A Good Dog's Guide to Murder
Book Summary
The great Gingerbread Dog & Cat House competition has come to Wagtail, along with another murder to solve for Holly and her supersmart Jack Russell terrier Trixie in the New York Times bestselling Paws & Claws series by Krista Davis!
Visitors are arriving in droves to spend Thanksgiving in the mountains of pet-friendly Wagtail, Virginia. Many of them are bringing dog and cat gingerbread houses to enter in the contest that will be held in the new convention center. Wagtail resident Orly Biffle bequeathed the land to the town in his will, provided that they not cut down the grand old oak tree on the property. Orly’s children are mighty miffed that they didn’t inherit the prime piece of property overlooking the lake.
Holly notices that Trixie and Twinkletoes, her calico kitty, are fixated on the big oak tree. Trixie barks at it as though she thinks it’s a corpse! Just as contestants are spicing up their sweet gingerbread creations, the majestic tree drops an enormous limb. The mayor declares that the tree is dangerous and must come down. When a bulldozer churns up some roots, the tree falls over on its own accord revealing a body inside the trunk! Initially, everyone suspects this unsavory trick was Orly’s doing. But it soon becomes clear that someone is trying to keep the truth under wraps. Trixie and Twinkletoes now have to help Holly sniff out some suspects and leash a conniving killer.
My Thoughts
A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder by Krista Davis was a delight to read. It is the 8th A Paws and Claws Mystery. It can be read on its own, but
you will be missing out on a great series.
I like Krista Davis’s writing style (friendly, relaxed, engaging). I was quickly drawn into the story, and I did
not want the tale to end. I love
visiting Wagtail. It is a charming town
with friendly residents and pet friendly places. I just love that the pets can go everywhere (except
the kitchens of the restaurants). It is Thanksgiving week which means an influx
of tourists to the cozy mountain town. The
gingerbread competition is being held at the new convention center. 
When a large branch falls off the
tree in front of the convention center, it is cause for concern. They learn that the tree is rotten and needs
to come down. Unfortunately, Orly’s will
(the man who left them land) specified that his tree could not be chopped down
by the town. When the tree is bulldozed,
they discover why Orly did not want the tree removed. They find two shoes sticking out the
bottom and those shoes have feet in them.
Holly soon learns that a number of people have gone missing from Wagtail
over the years. Holly works on narrowing
down the list so she can identify the victim.
She also does some sleuthing with help from her Jack Russell companion
who has a nose for murder. I enjoyed
this whodunit. It was a fun one to follow
and solve. It was complex with some
surprises along the way. I liked the various
events that happened (kept things lively).
I love how Trixie helps with the investigation. I loved the chapters from Trixie’s point of
view. They were entertaining. Holly’s mother is in town, and she has some unforeseen
news for Holly and Oma. There is a delightful
surprise at the end of the book. I loved
the holiday atmosphere with Thanksgiving and the Christkindl Market (reminded
me of my childhood in German Village). I
did not want A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder to end. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder is a charming
cozy with a gingerbread challenge, convention center conundrum, multiple missing
people, an enhanced canine sniffer, a family visitor, and a happy holiday.
A Good Dog's Guide to Murder is available from Amazon*. You can find the other A Paws & Claws Mystery novels here. You can find Krista Davis's other novels here. Thank you for stopping by today and reading my review. Tomorrow I will be sharing my thoughts on A Vacation to Die For by Lynn Cahoon. It is the 14th A Tourist Trap Mystery. I wanted to tell you about the unusual thing I saw this morning. There are stray cats in my neighborhood that I feed (someone moved and left their fur babies behind). I looked out my dining room window to make sure the plates were full, and I saw a frog the size of a salad plate eating the cat food. He would reach his tongue out grab a piece, get it down, and get another piece. I had to laugh. It was just such an unusual sight. I have had racoons and an opossum, but a large frog is a first. I hope that you have an entertaining day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
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| Trixie boning up on murder procedures! |
*This post
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purchases.
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