DEAD POST SOCIETY by Diane Kelly

Buck is getting acquainted with his new baby girl, and Whitney is adjusting to Collin, her new husband and a police detective. The cousins' house-flipping business is quiet as they work for Whittaker Construction, the family business, on a project transforming a boarding school into a retirement community. And so begins DEAD POST SOCIETY, a mystery that spans decades.

An opportunity arises for their type of work when Whitney explores a Victorian mansion on the outskirts of the school's property where they are working. Whitney and Buck submit an offer to the developer to take the house and renovate it as a boutique hotel, which is accepted.

The school was closed and abandoned when the headmaster allegedly shot his wife and committed suicide in the 1980s. The case was never closed, and rumors are the house is haunted. The mystery surrounding their deaths intrigues Whitney, so naturally, she begins investigating. What she uncovers contradicts the theory of murder-suicide, so she delves into the history of the school, its staff, and its student population. She finds the old records and discovers several potential suspects for her murder theory.

Interviews with former teaching staff and students paint a very different picture of the relationship between the headmaster and his wife – one that doesn't support the murder-suicide theory. Whitney picks up a few clues missed by the police investigation at the time, which interests the current detective, who is actively discussing the new developments with Whitney.

An essential member of Whitney's team is her feline sleuth, Sawdust. Sawdust offers his perspective on Whitney throughout the book through his chapters, which alternate with Whitney’s chapters. Sawdust also surprises readers with his bravery.

Diane Kelly concocts a compelling mystery that involves a complex group of characters and a fascinating journey through interviews and research for Whitney to uncover the truth. The solution is unexpected, but DEAD POST SOCIETY is a very satisfying read.

The seventh in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for.

This year's honor roll is killer...

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are no strangers to murder. After all, they’ve encountered corpses on their properties before. But this is the first time they’d decided to take a chance on a property where two suspicious deaths have already occurred. Most buildings on the former boarding school property will be repurposed for an upscale retirement community, but the developer has no use for the headmaster’s house given its violent history. The headmaster and his wife were killed there decades earlier, their deaths remaining unsolved to this day.

Still, it seems a shame to see the beautiful Victorian give way to decay or the wrecking ball, even if many claim the unsettled souls of the victims still wander its halls, seeking retribution and justice. Can Whitney and Buck exorcise the structure’s demons, solve the cold case, and give the building new life? Or will ghosts from the past seek to silence them forever?