Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
Today I am featuring Bethany Blake’s Pawprints and Predicaments
She is currently touring with Great Escapes Book Tours.
Check out all the stops for Guest Posts, Interviews, Spotlights, and Reviews!
Pawprints & Predicaments (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Pennsylvania
Kensington (February 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496707420
Digital ASIN: B071SK3VF9
The Tail Waggin’ Winterfest is the highlight of the season in the famously pet-friendly Pocono Mountains town of Sylvan Creek. But despite attractions like an ice sculpture display, a dogsled race, and gourmet hot chocolate, Daphne Templeton finds herself annoyed by TV producer Lauren Savidge, who’s filming the festivities. She’s critical, controlling, and as chilly as the January air. Daphne would like to tell her to go jump in a lake—and as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what they’re both going to do . . .
It’s the first-ever polar bear plunge in Lake Wallapawakee, and Daphne and Lauren are among the eighty or so people who charge into the frigid water to raise funds for animals in need. Daphne makes it back to shore—with the help of a mysterious St. Bernard—but Lauren is dragged out stone cold dead. Now, with her trusty basset hound Socrates at her side, Daphne intends to assist Detective Jonathan Black in his investigation—whether he wants her to or not . . .
Includes recipes for homemade pet treats!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Sylvan Creek is being touted as a pet-friendly destination and there is television crew in town to film their Tail Waggin’ Winterfest. Locals are hoping the exposure will bring more tourists to the town. Petsitter Daphne Templeton is trying to get her new pet bakery open and included in the production but contractors are hard to come by due to another huge home renovation. So right now she is concentrating on Winterfest and all it entails including a polar bear plunge. Turns out this part of the festival was a bit unorganized and with over 80 people rushing into the frigid water and trying to hurry back out was a little chaotic. Especially when Daphne takes a little fall and winds up underwater tangled with another body. Daphne is rescued by industrious St. Bernard but the other person, the television producer, Lauren Savidge, was not so lucky, Her body is ice cold and she is dead. Daphne knows Detective Jonathan Black isn’t going to like it but she and her sleuthing assistant basset hound, Socrates are plunging into their own investigation.
I so enjoyed this story. Daphne has quickly become one of my favorite protagonists. I am excited about her new pet bakery even though she needed a little shove and a little push to set up her grand opening. Her mind was clearly on everything else happening that the store hit the backburner for awhile. Her friend Moxie always makes me smile, great attitude and her love for the great film actresses of yesterday. Daphne’s mother is quite a woman, pushy and demanding, but she truly loves her daughter and Daphne gets to know how to handle her better every day.
The pets again add so much to the story. They are unique and mostly lovable. One new pet addition made me squirm, definitely not my idea for a pet, but to each his own 🙂 Of course, basset hound Socrates is still my favorite. Laugh out loud funny and able to turn even the worst day around.
The murder mystery is quite a tangled up mess when Detective Black’s ex-wife becomes a suspect and another detective takes over the investigation. There are plenty of suspects to weed through and eliminate as we follow each and every piece of the puzzle that gets locked into place. I love the way the author takes a reader right into the story. She makes it so easy to see everything like we are right on her character’s shoulders.
Bethany Blake has written a fun story with engaging characters, human, and animal, that captivated this reader from beginning to end. Small town life converged with an excellent mystery was so entertaining. I can’t wait to visit Sylvan Creek again soon!
About the Author
Bethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing or riding horses, she’s wrangling a menagerie of furry family members that includes a nervous pit bull, a fearsome feline, a blind goldfish, and an attack cardinal named Robert. Like Daphne Templeton, the heroine of her Lucky Paws Mysteries, Bethany holds a Ph.D. and operates a pet sitting business called Barkley’s Premium Pet Care.
Author Links
Webpage BookBub Twitter Facebook
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play
Tour Participants
February 21 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
February 21 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 21 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
February 21 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
February 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW, GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
February 22 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
February 23 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 23 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
February 24 – The Montana Bookaholic – CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 24 – Readeropolis – INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
February 25 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
February 25 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
February 26 – Varietats – REVIEW
February 26 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 26 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
February 27 – The Power of Words – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
February 27 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
February 28 – Mysteries with Character – INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
February 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
February 28 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
March 1 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 1 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT
March 1 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
March 2 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW
March 2 – A Cozy Experience – GUEST POST
March 3 – Book Babble – REVIEW
March 3 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
March 4 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
March 4 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
March 5 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
March 6 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 6 – Reading Authors – REVIEW
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I love the covers on these books.
I’m a softy for stories involving pets!
Thank you for your review on “Pawprints and Predicaments” by Bethany Blake. Enjoying the book tour and would love the chance to read this book.
I really enjoy cozies with pets. Thanks for this opportunity.
Enjoyed your review of Bethany’s new book.
Congrats on the new release! I love cozy mysteries with dogs. Great cover too.
Love the covers with dogs!