Are You Ready for Locke & Key????

So Locke & Key releases on Netflix tomorrow.  I'm super excited about this and hope they do it justice.  I've always enjoyed the graphic novels but had no idea they had side comics besides the six main volumes.  When I saw this one on Hoopla, I had to grab it.  After all, it fits nicely in with this month's challenge.

TITLE: Locke and Key: Dog Days

AUTHORS: Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriquez

PUBLISHING DATE: November 6, 2019

MY THOUGHTS:  So Dog Days is just another small addition to the vast Locke & Key world.  When it opens, three young boys are playing by a stream and having a conversation.  It soon becomes clear that one young child is not as he seems, given his replies.  I'm sure you can only imagine where this is going.  

This was a fun read to the world and believe it or not, unlike the rest of the series, there is no real danger involved.  Apparently the boys in question have found one of the infamous keys which has allowed them to find out what it's really like to be their pet dog.  As with all of Rodriquez's work, the art is truly a masterpiece and is consistent with the rest of the series.  If you're a fan of the series, there's no reason not to pick this comic up.  My only complaint is that I wished it was longer.

RATING: 4 PAWS

That's It, I'm Moving! (A Dog Called Jack Review)

TITLE: A Dog Called Jack
AUTHOR: Ivy Pembroke
PUBLISHER: John Scognamiglio Books
PUBLISHING DATE: January 29, 2019

FROM GOODREADS: Every street should have a dog like Jack. And every abandoned dog should find a new family like the residents of Christmas Street--a group of people who just might need Jack as much as he needs them . . . All day, he trots happily between the terraced houses, receiving treats and toys, offering a tail wag or lick in return. For Sam, a widower recently returned to London, Jack is Christmas Street's unofficial welcoming committee. For Sam's young son, Teddy, the small, scruffy mutt is much more than that--he's a confidante and Teddy's much-needed and so far only friend. But other neighbors also rely on Jack for company, including Bill, the street's oldest, grumpiest resident. Bill remembers when everyone knew and looked out for each other. Now, people live side by side for years, scarcely interacting. Jack--with some help from Sam and Teddy--is starting to change all that. After a bumpy start, Jack helps forge a bond between Teddy and the girl next door, and he's the unlikely connection between Bill and artist Max, who lives with his husband, Arthur. He's also an approving witness to the secret relationship between two teenagers from very different backgrounds, and to Sam's tentative flirtation with Teddy's teacher. After all, Jack, with his willing and open heart, knows how much happier these humans could be if they, too, took the time to connect with one another. Warm, witty, and as irresistibly charming as its canine hero, A Dog Called Jack is the uplifting story of an ordinary street and the extraordinary dog bringing all its inhabitants together.

MY THOUGHTS: So I'm moving.  See that cute purple house in the middle with the three shrubs in front?  That's the one I want.  And see that adorable dog on the cover?  He'll make a perfect friend for my pups.  Ivy Pembroke has created a setting I just want to beam myself into and live happily ever after.

Several years ago Sam's wife died so he and his son, Teddy, have moved to England to be closer to Sam's sister and her two kids.  Teddy hates living in a foreign country and is having a hard time making friends, all except for Jack.  Jack is the street dog.  The family that lived in Sam's house before left him when they moved (don't even get me started on that!) so all of the people living on the street take care of him.  However, they really don't know each other very well despite living side by side for years.  However, Sam has taken it upon himself to remedy that because he himself wants to make friends and what better place to start that the neighbors.

This book was quaint and fun and everything I wanted and more.  First of all, Jack is a wonderful dog who  is managing to pull the neighborhood together despite them being aware.  And there are some interested couples living there.  Bill Hammersly is the widowed elderly man who has the grumpy old man role down pat - except of course he has a soft spot for Jack.  He also finds he has one for Teddy, who insists on inserting himself in the old man's life.  Then you have Pen.  She's a writer and health nut who has created her own tales for everyone on the street and who insists on feeding Jack health food.  Add in Max and Arthur who are trying to adopt and two other families who have no idea their children have been dating for months and a single teacher and you have "A Dog Called Jack."

