The Dog Across the Lake by Krista Davis

 The Dog Across the Lake

Book Summary

Holly and Trixie meet a strange new dog in Wagtail that leads them right into murder. 

Holly Miller is looking forward to finally taking a few days to relax. Enjoying an early morning on her terrace, she spots an unfamiliar reddish-gold pooch across the lake. She’s intrigued, but never expects to find the very same dog smiling at her in bed when she wakes up the next morning! Trixie and Twinkletoes appear to accept this cute stranger, but Holly doesn’t know to whom he belongs.

Oma thinks the dog looks familiar, and it turns out the wayward pooch belongs to Holly’s cousin Josh. Holly knew her cousin well as a child, but she hasn’t seen him in over a decade. He’s camping with his girlfriend across the lake. Holly returns the cute dog to Josh’s campsite twice, but the second time, Josh and his girlfriend are nowhere to be found. Instead, a guest 

My Thoughts

The Dog Across the Lake by Krista Davis takes us back to Wagtail, Virginia where the town is getting ready to celebrate Oma’s (Liesel Miller who is the mayor of Wagtail) birthday.  I look forward to my visits to Wagtail each year.  It is a charming town where cats and dogs are welcome along with their owners (of course).  The story contains good writing along with developed characters.  Holly Miller, the protagonist, has grown over the course of the series.  It is easy to see that Wagtail is where she belongs, and that Holly is meant to run the Sugar Maple Inn.  It is obvious how much Holly loves the inn.  All the regular characters are back along with a couple of visitors.  Holly’s father, cousin, and aunt are in town for Oma’s birthday dinner.  Trixie and Twinkletoes are as wonderful as ever and they have a new friend.  I appreciate that the author includes a cast of characters especially since the cast has grown with the series.  

The mystery has Holly fretting about her cousin, Josh.  Josh’s mother is worried (a regular nervous Nelly) and wants Holly to unravel the thorny puzzle.  Holly asks questions, observes people, looks for clues, and just “happens” to overhear conversations.  There are clues for the readers that will help them identify the guilty party.  I pinpointed the killer quite a while before Holly.  There is a secondary mystery that Holly solves as well.  While The Dog Across the Lake is the ninth A Paws and Claws Mystery, it can be read as a standalone.  It will take a new reader a beat to get the characters straight but that is where the cast of characters comes in handy.   I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story.  Friendship, family, and a love of animals if prevalent throughout.  I was sorry when my visit to Wagtail came to an end.  The Dog Across the Lake is a delightful tale with a roving Radar, a victim in a tent, a questionable girlfriend, a birthday bash, a mournful howl, a laid-up officer, and visiting siblings.  

The Dog Across the Lake is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other A Paws & Claws Mysteries here.  Kris Davis has The Diva Goes Overboard coming out May 21.  It is the 17th A Domestic Diva Mystery.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Also out today is  The Amish Quilter's Unlikely Match by Jennifer Beckstrand.  It is the latest book in The Amish Quiltmaker series.  The Son's Secret by Daryl Wood Gerber is another new release along with Upside Down by Danielle Steel.  As you can tell, I have been cutting back on my blog.  My fibromyalgia has been acting up, so my doctors have added some new medications.  Unfortunately, the new meds make me tired. Until I adjust, I have to cut back a little.  I appreciate your understanding. I hope that you have a peaceful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Murder Under the Mistletoe by Sherry Lynn

 Murder Under the Mistletoe

Book Summary

In a fresh new Maine-set holiday cozy, landscaper Kinsley Clark must root out a killer before she becomes the prime suspect.

Landscape artist and owner of SeaScapes, Kinsley Clark has been re-hired to decorate the town of Harborside for the upcoming holiday season and boat parade. Using the local elements found in Maine, Kinsley creates kissing balls—the town’s official mistletoe—to hang downtown and along the wharf. Kinsley is also responsible for Harborside’s official “lobster-stacked” Christmas tree, located beside the local marina, where the annual Harborside Boat Parade & Fireworks Display takes place.

When local alderman Chris Chesterfield—dressed up as the Grinch, right down to the green face paint—falls off the pier and into the icy Atlanticthe night of the annual kickoff event, the town is in shock. But all eyes turn to Kinsley and her beautiful decorations when it becomes evident that Chris didn't fall after all—and that he was looking to replace SeaScapes with a different decorating team. Kinsley, along with bestie, Becca, and Pete, the owner of the Blue Lobstah, must unearth the truth before Kinsley takes the fall.

My Thoughts

Murder Under the Mistletoe by Sherry Lynn has Kinsley Clark’s business Seascapes decorating Harborside, Maine for the holidays.  Kinsley gets help from volunteers to make the numerous kissing balls she needs to bedeck the town.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the town decorated for the holidays as well as the homes Kinsley and her crew adorned.  A boat parade is something that I am familiar with living in Florida.  At least I do not shiver (not most years) while watching it.  The author captured the chilly temperatures of Maine.  I could imagine the cold wind coming in off the water (brr).  The town alderman dressed appropriately as the Grinch gets murdered during the boat parade. 

