Monday, January 9, 2017

A Fatal Twist: A Downward Dog Mystery


I hope all of you have had a good Monday.  I spent the day running errands now that my car is up and running again.  Tracy Weber writes A Downward Dog Mystery series.  The four books in the series are Murder Strikes a Pose, A Killer Retreat, Karma's a Killer, and A Fatal Twist.  You can follow Tracy Weber on Amazon and Facebook.  You can also find more information on the author and her books at www.TracyWeberAuthor.com.

A Fatal Twist by Tracy Weber is the fourth book in A Downward Dog Mystery series.  Kate Davidson is the owner of Serenity Yoga in Seattle, Washington.  Kate has also been busy training to be a doula to help her friend, Rene.  Rene is expecting twins with her husband, Sam.  Kate is at the open house of the Lake Washington Medical Center new birthing facility.  After getting cake all over her top (thanks to Sam and Rene’s bickering), Kate heads to a restroom to clean up.  Just as she is about to enter, Rachel Jones comes out clutching her red handbag to her chest.  Rachel runs by Kate without a greeting.  Upon entering the bathroom, Kate finds Dr. Richard Jones (known by most as Dr. Dick) on the floor with a knife sticking out of his chest.  Dr. Dick lived up to his name with his philandering ways.  Because of Kate’s testimony, Rachel is arrested for the murder leaving her sixteen-year-old daughter, Nicole in the care of Justine (friend of Rachel’s).  Kate knows that Rachel did not murder her husband and sets out to find the real culprit.  Kate has some new additions to her household.  Michael, Kate’s boyfriend, brings home two puppies that he found outside his store, Pete’s Pets.  Bella, Kate’s one hundred pound German Shepard, actually likes the little fellows.  Soon, though, the destruction gets to be too much for Kate and Bella’s health takes a downward turn.  Will Kate be able to find Dr. Jones’ killer and the person responsible for leaving the puppies outside Michael’s shop before Rene has her babies? 

I found A Fatal Twist to be an easy read and a reader can enjoy it as a stand-alone novel.  I found the two mysteries (the murder and the puppy issue) to be easy to solve.  The identity of the killer can be figured out very early in the book (much to my disappointment).  The puppy conundrum can also be solved before the answer is revealed in the story.  I found A Fatal Twist to be packed with yoga, puppies, babies, lawsuits, cheaters, sleuthing, doula lessons, Bella’s stomach issues, Michael's destruction of Kate's kitchen (he is a messy cook) and Kate’s bio breaks (leaving little room for the mystery). The reader is subjected to many details regarding Bella’s digestive condition (EPI).  The details will have you reconsidering eating your next meal.  I also found the frequent mention of “bio break’s” unnecessary.  Does a reader really need to know every single time a character goes to the bathroom?  I give A Fatal Twist 3 out of 5 stars.  I found Kate to be a contradiction at times (and a hard character to like).  Kate loves yoga, but has issues with hot yoga (you could not pay me enough to subject myself to hot yoga).  Her reaction to the class seemed odd for this yoga lover (and over-the-top). The book does contain descriptions of various yoga poses and different types of classes. If you have enjoyed the previous books in the series, then you will enjoy reading A Fatal Twist.  If you prefer a cozy mystery with a little more substance, then I recommend reading a different book!

Thank you for your visit.  I have a few chores left to finish, and then I am going to relax.  I will return tomorrow to review The Elusive Elixir by Gigi Pandian.  I sincerely hope all of you have a lovely evening.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader  

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