Bad to the Bone: A Barkery and Biscuits Mystery

Welcome!  I am off to Tampa today for a doctor's appointment.  It is an hour and a half drive each way for me.  I am glad that I only have to do this every three months.  It is a good opportunity, though, for me to enjoy my audio books.  My current audio book is Nemesis by Brendan Reichs.  

Bad to the Bone by Linda O. Johnston is the third book in A Barkery and Biscuits Mystery series.  Carrie Kennersly is the owner of Barkery and Biscuits a bakery that caters to canine clientele in Knobcone Heights, California. She also owns Icing on the Cake in the adjoining space that has delectable delights for humans.    Carrie creates her own recipes so she can offer healthy treats for dogs.  Jack Loroco, a rep for VimPets (a pet food manufacturer), has been trying to get Carrie to sell one of two of her unique recipes to VimPets.  Carrie knows this would provide good promotion for Bakery and Biscuits, but she is reluctant to sell.  Jack who is dating Billi Matlock, friend of Carrie’s and city councilwoman, has return to town and invited Carrie and friends to dinner.  Jack brings an additional guest to dinner.  Wanda Addler works at VimPets with Jack, and she is very ambitious.  Wanda has set her sights on Jack’s job, and she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goal.  Early one morning Carrie receives a call from Jack.  He was out walking his dog when they discovered Wanda stabbed behind his apartment building.  Jack and Billi end up prime suspects in Wanda’s murder.  Carrie knows that neither of them would harm a person, and she starts exploring other suspects.  Once Carrie starts her investigation, she is like a dog with a bone—she does not give up.

Bad to the Bone is easy to read, and I like the various dogs in the story.  Each person in the story seems to own a dog (I am not exaggerating). Bad to the Bone is the third book in A Barkery and Biscuits Mystery series, but it can be read alone.  You would not be lost if you started with Bad to the Bone.  I give Bad to the Bone 3 out of 5 stars.  The murder mystery is straightforward.  I wish, though, that more of the sleuthing had taken place in the book instead of the reader’s being told about it at the reveal.  I wanted more mystery in this cozy mystery (instead of food descriptions). You must pay sharp attention to find the clues, but I thought the killer’s identity was obvious.  I did love the unique murder weapon.  It goes perfectly with the story.  I did get tired of people constantly telling Carrie to stay out of the murder investigation (and to be careful if she did not listen).  It was repeated over and over.   The story focuses more on Carrie’s shops, her work as a vet tech, her love life, friends, and the pets.  A significant amount of time is spent on Carrie thinking and her internal questions (book written in the first person with Carrie as narrator).  I wish there had been more focus on the mystery than on Carrie’s life.  Bad to the Bone is an easy breezy type of story (light and fluffy).  I felt it lacked substance and depth.  There are two recipes at the end of the book (one for humans and one for dogs).  I kept hoping that the series would improve, but, for me, it has not.  I will be skipping future books in A Bakery and Biscuits Mystery series.  The first two books in the series are Bite the Biscuit and To Catch a Treat.

Thank you for visiting today.  I am currently reading Bringing Them Home by Barbara Hinske (releases on May 23).  On Thursday I will be reviewing Uncorking a Lie by Nadine Nettmann.  I hope each of you have a very special Wednesday. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader