I enjoyed it, and the narration. I'll follow the series ( )

Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are house flippers but some problems that they come across aren't structural - they're deadly. Arriving early to start demolition on their newest project, Whitney has trouble with the front door being stuck so when she enters from the back, she discovers a body blocking the front entrance.

Whitney is drawn into the neighborhood dynamics as well as the investigation as to the identity of victim and murderer alike.

This was a fun book, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been fewer neighbors involved and a little bit tighter mystery. ( )

Whitney Whitaker is excited to be flipping houses with her cousin Buck – not only is she looking forward to making some money but she loves working with her hands. They are about to start flipping a house when Whitney and her cat Sawdust discover a dead body in the house. Detective Collin Flynn is investigating the case but Whitney can’t help get involved as she meets the neighbors while flipping the house. She becomes friends with many of them but is one of her new friends a killer?

“Dead in the Doorway” is the nicely done second book in Diane Kelly’s House Flipper cozy mystery series. While I have not yet read the first book in the series (“Dead as a Doorknocker”), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and intend of reading the first one. I like the idea of house flipping as a them for a mystery and Kelly does a great job with that aspect –giving just enough information about the house renovations without them overtaking the mystery. The characters in the book are great – Whitney, her cousin Buck, her roommate Colette (I need a roommate like Colette!), Collin, and the various neighbors in the neighborhood where Whitney and Buck are flipping the house. The mystery itself is well done with plenty of twists and turns and suspense. I did figure out who the killer was but wasn’t quite sure my guess was right until the killer was revealed.

“Dead in the Doorway” is a nicely done cozy mystery. ( )

Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly is the second book in A House-Flipper Mystery series. Dead in the Doorway can be read without having picked up Dead as a Doorknocker. However, I recommend reading the cute debut of this series. A House-Flipper Mystery series is similar to A Paw Enforcement series written by Diane Kelly with chapters from an animal’s point-of-view. Sawdust, Whitney’s cat, is cute and smart, and I like reading about his perspective on things. I would like his chapters to have a wee bit more humor (I love Brigit’s snarky comments from A Paw Enforcement series). I thought Dead in the Doorway contained good writing, steady pacing and friendly characters. Whitney Whitaker works as property manager as well as a carpenter (for her uncle’s carpentry business). Her true love, though, is flipping houses which she does with her cousin, Buck Whitaker. They are both hoping for a better experience after the murder that happened in their first slip that prevented them from selling it (Whitney and two roommates are currently living in it). Whitney arrives early on demo day to find a woman dead at the base of the stairs and the deceased owner’s grandson squatting in the house (that gets the blood pumping). At first blush, it appears the victim fell down the steps during the night. Unfortunately, Detective Collin Flynn soon informs Whitney that the victim did not fall on her own. Whitney, who was going to snoop anyway, is thrilled when Detective Flynn asks for her assistance. There are definite sparks flying between the detective and Whitney (and he is a cat lover too). The mystery had a handful of suspects along with misdirection. There are clues to aid a reader in solving the crime. I would have preferred more sleuthing and less speculation. There was too much conjecture for my liking (I ended up skimming through some of it because it was repetitive). My favorite line from Dead in the Doorway is courtesy of Detective Flynn when he said, “You again?” when he sees Whitney at the crime scene. I did enjoy reading Dead in the Doorway, and I will be reading the next A House-Flipper Mystery with Whitney, Buck, Detective Flynn and Sawdust. Dead in the Doorway is a purr-fect cozy mystery to cuddle up with in a comfy chair. ( )

cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, small-business, family-dynamics, friendship, Tennessee*****

I read the first three chapters in Cozy Case Files, A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Volume 8 and was hooked!
The publisher's blurb is pretty good, but the quality of the story is much better. While there is a hint of romance, it certainly is not blatant enough to take anything away from the mystery but serves as a plot device to enhance the deduction process. Whatever. The important thing is that it is a good story with very little that is not realistic but not the kind of nastiness found in true crime. I definitely loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank You! ( )