Dial
Meow for Murder
A
Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery #2
by
Bethany Blake
Genre:
Cozy Mystery
Even
an experienced pet sitter like Daphne Templeton can be fooled by
animal behavior: how can an adorably tiny fuzz ball named Tinkleston
be capable of sudden flying leaps with cat claws bared? But human
behavior remains even more mysterious, especially when Tinkleston’s
owner is murdered on the night of a gala fundraiser for Fur-ever
Friends Pet Rescue.
Accompanied
by her unflappable basset hound, Socrates, Daphne plans to take
charge of Tinks the Terror and leave the crime-solving to handsome
detective Jonathan Black. But while luring the prickly Persian out of
hiding, she uncovers clues that might take suspicion off her own
mother. Maeve Templeton already has a reputation as a killer—in
real estate. How far would she go to bag Sylvan Creek’s most
coveted property, the Flynt Mansion?
To
expose the truth, Daphne finds herself donning a deranged clown
costume on an autumnal adventure that might just be crazy enough to
work—if it doesn’t get her killed.
Includes
recipes for homemade dog treats!
“Doggone charming from start to finish!” —Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author on Death by Chocolate Lab
The Result? Mysterious, charming, and fast paced, Dial Meow for Murder serves up an excellent mystery with a side of small town hijinks, one grouchy, aggressive cat, and a cast of characters you can't help but utterly adore.
Dial Meow for Murder is actually the second book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series, and while I hadn't read the first book, I had almost no issues following along. Bethany did a great job of describing who everyone was as well as giving a good overall run down of what occurred in the last book.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the setting. What can I say I love a good small town setting, especially when it offers up an eccentric cast of characters. Better yet, this book is actually set in my neck of the woods (the Poconos) so that was a lot of fun to see as well. I thought Bethany did a great job of capturing the small town feel the Poconos has to offer.
Daphne, the main character in Dial Meow for Murder, was someone I liked from the get-go. She was sort of a mess, especially in regards to her romantic life as well as her constant need to go sleuthing where she shouldn't, but it just made her all the more lovable as well as relatable, in my opinion. Additionally, I loved seeing her different friendships and relationships evolve as the book progressed. Her relationship with her mother was laugh-out-loud funny, especially when she got her mother going about something. I also loved the dynamic between her and detective Jonathan Black. It was a classic love-hate relationship.
Now for the mystery....I thought Bethany did a great job of developing it. There were cleverly placed clues throughout the novel that constantly kept me guessing and attempting to figure out who the killer was. I completely didn't see the killer coming - I have to say that 100% surprised me! I also enjoyed that in addition to the murder mystery, Bethany introduces several other mysteries, such as who's stalking Daphne and what is is Daphne's on again/off again boyfriend is trying to tell her? All these plot lines and more made for an easy, fun read.
In all, Dial Meow for Murder is a great addition to the cozy mystery world. I look forward to reading more by Bethany Blake.
Grade: B
Dial Meow for Murder is now out!
Source: eARC provided by publisher
Bethany
Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband
and three daughters. When she's not writing, cooking for pets and
people or riding horses, she's wrangling a menagerie of furry family
members that includes a nervous pit bull, a fearsome feline, a blind
goldfish, and an attack cardinal named Robert. Like Daphne Templeton,
the heroine of her Lucky Paws Mysteries, Bethany holds a Ph.D. and
operates a pet sitting business called Barkley's Premium Pet Care.
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