Thursday, January 5, 2017

Pit Perfect - A Fun Little Mystery With a Great Dog!

TITLE: Pit Perfect (Barkside of the Moon #1)
AUTHOR: Renee George
PUBLISHER: Book Boutiques
PUBLISHING DATE: December 15, 2016

FROM GOODREADS: Pit Perfect is a take of mystery and suspense which will have you on the edge of your seat.  Fall in love with Lily Mason, the shifter who only wants to live as a human, and her pit bull Smooshie, a rescue dog who in the end may be the one doing the rescuing.

When cougar-shifter moves to Moonrise, Missouri, she wishes for only three things from the town and its human population: 1) to find a job, 2) to find a place to live, and 3) to live as a human, not a therianthrope.

Lily gets more than she bargains for when a rescue pit bull named Smooshie rescues her from on oncoming car, and it's love at first sight.  Thanks to Smooshie, Lily's first two wishes are granted by Parker Knowles, the owner of the Pit Bull Rescue Center, who offers her a job at the shelter and a room over his garage to rent.

Lily's new life as an integrator is threatened when Smooshie finds Katherine Kapersky, the local church choir leader and head of town council, dead in the field behind the rescue center. Unfortunately, there are more suspects than mourners for the elderly town leader.  Can Lily keep her less-than-human status under wraps?  Or will the killer, who has pulled off a nearly Pit Perfect murder, expose her to keep Lily and her rescue dog from digging up the truth.

MY THOUGHTS:  This book was just so much fun to read that I've already pre ordered the sequel (and am secretly keeping my fingers crossed that I can get my hands on an ARC somewhere).  This book has a combination of so many elements that there really is something for everyone.  There's mystery, paranormal elements (shifters, witches and I'm sure so much more), and dogs.  Plus it has the small town charm which I love about cozy mysteries and books in general.

Lily is a great character.  She moves to Moonrise trying to locate an Uncle who isn't even aware of her existence, but who is her only living relative left.  Along the way, she meets lots of new and interesting townsfolk and some who aren't so nice and welcoming.  The mystery in the book had me guessing until the end, probably because there was no short list of people who wanted the worst for the victim.

Also, it's great that Lily rescues Smooshie early on so she is a key factor in most of the book. Smooshie is a lovable, over-sized Pit Bull who is sure to play even a bigger role in the next book.  If you are looking for a enjoyable quick read and love mysteries, cozy or otherwise, then seriously consider giving this book a chance!

RATING: 5 PAWS



BOOKER T's THOUGHTS:  Smooshie is fun, cute and fearless,  She saves Lily on numerous occasions and in my opinion, "makes" the book.  I'm not too sure how I feel about the name Smooshie, but since I remain loyal to my book girlfriend, Maybe (from Jackie Bouchard's book), I think Smooshie would make a great girl for Cass.  And he seems like he wouldn't mind the name Smooshie at all.

10 comments:

  1. A pit bull called Smooshie? Oh I love that! Such a cute cover too! It does sound quite interesting and this is the genre I would like to try a bit more of.

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    1. Yes, this one was such a pleasant surprise and I am already excited to get my hands on the next one. Smooshie is great!

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  2. This sounds like a good one! :) I will put it on my list.

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  3. I would have never given this book a second look based on the cover but it does sound really good. Great review!

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    1. It really is a super cute paranormal cozy mystery.

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  4. I think I may love this for the utter adorability of SMOOSHIE. SMOOOOSHIE lol

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    1. Yes and in the book, Smooshie is as endearing as her name suggests.

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  5. I need to read this book about a pit named Smooshie! It has my name written all over it :) Thanks for the heads up.

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    1. It's such a fun read and because Smooshie is a rescue, I loved it even more!

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