4 alarms, 3 cats, 2 flips, and 1 murder

When Whitney and her cousin Buck, partners in their house-flipping business, saw the old firehouse, they had ideas for rehabbing it. The city had built a new, more modern fire station and sold this one to the historical society. The historical society wanted to sell it to someone who would find a new use for it but keep the original charm intact, especially on the exterior.

Whitney and Buck want to turn it into a high-end home, with a circular staircase going around the fire pole, and keeping all the charm of the firehouse on the exterior. With a roof patio that shows off a gorgeous view of Nashville and generous rooms, the unique home won’t be on the market for long. Once they’ve put in the hard work of repairing and rehabbing.

As they’re getting started on the demo, an older man and woman approach Whitney with a question. There is a townhouse nearby that they want her to take a look at, to see what they recommend. Buck agrees to go along and look at it as well. What they find is a building where one half of the building is well kept and the other is abandoned and falling apart.

The well-kept half belongs to Joanna, who had asked them to take a look at the other half, along with her friend Gideon. Joanna explains that the couple who had lived there had passed away, and their 7 kids never did anything with it. Whitney and Buck look around and find good bones, so they promise Joanna to look into the ownership and see what could be done. They figure that since they’re already doing a flip so close, they could save some money and energy by doing both at the same time.

Meanwhile, Whitney is also trying to plan a wedding with her fiancé, Collin. He’s a detective, so his schedule is a little erratic, but they make some time to look at venues, none of which work for them. They want to get married before the end of the year, but none of the venues have a weekend open for a year or two. Then Whitney has a great idea—they can use the firehouse. She and Buck can get it finished in time if they’re careful with their schedule, and it would offer a place for a modest wedding and a roof patio for an amazing reception. Collin agrees, and they’re one step closer to being husband and wife.

But then things start going wrong on the job sites. There is a fire at the firehouse that looks like arson. Someone broke into the townhouse and painted “Theives” on the walls. And then Joanna comes to the firehouse one day to see Whitney, and she is not well. She’s falling over and unable to focus. Buck called for an ambulance to take her to the hospital, but later they find out that there was nothing they could have done for her. And when it turns out to be murder, Whitney wants to find out who could have killed her. But will she be able to solve the mystery in time for her to get the firehouse finished for her wedding? And will she live long enough to enjoy it?

Four-Alarm Homicide is the sixth book in Diane Kelly’s House-Flipper mystery series. These mysteries feature Whitney and her cousin flipping properties and solving murders. But they also feature her cat Sawdust, who gets to contribute a chapter every so often, adding his point of view and his helpful care tips for humans when they get stressed. With likeable characters, strong mysteries, and scene-stealing cats, the House-Flipper mysteries are light-hearted puzzle-solving fun.

I liked Four-Alarm Homicide. I am a fan of Nashville, so I enjoy hearing about the city, and I love the house-flipping fun. I think mystery fans who watch a lot of HGTV will enjoy this series a lot. Whitney and Buck are easy to spend time with, and it’s a very cat-friendly series, which I love. Having them work in a historic firehouse was a lovely idea, and I look forward to seeing what kind of projects they take on next.

Egalleys for Four-Alarm Homicide were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.