Dead as a Door Knocker by Diane Kelly

Good Day!  I just love the cover of Dead as a Door Knocker which features Sawdust, Whitney's cat.  If you previously followed my blog using Google+, you will need to sign up using a different method.  Please consider following me via email or Twitter (at right).  The Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane will be published on February 26 along with The Reconciliation by Susan Lantz Simpson and Please Don't Feed the Mayor by Sue Pethick.  Death by Dog Show by Arlene Kay releases on March 5 with When You Are Near by Tracie Peterson.  Half Finished by Lauraine Snelling (one of my favorite authors) comes out on March 26.  

Dead as a Door Knocker by Diane Kelly is the debut novel in A House-Flipper Mystery series.  Whitney Whitaker works for Home & Hearth Reality as a property manager and part-time for Whitaker Woodworking.  She is also studying for her real estate license.  Whitney is heading to a property owned by Rick Dunaway of Abbot & Dunaway Holdings, Ltd. to evict the current tenants.  When Rick sees the damage done by the college students, he decides to sell the home and offers Whitney a great deal.  Whitney and her cousin, Buck purchase the home together to renovate and flip it for a profit.  The first night, a fire in the back bedroom sends Whitney and her cat, Sawdust fleeing from the house.  The fire inspector quickly pinpoints the source of the fire as outdated knob-and-tube wiring which should have been caught by the inspector prior to purchase.  Whitney has a feeling that is why she got such a good deal on the property and confronts Rick Dunaway.  Whitney is working in the flower beds on Saturday when Sawdust starts playing with a finger sticking out of the dirt.  Rick has been murdered and Detective Collin Flynn, newly promoted to the homicide division, believes Whitney is the killer. Whitney needs to dig up the killer before she ends up working in the prison carpentry shop.  She has a feeling, though, that the property value on her investment just took a nosedive. 

 

Dead as a Door Knocker takes readers to Nashville, Tennessee where Whitney Whitaker lives in the tiny guesthouse on her parent’s property with her adorable cat, Sawdust.  She puts her business degree to work at managing properties for clients of Hearth & Home Reality and keeps her construction skills sharp working part-time for Whitaker Woodworking.  Whitney is hoping to start selling real estate once she obtains her license.  Whitney is a smart, interesting and spunky woman.  When Rick Dunaway offers to sell a home to Whitney at a good price, she jumps at the chance.  She knows it is a good investment, but Whitney cannot afford it on her own.  Thus, enters her cousin, Buck Whitaker.  Whitney should have known that Rick had an ulterior motive.  When Rick turns up dead in the flower bed and Whitney is without an alibi, the new homicide detective believes he has a slam dunk case.  But Whitney is not going down without a fight.  I like how Whitney with the aid of Buck and her friend, Colette nose around for information.  The mystery is multifaceted.  There are a couple of potential suspects and good clues to help readers identify the guilty party.  I enjoy Diane Kelly’s writing style. I was drawn into the story and I kept reading until I finished it.  We get to know Whitney along with her family and her best friend.  I am happy that the author took the time to establish our main character.  I especially enjoyed the chapters written from Sawdust’s perspective.  They are entertaining.  I found myself laughing as Sawdust described the “demon” that zips around the floor (robot vacuum cleaner).   Dead as a Door Knocker is a good start to A House Flipper Mystery series (4 out of 5 stars).  Dead as a Door Knocker has relatable characters, home renovations, a caring family, good food, a dead body and an adorable cat. 

Diane Kelly writes A Paw Enforcement Novel series as well with chapter's written from Brigit's point-of-view.  I appreciate you joining me today.  I plan on reviewing Searching for You by Jody Hedlund (available through Kindle Unlimited) tomorrow.  I am off to work on organizing for my new craft space (it is full of boxes at the moment).  Wish me luck! Until next time, take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader