Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting another pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens.  They are fun to make.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Burger Drops, Toronto, ON

I picked up supper this evening at Burger Drops in Liberty Village. 

I got a single American burger with pickles and no lettuce, onion or cheese with fries (there were LOTS of fries!) and Gord got a double cheeseburger with lettuce and no pickles and onion rings. It was a good meal.

Book ~ "Our Darkest Night" (2021) Jennifer Robson

From Goodreads ~ It is the autumn of 1943 and life is becoming increasingly perilous for Italian Jews like the Mazin family. With Nazi Germany now occupying most of her beloved homeland and the threat of imprisonment and deportation growing ever more certain, Antonina Mazin has but one hope to survive - to leave Venice and her beloved parents and hide in the countryside with a man she has only just met.

Nico Gerardi was studying for the priesthood until circumstances forced him to leave the seminary to run his family’s farm. A moral and just man, he could not stand by when the fascists and Nazis began taking innocent lives. Rather than risk a perilous escape across the mountains, Nina will pose as his new bride. And to keep her safe and protect secrets of his own, Nico and Nina must convince prying eyes they are happily married and in love.

But farm life is not easy for a cultured city girl who dreams of becoming a doctor like her father, and Nico’s provincial neighbors are wary of this soft and educated woman they do not know. Even worse, their distrust is shared by a local Nazi official with a vendetta against Nico. The more he learns of Nina, the more his suspicions grow - and with them his determination to exact revenge.

As Nina and Nico come to know each other, their feelings deepen, transforming their relationship into much more than a charade. Yet both fear that every passing day brings them closer to being torn apart.

It's autumn 1943 and Antonina is a Jew living in Italy with her father (her mother is ill and in a nearby rest home).  To protect Antonina, her father arranges with his friend, who is a priest, to have Antonina live with a Catholic family on a farm and pretend to be the Catholic wife of Nico, one of the sons, until the war is over.  She doesn't want to go but her father convinces her it is the only way she can stay safe.  

Nico has been helping Jews escape the country and carries on with this mission once Antonina (now called Nina) moves in with him and his family.  As Nina settles in to farm life, she and Nico become friends and eventually fall in love.  A former schoolmate of Nico's is now a Nazi official and suspects something is up and is determine to find out what it is.

I thought this book was okay.  It is written in third person perspective in Nina's voice.  The story started off interestingly enough with Nina giving up her life in the city to move to the country and pretend to be Nico's wife.  But then it took a dark turn suddenly.  While I had to applaud Nico's dedication to wanting to save lives, I would have thought that he would have given it up once he fell in love in Nina.  Plus his actions put his family in danger and I can't imagine having his family terrorized and beaten was worth it.

Knitted baby beanie

I knitted a baby beanie this evening.

I used 4 ply yarn and 3.75mm double pointed needles and cast on 64 stitches.

• Row 1 - Purl
• Row 2 - Knit
• Row 3 - Purl
• Row 4 - Knit
• Row 5 - Purl
• Row 6 - Knit

Knit until the length is 3 inches from the beginning (row 1).

Decrease:

• Row 1: *K6, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 2: Knit all stitches 
• Row 3: *K5, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 4: Knit all stitches 
• Row 5: *K4, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 6: Knit all stitches 
• Row 7: *K3, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 8: Knit all stitches 
• Rou 9: *K2, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 10: Knit all stitches 
• Row 11: *K1, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 12: Knit all stitches
• Row 13: *K2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Knit the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight.  Weave end inside.

Knitted baby beanie

I knitted a baby beanie today.

I used 4 ply yarn and 3.75mm double pointed needles and cast on 64 stitches.

• Row 1 - Purl
• Row 2 - Knit
• Row 3 - Purl
• Row 4 - Knit
• Row 5 - Purl
• Row 6 - Knit

Knit until the length is 3 inches from the beginning (row 1).

Decrease:

• Row 1: *K6, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 2: Knit all stitches 
• Row 3: *K5, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 4: Knit all stitches 
• Row 5: *K4, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 6: Knit all stitches 
• Row 7: *K3, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 8: Knit all stitches 
• Rou 9: *K2, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 10: Knit all stitches 
• Row 11: *K1, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 12: Knit all stitches
• Row 13: *K2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Knit the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight.  Weave end inside.

Knitted baby beanie

I knitted a baby beanie today.

I used 4 ply yarn and 3.75mm double pointed needles and cast on 64 stitches.

• Row 1 - Purl
• Row 2 - Knit
• Row 3 - Purl
• Row 4 - Knit
• Row 5 - Purl
• Row 6 - Knit

Knit until the length is 3 inches from the beginning (row 1).

Decrease:

• Row 1: *K6, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 2: Knit all stitches 
• Row 3: *K5, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 4: Knit all stitches 
• Row 5: *K4, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 6: Knit all stitches 
• Row 7: *K3, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 8: Knit all stitches 
• Rou 9: *K2, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 10: Knit all stitches 
• Row 11: *K1, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 12: Knit all stitches
• Row 13: *K2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Knit the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight.  Weave end inside.

Knitted baby beanie

I knitted a baby beanie tonight.  It's colourful!

I used 4 ply yarn and 3.75mm double pointed needles and cast on 64 stitches.

• Row 1 - Purl
• Row 2 - Knit
• Row 3 - Purl
• Row 4 - Knit
• Row 5 - Purl
• Row 6 - Knit

Knit until the length is 3 inches from the beginning (row 1).

Decrease:

• Row 1: *K6, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 2: Knit all stitches 
• Row 3: *K5, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 4: Knit all stitches 
• Row 5: *K4, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 6: Knit all stitches 
• Row 7: *K3, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 8: Knit all stitches 
• Rou 9: *K2, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 10: Knit all stitches 
• Row 11: *K1, k2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Row 12: Knit all stitches
• Row 13: *K2 together; repeat from * to end of round. 
• Knit the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight.  Weave end inside.

Book ~ "Dead in the Doorway" (2020) Diane Kelly

From Goodreads ~ A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES

Whitney Whitaker has scored the perfect piece of real estate: a ramshackle white Colonial at the top of a hill with views of downtown Nashville. What more could a self-taught home-improvement maven and occasional house-flipper ask for? Ideally, the property of Whitney’s dreams would not have come with a dead body blocking the entrance to the foyer. But Whitney, always quick to take heavy-duty matters into her own hands, also happens to be a skilled amateur sleuth. So that helps.

AND SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET

Who is this older woman - and how did her corpse end up at the bottom of the staircase of this locked, unoccupied house? That is what Whitney, along with the support of her wood-working cousin Buck, Detective Collin Flynn, and, of course, feline partner-in-crime Sawdust, intends to find out. Her friendly-neighbour investigation takes a sharp turn, however, when Whitney discovers that the house’s former owner was a gourmet baker whose secret recipe for peach pie was to die for - perhaps literally. Now it’s up to Whitney to learn the truth about what happened before she loses this killer real-estate deal ... and the killer comes knocking at her door. 

Whitney works part-time for a property manager so has connections in the building and repair world.  Her uncle is a carpenter so she's learned how to fix and build things over the years.  She and her cousin, Buck, want to buy fixer-uppers, repair them and then flip them for a profit.  

Whitney and Buck buy a house from the family of an elderly woman who had recently passed away to fix up and flip.  When she arrives one morning, Whitney can't open the door because something is blocking it.  So she goes in through another door and discovers an elderly woman dead, after apparently after falling down the stairs.  It turns out it she is a neighbour and friend of the former owner and she hadn't accidently fallen down the stairs.  Was it a random burglary gone wrong?  Or did one of the other elderly neighbours have enough of her nastiness and kill her?

I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective from Whitney's point of view and third person perspective from Sawdust's point of view (which is funny since it's written from the perspective of Whitney's cat).

I've read many books by this author and I liked this one.  Though it's the second in the House-Flipper series, it works as a stand alone (I read the first one a couple years ago and the third one a couple weeks ago).  It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity.

Knitted small blanket

I finished knitting a small blanket using Bernat Baby Velvet Stripes Yarn (Bunny Beige) and 4mm needles.  I hadn't used Bernat Baby Velvet yarn before ... it's really soft!

I cast on 139 stitches (or an odd number of stitches).

Row 1 to 10: k1, p1, repeat until you reach the last stitch, k1.

Row 11: (k1, p1,) 5 times, then k1, then purl until you reach last ten stitches, then (p1, k1) five times

Row 12: (k1, p1,) 5 times, then k1, then knit until you reach last ten stitches, then (p1, k1) five times

Repeat rows 11 and 12 until desired length less ten rows.

Last ten rows:  k1, p1, repeat until you reach the last stitch, k1.

Bind off all stitches in knit. Weave in loose ends.

Otto's Bierhalle, Toronto, ON

Gord picked up supper from Otto's Bierhalle (at Queen W/Dovercourt Road) this evening.

We both got Fried Chicken Sandos ... his with no jalapeños or pickles and mine with no jalapeños or lettuce. The sandwiches were huge ... I ate mine with a knife and fork.  Yum!! 

Gord's sandwich

My sandwich

My sandwich

Gord also got onion rings.

Nova Scotia's Community Haul ~ February 2021

I received my February Nova Scotia's Community Haul subscription box today.

Weddings and school concerts, charity bake sales and chase-the-ace - our community halls are where Nova Scotians have come together for generations to celebrate and support one another. Since we’re together apart for the foreseeable future, we’ve transformed the community hall into a Community Haul. 

Community Haul, partnered with Symplicity Designs set out to create a safe and fun way to help the small business community through the next year. Our product forges connection, creates community, and offers you the opportunity to explore Nova Scotia - all from the safety of your home. 

We've launched a 12 month subscription box to celebrate Nova Scotia business owners and help reboot the regional economy. By pledging your community support with a subscription, you can help keep the lights on for dozen of small businesses during these economically stressful times. What's more, every box sold will support the IWK Foundation to provide care for the women and children in the Maritimes.  

Support Nova Scotia businesses by opening your doors to our Community Haul!

I'm originally from Nova Scotia and thought it would be fun to receive stuff from "back home" and help support their economy.

Here's what I received ...

Castle & Coal, Toronto, ON

Castle & Coal recently opened in my 'hood at Dovercourt Road and Queen Street W.  I've been wanting to check them.  

Gord went for a walk today and stopped in and picked up a couple of lemon tarts, which we had for dessert.

I love love love lemon meringue tarts and pies and this was delicious!  The meringue was light and fluffy and the lemon cream was sweet but tart.  Yum!

We'll be back!

Book ~ "Nothing Bundt Trouble" (2020) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ Spring has sprung in Ashland, Oregon, and everything at Torte seems to be coming up buttercream roses. But just when Juliet Capshaw seems to have found her sweet spot—with her staff set to handle the influx of tourists for this year’s Shakespeare festival while she moves back into her childhood home—things take a dramatic turn. Jules discovers a long-forgotten dossier in her deceased father’s belongings that details one of the most controversial cases in Ashland’s history: a hit-and-run accident from the 1980s. 

Or was it? Now it’s up to Jules to parse through a whole new world of details from another era, from unraveling cassette tapes to recipes for Bundt cakes, before an old enemy brings the Capshaw “pastry case” to a modern-day dead end.

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery, Torte, and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered he had a secret.  With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  It's been over two years and, though she doesn't know what will happen with Carlos, she now happily shares ownership of Torte with her mother, Helen. 

Helen recently married Doug, a police officer.  They bought a house and Helen gave Jules her house, which is the one she grew up in.  While she was cleaning out the basement, Jules uncovers a journal of her dad's, who had passed away when she was a teenager, from the 1980s.  Missing him, she decides to read it.  She discovers that Doug, who had been his best friend, had asked him to help solve a hit and run murder of someone that no one seemed to like.

This is the eleventh in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I didn't like it at all.  Doug was a young officer at that time and this was his first big case and he didn't want to blow it.  I thought it was unbelievable that he would ask his best friend to help him out with the investigation and he wasn't allowed to tell Helen he was involved.  The journal took up most of the book and actually read like a book.  When one writes in a journal, they usually say something like "Doug and I talked about the murder victim" rather than a play-by-play of the exact conversation.  And this happened every time.  I didn't find the journal entries interesting since they were sooooo long and detailed.

