A Twist in the Tail by Leighann Dobbs

Hello!  May is going by so quickly.  The Book Supremacy by Kate Carlisle releases on June 4.  It is the thirteenth A Bibliophile Mystery involving Brooklyn Wainwright.  Died in the Wool by Melinda Mullet comes out June 18. It is the fourth A Whiskey Business Mystery.    Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower, Down in Flames by Cheryl Hollen and Bite Club by Laurien Berenson publish on June 25.  So many books and so little time to read.

A Twist in the Tail by Leighann Dobbs is the first The Oyster Cove Guesthouse Mystery.  Josie Waters has moved back home to Oyster Cove, Maine after her divorce and has purchased the Oyster Cove Guesthouse from Millie Sullivan.  The guesthouse is a beautiful 250 old Victorian mansion that needs extensive renovations.  Barbara Littlefield, the town’s building inspector, has been a pain in the backside since the very beginning.  Josie promised Millie to care for the inn’s two resident cats, Marlowe and Nero who take offense when Josie states she owns them (big mistake).  She inherited Flora, the maid, who spends more time watching soap operas than cleaning.  Josie might not have thought through the cooking part of the operation completely.  It is a good thing that Millie tends to drop by regularly and takes over the kitchen.  Josie has invested all her savings into this venture, and she is determined to make a go of it.  But then the cats start howling and lead Josie into the dilapidated west wing where one of her guests is dead at the bottom of the collapsed stairs.  Maybe this was not one of Josie’s best ideas. 

 

A Twist in the Tail is a lighthearted, engaging tale.  Josie Waters is recently divorced from her chef hubby and has returned to her hometown where she can keep an eye on her mother plus start over.  She has purchased the Oyster Cove Guesthouse which needs massive amounts of renovations (a beautiful yet rundown Victorian).  I like that the protagonist is in her 40s and starting a new chapter of her life.  The chapters alternate between the human and the cat’s point-of-views.  The cat chapters are entertaining and will have you chuckling.  Marlowe and Nero are not certain about the new human in their lives.  They are working on training her, but they have a long road ahead of them.  Josie fails to understand them, and she actually believes she owns the felines (she has not been around cats before this as we can tell).  Josie’s mother, Rose and Minnie Sullivan have a police scanner app on their cell phones and usually arrive at crime scenes before Sheriff Seth Chamberlain (who should have retired years ago).  Mike Sullivan, Millie’s nephew, is doing the renovations on the guesthouse.  He broke Josie’s heart back in high school and Josie would rather avoid Mike especially since the old attraction is still present between them.  It does not help that Stella Dumont, her high school nemesis, seems intent on flirting with Mike and keeps popping up in her kitchen.  Now Josie has a dead guest which can ruin her new business venture before it begins.  It does not help that Sheriff Chamberlain considers Josie his prime suspect and Barbara Littlefield, the town building inspector, has issued another fine.  Josie must investigate the murder to clear her name and save the guesthouse from ruin.  Millie and Rose are determined to help along with Marlowe and Nero (want to guess which pair are the better sleuths).  The mystery was straightforward with the murder occurring in first chapter.  There are good clues to aid readers in solving the crime before the reveal.  There are multiple suspects, misdirection and plenty of action.  Avid cozy mystery readers will have no problem solving this whodunit.  I would have liked less repetition of case details and speculation.  There are recipes at the end of the book.  There is a hint at what will happen in A Whisker in the Dark.   A Twist in the Tail is a humorous cozy mystery with sleuthing cats, meddling seniors, a handsome handyman, a clueless sheriff, scintillating secrets, and one new guesthouse owner who is in over her head.

A Whisker in the Dark releases on July 31.  Both books are a part of the Kindle Unlimited program on Amazon.  Thank you for reading my review.  Tomorrow I am the stop of the Celebrate Lit Tour for On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher.  It is the first book in the Three Sisters Island series.  I hope you have a exemplary day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader