I'm enjoying this series. I like the characters and the mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

You can always count on Whitney and her cousin to be involved in a unique real estate flip. This time they are renovating a headmaster's Victorian home into a quaint inn. However, after Whitney found a couple of strange things in the home, she became involved in investigating a decades old murder/suicide case.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story as well as the setting. The details were interesting too. I did suspect the true guilty person midway through the story, but that did not make the story any less enjoyable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book, Whitney is unique for a cozy heroine and her perspective is very different. I could practically feel as she walked through the former headmaster's house its history and grace drawing her in. The former home is beautifully described and I enjoyed a personal chuckle when she talked about adding energy efficient windows (as I work for a window company.) It was fun to imagine through the eyes of a carpenter the rooms brought back to their original splendor. While the house plays a huge role in the story, like every cozy family beats at the heart of the story. In fact, this story opens with a blessed family event and closes with a happy family ending.
Of course, we also have a sprinkle in a mystery which takes us back to the house that lay trapped in the time of a murder suicide inside the house. It seemed almost too perfect that on her first foray to the house she found a bullet trapped in a post. Something she may not have noticed as others did not but for her knowledge of woodworking and home renovating. It was like the home itself told her where to look.
Even through the case is 40 years old, Whitney has a done of old records to track down students and staff who might remember something important. I had a teeny problem with that as it seems almost impossible to believe a school closed up and left all those confidential records for anyone to find. Of course, I guess that was necessary to move the story forward so you simply have to enjoy the book and not read too much into it.
Admittedly, I did something I am becoming really good at and jumped into this series well in the middle. However, that lends me a unique perspective because I don't have a lot of back story on the characters but I still enjoyed it. My only complaint is that sometimes the book spent more time on explanation and telling us what happened than inviting us to join in the action. That might be what caused me to drop the book by one star but it is worth reading and worth jumping back and reading other stories.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Dead Post Society is book seven in the House-Flipper Mysteries and probably best read in the series for background on the main characters Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck buy properties and then sell them for a profit. In this latest book, Buck is a new dad so Whitney is working with her uncle temporarily to renovate an old boarding school into a retirement community. Whitney is taking a chance on the old headmasters even though it was the sight of a murder suicide. While doing the renovations, Whitney uncovers evidence that maybe it wasn’t a murder-suicide and a murderer has been running loose for over forty years. Diving headlong into the case, Whitney hunts down witnesses and suspects from the old boarding school and runs headlong into danger in a cozy whodunnit that keeps you guessing until the end. The characters are like old friends that you love visiting with from book to book. The mysteries always have an element of surprise that you’ll never see coming for a nice cozy series that will have you coming back for more. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based off a review copy from NetGalley.

I love this series: it's like the perfect combination of binge-watching HGTV and Murder She Wrote all at once. In this episode, Whitney and her cousin are renovating an old school and, of course, people died there 30 years ago. Whitney is on to the case!

I will say that this book felt more leisurely than past ones. There are often long gaps of months in between scenes and a fair amount of telling, not showing, which kind of annoyed me. However, I think that this was to advance Whitney's personal life story, so I'm waiting for the next one with bated breath!

Whitney Whitaker, now nearing her first anniversary with Collin Flynn, is working with her cousin and uncle on turning a former boarding school into a retirement community. Whitney is interested in restoring the old Victorian that was the home of the headmaster, but first she has to solve a mystery.

It was March 1982 when the headmaster presumably murdered his wife and himself. The case has never been closed. The former investigator had some questions. Whitney, who found a bullet buried in one of the porch posts, has questions too.

Since the school closed abruptly that May, Whitney has all sorts of paperwork from the office which includes student disciplinary reports, staff evaluations, and minutes of board and faculty meetings. And, even though forty plus years have passed, they allow her to track down former students and staff to see if she can find out what really happened.

It was murder, and the murderer would really like the case to remain unsolved.

I enjoyed this seventh book in the house-flipper series.

Thank you for Net galley for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

Dead Post Society is the 7th book in the House Flipper Series by Diane Kelly.

Whitney Flynn and her uncle and cousin are restoring an old prep school that has long been shut down. Along with it is an old Victorian house that belonged to the school's headmaster. Whitney discovered a bullet in a post of the house. She also learns that there was a murder-suicide that happened in the house. Because she found the bullet, she wonders if it really was a murder-suicide.
She starts asking questions before she can fully immerse herself in fixing up the house. She knows this is a cold case and cannot reopen it unless she finds new evidence. I won't give away too much but she uncovers more than just a murder. Lots of things happen at this school.

I love this series. Whitney is a carpenter and doesn't mind getting dirty to do her job and she's smart. I love that her cat, Sawdust has a few chapter of his own.

This cozy mystery is a fun read and keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens.
This book releases on April 1, 2025. I highly recommend this book.

Dead Post Society was a nice cozy mystery. I enjoyed the poems at the beginning of each chapter to complement the play on words of the title. Whitney finds an old Victorian house on the site of the family’s current construction job. She discovers a murder suicide had taken place fourth years earlier, finds new clues, and sets out to solve the case.

