beside their latest rehab project, an old houseboat dubbed the Skinny Dipper? 

With, let's see, six ex-wives, countless people he owed money to, and Grant's using people, there are obviously quite a few suspects. For the record, this one kept me guessing until the end. Let's just say, the red herrings just kept on coming, leaving me uncertain until the big reveal who was really guilty. The plot moved along smoothly, managing to fit in hints and bits about the process of going about the rehab of a boat, such as the specialty paint needed for both the above and below water portions, not to mention the best paint rollers for the job. There's humor, too, another plus.

For me, as intriguing as trying to sort out who blew up Grant's boat to kill him was, it was the sense of family and friends that made this book a winner. Whitney and her cousin Buck work long, physical hours, but still find time(and energy) to spend with those they care about. Heck, the whole book is a build-up, pun intended, to Buck's wedding to Whitney's cousin Collette, with various characters popping in and out to assist with shower and bachelor/bachelorette parties, among other things. Even Sawdust the cat gets to share his views on happenings, among them his unexpected friendship with JoJo the neighbor dog. You'll also get a crash course, of sorts, for a boating license exam, which Buck is understandably not real focused on despite Whitney's frequent oral quizzing. 

Will he pass? Will Whitney's curiosity help solve the investigation of who literally blew Grant to bits? Why so many confessions? Will Sawdust ever forget his unexpected dip into the water? Maybe he will learn to appreciate that cat life jacket, which I thought was a nice, subtle reminder to those who might want to take their pets out on the water with them. 

Bottom line, this one (and the whole series) is a winner. Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for inviting me over to check out the Skinny Dipper. After that ending, I can't wait. Well, maybe I'll try the Mermaid Paradise Punch recipe while I wait.

Tennessee, small-business, relationships, relatives, renovation, restaurant, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, houseboat, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, explosion, verbal-humor*****

The publisher's blurb is an excellent hook!
This time the cousins/business partners tackle renovating a dilapidated houseboat and they (and this reader) learn a lot about all that is involved in the work. They are moored next to a handsome people user who stands out as prime candidate for Murder Victim. The how is amazing and we get to know more about the Fire Service as everyone gets in on the sleuthing. Some astounding plot twists and surprising (!) red herrings for this collection of relatable characters. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley. Thanks!

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This was a really good mystery I enjoyed reading.

Whitney and Buck are expanding their business yet again, this time by flipping a houseboat. Getting to live on the boat while they’re working is a plus, even better is having a place to host the bachelorette and bachelor parties before selling the boat.

With a neighbor that sees to use people, Buck finds himself out of some serious change while the man himself finds himself out of time when is boat is blown to smithereens with him on it. Who wanted the man dead? Scratch that, who didn’t want the man out of their life is a better question. Did Whitney see anything that can help solve whodunit? Or will the killer get by Scott free this time?

Another good entry in this house flipping series. I come for the mysteries, but I also keep coming back for the progression in the life stories of the characters. It’s an enjoyable series with a cute kitty or two..super cozy and a solid mystery each time.

Cousins Whitney and Buck buy a houseboat to rehab. They meet charming and good looking Grant Hardisty who lives in a cabin cruiser in the boat slip next to them. They soon learn maybe he's not as nice as he first seemed, as he borrowed money from Buck. which he never returns. Apparently he has a habit of this as angry ex-wives, Ex girlfriends, and angry friends show up at the boat to confront him. When his boat explodes and several people confess to his murder. Whitney gets involved to find the real murderer. This was a fast paced, fun cozy, with plenty of suspects. I love this series and look forward to reading the next one! ☆☆☆☆☆


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Primer and Punishment is the 5th in the House Flipper series. It takes place in Nashville, Tennessee. Whitney Whitaker is the main character along with her cousin, Buck Whitaker. She and Buck fix up houses to resell. Colette is one of her roommates who owns her own restaurant and Buck's fiancé. Emmalee is her other roommate who works for Colette's assistant manager. Collin Flynn is her boyfriend who is a homicide detective with the Metro Nashville Police Department. Buck tells Whitney that he has found their next project. It is a houseboat called Skinny Dipper. It needs work but she agrees to buy it.

After buying the boat they decide to live on the boat while they work on it. Whitney brings her cat Sawdust as she did not want to leave him at home. They start work on the boat by clearing out the boat, sanding down the furniture, replacing the generator, etc. There is a boat named Sexy Sheila in the slip next to them. A boat pulls up and a man gets off it with fish and boards the boat. A dog named Jojo is in the cabin. He comes back out with the dog and some beers. He asks them if they would like to join him. His name is Grant Hardisty. He tells them that he bought the boat from a friend whose wife was named Sheila. He was a bartender but is not able to work because he hurt his leg. He is living on the boat as he is in the middle of a divorce.

Mick and Sheila come with a check to buy back their boat but he tells them he can't sell it back to them at this time as he is in the middle of a divorce and is living on the boat. Grant's two ex-wives - Jackie and Denna also have a lot to do with the story. This is where the story takes off with lots of things happening which I will leave to the reader as I don't want to spoil it. There is a build up with the death of Grant when the Sexy Sheila blows up with him aboard and finding out who killed him. The ending of the story is Buck and Colette's wedding and Collin giving Whitney a ring,

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next adventure in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.