I love all of Diane Kelly’s books, but the House Flipper series is my favorite. Her sixth entry has Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck working in the Germantown section of Nashville. Their focus is the conversion of an historic firehouse into a single family home but through a chance meeting with a neighbor, they end up working on a nearby townhouse too. As seems to be Whitney’s lot in life, she finds herself involved in a suspicious death. To make her life just a bit more hectic, she and police detective Collin Flynn are planning their wedding. But, seemingly infused with unlimited energy, she manages to investigate the death, find time to spend with her feline Sawdust and finalize the wedding plans. As always, a very enjoyable book. I was lucky enough to read an advance copy on NetGalley but the opinion is my own.

"Four-Alarm Homicide (House Flipper Mystery #6)" by Diane Kelly gives a little bit wedding/wedding prep, a little baby expecting and some house flipping. Whitney and her cousin are renovating an old firehouse into a single family home AND a run down townhouse with lots of people that want it when it's cleaned up. Plus, they have to deal with major sibling rivalry over much and to whom they paid for the townhouse. Then, one of their new friends and neighbors ends up dying in the firehouse in Whitney's arms. In the end it wasn't the how/why that I expected.

Whitney is getting married! She's got to pick a venue, a dress, a cake flavor, and all the other details that come along with getting married and she and Buck have just purchased an abandoned fire station that they're repurposing as a home. When some nearby neighbors come by and ask Whitney and Buck to take a look at a townhouse attached to the woman's home, little do they know the trouble they're getting themselves into.

I actually started this series with book 5. Normally, I don't like reading a series out of order for a lot of reasons but book 5 was so easy to follow and I enjoyed the characters and the setting so much. Still in book 6 I felt the same way, even if it had been my first read in the series I would have enjoyed it just as much. There was some great investigation and although it seemed very clear right from the start how the murder was committed and the culprit was pretty obvious, there were enough red herrings for me not to get irritated with the MC for not seeing it.

Probably my favorite part of the book was Sawdust. He doesn't play a huge role in the story but I love the little chapters that focus on him. He's very sweet and charming and I love how he plays a pivotal role in solving the case.

This is a great series (what I've read of it) and I would recommend it to any cozy fan, even if reading out of order.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Four Alarm Homicide is the 6th book in the House Flipper Mystery by Diane Kelly.
Whitney Whitaker, a carpenter and house flipper along with her cousin Buck are working on renovating a historic fire station when they get involved in another murder mystery.
This book is a wonderful cozy murder mystery that combines humor, romance and suspense.
The author does a great job of creating a charming setting and likable characters.
Fans of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters as well as Sawdust, Whitney’s cat and her much loved friends and family.
Any new readers will easily fall into place and live this book.
I received an advanced copy from St Martins Publishing Group and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Four- Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly is the sixth book in the series. I have read them all and enjoyed them. Whitney and her cousin Buck buy and flip houses. This is an unusual project. It is an old firehouse which they bought to fix it up.
They also find a rundown side of a duplex that they buy to renovate. A fire and murder happen to the owner of the other half. Both Whitney and Buck may have taken on more than they can bargain for.
We get to see Whitney solve the murder and plan her wedding to Homicide Detective Colin Flynn. We also got a few cameos of her cat. All of Diane Kelly’s books have smart animals.
This is a good series. I also highly recommend her series Paw Enforcement.

This is the 6th installment in the House Flipper series. Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are excited to start on a renovation of a historic firehouse when they get a plea from two neighbors to help with a rundown property. The property is part of a duplex townhouse and Joanna (who owns the other half) and Gideon who has a property across the street want them to purchase and fix it up and one of them will purchase once the property is flipped. Well Whitney and Buck take it on and it is nothing but trouble, with many people giving them ideas on how to restore the property, the property getting vandalized and even a deliberate fire being set at the firehouse. They really wonder what they have gotten themselves into. Joanna shows up at the firehouse and collapses and dies it turns into a murder investigation. Whitney even becomes a suspect in the equation, so she has a murder to solve as well as the flips and planning her wedding to Detective Collin Flynn. This was a solid mystery with an unexpected culprit that you don’t see coming which really keeps you engaged in the story. Love this series and all the characters. Looking forward to the next installment. Recommend.

Four Alarm Homicide is the 6th book in the series and continues with the house flipping ( or in this case fire station flipping) adventures of Whitney and Buck.

This book is about doing what's right even when others make things difficult. This is one of the things I love about this series. The main characters are strong genuine people who always try to do what's right.

There were so many red herrings that the murderer really blew my mind and never in a million years would have guessed. The way the story ended was so well done and really wrapped it up wonderfully.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy for my honest review.

Whitney and Buck have just purchased an old firehouse to renovate and flip. A townhouse nearby
has two owners. When approached to look at the townhouse, it appears that the owners of half the
townhouse has died and that half is in need of repair. Whitney and Buck decide to buy the half
townhouse, renovate and flip. However, the heirs to the half they bought are causing problems.
Who is responsible for the fire and vandalism? When the owner of the other half of the townhouse
dies, Whitney is concerned that she may have been murdered.
Interesting characters and suspects,
#FourAlarmHomicide #NetGalley

Whitney and her cousin, Buck, have just begun demo on a historical property in Nashville’s Germantown. It’s a fire station built almost a century ago. How fun!