5/5 stars: This is the seventh entry in Kelly's House-Flipper Mystery series, which is a DIY Cozy Mystery that follows a carpenter who works with her cousin flipping residential and commercial properties as she turns sleuth to investigate the decades old cold case murder of a boarding school headmaster and his wife who were killed in her newest project a beautiful abandoned Victorian. But she'll soon find that someone's determined to keep the secrets of the past silent and she'll have to work fast before they bury her once and for all. With plenty of twists and turns, Kelly has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Kelly's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It was a joy to catch up with Whitney, her cousin Buck and her friends and family. And I love seeing Whitney and Collin, a homicide detective, settling into their marriage. Oh and I love the unique addition of the chapters in Whitney's cat, Sawdust, POV. And of course Collins's cats, Copernicus & Galileo, are adorable too. But wait, you'll for sure want to try out the absolutely delicious recipe that's included. Kelly touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and check the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Dead as a Door Knocker. Kelly's a longtime favorite author and this newest book doesn't disappoint; Highly recommend!

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

Dead Post Society, the seventh book in the House-Flipper mystery series by Diane Kelly, centres around a complex cold case that has caught the unrelenting attention of carpenter Whitney Whitaker. When working to turn an old Victorian home into a B&B, Whitney finds a bullet in an outdoor post and a corresponding hole in the wall inside, bringing into doubt the accepted narrative that the tragedy of years ago was actually a murder/suicide.
Whitney, with some help from the local police, is on the case, with a number of complex clues and various viable suspects that keep the reader turning the page to the very end. Throw in snippets from her cat's point of view and in depth descriptions of the renovations being undertaken, as well as police procedures, and this cozy is as entertaining as it is fascinating.
Literary references at the beginning of each chapter will appeal to the bookish among readers.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #DeadPostSociety. I look forward to the next installation.

Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly (House Flipper Mystery #7) 4.5 stars

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are helping in the renovation of a property. Once a private boarding school, the new owner wishes to remake it into an exclusive retirement community. Within the property is the a headmaster’s house that has a tragic history, a murder-suicide of the previous headmaster. Whitney and Buck take on this project to turn that once blighted home and turn it into a bed and breakfast. In the process, Whitney discovers new evidence that may point away from murder-suicide scenario and move it towards homicide.

A very fun read, with Whitney tracking her way towards the classic: motive, means and opportunity. A very capable sleuth, Whitney seems to channeling her new husband detective skills in this outing. I look forward to the next House Flipper Mystery.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.

Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly is the next in the House-Flipper series. When Whitney and her cousin Buck find an old Victorian house with a double murder history, they decide to buy it and renovate to a B and B. Whitney finds a bullet in the porch post and after turning it into the sheriff's department, she decides to dig into the murders and gets herself in trouble again. This series has believable characters and good mysteries and is a nice addition to your cozy list.

Dead Post Society the 7th instalment in the House Flipper Mysteries series by Diane Kelly. The characters of Whitney, Sawdust (cat), Buck, Collin and Collette are ones I have really come to love. I also enjoy the setting of Nashville, Tennessee. I like how the series continues to alternate chapters narrated by Whitney and her cat Sawdust.

This time around they are flipping an old Victorian which was the scene of two suspicious deaths. Can Whitney and Buck exorcise the structure’s demons, solve the cold case, and give the building new life? Or will ghosts from the past seek to silence them forever?

The mystery is interesting and had lots of twists which kept me guessing. I did suspect who the killer was just before Whitney did.

I highly recommend to all my cozy mystery loving friends.



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

This is a series I generally enjoy. Whitney and her cousin Buck are fun main characters, and the house-flipping and carpentry are always a cool background. However. In this book, I'm really missing the house-flipping and carpentry portion of things. In fact, the author sets it up so that the reno and resale of the house *can't* be done until the mystery is solved. IMO, that removes a fun world-building element, and I'm disappointed in that. I also find Whitney making uncharacteristically dumb decisions, and the final confrontation feels...unsatisfying to me.

The mystery itself, though, is well-plotted and enjoyable. There's some humor (the beauty treatments!), a total psycho, and nice relationship stuff too. I'd give this one 3-1/2 stars.

I enjoyed this one, but it wasn’t as good as the others in this series have been. It seemed like it took place over a much longer period of time than the others, with very little renovation work compared to the others, and not enough from Sawdust. But overall, it was a good story and I’ll still look forward to reading the next one.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read "Dead Post Society" in exchange for my honest review.

This was the seventh book in the House-Flipper Mystery series. Diane Kelly's books are always well written and full of interesting characters. Whitney Whitaker Flynn, her cousins Buck and Owen, along with Uncle Roger are renovating the Ridgetop Preparatory Academy building. This was an old boarding school that closed in the 1980s. When Whitney explores the old Victorian house that used to belong to the school's Headmaster she finds that all the windows are blocked by bookcases or heavy furniture. Was Mr. Finster trying to keep someone in or out of the house? When she finds a bullet in the porch post she realizes that she has stumbled upon a historic murder case or was it murder/suicide?

