Well, it’s almost the end of the month, so it’s time to discuss my latest reading selection based on site reader recommendations. Today, I’ll be discussing the first entry in Diane Kelly‘s House-Flipper Mystery Series, Dead as a Door Knocker.
This series stars Whitney Whitaker, a property manager and construction fixer-upper in Nashville, Tennessee. Though her day job mostly involves dealing with routine problems occurring on properties she manages for a real estate business, her real passion is in fixing up eviction properties, abandoned houses, and otherwise decaying and mistreated buildings into desirable houses for a profit.
The other protagonist, Sawdust, is her cat. Yes, this is a cat-as-protagonist novel, at least for some chapters – though these chapters are shorter and least frequent than Whitney’s. They’re also told in third person, while Whitney’s are in first person. Some of them are also more relevant than others as well – the first few are mostly about either napping or attacking Whitney’s robot vacuum cleaner.
After evicting a trio of college students far behind on rent, Whitney is offered the opportunity to buy the property by the owner, who doesn’t want to bother with the renovation and repair, instead offering to sell to Whitney for a discount to fix up and flip. Whitney decides to spend some of the time working on the property living on-site, to both simplify travel and deter thieves, taking Sawdust over with her. However, the first night on the property, there is a fire, one that is quickly confirmed to be faulty wiring. Considering the house had been inspected just that morning and given a clean ‘bill of health’, it was a bad sign – one made even worse when Sawdust turns up a body in the flower bed. Naturally, the body belongs to the man who sold Whitney the house – a person that she and many other people had potential grudges against.
The details of the house-flipping business, including design details, are dealt with in relatively close detail, so if you have an interest in interior design or property management, this definitely hits an interesting niche that isn’t often dealt with in as much detail as is present in this book.
As always, if you want to read more of these brief discussions of some of the more popular Cozy Mystery Series that I’ve written in the past, you can find them at the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page.
Dianna S. says
This is a fantastic series, I encourage everyone to read (and reread) their books. They are fun, lively and can be a stand alone. I am a fan of Diane Kelly, she does a fantastic job of researching topics, locals, and because of her hard work, her books are magical.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dianna, it’s definitely a great series worth reading.
Diane says
What a great series! I’ve read all of them, and I love the energy of these books. The action moves along, with Whitney’s friends and family members involved in side plots that give the books a lot of colour and interest. Great for pre-bedtime relaxation, as these stories are not dark and moody, but have an enjoyable pace and content. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Diane, it’s definitely a great book with lots of interesting elements – I’m glad you mention the ‘side plots’, though as is often the case, what is and isn’t relevant to the mystery can be hard to determine!
Tona W. Dodson says
I love this series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tona, it’s definitely a good one!
Jo Anne Yerkes says
I have read the whole series and loved them.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jo Anne, I can certainly see why!
MJ says
I agree with Danna. This is an enjoyable series by Diane Kelly. I’ve read all the books and usually recommend them on this blog.
I’ve also read her Southern Homebrew Mysteries. But she’s only written three books in this series and it doesn’t appear she’ll write anymore.
She’s a very prolific and talented author.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, I agree with… err, your agreement? And thanks as always for your well-written recommendations – they make picking books like this out a lot easier!
Elaine B. says
Have only read first book but have ordered the next two from my library. A fun series, love it!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Elaine, I hope you enjoy the next few as much as this one!
Elaine B. says
Just finishing the 2nd book, enjoying as much as the first, will keep reading!!!