"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have."

This is the third book in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. The lodge is a wonderful place to go and enjoy nature all around.
Having spent some time in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina a few months back, I could picture the fall color and snow all around those winding roads. Some are really scary.
Well, that lovely nature may be gone soon if International resort developer Nigel Goodwin gets his wealthy investors to kick in money.
Misty's two sons are home for the holidays. While sledding the boys find an unusual looking rock. From there chaos has begun.
Southern food, small town, friends, ski season, plot twists, plenty of suspects will keep you captivated as the mystery unfolds.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

This series just keeps getting better! Rocky and Misty are getting closer and this time their kids are up for the holidays. The way the victim was found made me shiver and I had no clue "who dun it" until it was revealed. I'd love the idea of going away to a resort like this, unfortunately for me I don't ski or snowboard. I'd still go for a relaxing weekend though, especially now that Misty put a hot tub in! Great read and hope the series continues, I love going back to visit Misty.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Diane Kelly has always been a favorite author of mine; her writing is witty and her characters are fun and relatable. I love the setting of the North Carolina mountains and Misty is the perfect alternative to the 20-something sleuth – she’s grounded, responsible (so far, her cell phone has always been charged and actually goes to work), and doesn’t have any TSTL moments. This mystery was well-paced and plotted and kept me guessing. The introduction of Misty’s family (ex and kids) took up the first part of the book and was a nice surprise. I usually like the murder to be the focus from the get-go but I liked how these characters were integrated into the story. I recommend this series for those who love mysteries but want a slightly older sleuth.

Becoming a favourite series, rating 4.5 rounding down.

After her amicable divorce, Misty Murphy threw caution to the wind and bought a mountain lodge in North Carolina. Since then her life has been happier doing what she loves, where she loves and making new friends. If only there had even a stream of unexplained death. When an international investor dies during the week he had bought out her lodge to do an investment pitch for a new resort to be built nearby. There who shortage of viable suspects from locals irate about the damages to wildlife and potential other issues of locals in the community. Of course, there's also a lodgeful of other suspects. Misty while being naturally curious does not overstep into illegal acts like many other cosy lead characters which I really appreciate. Beyond the mystery, the novel is peopled with an excellent set of secondary characters that make this series so enjoyable.

This is my first time reading a book by this author. I will be looking for more from her.
In Snow Place for Murder we learn Misty has bought a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She has some guests and is expecting her college age sons and her ex-husband for Thanksgiving. They arrive safely and celebrate with Misty's handyman, Rocky, and his daughter. Pebble. All goes well and plans are made to get together again for Christmas. Ski season is going well and Misty has a full lodge with a developer and possible investors. Many of the locals oppose the new development that is planned. When a possible murder occurs Misty is in the midst of the investigation. Will it be proven to be murder or just a tragic accident?
This story kept me engaged from page one. The ending is a bit of a surprise. I highly recommend this book.
I received an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Diane Kelly brings plenty of mystery, atmosphere, and conflict to the third book in her Mountain Lodge cozy mystery series, Snow Place for Murder . It features 50-year-old Misty Murphy who has recently signed her divorce papers and purchased a mountain lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwestern North Carolina. International resort developer Nigel Goodwin has reserved her lodge for several days. He plans to pitch a new resort to several wealthy investors. The resort will be built on land he has purchased locally. Rocky Crowder is the lodge’s handyman and he does freelance work as well.

However, several locals are against the proposed resort and several of the investors have secrets. Then a blizzard hits the area. Misty’s sons, JJ and Mitch, are home for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. When the boys find a funny looking rock while sledding at the lodge, chaos ensues.

The story is mainly told from Misty’s point of view, but there are a few chapters interspersed with thoughts from her cat, Baroness Blizzard, also known as Yeti. While Yeti’s chapters aren’t necessary, they provide some humor and I enjoyed them. Misty is independent, hardworking, resourceful, organized, listens to what is going on around her, inquisitive, and good with people. She is also supportive of others and has a natural curiosity. Rocky is reliable, hardworking, and fun. Nigel is charming, manipulative, clever, and cunning. The investor guests and other secondary characters are a mixed group of personalities with secrets to lend a sense of realism.

