But cozy mysteries with canines have been around for a long time. I've been writing a review column for a dog magazine and have been reading a lot of canine cozies and thought I'd share some of the reviews.
Catwalk Sheila Webster Bonham
Midnight Ink Books, 2014 (An Animals in
Focus Mystery)
Animal
photographer Janet MacPhail competes with Jay, her Australian Shepherd, in
canine agility. The mystery begins when
a dead body is found in the agility course’s crawl tube. In addition to
believable and oh so funny insights into the dog world, Janet, our 50-something
menopausal heroine, deals with her mother in a nursing home, her boyfriend, and
her mother’s boyfriend, as well as a feral cat problem.
Janet also
trains and competes with her cat in feline agility. Who knew feline agility was
even a sport – and fun for owner and cat?
I loved the
combination of dog/cat information, mystery, and a women’s real life issues.
Read it for the animals and the laugh out loud porta-pottie Iditarod scene!
Sheila Webster
Boneham, award-winning author, has written seventeen nonfiction books about
dogs, cats, and rescue and founded rescue groups for Aussies and Labs.
Both mystery series
left me begging for more.
Muzzled
Eileen Brady
Eileen Brady
Poisoned Pen Press, 2014 (a Kate
Turner, D.V.M. Mystery)
From the moment Dr. Kate rescues a
hamster from a vacuum cleaner you know this mystery will be filled with animals
and laughs. When she visits Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeders and
discovers two dead bodies and 27 blue-ribbon dogs running wild, you know she’s
going to stick her nose into crime solving. While police suspect murder-suicide, Dr. Kate disagrees. Was
the couple murdered for the money their champion dog could bring to another
breeder? As Kate's veterinary house calls continue, so does her varied list of
suspects-including a tattooed biker baker.
Pet
lovers and mystery lovers will find this a cozy choice. I loved the humor, the mystery and a
peek into a veterinarian’s life. Plus who could resist a vet’s view
of quirky pet owners.
Eileen Brady is a veterinarian living in Scottsdale with six cats and two dogs
of her own.
Murder Strikes a Pose
Tracy Weber
Midnight Ink, 2014 (A Downward Dog Mystery)
When George, a homeless alcoholic and Bella, his German Shepherd, disturb the peace outside Kate’s yoga studio, she loses her Zen-like calm. The three form an unlikely friendship until Kate finds George’s body behind her studio and tries to find a home for Bella.
Yogi Kate and
Serenity Yoga are not always serene but always delightful. A mystery from a
yoga studio owner who knows the behind the scenes work and a dog lover not
afraid to deal with real problems. I appreciated that Bella had serious issues
with EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) and, for a change, wasn't smarter
than the sleuth.
Tracy Weber,
yoga teacher and founder of Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, shares her home with
challenging yet amazing German Shepherd Tasha and a bonito flake-loving cat.
Fifty
Shades of Greyhound
Sparkle
Abbey
(A Pampered Pets Mystery, Book 5) Bell
Bridge Books, 2014
Fifty Shades of Greyhound is California’s
premier rescue group charity event, graced by fifty greyhounds. Smart, savvy but
ditzy Caro Lamont, Laguna Beach’s pet therapist, loves animals and designer
clothes and for the fundraiser gala Caro and society couples put on the dog
dressed in shades of gray. All is champagne and big checks until a dead body
spoils the party.
Of course things get worse for the rescue
group. Caro butts in and the results bounce between humor and danger. Before
the perfect ending, enjoy the Laguna atmosphere, a tiny bit of romance, nutsy
pet people, and a cozy mystery that will keep you guessing. And who will end up
with Grandma Tilly’s ugly brooch?
Sparkle Abbey is the pen name of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. The name comes from Sparkle (Mary Lee's cat) and Abbey (Anita's dog).
The Big Chihuahua
Waverly Curtis
(A Barking Detective Mystery) Kensington,
2013
P.I. Geri Sullivan and Pepe, her fast-talking
Chihuahua, (sadly only Geri can hear him) look for a missing woman and stumble
into a New Age retreat staffed by Leaf and Artichoke, where cult devotees
worship the incarnation of Dogawanda.
Before Geri can say "Dog Be With
You," or "Obey Your Alpha," Pepe is tapped as their new guru,
and takes the name Towering Cedar. It wouldn't be a mystery without a body or
two. Throw in some wolfdogs, an enigmatic celebrity, and Pepe's clever dialog
and the result is a silly satire mixed with mystery and mayhem. A delightful
cozy read to cuddle with.
Waverly
Curtis is the joint byline
of mystery writers Waverly Fitzgerald and Curtis Colbert. Fitzgerald lives in
Seattle with her daughter and her daughter's Chihuahua, Pepe. The authors
donate part of the proceeds of the book sales to the ASPCA.
Great post!
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