Dogged by Death by Laura Scott

 Dogged by Death

Book Summary

In Laura Scott's Furry Friends series debut, veterinarian Ally Winter must collar the killer of a shifty lawyer. Does the dead man's dog know who committed the arf-ul crime?

Ally Winter is going through a ruff patch. The thirty-something veterinarian lost her fiancé, her clinic, and her savings in rapid succession. So when Ally's grandfather undergoes hip replacement surgery, she moves back to Willow Bluff, Wisconsin, to care for him. She arrives home, tail between her legs, only to find sleazy lawyer Marty Shawlin murdered in his home office. And the only witness was Marty's faithful boxer, Roxy.

Quick as a greyhound, Noah Jorgensen is on the case. The good news is, he's the best detective around. The bad news, at least the way Ally sees it, is that Noah is still just as fetching as he was back in high school. He also just happens to have witnessed every embarrassing incident that befell accident-prone Ally--including the fire-ant attack that set tongues wagging and won her the unshakable nickname Hot Pants.

Meanwhile, true-crime aficionado Gramps fancies himself a sleuth, and he is doggedly determined to sniff out the culprit himself...with Ally's reluctant help, of course. Ally has no choice but to team up with Noah--and the irrepressible Roxy--to solve the case while keeping Gramps on a short leash.

Ally had better learn some new tricks, lickety-split. Because if she can't bring the killer to heel, she won't just be playing dead.

My Thoughts

Dogged by Death by Laura Scott has Ally Winter moving to Willow Bluff, Wisconsin to be near her grandfather, Oscar after some big upheavals in her life.  Ally buys out a local veterinary practice and settles into her new life.  Ally is hired by Marty Shawlin to walk his dog, Roxy.  She arrives the first day to find Roxy barking frantically and Marty dead on the floor.  Detective Noah Jorgensen, Ally’s old high school crush, is on the case.  Gramps, a true crime junkie, is eager to do some investigating of his own with help from Ally, of course (he has trouble getting around since his hip replacement surgery).  The killer is not playing games and tries to deter Ally.   Gramps is even more determined to find the guilty party.  

Dogged by Death is the debut of A Furry Friends Mystery series.  I enjoyed this entertaining new cozy mystery.  I laughed often while reading it.  Ally Winter is a solid protagonist and I just love Gramps.  He is a hoot.  Roxy, Marty Shawlin’s dog, is smart and such a sweetie.  The secondary characters are a great addition.  The Willow Bluff Widows who live with Gramps at Willow Bluff Legacy House, an assisted living facility, nicely round out the cast along with Noah Jorgensen.  I am glad the author took the time to establish the characters (characters can make or break a series). The mystery was fun to follow thanks to Gramps and Ally.  I did feel that we really do not get to know the suspects.  I understand why they are suspects, but the emotions were lacking.  Readers should have no problem solving the whodunit before the reveal.  There is repetition of case details and I wish the whodunit had been more of a challenge.  I love how Ally and Gramps would “share” their information with Noah.  Noah was always finding them in compromising situations.  He has a facial twitch that was getting out of control by the end of the investigation (he found Gramps to be a challenge).  Dogged by Death moved along at a quick pace with good dialogue and plenty of humor.  I am looking forward to Tailing Trouble when it comes out next year.  Dogged by Death is a tail wager with a septuagenarian sleuth, a benevolent veterinarian, willing widows, a bright boxer, an enduring detective, and a cruel killer.

Dogged by Death is available from Amazon*.  The next A Furry Friends Mystery is Tailing Trouble which publishes January 11, 2022.  You can find Laura Scott's other novels here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison.  It is the first An Enchanted Bay Mystery.  I hope that you have a gleeful day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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