THE BARN IDENTITY (House-Flipper Mystery #8) by Diane Kelly will be released on March 31, 2026, by Minotaur Books.
Despite being pregnant, Whitney Whitaker Flynn is excited to take on the remodel of a dilapidated livery stable into an apartment complex. The stable’s rumored past has connections to the Underground Railroad, and a local journalist/blogger takes an interest. While Whitney is napping in the barn, the journalist is fatally stabbed with a pitchfork in the former barnyard. Between the newspaper and his podcast, the journalist covered several controversial issues—one of which might have led to his murder. Whitney teams up with the police to track down the killer.
I’ve read the previous seven novels in the House-Flipper Mysteries, and my love-hate with Whitney continues with THE BARN IDENTITY. I really enjoy the remodeling plot in each of the books. The livery stable conversion is interesting. Unfortunately, there was not as much focus on the project as in previous books. It’s Whitney that drives me nuts. She comes off as childish and oblivious. It also took a vigorous stretch of the imagination to believe that the police would include a citizen that much in an investigation. Not only does Whitney do research for the police, but she also gets to tag along and question suspects. I still enjoyed the mystery, just not as much as previous ones.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.