SNOW PLACE FOR MURDER (Mountain Lodge Mysteries #3) by Diane Kelly will be released on October 24, 2023 by St. Martin's Paperbacks.
Christmas is just around the corner, and Misty Murphy has her college-age sons helping her out at her Mountain Top Lodge while they are on winter break. Her current guests—international resort developer Nigel Goodwin and a group of investors—are causing concern among the locals who do not want a massive resort to disrupt the idyllic, nature-focused ambiance of Beech Mountain. Following a blizzard, Misty's sons find Nigel's body buried under a pile of snow that had been plowed out of the lodge's parking lot. Misty is once again stuck hosting a group of murder suspects at her lodge while the local law enforcement officers investigate Nigel's murder. Not only are Misty's guests on the suspect list, but so are several locals who had recent altercations with the victim.
SNOW PLACE FOR MURDER is a great addition to the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. The Blue Ridge Mountains make for a perfect setting, and Misty's lodge brings in all sorts of people throughout the year. With her guests periodically getting murdered, Misty is naturally drawn into the police investigations. She can provide the police with information about her guests/suspects and keep an eye on them as she continues to host them during the investigation. Nigel's wife, his assistant, and the various investors make for great suspects, and they all have possible motives for wanting to kill Nigel. I like how some locals also made it onto the suspect list. It expanded the investigation outside of the lodge and showed more of the Beech Mountain area.
If the Mountain Top Lodge was a real place, I'd want to stay there and help Misty solve a murder. I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment to the Mountain Loge Mystery series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.