Getaway With Murder is the first book in Diane Kelly’s newest Mountain Lodge Mystery series. The heroine of the story, Misty Murphy, is 50-years-old and newly divorced. With her two sons in college, she takes a giant leap of faith and buys an old 20-room lodge in Beech, Mountain, North Carolina. She and her cat, Yeti, move into room #1. Her goal is to rent the other rooms in the lodge to large groups for retreats, family reunions, ski groups, etc.

Things get off to a rocky start on the first night when part of the cliff-side lodge collapses due to excessive rainwater run-off. At the recommendation of Patty, the owner of the Greasy Griddle diner across the street, Misty hires the handsome Rocky Crowder to fix the problems. Before long, Rocky moves into a room at the other end of the lodge in exchange for being the on-site maintenance man. She also hires Brynn, who is Wiccan, as her assistant. Patty agrees to bring breakfast over each morning for the lodge guests, so Misty gives her a key as well.

The first group of renters is on a yoga retreat. The studio’s owner is an arrogant piece of work, who ends up dead and under the deck after a few days. Now everyone is a suspect, including all of the guests, the Greasy Griddle employees, and even Rocky and Brynn. There are red herrings all over the lodge. Misty knows if the culprit is not identified, it could do irreparable harm to her new business.

It’s refreshing to have a mature woman as the main character. Her life experience and her desire to start anew make her relatable and interesting. While she is attracted to Rocky, she knows she needs to take things slow since the ink on her divorce papers is barely dry. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

5-Stars! Thank you to Sara Beth H @ St. Martin’s for my advanced reader copy. The novel is 304 pages and the expected publication date is October 26, 2021.

Be sure to read the interview Diane Kelly did with me about my blogging experience!! https://www.dianekelly.com/meet-book-blogger-kerrin-parris/

My daughter and I had such a fun trip visiting Diane in Beech Mountain, NC, where the book takes place. I had never been to the Blue Ridge Mountains and was so impressed by the beauty and thrilled that I got to drive on the famed Blue Ridge Parkway. Here are some pictures from the trip!