Murder Most Howl (Paws and Claws Mystery #3)
Author: Krista Davis
ISBN13: 9780425262573
Author website: http://www.kristadavis.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer and The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss returns with a tail of a ruff winter…
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…
Delicious recipes for owners and pets included!
Review:
The “Paws and Claws Mystery” series is absolutely one of my favorites. Another tail wagging, purr inducing HIT!! What animal lover wouldn’t want to live in Wagtail? A town that has definitely gone to the dogs and cats as well. Then to run the wonderful Sugar Maple Inn, wow what a life. However Holly Miller does not have it as well as I would hope to if I lived there. Somehow murders happen and of course Holly has to find the answers. With her Oma gone on a well-deserved vacation, Holly not only has to keep the inn running in tip top shaped, but when Holly’s sweet Trixie finds a body frozen on a bench, she has to find out what happened. A weekend long murder mystery game put on to bring more tourists in during the winter season, a blizzard, problems with the help and Holly has her hands more than full.
The characters that arrive for the murder mystery are a wide range of folk that kept me laughing, wanting to strangle Myrtle and of course Aunt Birdie, and enjoying them all immensely. Holly is much calmer than I could ever be when faced with all that happened on a blizzardy Murder Mystery weekend. The guests that arrive for the game end up thinking the dead body is part of the mystery and spend time trying to get clues for that part as well. With them getting in the way, Holly and gang have to find ways to keep them occupied. Secrets are revealed that were hidden in people’s past, connections that keep popping up between the guests and the deceased. The murder and mystery are extremely well written. I did not know whodunit until the reveal.
A wonderful new addition to the inn and the town’s pet friendly attitude was the “If the Dog Fits” program that lets guest try out dogs for their stay to adopt. What a lovely idea. Author Krista Davis writes with her love of pets on her sleeve and has built not only a utopia for us pet lovers, but a series and books that would make even the fussiest kitty purr with delight. Her writing style is easy, intriguing and addictive. The main characters are fun and well-developed. The guest characters are also amazingly well-developed and interesting. The storyline is fabulous, the mystery is the best, and this is a stellar book and series.
Murder Most Howl is the third in this fabulous series and I loved it and could not put it down. If you have not read any of the books in “Paws and Claws Mystery” series, you can dive into this one with no problem. I would suggest you go back and read the others, because come on, they are amazing!! The utopia that Krista Davis has written in the town of Wagtail and the way this series ticks all the boxes of what makes a cozy irresistible is also the driving force in Murder Most Howl. There really are no words to express how happy I get when a new installment is due. Murder, mystery, a bit of romance and seriously PETS!! Who could ask for anything more? Ok I would ask that such a place exists, but without the murder. I did miss Oma in this one, but Holly did a great job without her. My dog Tyler and I will just have to keep busy until the next installment is published.
