AUTHOR: V.M. Burns
PUBLISHER: Lyrical Underground
PUBLISHING DATE: August 21, 2018
FROM GOODREADS:
Lilly may be losing a husband but she's gaining a toy poodle. That could be seen as a win-win, since her new adopted pooch Aggie (named after Agatha Christie) is cute and adorable, and Lilly's dirty dog of a spouse is cheating on her with a blond bimbo—except for one problem: Albert Echosby’s just been murdered, and Lilly is the number-one suspect.
With the cops barking up the wrong tree, it's a good thing her best friend Scarlett "Dixie" Jefferson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, decided to take a break from the dog club circuit to pay a visit, along with her own prize pair of poodles. With help from Dixie, her defense attorney daughter, and a blue-eyed man in blue with a K-9 partner, Lilly is determined to collar the real killer. But when a second murder occurs, it's clear they're dealing with one sick puppy . . .
Lilly may be losing a husband but she's gaining a toy poodle. That could be seen as a win-win, since her new adopted pooch Aggie (named after Agatha Christie) is cute and adorable, and Lilly's dirty dog of a spouse is cheating on her with a blond bimbo—except for one problem: Albert Echosby’s just been murdered, and Lilly is the number-one suspect.
With the cops barking up the wrong tree, it's a good thing her best friend Scarlett "Dixie" Jefferson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, decided to take a break from the dog club circuit to pay a visit, along with her own prize pair of poodles. With help from Dixie, her defense attorney daughter, and a blue-eyed man in blue with a K-9 partner, Lilly is determined to collar the real killer. But when a second murder occurs, it's clear they're dealing with one sick puppy . . .
MY THOUGHTS: So I had all three books in this series and I always wanted to make time for them, so it was a perfect time to do so with the "Read a Series in a Month Challenge." In this first installment, we are getting to know all the players. Lilly is newly separated and in the process of getting a divorce when we first meet her. She has spent her entire adult life taking care of her husband and raising her children and feels she is being traded in for a younger, newer model. However, before the ink gets a chance to dry, Lilly's soon-to-be-ex ends up dead and Lilly is the prime suspect. Her college best friend shows up in town to help Lilly and she just happens to be a dog trainer and this is where the dogs enter. She gives Lilly a poodle who soon becomes her new sidekick and all of them together, with Lilly's attorney daughter thrown in, set out to prove Lilly's innocence.
I could tell right off I was really going to enjoy the characters in this series. Lilly is an older adult starting her life over and I found myself feeling very sympathetic toward her. Also, never having a puppy before, it was fun to see Lilly increase her knowledge of dogs and also grow to realize how much this little pup can help her as she starts a new chapter of her life. Dixie, Lilly's friend, is a very colorful character and was even compared to a larger-than-life Dolly Parton as one point. The mystery was extremely interesting and not too easy to solve. I had my suspicions but the book also kept me on my toes.
Having read several of the author's Mystery Bookshop books and not being solely convinced that I enjoyed them as much as I wanted, I know why I was hesitant to start this series. That being said, I LOVE this series and can't wait to read the rest of them. If you like cozies and pets, then get to reading!
RATING: 4 PAWS
Glad this one turned out to be such a fun read!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely was. I'm very glad I started it.
DeleteFirst that cover is adorable, and second, that Lily is an older adult makes it even better.
ReplyDeleteShe is a really great character. I immediately liked her.
DeleteThis sounds great - especially the cosy feel. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series equally
ReplyDeleteLynn :D
Well, I'm done with book 2 and about 30% into book 3 so yep, the rest of the series is going well.
DeleteThis sounds wonderful, Barb! I love seeing a more mature main character and a puppy is always welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteYea. A lot of times the cozy MC's I run across are in their 20s so it has been a nice change of pace.
DeleteYes to us both getting started on this challenge! I've read two and I'm on my third one now so even if I don't get any further I'm happy with progress! Now I just need to review the second one sometime this week! Good luck with the series!
ReplyDeleteWe're both making progress so that's great!
DeleteThis does sound fun. And such a sweet cover:)
ReplyDeleteI think so too. We had a poodle when I was growing up. He kind of annoyed me but was also kind of cool. I remember he barked a lot though.
DeleteCute cover! 🐩
ReplyDeleteIsn't it?
DeleteI am glad this series is better than the other one!
ReplyDeleteI saw an entire cart dedicated to canine mysteries the other day and thought of you! :)
ReplyDelete