The setting was perfect for this novel and Ms. Kelly does a great job of transporting readers to the mountains of North Carolina. The winding roads, the fall color, the early blizzard, and even the southern foods were authentic. There are several plot twists along the way along with plenty of suspects. The dialogue and pacing were on target. The characters and humor enhance it with relatable characters like Misty and Rocky, some obnoxious ones, and a bit of everything else in between. I also liked the fact that Misty worked with the police rather than hiding her sleuthing activities. However, it seemed like the deputy shared more information with her than he should.

I was immediately drawn into Misty’s life and enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and the development of friendships. The story captivated me from the beginning with a good plot, great world-building details, and characters that are emotionally rich. The author weaves another story involving family, friends, grief, murder, greed, wildlife protection, and holiday celebrations that keeps you entertained throughout the book. Relationships drive the narrative and keep it compelling.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which was suspenseful, engaging, and atmospheric. In the books I have read by this author, I had a connection with the writing style that I found relatable, vivid, and irresistible. I can’t wait to find out what happens during the next book in the series. I recommend this to those that like cozy mysteries with a more mature main character.

St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Paperbacks and Diane Kelly provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for October 24, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

The third entry in this cozy series sees innkeeper Misty hosting a contentious gathering of potential investors into a proposed resort. She and her colleagues become involved again when the gathering ends in a suspicious death just before Christmas. This entry is well-written and plotted. Misty’s involvement feels realistic and understandable, unlike some other amateur sleuth mysteries where the main character ends up acting in place of the police in ways that feel forced. My only quibble is that I didn’t feel like there was much done with developments in Misty’s personal life or much developing of some recurring characters. Still, it’s a mother solid entry in an enjoyable series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, this was another really enjoyable cozy mystery! That it's cold enough that parts of a human body can freeze and be broken off...yeah, that's winter! And of course, the surrounding holidays just add that extra element of cozy, espcailly since her sons are there.

This particular case, well, it as interesting, because technically, Mr. Goodwin could be a competition to her, since it'd be a resort. But his would be more on the high end side, whereas Misty's is more rustic. But on top of that, he made a lot of people upset!

Besides the case, there were all the personal moments, with her sons there, and Rocky and his family. It was great to have these moments, light moments, when they've been surrounded by a lot of death. I just adore these characters!

Honestly, I can understand why the guy was murdered. The various reasons why people were suspects, why they had beef with him, pretty much all of them were from his own actions. So I understand why, but it was still great to see the perpetrator caught!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait for whatever is next!

This book had me laughing at the most inappropriate moments. Diane Kelly takes us back to the Mountaintop Lodge and the wonderfully quirky group that keep it running. Fun, family and a murder that will keep you guessing what else could you want?

Pub date: 10/24/23
Genre: cozy mystery
Series: Mountain Lodge mysteries, book 3
Do I need to read book 1 first? This one works as a standalone, so you can read in any order.
Quick summary: The week before Christmas, Misty's Mountaintop Lodge is filled with potential investors for a planned resort. It's all snow and games until the developer ends up frozen outside.

I love that this series takes readers to the beautiful mountains of NC - I read most of it on my own mountain vacation! Misty continues to be a great amateur sleuth, and I enjoyed seeing her and handyman Rocky grow closer. Their three kids (Misty's twin boys and Rocky's daughter), as well as Misty's ex, play a bigger role in this story, making it feel like a fun family Christmas. I enjoyed the mystery's twists and turns - there were plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep me guessing. Book 2 in the series is still my fave, but I'm eagerly awaiting book 4!

Thank you to St. Martin's Paperbacks for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A chilling whodunnit in Snow Place for Murder!
A thrilling winter mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. Set in a picturesque but isolated town near the mountains of North Carolina, the murder mystery takes you on a journey through a snow covered landscape filled with secrets, suspects and surprises.
The story begins of a body buried in the snow and from there the tension steadily builds.
The author does an excellent job of creating a sense of isolation and claustrophobia, making you feel you are right there.
Snow place for murder is a gripping winter mystery that offers an atmospheric setting.

