Playing Dead by Peggy Rothschild
Series Name: Molly Madison Mystery Book #2
Genre: Cozy
Release: February 7, 2023
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Molly Madison is back to solve another doggone difficult murder in her California community in this mystery from the author of A Deadly Bone to Pick.
Molly Madison has barely had a moment to catch her breath after moving to the sleepy beach town she now calls home. But as a former PI, she can’t help but notice the odd chemistry between members of Playtime Academy on the first day she and her loyal Saint Bernadoodle, Noodle, and golden retriever, Harlow, visit. When a trainer’s body is found on-site, Molly knows it’s her duty to put her ex-police skills to use. She can’t say no to temporarily taking in the deceased woman’s dog, either—not with those puppy dog eyes.
Relationships at the training facility are not as clean as the prize-winning agility runs, making it difficult for Molly to get a leash on potential suspects. And her personal life is just as messy—her boyfriend is hiding something, her agoraphobic neighbor needs help, and her number of four-legged friends keep growing as she agrees to dogsit a wriggly local French bulldog.
When Molly’s friend is arrested for the murder, she’s not sure who to believe anymore. Is the case as simple as the local cops make it seem, or is something more devious afoot?
Dru’s Short Musing:
In this sophomore whodunit, Molly has her hand full dealing with both her personal and professional life.
This was an enjoyable read that gave us insight into the dog agility atmosphere. But murder strikes and with that, Molly gets pulled in as she seeks out or rather gather clues. The suspect pool was aplenty but it was the dogged determination with help from her friends that led us to the killer hiding in plain sight. I liked how the author set the stage for this fresh drama with a few surprising twists that enhanced my reading pleasure. Overall, this was an engaging and entertaining read and I look for more adventures with Molly and her ever growing doggy friends.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Hi Dru,
Thanks for introducint us to Playing Dead by Peggy Rothschild. I think Molly sounds like a fun character.
I agree with Jackie. And having read all of Sherlock Holmes, I’d trust Molly over the local cops any day.
I’m looking forward to reading this new entry in the series!
I love new-to-me authors and am happy to see Peggy Rothschild’s book “A Deadly Bone to Pick” is available at the local library. They have also ordered “Playing Dead!” Thank you, Dru, for introducing this author in your article!