Murder Most Howl by Krista Davis is the third book in the “Paws & Claws” cozy mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, November 2015

This January, Wagtail, Virginia, the top pet-friendly destination in the country, is throwing a fun murder mystery weekend—but no one expected the real thing. . .

Holly Miller is delighted her grandmother has finally left the Sugar Maple Inn to take a well-deserved vacation. It means Holly’s in charge, but running the inn might be more challenging than she realized. Wagtail’s throwing a weekend-long murder mystery game to draw in tourists during the slow season, the inn has a full house, and a blizzard is on the way.

Trouble is unleashed the night the game begins, when the storm blows in and the lights go out. It gets worse the following morning when Holly’s Jack Russell terrier, Trixie, discovers a body—one that’s actually dead. Now Holly, her calico kitten Twinkletoes, and Trixie must play by the rules and find one dirty dog. . .

This was an enjoyable read. The mystery was good and I liked how the author set everything up to make this a captivating light drama that kept me engaged and entertained as the story moved towards a conclusion that was satisfying. I liked that the story weaved in a real murder while the townsfolk were enjoying a murder mystery weekend. Overall, this was a good mystery and I look for more wag tagging fun in the next book in this delightfully charming series.