I've now read all of the books in this series (there are 12) and, except for this one, I like the series.  I have also read all in this author's Sloan Krause Series.  This book works as a stand alone ... there is enough information provided.  It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. There are recipes at the end. 

Book ~ "A Cup of Good Fear" (2019) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ Torte, Ashland’s favorite bakeshop is decking the halls and brewing up cups of holiday cheer. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is dark for the season but spirits are high as twinkle lights illuminate Main Street and snow falls softly on rooftops. Torte is bustling with activity. Jules and her team are rolling out dozens of Christmas tree cutouts and dusting them with sparkling green sugar. Helen’s signature Antoinettes, a delectable almond cookie filled with raspberry preserves and slathered with chocolate buttercream, are an instant hit. As are Andy’s peppermint bark mochas and eggnog shooters. While carolers serenade shoppers in the plaza, Jules packages up festive boxes of holiday sweets. She feels a bit like Santa Claus as she delivers glistening Christmas stolens, dainty tea cakes, and mincemeat pies. 

To cap off the merry season, Jules and Helen host their annual staff party at the historic Winchester Inn’s Dickens Feast. The six-course dinner is a beloved tradition, complete with Yorkshire pudding and a Christmas goose. Santa, Mrs. Claus and even a cheerless Ebenezer Scrooge delight dinner guests with jokes, friendly banter and surprise gifts. As snow piles up outside, the hot buttered rum and mulled wine keep everyone toasty inside. However, just as the dessert course is about to be served the power goes out. When the glow of warm light returns, the merriment evaporates. One of the guests is sprawled out in front of the twenty-foot Christmas tree. Suddenly Jules finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Her only wish this Christmas is to catch a killer. 

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery, Torte, and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered he had a secret.  With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  It's been over two years and, though she doesn't know what will happen with Carlos, she now happily shares ownership of Torte with her mother, Helen. 

It's Christmastime and Ashland is a winter wonderland celebrating with a parade, the village shops are decorated and everyone is feeling the holiday cheer.  Jules and Helen have their annual staff party at the Winchester Inn's Dickens Feast.  This may be the last year for it because the owners, Emma and Jon, have sold the Winchester Inn and are retiring.  Cami, the new owner, doesn't seem to have the same warm feelings about the festivities.  During the feast, the power suddenly goes out and Cami then is found murdered.  Cami was not liked so anyone could have killed her.  Was Emma and Jon's son mad that they were selling rather than passing his legacy onto him?  Why were Cami and Francine, the feast's entertainer, fighting just before Cami's death?  

While all this is going on, Jules and her staff are busy baking up delectable treats for the Christmas season.  And Jules is looking forward to celebrating with Helen and Doug, her new stepfather, in their recently purchased house, and wondering if her future will include Carlos.

This is the tenth in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I liked it.  I've read most of the books in this series and have read all in this author's Sloan Krause Series.  This book works as a stand alone ... there is enough information provided.  It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. There are recipes at the end.  I look forward to reading others in this series.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting another pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens.  They are fun to make.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Book ~ "Live and Let Pie" (2018) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ The heat is on for pastry chef, family business operator and unlikely sleuth Jules Capshaw. Just when she thought she could enjoy some time away from the kitchen, Jules manages to discover a skull during a picnic by the lake. 

As if unearthing remains that may be connected to a missing-persons case from the 1960s isn't enough on her plate, Jules must contend with the unsolved matter of her own marriage while her estranged husband Carlos sails the open seas, awaiting a verdict. 

Then there's Jules's bitter landlord Edgar, who is intent on making a sweet deal on a vacant lot down the block from Torte - until he turns up dead. If only Jules could find a recipe that would let her bake her cake and eat it too.

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery, Torte, and went on to culinary school.  She got a job with a cruise line and didn't get home often after that.  She met her husband, Carlos, an executive chef, on a cruise and things were going well until she discovered he had a secret.  With a broken heart, she headed home to figure things out.  It's been over two years and, though she doesn't know what will happen with Carlos, she now happily shares ownership of Torte with her mother, Helen. 

Torte's recent renovations are done.  Because there is more space, Jules has hired three new staff and promoted her existing staff.  Looking forward to having a nice picnic with her mom, she is there when some kids swimming in a lake find an old skull.  It is suspected that it is the skull of George, who disappeared years ago.  This intrigues Jules, specially when one of George's friends, Edgar, now an old man is found dead.  Edgar had a piece of land in town for sale that everyone wants (and it turns out he had promised it to everyone) so was someone mad enough to kill him?  Or is it tied to discovery of George's skull?

This is the ninth in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I liked it.  I've read most of the books in this series and have read all in this author's Sloan Krause Series.  This book works as a stand alone ... there is enough information provided.  It's written in first person perspective in Jules' voice.   It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. There are recipes at the end.  I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "Trouble is Brewing" (2017) Ellie Alexander

From Goodreads ~ Jules Capshaw, owner of the charming bakeshop Torte, meets Sloan Krause, who's in from out of town for the beer festival that has landed in Ashland, Oregon.  Sloan is the brewmaster at the famed der Keller brewing company that operates out of Leavenworth, Washington, and she’s come to the festival to show off the newest spring brew. 

When Sloan drops in to Torte for a pistachio bar and a latte, she meets Jules, who is instantly smitten with the idea of incorporating beer into some baked goods. But when the two go off to sample some of der Keller’s brews, they realize that one of the kegs have gone missing. Is someone trying to steal the secret recipe? It’s up to Sloan and Jules to get to the bottom of this - and soon.

Juliet (aka Jules) was raised in small town Ashland, OR, but dreamed of seeing the world.  She grew up helping her parents in their bakery, Torte, and went on to culinary school.  After spending years working on a cruise ship as a pastry chef, she is now happy to be home and sharing ownership of Torte with her mother. 

Sloan works for her in-laws' brewing company in Leavenworth, WA.  She is in Ashland for a beer festival and meets Jules when she stops in Torte for snack.  The two click and Sloan invites Jules to sample some of the beer before the festival starts.  When Sloan discovers one of their kegs has disappeared, she and Jules set out to find it.

This is the a novella that comes after the sixth one/before the seventh in the Bakeshop Mystery series and it was okay.  It is here that we are introduced Sloan, which started the Sloan Krause Series (which I've read and liked).

Book ~ "Murder with a View" (2021) Diane Kelly

From Goodreads ~ A DREAM PROPERTY

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker, her cousin Buck, and guard-cat Sawdust just scored a hot property near downtown Nashville in a tax sale. While the Music City Motor Court might not be much to look at now, the two plan to transform the motel’s twelve units into six one-bedroom condominiums with popular mid-century styling. But surprises await when Whitney discovers a squatter living in Room 9 and her cat, Sawdust, uncovers a body in the bed next door.

A LIVING NIGHTMARE

The murder victim is none other than Beckett Morgan, an up-and-coming country-western singing sensation who’s taken Nashville by storm with his number-one hit “Party in the Pasture.” Beckett’s left a long trail of broken promises and broken hearts, and the list of suspects seems endless. So does the line of female fans intent on halting the flip and turning the construction site into a shrine for the deceased star. If Whitney and Buck don’t help Detective Collin Flynn nail the killer, they’ll never be able to clear out the star-obsessed groupies, complete the remodel, and recoup their investment. But just who silenced the singer and why?

Whitney works part-time for a property manager so has connections in the building and repair world.  Her uncle is a carpenter so she's learned how to fix and build things over the years.  She and her cousin, Buck, want to buy fixer-uppers, repair them and then flip them for a profit.  

When a rundown motel comes on the market, Whitney and Buck snatch it up with the plan to renovate it and sell as condos.  It's in a great area in Nashville so there shouldn't be any problem.  Except a young popular country singer is found murdered in one of the rooms.  He was considered difficult and arrogant in the business so there are many who might have killed him, including the mysterious drifter who had been squatting at the motel.  Whitney's boyfriend, Collin, is the police detective in charge of finding the killer.

I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective from Whitney's point of view and third person perspective from Sawdust's point of view (which is funny since it's written from the perspective of Whitney's cat).

I've read many books by this author and I liked this one.  Though it's the third in the House-Flipper series, it works as a stand alone (I read the first one a couple years ago but not the second one, which is now on my list to read).  It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity (there's no heat at all between Whitney and Collin).