A Whisker in the Dark by Leighann Dobbs

Happy last day of July!  The Women of Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke will be out tomorrow along with The Healing Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter.  The Cat Caper by Molly Fitz releases on August 8.  It is the fifth book in Pet Whisperer PI series.  

A Whisker in the Dark by Leighann Dobbs returns readers to Oyster Cove.  Josie Waters, owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse, has the entire Biddeford clan staying with her for the town’s 250^th anniversary celebration.  Josie is serving breakfast when she hears an urgent meow coming from the west wing that is under construction.  She rushes to the ballroom, with the Biddeford clan on her heels, to find Ed O’Hara, her carpenter, staring at a skeleton in the newly exposed section of wall.  The skeleton is identified as Jedediah Biddeford, shipping tycoon, who disappeared three hundred years ago.  The Biddeford clan believes that the old curse must be true about hidden treasure on the property and they rush to the local hardware store to purchase shovels.  That night the Biddeford clan along with many local townspeople are digging up the grounds using flashlights and headlamps.  The next morning, Mike Sullivan finds Bob Biddeford dead by the pond with a shovel laying nearby.  Josie worries that her guesthouse will get a bad reputation with a second murder occurring on her property.  Josie with her two sidekicks, Millie and Rose, dig in to expose the killer.  Thankfully, Marlowe and Nero are also on the case along with their feline friends. 

A Whisker in the Dark is the second book in The Oyster Cove Guesthouse series.  I recommend reading A Twist in the Tail before starting this latest tale.  Josie Waters needed a new start after her divorce and purchased the guesthouse from Millie Sullivan even though she cannot cook (plus cannot keep the books and lacks marketing knowledge).  Josie’s cooking skills have not improved despite having Millie’s recipes (she really needs to invest in a timer too).  I enjoy Leighann Dobbs relaxed writing style and the fact that the story progresses at a zippy pace (which makes for an easy to read story).  I enjoy the sections told from the cat’s perspective.  They are intelligent and perceptive felines who are working to train Josie.  The cat’s sniff out clues that they share with the humans.  It is cute that there is a network of cat’s around town who help to solve the mysteries.  The modern whodunit has multiple suspects (the whole Biddeford clan) and misdirection.  Flora, Josie’s maid who prefers to watch television to cleaning, is at the top of the suspect list.  Millie has known Flora for decades and knows she would not commit murder.  But they need solid proof for Sheriff Seth Chamberlain. Solving the mystery is child’s play, but readers will enjoy following the characters as they work to expose the truth.  We are left to wonder, though, about what really happened to Jedidiah Biddeford and is there a treasure.  We will have to wait for A Purrfect Alibi to get answers.    A Whisker in the Dark is a lighthearted caper with quirky characters, zany antics, and madcap humor.  A Whisker in the Dark has old bones, hidden treasure, friendly felines, bickering Biddeford’s, burnt bread, and three nosey parkers.

A Whisker in the Dark is available through Amazon plus it on the Kindle Unlimited program.  The first book in The Oyster Cove Guesthouse series A Twist in the Tail.  The third novel A Purrfect Alibi will be out on September 18.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I will return tomorrow with my review of The Healing Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter which is the third book in The Prayer Jar series.  I hope you have a stellar day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader