On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
In the Dog House (A Dog Club Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Indiana
Lyrical Underground (August 21, 2018)
Paperback: 186 pages – Kindle Print Length: 244 pages
ISBN-10: 151610790X
ISBN-13: 978-1516107902
Kindle ASIN: B078LJNMN7
A killer wants Lilly Echosby to roll over and play dead . . .
Lilly may be losing a husband but she’s gaining a toy poodle. That could be seen as a win-win, since her new adopted pooch Aggie (named after Agatha Christie) is cute and adorable, and Lilly’s dirty dog of a spouse is cheating on her with a blond bimbo—except for one problem: Albert Echosby’s just been murdered, and Lilly is the number-one suspect.
With the cops barking up the wrong tree, it’s a good thing her best friend Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, decided to take a break from the dog club circuit to pay a visit, along with her own prize pair of poodles. With help from Dixie, her defense attorney daughter, and a blue-eyed man in blue with a K-9 partner, Lilly is determined to collar the real killer. But when a second murder occurs, it’s clear they’re dealing with one sick puppy . . .
Dollycas’s Thoughts
First, I couldn’t resist that cover. That face, that face, that puppy dog face. I just had to find out what the poodle was up to.
It turns out that poodle belongs to Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, best friend of our protagonist Lilly Echosby, and she owns not one but two show poodles. She also has a toy poodle with her that Lilly quickly adopts and names Aggie, a nod to Agatha Christie. Dixie has come to town, taking a break from the dog show circuit to be with Lilly as she deals with her pending divorce. Her husband has left her for a child, well a woman who could be his child. I would say Albert Echosby was a low down dirty dog but that would insult dogs more than him. He hasn’t told his family about the divorce and actually expects Lily to still host his grandmother’s birthday party. She agrees after some negotiations, but tempers run high at the party.
The next day Lilly continues to make plans for his life sans Albert. She is going to pack up and head to Tennessee with Dixie. Her plans come to a screeching halt when she learns Albert has been murdered and she is the prime suspect. That makes no doggone sense. She does have one member of the police force on her side because he has clearly fallen for Lilly’s defense attorney daughter. They both, along with Dixie and Lilly’s son are going to help Lilly do everything they can to put the real killer in a cage. When another murder occurs they must double their efforts but realize they could be putting themselves in the line of fire.
This series is off to an amazing start. I love Lilly, close to my age with two grown children, it was easy to identify with her. When she adopted Aggie so fast I loved her even more. I liked that the romantic entanglement had to do with her daughter as Lilly had enough on her plate with Albert and his bimbo, Bambi Love. Oh my stars, Bambi was truly a piece of work. The aspect of Dixie coming to Lighthouse Dunes after receiving an email from her friend was fantastic. Advice from a total stranger and Dixie helped Lilly make crucial decisions and also brought out her strength. The rest of the characters are also very well developed for a first book in a series and easy to envision. The dogs stole my heart and added so much to the story.
The plot flowed so well. Perfectly penned and full of humor, I loved every minute of it. The descriptive writing style took me right into the story and into these characters lives. It turned out there were plenty of suspects and a variety of clues to follow. An unexpected twist brings the story to a very entertaining conclusion.
Reading In the Dog House
V.M. Burns was born and raised in the Midwestern United States. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, a Master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Seton Hill University. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime. She currently resides in the warmer area of the U.S. with her two poodles. Readers can visit her website at http://www.vmburns.com
Also by V.M. Burns
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The cover is adorable! I, too, am drawn to the sweet little poodle on the cover. This is a new author to me, and I would love to read this book!