Unleashed by Eileen Brady (A Kate Turner
DVM Mystery)
Poisoned Pen, 2015
Reviewed by Amber Polo
Kate Turner, working
as a veterinarian in an small house-call practice, learns one of her clients has
committed suicide. Dr. Kate refuses to believe her artist friend, with much to
live for, would have killed herself leaving her Cairn Terrier Toto in the
animal hospital with no instructions. Animal lovers just don' t do that.
Dr. Kate continues
her house calls, nosing around and sniffing out information from the town
gossips and uncovers a lot of suspects. When a gentle employee of her animal
hospital is arrested for the murder, she refuses to butt out, although her
sleuthing irritates police officer and friend Detective Luke Gianetti. With some practical advice from her Gramps, a
retired fire investigator, now residing in assisted living, she pushes on.
Colorful human
characters and interesting animal clients, perhaps borrowed from the author's
own experiences as a vet, make it fun to follow the clues Dr. Kate and her
friends dig up.
Humor and a heartfelt love of animals combine in this well crafted cozy for animal lovers.
Eileen Brady is a veterinarian living in
Scottsdale with six cats and two dogs of her own.
Hair of the Dog by Susan Slater(A Dan Mahoney Mystery) Poisoned Pen, 2015
Reviewed by Amber Polo
Life really heats up for insurance investigator Dan
Mahoney and his PI-in-training fiancée when they arrive in Florida to look into the
deaths of five valuable racing greyhounds. Of course, all is not what in seems
with the fire, a dead body, and a gentle caretaker arrested and charged with
arson and murder. As Dan and Eileen settle into temporarily cozy life near the
beach, their Rottie Simon joins them, and Dan’s mother adopts a greyhound and
prepares to purchase a house with her new boyfriend.
A well done mystery filled with as many surprises
and subplots and a twisty racetrack. There’s lively banter and humor as Dan’s
mother wants Eileen to investigate her mysterious fiancé just as the plot picks
speed up.
Greyhound adoption issues are handled well.
providing a lot of information about racing dogs prepared for rehoming in
prisons, a greyhound protection organization, and the transport of dogs getting
their second time around. I was surprised that some dogs were trained for
agility in prison. I’d love to see that.
Note: Hair of
the Dog does not contain racing horror stories. Slater even includes a
request to donate to a group that transports retired racing greyhounds.
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