A Trip with Trouble by Diane Kelly

A Trip with Trouble by Diane Kelly
Narrator: Holly Adams
Series: Mountain Lodge Mystery #2
Published by Tantor Audio on October 25, 2022
Source: Purchased
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Length: 8 hrs 28 mins
Pages: 320
Format: Audiobook
Purchase at Bookshop.org or Audible
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The second in a charming and engrossing cozy series from Diane Kelly, A Trip with Trouble proves that in the Blue Ridge Mountains, life in the fast lane could end in a crash.

When the ladies of the Dangerous Curves Motorcycle Club take over the Mountaintop Lodge for their annual autumn ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Misty Murphy couldn’t be more thrilled. Every room is full and the adventurous women even invite Misty and her assistant Brynn to join them on a ride to admire the colorful fall foliage. Hotel handyman Rocky Crowder is happy to keep an eye on the lodge for the day, and the ladies set out for a fun ride on the scenic road.

The skies are clear, the air is crisp, and the leaves are gorgeous. But what starts as a perfect ride turns worrisome when the tail gunner – the last rider in their group – fails to show up at the Craggy Gardens overlook. Cell phone service is spotty in the remote, mountainous area, and the group is unable to connect with their friend. Might the missing woman have simply run out of gas? Or is something far more sinister afoot?

The ladies are determined to locate their ride or die, and Misty is equally determined to help them. But will they be able to solve the mystery when the scenic route seems intent on hiding its secrets?

I like the basic setup here. Misty owns the Mountaintop Lodge and is hosting a group of women motorcyclists for the week. And one of the bikers ends up dead, killed while they were out on a ride.

Misty is naturally observant and working around the lodge gives her the perfect opportunity to talk to the women and get a peek inside their rooms. I like Misty in a lot of ways. She’s nice, relatable, and does a good job of sharing information with the police. I also like her relationship with her handyman, Rocky, but I don’t like her “should I / what if?”s. She’s a decisive, confident woman- otherwise she wouldn’t own the lodge. I also don’t understand, for someone who has never ridden a motorcycle, how she knows every make and model of the women’s bikes as they pull into the lot. She also jumps to conclusions quickly. She’s willing to admit when she’s wrong and maybe it’s just because we know what she’s thinking, but sometimes I just had to roll my eyes.

The mystery itself was interesting, as was the secondary plot. We have several suspects and a plentitude of clues, in part because there is more than one thing going on. There are several laugh-out-loud scenes. Overall I liked it enough to continue with the series, but I didn’t love it. I do love the setting though, the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall are gorgeous.