Although this book is third in a series, I hadn’t read the previous two and followed along just fine.

Innkeeper Misty Murphy is looking forward to hosting resort developer Nigel Goodwin for the income he’ll bring but she’s also apprehensive, suspecting he and his guests might be demanding, and knowing some of the Beech Mountain community does not welcome the scale of development he proposes.

Her fears are realized and surpassed when Goodwin’s frozen corpse is found on her lodge’s property. Finding suspects isn’t hard—several people seemed to despise him—but who had the capacity to murder him in such a gruesome way?

Like many cozy mysteries, the book is half over before the murder occurs, chock full of details about meals, squabbles, budding relationships, etc. This might be considered a flaw, but the setting is so charming and the characters so inoffensive, it was really a welcome respite fro real life worries and the other angsty books I’ve been reading. If you fancy a snowy make believe getaway to a ski resort over the holidays, with a random murder, you’ll like this book. I did. #SnowPlaceforMurder #NetGalley

“Snow Place for Murder” the 3rd instalment in the The Mountain Lodge Mysteries series by Diane Kelly. The weather at the Mountaintop Lodge is truly frightful…

I really enjoyed this instalment, we had Misty’s family and handyman Rocky’s daughter at the lodge for winter break. I liked How the author gave both Misty and her cat Yeti, a voice throughout the story. I also enjoyed the winter vibes as everyone was there to ski Beech Mountain.

The mystery is interesting and had lots of twists which kept me guessing. I had no idea who the killer was till Misty did.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy friends. Can’t wait to read the next instalment.


I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from St.Martin Press and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this addition to the series. It was the perfect read to add to my feelings of loving snow and the upcoming winter season. I just find this series to be so cozy. I love the characters, the setting, everything! The mystery of this one was good, it felt fresh and I didn’t guess the killer. Overall a very enjoyable read.

While this is the third in the Mountain Lodge Mysteries, it is a stand alone novel, with a lot of back story explained (unnecessarily since most of the back story had nothing to do with the current story). This is technically a cozy mystery: there is a death and it is mysterious. I was just so frustrated with so much of this novel that it was distracting, and I was just counting the pages until the end. Misty, the narrator and owner of the lodge, explains things to the reader as if we are stupid and unable to understand anything unless it is explicitly spelled out. There are clichés upon clichés, and the characters are so sophomoric it's ridiculous. For example, Misty's college aged sons behave more like middle schoolers than young adults, constantly rolling their eyes with no patience for mom and her attention. The novel is chock full of unreasonable events as well (why would the deputy investigating a murder call the owner of the lodge to come to a suspect's house before even collecting all of the evidence??). There are too many random tangent lectures too - I feel like the book would have been too short had we not had so many of these useless side stories/lectures/comments. And while I am a cat lover, I don't understand the value of adding in a couple of chapters from the cat's perspective. We didn't learn anything new or get any new insight from the cat...maybe just added pages to an otherwise short story....?

While I didn't enjoy this novel, I am super grateful for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks!!

Dollycas's Thoughts

The Mountaintop Lodge in North Carolina is fully booked the week before Christmas. Nigel Gorden wants to develop a resort nearby and has invited a group of wealthy American investors to give them his pitch and a skiing vacation.

The new resort proposed is getting mixed feedback from the local community. A group against the proposal had come to Misty Murphy's lodge to voice their opinions but it didn't go well and she had to call in the police to clear them out.

Later, a blizzard blows in dumping fresh powder on the mountain.  When handyman Rocky Crowder clears the snow from the lodge's drive and parking lot he makes a sledding hill for everyone to enjoy, including Misty's sons who are helping at the lodge during their holiday break. They are excited to try it out and they make an interesting discovery, a weird rock that isn't really a rock. When Misty realizes what it is, she and Rocky rush to the hill and start digging. They find international resort developer Nigel Goodwin's dead frozen body.

Who would resort to murder to stop the developer and why? Misty may have a killer on the premises so she needs to help the police ice them out before they strike again or getaway with murder.

______

I love that this story takes place at Christmas time because it brings Misty's and Rocky's children and Misty's ex too, to the lodge. Jack and Misty have a very amicable divorce. They are truly friends and always put their college-age sons, J.J. and Mitch, first. Rocky's daughter Pebble arrives early and takes a job at the diner across the parking lot. His other two daughters, his son-in-law, and granddaughter arrive on Christmas day.  Brynn, Misty's friend and right-hand woman was away for the holidays but diner owner Patty was as busy as ever. She and her truck driver husband did share New Year's Eve with Misty and Rocky.  Ms. Kelly makes it so easy to get invested in her characters. The comfortable relationships between everyone are so heartwarming. I like the way the author is letting Misty and Rocky's relationship slowly evolve.

