Murder She Meowed
Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, Book #7
By Liz Mugavero
ISBN 9781496717580
Author Website: lizmugavero(.)com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
Kristan “Stan” Connor loves concocting tasty organic treats for dogs and cats–and she also loves her fiancé, pub owner Jake McGee. But she’s not so enthusiastic about finding a dead body at her own bachelorette party . . .
Stan and Jake’s wedding will soon take place on the town green in Frog Ledge, Connecticut, followed by a reception at their beloved Irish pub filled with friends, family, and their four favorite canine companions. Stan just has to endure the traditional girls’ night out first. Male strippers jumping out of gigantic cakes aren’t her preferred entertainment. But the hired hottie never gets around to taking it all off . . . because someone takes him out first with one of Stan’s kitchen knives. A heartbroken Stan recognizes the victim as one of the delivery men from the local farm–who must have been moonlighting for some extra cash. Now the guest list has turned into a suspect list–and Stan’s making a vow to find the killer . . .
Includes Gourmet Pet Food Recipes! (Goodreads)
Review:
For anyone who loves cats or dogs and cozy mysteries, this series is a must read! The characters and pets are a complete delight and the mystery is challenging to solve. There is love, laughter, hard work, and determination in Frog Ledge, Connecticut and the close friends. Seventh in the series, each is better than the preceding ones. In Murder She Meowed, Stan is getting ready for her wedding with the love of her life, Jake. Her pet food patisserie is now open and thriving, her mother and sister are now living in Frog Ledge, and her mother is trying her best to give Stan the kind of wedding she will look back on with joy. If only Stan would let Mom get her the fluffy gown, have the wedding at the church where she and Tony, Frog Ledge’s mayor, were married, and have the reception anywhere except at Jake’s bar…
Stan finally decided to let her sister, Caitlyn, surprise her with a bachelorette party, even though it was not what she wanted. Nor did she want to have a huge cake wheeled in her shop, where the surprise party was held, from which would leap a stripper. Or should have jumped out. If he had still been alive. Curled around the knife he was stabbed with was a young, handsome employee of the organic farm Stan orders meats and produce for her pet patisserie. Perry was a charming young man who had just been there earlier that day with a delivery. His girlfriend, Andrea, was there, and was beyond comfort. Stan’s friend and her fiancé’s sister Jessie, a state police sergeant, was already there as a guest, so she could begin the investigation.
In between a surprise wedding planner, a stalker, and asking questions of those who worked with or knew Perry, as well as getting the patisserie ready for business again, Stan has little time to worry about the little details of her wedding. Stan and Brenna, her only employee and Jake’s little sister, are making plans for what needs to be covered while she and Jake are away. Relationships within the Puck family are strained, and they choose to not cooperate with the police until they could put it off no longer. Stan and her sister pay a visit, and another, to the company that Perry did his stripping jobs through and found what look like a terribly suspicious operation, much more than people stripping at parties. Wherever Stan goes, it seems she finds Jessie a step ahead of, or behind her. Cyril, the publisher, editor, and reporter for the Frog Ledge Holler, turns up almost everywhere, trying to get quotes for his next editions. He is a man of many talents, however, and provides invaluable help to the case.
It is exciting to see the character development in each novel. Stan is my favorite, because of her loyalty to her friends, love for her pets, and dedication to the mission of her pet food business. Brenna has been her perfect right hand throughout the years of her business, and Nikki, her best friend, tries to help Stan stay sane while navigating the wedding plans her mother would like to see in place. I noticed that those who didn’t like Perry felt that way for the same reasons, whether relative or co-worker. Stan’s mother continues to surprise me. She is clearly trying very hard to improve her relationship with Stan, even if some of the changes are hard for her to make.
From the start, there were many good suspects. The plot twists are unique in that, rather than adding to the number of suspects, eliminates them one by one. As the wedding date rapidly approaches, the case is no closer to being solved. The real killer came as a surprise, as it was someone I had briefly considered, then eliminated early in the novel. Humor and the pets’ antics offset the grim business of murder, especially the reactions of Nutty and Benny with regards to some of the wedding planning. I highly recommend Murder She Meowed; whatever your day has been like, it will be much better with a visit to Frog Ledge!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