And don't worry, this book isn't all drama.  There is humor and fun incidents and stories that tug at your heart (and those who know me know my heart is encased in cement so that's some feat).  So basically I have a new favorite book full of favorite characters (Mr. Hammersly being the best).  And Jack, I was never once worried about his well being or safety so thank you Ivy!  If you love dogs or tales about people coming together, then you absolutely have to read "A Dog Called Jack."

RATING: 5 PAWS (more if I could)

Ahhhh, I Want a Gabriel (Gabriel & Mr. Death Review)

TITLE: Gabriel & Mr. Death
AUTHOR: Susan J. Kroupa
PUBLISHER: Laurel Fork Press
PUBLISHING DATE: December 13, 2010

FROM GOODREADS: She saved Gabriel's life. Now he must take on Mr. Death to save hers. Gabriel is a coon hound with an unusual gift: he can see Mr. Death. He doesn't think too hard on it until one Christmas Eve when Mr. Death comes for the person Gabriel loves most. He can't let that happen. No sir, no way. No matter what a poor hound has to do. A touching story by an award-winning author about a dog's love and loyalty and the healing power of family.

MY THOUGHTS: This was a short little novella I grabbed from Overdrive because come on, could you resist that face.  So Gabriel has spent his whole life looking for Mr. Death, the man who came and walked with his mom into the forest the night she was hit by a car.  He goes to live with a newly married couple and soon realizes that his watch isn't over, it's only just begun. 

Gabriel is such a sweet dog and this is such a wonderful tale.  It does center around Christmas so keep that in mind if you decide to grab it.  In fact, I wish I had read it during the holidays.  It's such a feel-good story and I love Gabriel's loyalty.  

I really don't want to give much else away but I am so glad I picked this up and that I spent some time with Gabriel.  The only reason it didn't get 5/5 was because I wish it had been longer.

RATING: 4 PAWS

Smooshie Saves the Day - The Pit List Murders Review

TITLE:  The Pit List Murders (A Barkside of the Moon Cozy Mystery #3)
AUTHOR: Renee George
PUBLISHER:  Barkside of the Moon Press
PUBLISHING DATE:  April 20, 2018

FROM GOODREADS: Lily Mason and her adorable pittie Smooshie both have a nose for murder, but this is one cougar-shifter who would give her left paw to never find another dead body. All she wants is to enjoy a simple life in her new town, her fixer-upper house, while working a job she loves. Besides, the mystery of whether Parker Knowles, her boss at the rescue shelter, will or won't finally ask her out gives Lily plenty to keep her guessing. But when an abandoned pit bull puppy leads Lily and Smooshie to the corpse of a local Lothario, she is once again drawn into the seedier side of small town living. Even though she's warned off the case by the local sheriff, Lily is determined to find the killer. It doesn't help matters that more nasty notes are showing up around town, making Lily wonder if the two things are connected. Lily and Smooshie need to crack the case of the dead Don Juan, while navigating what it means to live in an all human town, before the secrets of the people she cares for are exposed.

MY THOUGHTS: I had saved this book specifically to read for my "They Call It Puppy Love" challenge and I'm so glad I did because not only was it a solid mystery and a quick read, I got to spend time with my favorite Pit Bull (and Cass' book girlfriend) Smooshie.  

As the book begins, Lily is settling into life in Moonrise.  She has made a close-knit group of family and friends and more importantly, has become mom to one awesome Pit Bull, Smooshie.  One morning after a girl's night out, an adorable little Pit puppy is found wandering in the woods and we soon learn that Tino's womanizing dad has been killed.  Fearing a close friend's involvement, Lily uses her shapeshifter abilities to try to figure out what happened, and learns that someone may be trying to kill her as well.

I really like the characters of Moonrise and George does a great job of mixing a cozy mystery with some interesting supernatural elements.  There is just enough romance to keep things interesting and I can't help but cheer on a budding relationship between Lily and her shelter boss, Parker.

I have to admit I feared this was the last Smooshie book but a quick note to the author last week helped me discover that the next installment comes out in May.  Yay, time with these quirky characters.  My only real issue with "The Pit List Murders" is that I wanted more resolution for Tino.  Maybe I'll find out what happened to him in the next book "Pit & Miss Murder."

RATING: 4 PAWS