Exotic pet-sitter Belinda Blake is nervous about her new job at the White Pine Wolf Preserve, but it turns out that the care and feeding of wild carnivores may be the least dangerous part of the gig . . . Pet-sitter Belinda Blake is no stranger to dealing with wild animals, but she’s wary when the owner of the Greenwich, Connecticut, preserve asks her to help out with her “fluffy darlings.” Her … her “fluffy darlings.” Her caution seems justified on her very first day, when she discovers a tour guide—dead, bloodied, and surrounded by wolves in the enclosure.
Was it death by predator or something more sinister? The body count rises, but something’s not adding up. As she gets to know the rescued wolves and wolf-dog hybrids better, Belinda realizes that her human colleagues are not above suspicion. With help from her own “pack”—her pregnant sister, Red the chauffeur/bodyguard, and hunky farmer Jonas—Belinda is hot on the killer’s tail, but if she doesn’t find him soon, he’ll do more than muzzle her to keep the truth from escaping.
Praise for Belinda Blake and The Snake in the Grass
“A humorous series debut with exotic pets and a zany cast of characters. Gilbert’s cozy will make you smile.”
—Amanda Flower, USA Today bestselling author of Premeditated Peppermint
“Cozy fans will root for pet-sitter Belinda Blake as she unravels this cleverly-crafted mystery in a delightfully-deadly new series by Heather Day Gilbert.”
—Elizabeth Spann Craig, author of the bestselling Myrtle Clover Mysteries
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Belinda Blake is a pet sitter for the 21st century! Belinda is a brave animal lover and a brilliant video game reviewer and amateur sleuth. The characters in this second of a new series are delightful, the setting gorgeous, and the solution hard to unmask. We get to know Belinda, who I really like, better, even as she learns more about herself through the mirror of long-time friend, Jonas.
Belinda lives in a guest house in Greenwich, CT and has been expanding her exotic pet sitting business here as well as going into Manhattan for repeat clients. The guest house is on the Carrington estate, where she recently helped solve murders of friends of Stone Carrington Fifth, adult son of the owners.
Belinda gets an urgent call requesting her services, so she can’t turn it down…even if it is at a wolf preserve. Dahlia is the owner of White Pine Wolf Preserve. She is going to visit a preserve in Arizona. Belinda will help the primary feeder with chores for the wolves and hobby farm animals. She has the pleasure of meeting Evie, Dahlia’s personal assistant, and Shaun, the best tour guide; he recognizes her from her gaming reviews in a popular publication. Despite the hold harmless disclaimer in the contract, there haven’t been injuries there in the past, so Belinda signs for the eight days.
On the first day, Belinda meets Rich, the man who feeds the wolves. Rich has known the wolves since the facility opened. One wolf, Njord, was born in captivity, and Rich was present at his birth. Rich feeds the wolves by hand and will continue to do so. Belinda will fill their water troughs. At the first of two pack enclosures, she meets Freya, who had been badly abused before being taken into the preserve. Freya wants to become friends at first sight, rolling over onto her back for a good belly rub. Rich and Belinda meet a grisly sight when approaching the second enclosure. Njord has a dark red stain on his beautiful fur. Lying inside the entry is a staff member wearing one of the bright-green vests, dead.
Words can’t express how strongly I felt Belinda’s reaction! It is hard to imagine that the wolf, handled by humans since birth, would turn, at least until the other two wolves in that pack are seen with similar stains on their fur. The police sergeant, Jacob Hardy, doesn’t disguise his feelings about the death of the staff member. I am surprised he didn’t demand that they be taken into quarantine.
This is an intense and challenging mystery! I appreciate the research the author has done on wolves and incorporates into the story, and how Veronica, one of the tour guides, is using what she learns at the preserve for her master’s thesis. I also enjoy seeing Belinda spend time with Jonas, as they were such close friends when growing up. Of the two guys in her life, he would be my choice, but time will tell what Belinda chooses. Discovering the source of the staff member’s death, and other situations that arise far too quickly, was a challenge. While I did get to the first step before Belinda, I got to the rest of the staircase at the same time. I would be scared to death to get into some of the situations Belinda does! I highly recommend this novel to fans of the author and those who appreciate well-executed cozy mysteries, very likable characters, and unique pet sitting opportunities.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of the ebook from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
The second story in the Exotic Pet-Sitter Series, Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing does not disappoint. In this book we pick up shortly after where Belinda leaves off in Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass. I enjoyed revisiting some of the characters from the first story, although I believe you could read this as a stand-alone and not be confused at all.
Belinda is an exotic pet-sitter who has a knack for coming across murders. In this story, a man is found in the wolves enclosure at a rescue preserve and it looks as though they’ve attacked and killed an employee. But when the second attack occurs and there’s not a single bite on the victim, they begin to question the guilt of the wolves. But figuring out the guilty party may prove to be a difficult endeavor.
Belinda is a super likeable character! She’s quirky and kind and has a unique set of interests that makes her fun to follow. And follow her I shall! I’m very much looking forward to the next book in Heather Day Gilbert’s Exotic Pet-Sitter Series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.
this is another good story in the series. now she is helping with wolfs at the compound. she is still at the cottage . is you like suspense and some romance and lots of animals you will want to read the book. I was given a copy of the book by netgalley but this is an honest review.
I really liked this book that was set in a wolf sanctuary. First of all, I never considered that wolves would need to be protected, and I liked how the author portrayed that there were certainly different views of if this location and operators were really successful as a refuge. There were several different layers to this story. And once again the wolves do play a part in the rescue in an unexpected way. I appreciate Kensington Publishing providing me with a copy of this book to review through #netgalley. I will definitely be reading the third book in the series – hopefully it comes out soon!
Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Heather Day Gilbert was one of the most satisfying cozies I have read. It just hit my reading sweet spot. The characters and story will stay with me as will the fear and trepidation. If I could, I would pick up book three, and start reading immediately. Thoughts?
First, while you can read this as a stand-alone, it will flow better if you read the books in order.
Secondly, this cozy was totally satisfying…from the first word to last. The mystery involved animals, it was believable, and it moved along at a good pace. I was both in awe of the wolves and terrified of them at the same time. There were several quirky characters, but this is the Greenwich area, non? Gilbert draws some characters in ways that will cause you to love them, others are written to be abhorred, but all are mysterious and possible schemers. Finding the killer before she/he finds Belinda eluded me.
Thirdly, we begin to see a pretty interesting love triangle develop. Where is book three?! Ah, Sigh!
Fourthly, there were plenty of humorous lines to off-set the seriousness of the subject, keeping this fun novel well within the « cozy» parameters. Available Oct. 1st or you can pre-order.