I received an advanced copy from St Martins Publishing Group and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a fun murder mystery. I really liked the characters. Misty and family and friends are wonderful. I enjoyed following the clues. It was an entertaining day of reading. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is an interesting story of an inn keeper in the mountains. She rents out her entire lodge to a group of investors. When the main presenter is found dead in a mound of snow in her parking lot, the hunt is on for the killer. The characters were likable and relatable. The action seemed to drag in places, but that could be my perspective. The ending was well done and fully explained. This is a good, clean book. Little to no romance.

A developer books Misty’s lodge to pitch development of a resort complex on Beech Mountain to investors. Of course the development isn’t popular with all of the locals and they show up at Misty’s to complain. When the developer’s body turns up there are plenty of suspects. Overall I enjoyed the story but I felt that the beginning of the book moved too slowly. However, once the murder occurred the pace of the story picked up.

International resort developer Nigel Goodwin has traveled all the way from London, England to Misty Murphy’s little corner of North Carolina and bought out the Mountaintop Lodge for the week prior to Christmas. Their intention? To pitch an exclusive new resort concept to wealthy American investors. Nigel is dead but did someone kill him or did he freeze to death? It is a mystery that the new lodge owner is determined to solve.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This is a delightful series featuring a mountain lodge and a wonderful cast of characters. This third in series is a fun read with a well crafted sleuth. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.
my review opinions are my own.

Misty owns The Lodge and has a visit by investors for planning a new resort. Some are opposed to the new resort. When one investor is murdered the investiagation takes a dark turn among the fellow guests. This is much like Agatha Christie in that the author created a atmospheric setting in a snowstorm and a mysterious death with many suspects. I loved the sleuth that kept me guessing to conclusion. Well done to the author. I look forward to the next in series.

Another good addition to the series! I am still feeling like I don't need the cat's point of view, especially since it's not giving me any additional info, but the mysteries are always very solid with lots of good characters and red herrings. I am also really enjoying that the circle of friends and family has been slowly widening so that we get more info, but not all at once.

I always look forward to a new Mountain Lodge Mystery! I love Misty and her Mountaintop Lodge. New guests are always arriving, and they bring murder with them into this beautiful North Carolina mountains setting. Misty's smart, sensible, loyal, hard-working, and has a strong sense of justice.

The way the victim is discovered in this book adds a bit of unexpected gruesomeness--and I like it! It's also fun to see more of Misty's sons and to meet Rocky's daughter. The relationships of Misty with her family and now neighbors feels authentic and really adds to the story. The idea that a lodge owner could decide, on the spur of the moment, to spend an "extra $18,000" on a hot tub feels like a rare misstep. It's a tiny thing, but usually the work part of Misty's life feels very real--without overtaking the story.

My only continuing gripe about this series is the inclusion of "Yeti" chapters. They feel totally unnecessary and are a distraction. Other than that, take me back to the Mountaintop Lodge, please!

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

This is the third book in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series and the first book that I have read. It did work well as a stand alone book. Misty is the owner of the Mountain Top Lodge. After Nigel, a slick investor, is found murdered after using the lodge to pitch a new resort to potential investors Misty uses her sleuthing skills to help the police catch the murderer before anyone else can get hurt. This was a fun, fast read that kept me guessing the entire time.

5/5 stars: This is the third B&B Cozy Mystery in the Kelly's Mountain Lodge Mystery series and it doesn't dissapoint. Kelly's a longtime favorite author and their characters as always are incredibly likable. It was a joy to catch up with Misty, Rocky and folks of Beech Mountain. Kelly perfectly captures the snowy wonder of a small mountain town. Most importantly, Kelly deftly balances the clues, red herrings and suspects in such a way to keep you guessing the whodunit until the final reveal. Oh and I love how Kelly includes chapters in Misty's cat, Baroness Blizzard AKA Yeti's POV. And while Molasses, Rocky’s Bernese mountain dog, doesn't have a POV he's adorable. To begin this series from the start, pick up Getaway With Murder.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.