The suspect list is longer than a five-year-olds Christmas list for Santa.  Kinsley accompanied by bestie, Becca set out to solve the murder.  I wish the guilty party had not been so obvious (there might as well have been a neon arrow pointing at the person). The mystery is neatly wrapped up at the end of the book in time for the holidays.  Kinsley’s brother is home for a month, but some unexpected news gets his visit off to a rough start.  There is a secondary mystery that is not resolved in this book.  I could have done with less romance.  There are numerous mentions of Pete and how Kinsley feels about him.  I like the gift Kinsley receives from her brother for Christmas.  I had a feeling she would receive this particular gift from the references throughout the story, but I still enjoyed her reaction to it.  Murder Under the Mistletoe is the second A Mainely Murder Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone for those who have not read Digging Up Daisy.  Murder Under the Mistletoe is a Christmas cozy with a chilly climate, a petty politician, a bar bruhaha, a slew of suspects, a surprising secret, scrumptious cocoa, and a Happy Holiday!

Murder Under the Mistletoe is available from Amazon*.  The first book in A Mainely Murder Mysteries is Digging Up Daisy.  If you follow Sherry Lynn on Amazon, they will send you an email when she has a new book release.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I will be featuring Her Secret Hope by Shelley Shepard Gray.  It is the final book in A Season in Pinecraft series.  We have been having delightful weather in Florida.  I have had the air conditioning off for almost a week (it is in the mid 70s during the day--still shorts and t-shirt weather).  I would like this lovely weather to continue.  I hope that you have a happy day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride by Mimi Granger

 Murder of a Mail-Order Bride

Book Summary

When real life starts mimicking the plot of one of the romance books that line the shelves in her bookstore, it's up to Lizzie Hale to catch the killer, in this riveting new Love is Murder mystery.

Lizzie Hale thought mail-order brides existed only between the pages of the historical romances she stocks in her bookstore, Love Under the Covers. But when not one, but two local men introduce her to their respective new wives, she's forced to reevaluate that notion. 

Lizzie is surprised when Al Little, the owner of the local hardware store, asks Lizzie and her aunt Charmaine to help Svetlana, his new bride straight from Russia, to settle into Tinker's Creek, but they agree. 

Everything is going swimmingly—until a wrench gets thrown into their plans when Svetlana is found drowned in the creek. 

With Al's suspicious best friend—who has his own mysterious mail-order bride—and the secretive matchmaker who put them together, Lizzie's got more suspects than she knows what to do with. But she'll have to nail down who the killer is fast, before someone else winds up dead.

My Thoughts

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride by Mimi Granger is a lighthearted cozy mystery.  Lizzie Hale owns Love Under the Covers a romance bookstore in Tinker’s Creek, Ohio.  Lizzie along with her aunt, Charmaine finds themselves helping Al Little welcome his Russian bride.  He wants Svetlana to feel comfortable in her new home plus Al needs their help with the wedding preparations.  Svetlana, Al’s Russian bride, arrives and announces the wedding will take place in less than a week.  Charmaine throws herself into planning a wedding in the park.  Lizzie finds herself appointed the maid of honor and begins hunting for an appropriate pink dress (Svetlana insists on pink).  The ceremony is just lovely.  Before the cake can be cut, Lizzie finds Svetlana dead in the creek.  Who could have wanted Svetlana dead and why?  Al asks Lizzie to don her sleuthing cap once again and learn who killed his Russian bride.   

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride is the second book in A Love is Murder Mysteries.  It can be read as a standalone if you did not read Death of a Red-Hot Rancher.  We learn more about Lizzie in this book.  The story is told from Lizzie’s perspective which makes us privy to her thoughts.  Lizzie is attracted to Max Alvarez, the local park ranger.  He definitely consumes her thoughts (and her daydreams).  There is chemistry between the pair.  I can tell that the author wrote romance novels before embarking on cozy mysteries.  The proportion of romance to mystery is out of balance (way too much romance).  The mystery is straightforward with a dead woman and an amateur sleuth looking into the crime.  The solution was obvious.  There are pointed clues to help the reader solve the crime.  The mystery did have some interesting bits and there was a unique clue.  I do like how the more obscure clues lined up. Charmaine is an over-the-top character.  She is one of those people who do not take no for an answer (she is quirky, dresses outlandishly).  There are a couple of other off-beat characters in the story.  There is humor sprinkled throughout.  There is the requisite small town, charming shops, and a cute dog.  I wanted to give this series another shot (which I did).  I discovered that it is not the right fit for me.  For those who enjoy quirky characters, first person point-of-view, a heaping helping of romance, silly humor, and a light mystery, then A Love is Murder Mysteries is for you.  Murder of a Mail-Order Bride is a giddy tale with a surprise Russian bride, rapid wedding planning, a quarreling couple, train fanatics conference, curious clues, a butchered bride, and an electric connection.

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride is available from Amazon*.  The first A Love is Murder Mystery is Death of a Red-Hot Rancher.  You can follow Mimi Granger on Amazon in order to receive an email when she has a new book release.  Thank you for joining me today and reading my review.  I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Death a Sketch by Cheryl Hollon tomorrow.  It is the third A Paint & Shine Mystery.  I hope that you have an amusing day.  Take care, stay cool, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.