Whitney Whitaker has been working as a property manager to pay the bills for a while now while living in her parents pool house with her cat, Sawdust. Real estate and renovating are really Whitney’s passions so when an opportunity to buy a home in need of her TLC way below market value comes up Whitney finds it hard to pass by.

Knowing she can’t afford the property on her own even wiping out her bank account Whitney brings in her cousin as a partner. After the inspection is done and the paperwork signed Whitney and Buck end up with one problem after another including finding the seller’s body in the flower bed and with Whitney a person of interest in the murder she needs to find the real killer quickly.

Sawdust steals the show in this book. I really love cozy mysteries and this was a good one to read. i recommend this series.

RTC

This was a fun read and it was enjoyable to have a mystery with house flipping as a part of the setting. Most cozies I've picked up over the years have been set with the main character involved in cafes, bookstores, or libraries so it was a nice change. I also loved the chapters dedicated to Sawdust and his view of the mundane items that humans never think twice of.

Loved reading this book! Nice and cozy, and so many bad things kept coming at Whitney, but she faced them very well! I loved Sawdust's chapters! Can't wait to see where this series will go!

Dead as a Door Knocker is the first in the A House Flipper Mystery.  Whitney Whitaker is attempting her first flip with the aid of her cousin.  She isn't new to the industry, she is already a carpenter, property manager and working on her real estate license.  What seems like a no-fail proposition quickly goes south, when a body is discovered on the property.  This was a well thought out mystery with plenty of suspects to think about, an engaging cast of character, and an interesting theme that doesn't overwhelm the mystery.

I grabbed my purse, my tool belt, and the bright yellow hard hat I'd adorned with a chain of daisy decals.

This is the first book in the House-Flipper Mystery series. I really enjoy the other series the [a:Diane Kelly|1178445|Diane Kelly|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1410483837p2/1178445.jpg] writes so I had high hopes for this one. It did not disappoint.

Whitney Whitaker works with her uncle's woodworking company along side her cousins, Buck and Owen. She is also the property manager for Home&Hearth Realty. Whitney has to remove a group of college boys from a rental property which results in threats from one of them. The property owner offers to sell the house to Whitney at a reduced price for her to renovate and sell, hopefully with her new upcoming real estate license. Whitney brings her cousin Buck in as a co-owner when she is unable to get a loan on her own. After an inspection by a well known home inspector, Whitney decides to spend the night in the house. A surprise fire brings to light some shady dealings between the inspector and the seller. A death creates chaos that Whitney hopes to get to the bottom of.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. I particularly loved Whitney's cat, Sawdust. I loved his take on the automatic vacuum and the smoke detectors. I'm glad he had a playmate in Whitney's mom's Boston Terrier, Yin-Yang. The characters are well written and feel like someone you know. I always appreciate that in a book.

There were a number of red herrings to have you suspect various people. Of course the police focus on Whitney. This is Detective Collin Flynn's first homicide investigation and he wants to tie everything you as soon as possible. I had my suspicions soon after a character was introduced. It was satisfying to know that I was correct.

Very nice start to the series. I look forward to the next book

I enjoyed this book but I found the chapters from Sawdust the cat pretty pointless. I think the book would be a smoother read without them.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.