There are many suspects because there seemed to be a lot of troubled students at the school. Of course, Whitney jumps to a few wrong conclusions along the way as she works her way down her suspect list. Her husband Collin feels that his wife can't stop sticking her nose into other people's business. Whitney usually forgets that she's a carpenter and not an investigator for the police department. Before she figures out what really happened at the school she places herself and her family, not to mention Sawdust into grave danger.

This was an interesting mystery for Whitney. While she and Buck are helping their uncle on a huge project, turning an old boarding school into a senior living community, they buy the old Victorian that was the headmaster home but is not part of the project. Whitney is drawn into the tragedy of the old home that was deserted when it was said that the headmaster killed his wife and then committed suicide. As they start doing rehab on the house, Whitney finds a few things that point to the fact that maybe it wasn't a murder suicide after all. The detective she contacts, since it has been 40 years, the original has passed, says he will investigate if she can find more. Whitney being Whitney, she is all in. While this was an interesting mystery, there are a couple of things that were off for me. I could really not understand why Whitney was so invested in something so remote and to which she actually has no ties. She went way above and beyond, and it was odd without any real connection. The second thing was the poetry before each chapter, I enjoyed a quote to start a chapter, but this was a little overkill. Thanks to #Netgally, #Minotaur, and the author for a chance to read. #DeadPostSociety #HouseFlipperMysteries #DianeKelly #bookreviews #bookideas #retiredreader

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my copy of Dead Post Society, book #7 in Diane Kelly's house flipper series. It was especially fun to meet Diane Kelly at a conference and hear her talk about her work while I was reading this. I have read several of her other books so was familiar with the major characters.
Whitney, the first-person protagonist, is working on a construction project with her Uncle Roger and partner Cousin Buck to renovate a prep school into a retirement complex for seniors. The school closed its doors in the 1980s after the headmaster supposedly killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself.
Adjacent to the school is a dilapidated Victorian mansion that once housed the headmaster and his wife. Whitney proposes saving the old house from the wrecking ball and turning it into a Bed and Breakfast. Once she begins working on the project, she finds some clues that suggest the deaths weren't actually a murder-suicide, and perhaps a third party was involved.
The police tell Whitney there's not enough evidence to open an investigation into the cold case, but will do so if she finds more. So, Whitney keeps digging, going through records of former students and faculty who may have either had a motive for murder or known of someone who did. The leads uncover several suspects and more evidence to suggest that the headmaster did not commit suicide, nor did he murder his wife.
As a cat lover, I enjoyed the occasional short chapters told from the POV of Sawdust, Whitney's pet cat. However, I don't think they added any information to advance the plot.
Overall, this was a good mystery with well-developed characters. Recommended.

Whitney are Buck are still flipping This time the project is the headmaster's house on an old private school campus. Unfortunately, there was a murder-suicide in the house that was never really solved. So, Whitney begins digging the dirt on this. She does a good job of finding those who might want the headmaster and his wife gone. But, who really did it? The characters are well drawn and Buck isn't very involved in this one. Whitney is a bit daring but her detective husband seems cool with it. At times, I felt this one moved a bit slowly. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

Dead Post Society is the seventh book in Diane Kelly’s House Flipper Mysteries. This was a unique and different cozy mystery. Though there was a double killing it wasn’t recent murders. In fact it was a cold case that happened forty years ago. I love that sleuth Whitney Whitaker Flynn doesn’t heed her husband Collin’s warnings to mind her own business. Even cases that are so cold that they’re almost forgotten about intrigue Whitney and there’s no stopping her until she can solve the most unusual and complex murders. I love Whitney's character. She and her cousin Buck take old run down houses and restore them to list on the real estate market . She’s able to work in a men’s trade and isn’t afraid she might break a finger nail. She’s smart too as you already know if you’ve been reading the other books in this series. I was totally caught up in this cozy. I loved shifting through clues and going with Witney to investigate this cold case. I wasn’t sure who the guilty suspect would be but when I found out who it was I wasn’t surprised either.
When Witney and Buck decide to help Uncle Rodger restore and turn an old deserted boarding school into a senior complex she stumbles upon an old deserted house on the back of the schools property. After breaking into the house she is wowed by the antique furniture still left in the house. That’s not all she finds there. Evidence of foul play with blood on the floor and a bullet hole on the window ledge. Strange sounds coming from somewhere over head and shadows on the walls. Why does Witney feel a strong urge to find out what happened inside this old deserted house?
I highly recommend Dead Post Society to readers of cozy mystery and to those who love poetry. Each chapter starts out with a poem. This book can be read out of order and readers won’t be lost or confused. However if you enjoy the book you probably will want to read the other books in this series too. This book is scheduled for release on 4/1/25.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are solely my own.