Howl Deadly by Linda O. Johnston is the 8th book in the “Kendra Ballantyne” cozy mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin), December 2009
L.A. attorney and pet-sitter Kenda Ballantyne lives up to her “murder magnet” nickname when a sexy weekend in the San Bernandino Mountains turns deadly. And worst of all, she suspects that her beau knows more then he’s telling.
Kendra’s steamy weekend getaway with gorgeous millionaire Dante DeFrancisco turns chilling when a mother wolf goes missing from Dante’s wild animal sanctuary—and the only thing that is found is the wolf’s caretaker dead in a cage, with a bloody knife at his side.
No stranger to murder, Kendra starts hunting for suspects. Was it an angry local? A sanctuary volunteer? Or worst of all, Dante and his movie-star pal, who apparently share a mysterious past—and enigmatic ties to the victim? Now Kendra must find the escaped wolf—along with the killer hiding right before her eyes.
A missing mama wolf, two legal cases and her pet-sitting duties keeps Kendra busy especially when one of the caretakers at the wildlife sanctuary is found dead. Using her investigative skills, Kendra ferrets out the killer. This was an enjoyable mystery with light romance. My rating: 4 stars