Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers…the place to be when you’re in the mood for food to satisfy the heart and mind; you know, the bookish variety.
Today, we’re playing host to a blog tour courtesy of Lori at Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, starring two of my favorite things…books and puppies! Oh come on…how can you honestly resist the precious little fuzzy wuzzies? I know I can’t, as my fur baby brood at home would tell you, supposing you could understand them as well as I…and neither can the leading lads and lasses in today’s story. Get the leashes ready and have the biscuits on standby, today’s book of choice and blog tour guest is ready to meet and greet….
A Pet Rescue Mystery, Book 5:
By
9780425259979
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
About the book…
Los Angeles animal shelter manager Lauren Vancouver has a soft spot for animals in need – and a keen eye for crime…
Thanks to a savvy ad campaign featuring teacup pups sporting HotPets Bling – a new line of faux jewelry dog collars – small dog adoptions have skyrocketed across the city. So when Lauren discovers a shelter in the Midwest with more toy dogs than it can handle, she arranges a private plane to swoop in and fly the pups back to L.A.
But Lauren didn’t count on rescue worker Teresa Kantrim coming along for the ride. Teresa has cared for the dogs since they were found and doesn’t trust anyone from La-La Land to take over the job. Her biting comments clearly haven’t earned Teresa any new friends, but when she turns up murdered, it’s time for Lauren to dig into Teresa’s past and find out who wanted her put down.
This is a cozy mystery; that is a mystery that has light mystery, no gore, a lack of foulness in other ways, and light on the romance. I don’t read them often but sometimes I indulge…you can’t help it. They have the niftiest titles! Now, here’s something about cozy’s that I’ve always been told, you either love them or you not-so-love-them…there’s no in-between. I, however, am apparently one of the contradictions of that “rule”.
While I wasn’t in love with the book where I couldn’t put it down and had to eat, sleep, and read it in order to make it through the day (oh, just admit it…you’ve felt that way about a book or two at the very least), I did enjoy it. I found the human characters for the most part endearing…though some garnered more tolerance (hello Teresa! Or rather goodbye seeing as how you’re murdered not too far into the story) than actual acceptance (Lauren, Matt, all their friends, the volunteers, her colleagues…need I say more?). The pups that litter the pages, from HotRescues to their own personal pooches, were heart warming…and some of the names they had tugged at my own memories (R.I.P. my sweet Zoey) while others simply made me smile (a teacup named Challenger…*grin*).
The actual mystery was pretty straight forward, including some of the who-done-its. I mean, I did actually see a good portion of it coming…not exactly what you look for in a novel. HOWEVER, and that’s a big however, the final outcome including the revelation of all the players involved, as well as the resolution of an additional mystery we never knew about (~hehe~), DO come as a surprise so I’d say that all’s well that ends well…and this one DOES end well.
Final thoughts…a short and sweet read that’s light on the action but pours on the charm, perfect for your weekend bring-a-long or bedtime read. Though I wish some parts were fleshed out more, that’s not the nature of this particular beast (or rather genre) so I’ll take it as it is and welcome it with a smile. Will I be seeking out the rest of the series? Undecided at this point to be honest, but I do know that I enjoyed my time in La-La Land with this animal friendly crew and certainly respect their dedication to the cause. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I do believe this is one of those series that you can pick up anywhere along the way and still be 100% included in the Scooby gang. Just sayin’…and with cute titles like this one, not to mention Beaglemania, and The More the Terrier, there’s bound to be you simply can’t resist!
Review copy received courtesy of Lori at Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. (THANKS!) For more information on this title as well as the growing Pet Rescue Mysteries series, be sure to stop by the publisher’s site or seek out the author online. This book is available now from The Berkley Publishing Group, A Penguin Random House Company…so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf near you. Can't wait to run to your local store? No worries! Here's a few online options to get you started...Amazon, Book World, Barnes and Noble. This being a blog tour, be sure to stop by the other sites hosting as well, like StephtheBookworm who is also a stop today…you never know what fun is in store for you; well unless you visit, hence the inviting and all. ^_^
Until next time…happy reading!
Loving the title, I was however somewhat surprised to find out that the book was about animals.
ReplyDeleteTracy: Now it's not just about animals but they do have a starring role and i love how they bring animals in need to the spotlight.
ReplyDeleteAww, loving that cover! :D Adorable with all the puppies on it. Thank you for sharing. Sounds like my kind of mystery with no gore and light. :) Thank you.
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