And right away they are interrupted by Joanna, who lives around the corner. She has a request that is hard for the cousins to turn down. Her side of the townhome is immaculate. The other side is a wreck.

But you know things rarely run smoothly for them. And just as they complete the work, Joanna up and collapses!!

You just know there will be shenanigans with someone!

This is one of the most interesting cozies I read. I love the projects coming together and of course, solving a death or two.


Netgalley/ St. Martin’s Press April 23, 2024

This is book #6 in the House Flipper Mystery Series and the first one that I have read. You don't need to read the other books in the series before this one. I'm going to go back to Book #1 and read this series in order, as I enjoyed it so much!

The house flipper crew always seems to come across a dead body somewhere. Such a great cozy mystery - great plot, lots of red herrings to keep you guessing, lots of suspects in the murder, and the group of characters are enjoyable to get to know.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Tennessee, small-town, small-business, relationships, relatives, renovation, rental-units, wedding-madness, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement, murder, investigations, verbal-humor, families, family-drama, family-dynamics, friends, friendship, arson, vandalism, pet-cat*****

Buck and Whitney are cousins and partners in a property flipping business. While they have had success with their partnership, they have been involved in solving several murders, and Whitney is soon to be married to the local Homicide Detective. This project is to turn an old firehouse into a home but they soon add a nearby townhouse to their agenda. They make friends with some and adversaries with others. Then an elderly lady dies, and it proves to be murder. All this while getting a wedding together! Good read with a learning opportunity to boot!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley. Thank you!
#HouseFlipperMysteryBk6 Pub Date 23 Apr 2024

It was so much fun to read this book! I just love this series, and that this book had a double whammy of a flip, the firehouse, and the left side townhouse. Plus there was all sorts of things going on, between the siblings who inherited the house, and the wedding preparations!

One thing that was interesting to note for me, this is the first book in the series that I've read since I adopted my own cat, Holly, and the first book with a cat's perspective in the book. So that was a lot of fun, though she hasn't kneaded me yet-can't tell if I want her to want to do it or not, since it sounds painful!

Really, those seven co-owners of the house, yeah, they were really frustrating, they were adults, some of them even had grandchildren, but pretty much all of them acted like children themselves, and there were quite a few awful actions that they did!

Oh, but the mystery was pretty sad, given that it's a grandmother who just was told that a second grandchild was coming. That the case was complicated by an unknown cause of death, and all the complications, yeah, this book was such a quick and fast paced, easy to consume read!

It was so much fun reading this book, and I can't wait to see what the future holds!

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

I recently fell in love with Nashville, TN when I visited it last year so I was excited to read a book set in that city.

This is the first House-Flipper Mystery series and I will be going back to read the other books in this series. I fell in love with the main characters Whitney and Buck. I just wish I had read the others in the series before this one just so that I could have more background. I also felt the mystery kept my interest and I felt it was quick read. think anyone who enjoys cozies will enjoy this series. I will be adding it to my cozy list.

Four-Alarm Homicide is the sixth installment in the House-Flipper Mystery series set in the Germantown section of Nashville and featuring Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck. The duo makes an offer on an historic fire house with the intention to renovate the building into a single family home.

Just one day into the renovation they are approached by Joanna Hartzell and Gideon Koppelman, neighbors on the other side of the block. Joanna lives in a townhouse duplex and the other half of the building has been abandoned after the elderly couple who lived in the building passed away. Unfortunately, the couples seven children couldn't come to an agreement on what to do with the property so they have not done any upkeep in years and Joanna is worried that damage and/or mold is soon to make its way to her home. After discussing the legalities involved, Whitney and Buck end up purchasing the townhouse through quitclaim deeds with the intention of renovating and selling to either Joanna or Gideon.

Things seem to be a little fishy in the neighborhood; Joanna's daughter, husband and their daughter live across the street in Gideon's building and there seems to be a little tension between them and Joanna. There is a another couple who seem determined to own the townhouse and as a result keep turning up and letting themselves into the unit uninvited. There are a group of Senior males who like to show up and offer their unsolicited advice on how to go about making the repairs. Plus, the children of the original owner feel that Whitney and Buck stole the property out from under them and various acts of vandalism occur at both the townhouse and firehouse.

When Joanna stumbles into the firehouse, collapses and dies, Whitney finds herself in the middle of another investigation to catch a killer. It seems almost everyone in the Germantown neighborhood has something to hide.

In the midst of renovating and investigating, Whitney is planning her upcoming wedding to Police Detective Collin Flynn. And of course, Sawdust (Whitney's furry feline) is coming to terms with the new man and pets soon to become part of the family.

A great addition to the series - home renovation ideas, delicious recipes, expecting couples, lovable pets and a wedding. Another fun filled afternoon read, that leaves you looking forward to the next adventure with Whitney and Sawdust.

