“Andi Grace is adorable, resilient, and has a doggedly curious need to solve a murder. A pleasure to read.” –C. Hope Clark, award winning author of Edisto TidingsSecrets can be deadly.One steamy South Carolina morning, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott discovers a client’s dead body. Police quickly decide she’s the prime suspect. Horrified, she knows she’ll have to turn detective if she’s … she’ll have to turn detective if she’s going to convince them they’re barking up the wrong tree.
Proving her innocence could be a tall order. The local police never solved the hit-and-run that killed her parents; Andi Grace isn’t sure they’ll solve this crime either…not when they have a convenient suspect—one caught with the possible murder weapon in her hand. She’ll have to follow every clue and call in every favor, even if that puts her in danger.
If you love strong heroines, coastal small-town life, and dogs, you’ll love Bite the Dust.
Author Bio: Former Kentucky pharmacist JACKIE LAYTON loves her new life in the Low Country. Walks on the beach and collecting shells are a few of her hobbies when she’s not writing.
Bite the Dust is the first book in Jackie’s new Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series. Jackie also enjoys hearing from readers. Be sure to follow her on Facebook.
more
This cozy mystery kept me guessing until the surprise ending!
Dog walker Andi Grace Scott is an admirable young woman who raised her younger brother and sister after their parents were killed in a hit-and-run car accident. When her wealthy business mentor is killed and she’s identified as a possible culprit, former attorney and current boat builder, Marc Williams, helps her investigate the murder.
The small community of Heyward Beach, South Carolina, is filled with interesting townsfolk and plenty of suspects. The sleuthing and developing romance were fun to read. Definitely some twists I didn’t expect! If you like cozy mysteries with good pacing, intriguing characters…plus adorable dogs….I suggest author Jackie Layton’s Bite the Dust. I’m looking forward to more books in the Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series.
Favorite quotes:
“God brought people into your life to help you through the rough times.”
A small voice nudged me. Even better than my dog, God would see me through tonight and the days ahead. No matter how awful.
I fell in love with this new series by Jackie Layton. I love cozy mysteries and the Christian values twist made it even better. The characters are well developed, the storyline has you engaged, and the mystery will keep you guessing. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Andi Grace and Marc. It’s a romance .. or the beginning of one … but it wasn’t sappy sweet. I have to be honest and say that I did not see a particular twist coming. I literally gasped out loud! I am looking forward to the next adventure with Andi Grace.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bell Bridge Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
I love Layton’s dog-walking series set in South Carolina. This is a fun mystery. I love all the dogs and the southern culture, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Add this one to your TBR list!
Before reading the latest Low Country Dog Walker mystery by Jackie Layton, I went back and (finally) read the 1st book, Bite the Dust, and promptly fell head over heels for this cast of characters. Particularly Andi Grace & Marc – and even more particularly Andi Grace & Marc together as a couple, pretend or otherwise. Their respective dogs burrowed quickly into my heart as well, and the supporting players who fill in the rest of the cast are also great additions. The plot of Bite the Dust was intriguing and complex, with plenty of surprising twists & turns that kept me on my figurative toes from start to finish. What impressed me the most, though, was the warm tone of the author’s writing voice – it’s a warmth that wraps around you as you read, without overpowering the story or making it saccharine. Instead, you just want to snuggle in & keep reading.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
Dog-walker Andi Grace discovers her friend Peter dead in his home, then is immediately suspected of the murder when caught with a weapon in her hand. Marc Williams, Peter’s neighbor teams up with Andi Grace to prove her innocence and find the real killer in the normally quiet coastal town.
As Andi Grace is warned by local authorities to stay away from the case and let them handle it, she continues to use her sleuthing skills and relationships with the townspeople to gain information. While she’s at it, she just may solve a few old mysteries from the past.
Marc is a lawyer-turned-boat-builder opting for a quiet life in this South Carolina town. Instead he finds Andi Grace and her penchant for crime solving and irresistible combination as he sets out to help her catch a murderer and take care of a few of her canine friends in the process.
A great debut mystery with fun characters and laughable moments by Jackie Layton that has me eager to read the next book in this series.
A delightful cozy with likeable characters (and dogs!), a simmering romance, and a setting that makes you wish you were there! I don’t really like ice cream, but every time Andi Grace had her rocky road in a waffle cone, I wanted some, too! Her family situation reminded me of the TV show Party of Five, and it made for a very interesting heroine. The mystery had me guessing and I liked the way everything was wrapped up in the end.
A good start to A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series. A charming read, I enjoyed the characters, loved the animals and will definitely look to read more.
I really enjoyed Bite the Dust.
Andi Grace makes the perfect detective. She cares for her friends and the dogs she walks, just don’t get in her way when she decides to solve of her friend, Peter.
A funny read and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Bite The Dust is the debut of a new Christian cozy mystery with a lot of heart. The cozy mystery is intriguing with some twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end! The characters are likable and interesting. Andi Grace has a dog walking business. She is dog sitting for her friend Peter. When she goes to his house to take care of his puppy, she finds him dead and meets Marc, Peter’s neighbor. There are several suspects but the same few stay on Andi Grace’s suspect list . My one observation is the only background we get on Marc is when he was a child but some aspects of his life are left up in the air, like why he quit practicing law. Maybe it will be resolved in the next book. This was a very enjoyable book and a very pleasant debut! I can’t wait to read the next book. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Belle Books for an honest review. #NetGalley #BelleBooks #BiteTheDust
South Carolina Cozy Mystery
This is a very good story. It is a cozy mystery that takes place in small-town South Carolina. Our heroine is a dog walker so there are lots of dogs throughout the story. The mystery is very good and has lots of red herrings that get in the way. The back story is heartwarming and tight. There is a religious undertone which is completely in keeping with the story and locale. It is also very refreshing not to hear authors going on about the universe as a sentient being when anyone else would say, God. It was such a good story that I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
I haven’t read many cozy mysteries, but Bite the Dust drew me in and kept me turning the page. The heroine, Andi Grace, is in a rush to clear her name of a murder of a client, and her determination, while helpful in solving the crime, gets her into scrapes that keeps you into the story. I love the subplot romance with the lawyer/boat builder, Marc. Andi Grace’s character is kind and compassionate and her focus on justice is admirable. This definitely won’t be my last cozy mystery!
After the hit and run death of her parents, eighteen-year old Andi Grace Scott raised her two younger siblings. Twelve years later and now the owner of a dog walking business, Andi arrives at her friend Peter’s house and finds him dead on the floor. Worried that the police will think she killed him, Andi searches for clues with the unwilling help of Peter’s neighbor, lawyer and boat builder Marc Williams. All in all, a pleasant first book in the series, but I felt there was too much intrusive questioning of the people in the town. Also, the repetitiveness of Andi being told to stay out of the investigation made the story seem to drag. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)