Saddled with Murder (Dr. Kate Vet Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (October 27, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
ISBN-10: 1464212716
ISBN-13: 978-1464212710
Kindle ASIN: B0861B1N9T
First in a new vet books mystery series, perfect for fans of cozy mysteries by Miranda James and Leann Sweeney!
Veterinarian and amateur sleuth Kate Turner has her hands full trying to juggle two boyfriends, a thriving practice, and a criminal investigation
It’s the Christmas season and veterinarian Kate Turner is not feeling very jolly. She’s overworked, unappreciated, and dealing with two dissatisfied clients. Throw in a very complicated personal life and Kate’s definitely got a case of the holiday blues.
To make matters worse, Kate’s ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, is mugged and robbed after they have a heated argument in the hospital parking lot. Then, two of her dissatisfied clients turn up dead (which really gets Kate’s tinsel in a tangle). All of these events seem like coincidences, but they add up to something much more venomous.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kate Turner has taken a temporary job filling in for another vet for a year. At the staff Christmas party, a wishing game goes awry and a video of it goes viral. Very relevant when bodies start to pile up. All of the victims have a connection to Kate. To save her own hide she starts to do a little sleuthing of her own. Sleuthing that could have her crossing paths with the killer.
As I opened this book on my Kindle there was a note to readers that for me gave too much detail of the upcoming story and explained this is a continuation of the author’s Kate Turner, DVM Mysteries and that the protagonist was “pivoting in a new direction”. I am usually a stickler for reading series in order, but I plunged ahead. The author does provide some background but I was still wishing I had read the previous books first so I would have met Kate from the start. She is a strong character with a tragic past and I really wanted to know her better.
There is a great supporting cast of characters. The staff at the clinic, their clients, and residents of Oak Falls. I assume many were in the earlier books which explains their interactions and development. It warmed my heart to see how caring the staff was not only with the pets but their owners too. The relationship Kate has with her grandfather was heartwarming as well.
The story is very well-written and twists many subplots together with a very captivating mystery. The whodunit had me stumped almost to the end. I was pleased that I was at least on the right track.
Ms. Brady has a very comfortable writing style. I do love the veterinary theme. It is very easy to see that the author draws on her own life as a vet and her love of animals of all sizes. I love that a rescued Mustang was part of the story.
Saddled with Murder
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
Eileen Brady is a veterinarian and author. A wife and mother of two daughters, she often has to chase her six cats and two dogs away from her laptop keyboard. She currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Also by Eileen Brady
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.”
As I was reading your lead in, I was thinking “no, that’s not correct-I’ve read this storyline before”…then all became clear…glad you liked it!