I received an advanced copy of Four-Alarm Homicide from NetGalley via St. Martin's Paperbacks. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

There was a lot of different things going on in this book as Buck and Whitney are rehabbing two places at once. There are many suspects for the misfortunes that happen and the death of one of the people. It was fun to read and quite a surprise at the end as to who was the culprit.

Renovation and sleuthing
I loved this series since the first book. Ms.Kelly has a gift for bringing her characters to life, incorporating family and romance along with intrigue. The cousins are drawn into a murder by the victim herself during a renovation and Whitney is determined to find out how and why. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a great cozy.
I requested and received a NetGalley arc gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

FOUR ALARM FIRE is the sixth book in this charming cozy mystery series, set in Nashville, Tennessee. This time around cousins Whitney and Buck win a bid from the historical society to renovate an old fire station, with plans to turn it into a large family home. They have just started demolition when Joanna, a nearby neighbor, stops in and asks if they would be interested in a rundown townhouse next to her. Buying the property is a hassle as its owned by seven greedy siblings who are at first happy to get anything for the rundown townhouse, but later feel cheated and each come back wanting more money. Someone vandalizes the townhome, and deliberately sets a fire in the firehouse and Whitney suspects its one of the siblings. Joanna and a couple of her neighbors are interested in buying the townhome once its renovated but Whitney promises Joanna first dibs. One day Joanna stumbles into the fire station stumbling and incoherent and dies before the ambulance gets to the hospital. This was a pretty good read with a good plot and lots of suspects. I was very surprised by who the murderer turned out to be. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a good addition to an enjoyable series. The house flipper business crew always seems to find a dead body somewhere. This cozy mystery kept me guessing. Lots of potential culprits. Also time for a wedding. Great venue. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of "Four-Alarm Homicide" in exchange for my honest review.

This is the sixth book in the House-Flipper Mystery series and a wonderful addition by Ms. Kelly. She has once again written a gripping story that kept me turning the pages wanting to know what would happen next.

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck had been the successful bidders on a 1930s era fire station that the historic preservation group sold to them on the promise that they would maintain as much of the exterior as possible when they restored it. Whitney and Buck had decided that they would turn it into a family home. They have a very successful business where they have already turned a motel into a luxury condo, a country church into a live music and theatre venue, a parsonage which is now a restaurant where Buck's wife Colette works.

The duo are approached by Joanna Hartzell and Gideon Koppelman who live around the corner - opposite to each other. The townhouse that Joanna lives in has another townhouse attached to it and it's been sitting derelict for years. Joanna, concerned that there might be mold or water damage that could affect her property as well, ask Whitney and Buck to look over the house and advise. They end up purchasing that house as well to do-over after some not too pleasant negotiations with the grown children of the previous owners.

There is a fire at the fire station that was deliberately set and someone vandalized the townhouse by breaking in. Whitney and Buck are starting to think that these fun flips are turning into frustrations and it only gets worse.

When Joanna wanders into the fire station totally disoriented and is desperate need of medical attention, she collapses and dies on the way to the hospital. Having been complaining about a migraine they think she suffered an aneurysm. But then it begins to look like murder and murder by an obscure method.

Of course, Whitney decides to investigate as there are at least a dozen people who could have benefited from Joanna's death. The actual culprit turns out to be a shock that the reader will not see coming.

Joanna wanted to buy the townhouse next door once it was renovated, but so did Gideon. Joanna's children also wanted her money. Gideon's tenants Samira and D-Jay also have motive because they just assumed that the house would be theirs - even though they can't get a mortgage. They have no boundaries and show up whether they are invited or not. They enter the house without permission assuming they can enter any time they want to. Their behaviour is very suspicious.

When Whitney herself is identified as a suspect, she doubles her efforts to clear her name before her wedding to fiancé police detective Collin Flynn. The story ends on a happy note with friends and family celebrating with the happy couple.

The best part of the story is Sawdust - Whitney's cat. Several of the chapters are written in his view point, giving his thoughts on what he sees Whitney going through. The reader learns about his concerns for Whitney and how he feels about her feelings.

The book also includes 3 recipes that were mentioned in the story. I'm very much looking forward to what Whitney and Buck will flip next. This story once again deserves more than 5 stars!!

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of FOUR-ALARM HOMICIDE (Book 6 of the House Flipper Mystery series) by Diane Kelly in exchange for an honest review. Cousins Whitney and Buck Whitaker have an exciting new project; they’re flipping a historic fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood. During the demolition phase, two locals approach Whitney and Buck about possibly flipping a nearby rundown property. The property has become rundown and is affecting the stability, security, and property values of nearby homes. The cousins are interested enough to sort out the complicated ownership tangle and buy the rights townhouse. Once the cousins own the townhouse, they’re inundated with more drama than they paid for. The previous owners become combative, the neighbors begin to fight over who will buy the property once flipped, and the next-door neighbor dies under mysterious circumstances. Can Whitney find the answers to all of these problems in time?

I like the book and the series. I recommend the book to fans of the series and the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring renovation, construction, family businesses, suspicion, and cute kitties with a knack for murder.