Murder, She Barked by Krista Davis is the first book in the new “Paws & Claws” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, December 2013

The Sugar Maple Inn in Wagtail, Virginia, is the country’s premiere vacation hot spot for pet owners who can’t bear to leave their furry friends behind. But this tourist town smells trouble when a killer goes on the prowl.

Holly Miller’s life has gone to the dogs. She has no job, her boyfriend’s former flame is sniffing around, and a scruffy but loveable Jack Russell Terrier is scattering crumbs all over her borrowed car. Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, a troubling phone call about her grandmother sends her rushing home to the family inn on Wagtail Mountain.

The staff—and a frisky Calico kitten named Twinkletoes—adopts Holly and her new dog on arrival. But someone in this friendly town is bad to the bone. One of the employees at the inn has been killed in a hit-and-run accident—which is looking anything but accidental. Now Holly and her furry companions will have to nose out the murderer before someone else gets muzzled.

I love this book. It’s a great read that will have you quickly turning the pages to see what happens next. This action-filled book will have you rooting for Holly and her friends as they dig deep to find a killer within their reach. The mystery was well done as it kept me in suspense with the many twists and suspects that could have done it. It was fun trying to narrow the list of suspects down. The author did a good job in keeping this light and airy whodunit fresh, entertaining and engaging with banter between the characters that I enjoyed. Holly is a great heroine supported by a lovable and somewhat eccentric cast of character that includes Holmes, Zelda, Trixie and especially Oma. I love the concept of a town catering to pets and it’s a joy to see how wonderfully they all interact. I can’t wait to see more exciting adventures in Wagtail with Holly and her friends in this delightfully entertaining series.

Bonus recipes are included for both humans and our furry friends.

FTC Disclosure – The author sent me a copy of this book, in hopes I would review it.

previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog