REVIEW: Murder, She Barked

Murder, She Barked
Author: Krista Davis
Publisher: Berkley Publishing
276 pages
Mystery

I have to admit I picked this book up at Barnes & Noble because the title reminded me of Murder, She Wrote. :) There were even a couple Jessica Fletcher allusions in the book. That made me happy.

Holly Miller has lost her job, so she takes a road trip to see her grandmother. On the way, she rescues a dog and witnesses a car explode. Things aren't all peaceful at her grandmother's Inn either -- an employee was run over by a car and a local man is found murdered outside his house. Holly teams up with locals to discover the murderer before her grandmother becomes the next victim.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. The characters were a bit stereotypical and the plot wasn't deep, but a cozy mystery is meant to be a fun read not intellectual. Holly Miller is a likable main character, and the story line kept me interested til the end. I do have to say there were times where Holly's reactions were slight facepalm moments, especially when it came to her fiance, Ben. She just seemed unable to comprehend the situation or to stand up for herself. I don't know a single woman who would have reacted that way, given the situation. Just sayin'. It didn't hurt my enjoyment of the book though. :) There were also two minor characters that I wanted to punch in the mouth. If you read the book, you will know which ones.  Davis obviously meant her readers to want to punch these people. It worked. I did.

The book includes several recipes at the end, including four for dogs. :) I will cook the pumpkin cookies for my chihuahuas and see how many stars they give them. :)

All in all, a fun read.

My Rating: 7/10
Ages 12+