Dial Meow for Murder
Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery, Book #2
Bethany Blake
Book Information:
Print Length: 342 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Sold by: Penguin Random House Publisher Services
About the Book:
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 pet treats!
Fur-Ever Friends Pet Rescue gala is being held at the Flynt Mansion this year. As the set-up work is being done inside and outside the mansion owned by Lillian Flynt, Lillian's prized cat, Tinkleston escapes. At the same time, Maeve Templeton, Daphne Templeton's real estate agent mother, is waiting on a potential buyer to arrive to view Flynt Mansion. After Daphne is delegated the cat catcher by her sister Piper, Daphne discovers more than just a cat who hisses and tries to get away - she finds Lillian Flynt dead in an upstairs bathroom.
Daphne has assumed responsibility to care for Tinkleston and has decided after the previous murder investigation, to leave the murder-solving to Jonathan Black, resident hunky detective. Only, when Maeve is considered a suspect, Daphne can't just sit idly by while her mother is wrongly accused. Maeve Templeton may be many things but a murderer is not one of them!
Dial Meow for Murder is a wonderful cozy mystery full of action, suspense, drama, and animals. I love Artie, the chihuahua Daphne rescued in book 1 and convinced Jonathan to adopt. He is such scene stealer. Tinks is a feisty cat with a cantankerous personality and Socrates is patient, especially concerning Daphne and her recent influx of foster animals (both in book 1 and book 2). Now on to the humans.
Daphne is a wonderful character. She is snarky, compassionate, without too many cares in the world. Some may think she's a flake since her cell never works and she's never on time for anything, but she's a strong protagonist that doesn't live by the timeline of others. She even has a PhD in philosophy but doesn't use her degree. She's down-to-earth, kind, and gentle. She loves her pet sitting business and continues to prosper. The sparks between Daphne and Jonathan are still there in book 2 and the dynamics are not at all subtle.
The book is engaging from the very beginning and kept me entertained throughout. There was never a dull moment and some of Daphne's antics had me smiling. The author's writing style is phenomenal. All dialogue was smooth, thought out, and conversational. The twists and turns kept me guessing all the way until the end.
I was provided a review copy.
My Rating:
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