Getaway With Murder by Diane Kelly

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

There are milestone birthdays and then there’s Misty Murphy’s birthday: as she turned fifty, she got a divorce and bought a run- down lodge in the mountains of North Carolina. What could go wrong?

As it turns out, the lodge needs more repairs than Misty had anticipated, thanks to some unusually heavy rain that washed away a chunk of ground and leaving the lodge less stable.  Just as she thinks she has made a horrendous mistake, she finds a genius handyman who will work for board.

It doesn’t hurt that he is very attractive, either.

With a full house for her week, Misty is almost ready to breathe a sigh of relief. Good thing she was only almost ready, because one of the guests ends up very dead and now everyone is a suspect.

This is a first in series book from Diane Kelly, author of several other enjoyable series including the Paw Enforcement and House-Flipper mysteries.  As with most starts, this one takes time to set the stage a bit and to introduce characters.  Misty herself is clear-headed and thoughtful, even though her purchase of a lodge seems impulsive. She’s also refreshingly unburdened by the break-up of her marriage, an amicable parting of the ways between two people who still like and care for one another but who haven’t been in love for a while. She has grown sons who are off on their own, and a cat named Yeti who has a chance to voice her opinions periodically. (This is a technique Kelly used in other books as well.)  The supporting case looks promising, from Patty (friendly owner of the Greasy Griddle diner) to the aforementioned hunky handyman, Rocky Crowder. 

There’s a nice selection of suspects and while I am not sure I really bought the motive, I’ll go with the flow on this one.  I had a nice visit, and will no doubt return for the next book in the series, A Trip with Trouble which is due out in October 2022.