There were plenty of suspects to work through regarding Nigel's death. Was it one of his guests? or someone local trying to stop the resort? The author throws in many twists and turns and the actual motive was surprising. I really enjoy that Misty works with the police. She keeps her ears and eyes open, asks a few questions here and there, and reports back to Deputy Highcloud everything she learns. She does get involved at the end and she and Rocky are present for the exciting arrest.

Ms. Kelly sets each scene so well. This being the third book in the series I have a clear picture of the lodge, the diner, and the nearby surroundings. It is easy to feel you are right there in the moment wherever the characters go. The blizzard had me shivering.  The weather in the mountains is similar to what we have here.  After enduring Wisconsin winters my whole life I felt for everyone that had to go out in it for any reason.

I love that Misty's cat, Yeti gets to have her own moments. Short little chapters from her point of view about what the "ridiculous creatures" i.e. crazy humans are doing or not doing.

Snow Place for Murder is a wonderful addition to this series. A little fictional vacay to Beech Mountain and the Mountaintop Lodge for the holidays was pretty delightful sans the murder of course.

I have enjoyed every book in this series. The mystery is contained in each book so they all can be read on their own but I recommend reading them all in order for maximum enjoyment.

This is a new to me author and I found the book to be engaging. I will look for more books in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

When an resort developer rents out Misty's inn for his investors for a whole week, she can't turn down the opportunity, even if she has reservations about the development herself. But when the developer turns up dead on her property, Misty is right in the thick of things, and helps the police by reporting her observations and theories. Everyone's a suspect, whether it be the potential investors staying at the lodge, the developer's wife, or the townspeople up in arms against the project.

I've been enjoying this series from its first book, and this one is no exception. With plenty of additional holiday cheer, and Misty's sons working at the lodge during their winter break, there's some fun new elements that this one brings to the table. The discovery of the body could have happened a bit sooner in the story for my taste (I'm still not sure why the book started before Thanksgiving, rather than jumping to the developer's arrival), but the method by which it was discovered had me on my toes. It was a well-crafted mystery through-and-through.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

I quite enjoyed the first two books in this series, which features a middle-aged (50) woman, Misty, who has purchased and is running a small inn in the mountains of North Carolina. This one fell a little flat for me for some reason. The mystery was a good one - an international resort developer has convened a group of wealthy potential investors and is pitching them on his plans to develop a large tract of land near Misty’s inn, where they are all staying. The timeframe is from Thanksgiving to right before Christmas, with most of the book taking place mid-December. There’s a lot of snow in the mountains, making it great weather for snowboarding and skiing at the local ski area. When the developer turns up dead (frozen!) outside the inn, Misty gets involved. There were a lot of potential suspects, including some locals who were very upset at the idea of the future resort development. Because of the group of potential investors, there were a lot of characters to try to keep track of.

Perhaps I was just a bit tired of Misty being so nosy and doing so much snooping around her inn’s guests private rooms and eavesdropping on their private conversations, along with her constant conjectures about possible motives of her various guests. (Most of the book is told from Misty’s first-person point of view.) The beginning was slow and the murder didn’t occur till quite a ways into the book. I did enjoy Misty’s relationship with her two college-age sons, who were at the inn to help out during their winter break while Brynn, the regular housekeeper, was away on vacation. They were funny and were also hard-working.

There are some very short chapters that describe what Yeti, Misty’s cat, is doing and thinking, which is a fun touch, but didn’t contribute anything toward the story, so could easily be skipped.

On the positive side, cozy mysteries often have the main character doing something dumb or dangerous. I am SO happy that these books do NOT have the main character doing anything like that! It’s also great that Misty works with the local police, assisting them in an appropriate way, and the books don’t make them out to be stupid..

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I was a bit late to it. I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, Holly Adams, did a good job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.

A Snow Place for Murder is the 3rd book in the series set at a Lodge in the mountains of North Carolina. We follow Misty the lodge owner and sometimes her cat, Yeti as they navigate dealing with guests and their own personal lives. Misty is hosting a group on behalf of Nigel Goodwin, who is bringing together potential investors for his own luxury resort he wants to open in the area. There are many locals opposed to the new resort and a few of the the investors seem difficult as well. Misty begins to wonder if she should have hosted this retreat to begin with.
Those concerns worsen when there's a tragedy and once again he lodge is wrapped up in a suspicious death.

There are some light moments involving Misty and Rocky and their kids visiting for the holidays/winter break. A bit of romance and some exciting action.

I have enjoyed every book in this series and I can't wait for the next one!

This is a cozy set in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.
Misty own a lodge near the resort and is hosting a developer and potential investors for a week. their stay is not welcomed by the locals and trouble quickly ensues.
With a homicide and everyone suspects the plot moves quickly with the help of Misty.
This is a fun snow day read.

Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly
Mountain Lodge Mystery #3. Cozy mystery style. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Misty Murphy owns a small inn on a Beech Mountain adjacent to a small ski resort. She has booked a group of guests, paid for by resort developer Nigel Goodwin. He proposes to build a huge resort on undeveloped property on the same mountain. As the inn fills, Misty hears talk of protests, complaints about other resorts that Nigel owns, and concerns about crowds of people where there used to be wilderness and quiet. Snow piles up outside and Nigel turns up dead. Suspicious of everyone, Misty stars putting the puzzle pieces together to figure out who might have killed him.

Clever and entertaining. Misty does sleuthing via the internet and pretty much defines how he was murdered before the police autopsy results are returned. Misty’s family and friends add color and background as well as a few amusing chapters for the family cat’s POV. Overall an amusing cozy and a mountaintop I would visit again from my comfy armchair.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Misty Murphy is looking forward to having her boys home for winter break and the holiday season. When Nigel Goodwin shows up in town having bought the Mountaintop Lodge the locals aren't to happy. He wants to turn it into an exclusive resort for the rich. While out on the slopes Misty's boys come across the dead body of one Nigel Goodwin. Who killed the man and did it have anything to do with the purchase of the lodge? Follow along as Misty tries to figure out who the killer is before anything else bad happens in her beloved town.

Snow Place for Murder is the third book in Diane Kelly's Mountain Lodge mystery series. I love the characters in the story and with it being a lodge setting, you new characters added in each book as well. Most of the chapters are from the main character's (Misty) point of view, but I really love the short, sometimes one page chapters from Yeti's (Misty's cat) point of view. I also enjoy how the books go from season to season. The author describes the area so well, it's almost like being there. Truly an enjoyable read.

Snow Place for Murder is the third installment in Diane Kelly’s Mountain Lodge mysteries. The series features Misty Murphy, a divorced single parent of two boys, who purchased an old mountain lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her divorce settlement. If you are a cosy reader who prefers to read books taking place during the same season you are in, Snow Place for Murder is the perfect book to read now as it takes place over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although it is the third book in the series, it is not necessary to read the first two books beforehand as Kelly spends a lot of time up front introducing you to the main characters and to the Mountain Lodge where the action takes place. The pace really picks up with the arrival of Nigel Goodwin, a real estate developer, and the guests he invited to the lodge as potential investors. The resort project he is planning is opposed by many locals and environmentalists. After confrontational meetings with the investors and local protestors, Goodwin goes skiing only to be found frozen to death outside the Mountain Lodge. After setting the table, the bulk of the novel is spent trying to figure out who did it and why. The plotting is excellent, and I did not lose interest since there are so many suspects with motives. The ending is unexpected and does not disappoint. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of the book.

Misty, Rocky, and Yeti have their hands full when a group of investors book the lodge for a week. Before the week
is over, the CEO of Adventure Capitol would have to handle local protesters and trespassers. But when he is found dead, outside under a pile of snow, questions rise. But it is the manner of his death that has Misty and the local police buzzing around. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

Cozy wintery mystery set inside a mountain lodge. This series doesn't blow me away, but it is really pleasant when I need a comfort read and this book was no exception. I enjoy the brief vignettes narrated by the cat.

A murder mystery and a beautiful mountain lodge - what a great combination for a book. Set in the mountains of North Carolina, the author describes the beauty and feel of being right in the lodge. Pristine snow falls, spending time by a fireplace and trying to keep a lodge running are all parts of this story.

Resort developer Nigel Goodwin has booked the lodge so he can pitch his new resort to investors. Misty Murphy is very grateful for the booking until a group of locals come into the first meeting protesting his idea. The next thing you know, Nigel is as cold as a popsicle and just as dead.

Lots of well developed characters such as Rocky, the handyman, Misty's two sons, JJ and Mitch, the diner's owner and best friend of Misty and several others add interest and reality to the story. Of course, the bottom line is "who dun it" and that may surprise you.

This is the 3rd book in the series and I wish I had read the first two before I read this one but it was a perfect stand-alone story so I had no trouble following along.

This is a great cozy mystery that I read in one setting. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. It's well written and has just the right amount of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. It's a great addition to the Mountain Lodge Mystery series.
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.

I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed the characters and the story. There was enough to the mystery to hold my interest. If you are looking for a nice escape, this is a great book to read and I will be looking for more books by this author!

This is the third book in the Mountaintop Lodge Mystery series, but the first for me, as well as the first with this author. That said, there were no issues with jumping in the middle of the series, which was helpful.

The story was well written with good pacing and nicely developed characters. I enjoyed the flow of things and wasn't sure about who might be the murderer until late in the story, which is always nice for building anticipation. It did get a little character heavy at times, but that was just a minor issue for me. I also didn't see the value of having chapters from the POV of the cat, felt like unnecessary filler. Overall a fun and fast read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.