Pet sitter Daphne Templeton has a soft spot for every stray and misfit who wanders into the quaint, lakeside village of Sylvan Creek. But even Daphne doesn’t like arrogant, womanizing Steve Beamus, the controversial owner of Blue Ribbon K-9 Academy. When Steve turns up dead during a dog agility trial, Daphne can think of a long list of people with motives for homicide, and so can the … police. Unfortunately, at the top of the list is Daphne’s sister, Piper—Steve’s latest wronged girlfriend.
Certain that Piper is innocent, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary, Daphne sets out to clear her sister’s name—and find Axis, Steve’s prize-winning chocolate Labrador, who went missing the night of Steve’s death. Aided by Socrates, her taciturn basset hound, and a hyperactive one-eared Chihuahua named Artie, Daphne quickly runs afoul of Detective Jonathan Black, a handsome and enigmatic newcomer to town, who has no appreciation for Daphne’s unorthodox sleuthing.
Can a free-spirited pet sitter, armed only with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and her two incompatible dogs, find the real killer before she becomes the next victim?
Includes recipes for homemade dog treats!
“When murder is unleashed in the idyllic town of Sylvan Creek, it’s up to spunky pet sitter Daphne and her darling duo of misfit mutts to catch the killer. A doggone charming read from start to finish!” —Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author
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What a fun cozy mystery. Being a mystery lover and a chocoholic I was intrigued right from the start. A couple of murders, LOTS of dogs, a dog sitter w/ a Ph.D. in philosophy who actually cooks omelets and muffins for her dogs, and of course, a hunk of a detective. Kept me guessing to the end who the murderer was. And there are even recipes for homemade dog treats at the end of the book. I’ll be looking for the next book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series.
I won a copy of the book in a contest and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
A quick read, Death by Chocolate Lab was a unique twist on the cozy formula. Our protagonist is a dog sitter/walker who holds a phD in philosophy.
The folding in of philosophy tidbits was unobtrusive and the main character really cares about her animals, however the way she treats her family (mother and sister) felt a little flat.
Overall it was a cute, quick read that sets up a continuing series well. I’m a sucker for recipes in books and this one featured several for homemade dog treats and meals.
Fun way to spend an afternoon with quirky characters and pets, one of my favorite combinations. Liked enough to read them all.
I just loved this book! It was a great new start to a fun cozy series, featuring some of the funniest, zaniest, lovable animals I want as my own!! I definitely want to get to know Detective Black better, just like Daphne, our lovable protagonist hopes to do as well! Daphne and Piper are fun characters who have a very caring relationship as sisters. You will be guessing who the murderer is until the very end and then nodding your head, asking yourself, how did I not see that coming! I can’t wait to lay my paws on the next book in the series!
Daphne is owner and operater of Lucky Paws Pet Sitting. Her sister, Piper, is a local veterinarian with a farm on acreage. Piper has recently offered the use of her property for a weekend agility trial for dogs. Currently living with her sister, Daphne is surprised when one of the set up crew is none other than Steve Beamus, Piper’s ex, and they appear to have a lover’s quarrel. Daphne’s more surprised when one of her dogs locates a very dead Steve in one of the agility training areas and Steve’s prize-winning and faithful chocolate lab is missing.
Now, Piper is a suspect in the suspicious death of Steve. Daphne is bound and determined to prove that her sister didn’t have anything to do with the death of her ex. The new detective in town, Jonathan, butts heads with Daphne from the get go. It doesn’t help that Daphne fits the typical cozy mystery heroine. She doesn’t take safety into consideration or that there are certain things you might want to tell the investigating officer…
I loved this book. Daphne is a wonderful character. She is snarky, compassionate, without too many cares in the world. She has a PhD in philosophy but doesn’t really use it other than to quote Socrates and other philosophers. She’s down-to-earth, kind, and gentle and knows her sister, who’s a tad uptight and OCD, would never murder anyone, accidentally or on purpose. Daphne’s only mission now is to clear Piper’s name.
The dynamics between Daphne and Jonathan are not at all subtle. Daphne tries to deny any sparks of attraction but many people in her life know that they are there. We don’t get a whole lot in the way of Jonathan, other than what Daphne is able to scout out secondarily. Daphne’s on-again-off-again romance with a secondary character does put a damper on the chemistry between Daphne and Jonathan.
The book is engaging from the very beginning and kept me entertained throughout. There was never a dull moment and some of the antics of Daphne, her two dogs, and the rotties she acquires had me smiling. The author’s writing style is phenomenal. All dialogue was smooth, thought out, and conversational. The twists and turns kept me guessing all the way until the end. I can’t wait for book 2.
I won this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Daphne Templeton is a free spirit. With a mother who puts her career first and a sister, Piper, who’s life has to always be in order, it’s a wonder that Daphne is such a carefree individual. She’s also an animal lover. Running a pet sitting business in the quaint little village of Sylvan Creek, Daphne’s biggest concern is usually what not to call her relationship with her not really but kind of sort of boyfriend, Dylan. That all changes when her sisters ex, Steve Beamus, is found dead and Piper is the main suspect. Can Daphne and her furry entourage find the real killer or will the new easy on the eyes detective, Jonathan Black, arrest her sister for murder?
Score one for Miss Blake because this book is a winner! I can’t say enough how much I loved it. Full of wonderful characters, a cute little town, and a shocking ending, I enjoyed this tale from start to finish. Daphne is great as the protagonist with just the right amount of quirkiness to make her antics humorous without being ridiculous and silly. Her sister Piper, who is an uptight veterinarian, did initially annoy me but the farther I got into the story, the more it worked for me. But best of all was the dogs! I have to admit they were my favorite part. Each one with a distinct personality, they were fun and entertaining right from the beginning.
For those that enjoy a little romance with their mystery, there is a love triangle. Or at least the beginning of one and these two men could not be more different. Dylan is the laid back surfer/hippie/vegan type whereas Jonathan is intimidating, a meat eater (something Daphne is not), and also happens to be the new detective in town investigating the crime. Him and Daphne are pretty much polar opposites but their chemistry is obvious and their banter was a lot of fun. Although Daphne does have somewhat of a relationship with Dylan, I think he would be more suited for her sister. Someone needs to loosen that one up. As far as the murder, there were plenty of potential suspects to keep you guessing. When the big reveal came, I was both surprised and a bit sad at the same time. I definitely plan on adding the next installment to my “to read” pile and recommend this for any cozy fan who loves dogs.
I picked this book up on NetGalley a couple of years ago and started reading and I had trouble getting into the story. So I set it aside. Then recently I was going through my NetGalley shelf, determined to get these outstanding reviews done, and I started reading Death by Chocolate Lab once again. At least this time I finished.
This book is the first in a series and it really suffers from being the first book in the series. There’s a lot of characters introduced, as well as the small town it is set in, and then developing the main characters of Daphne (our amateur sleuth) and Jonathan (the cop) and their relationship with each other.
I think my biggest problem with the book was that I had a lot of trouble connecting with Daphne. She’s a bit of a free spirit. Doesn’t have much responsibility in life, mooches off her sister has a real cavalier attitude about money… but on the other hand, she’s well-liked and loves dogs and wants to help her friends and family. And this comes into play when her sister is accused of murdering her ex and Daphne can’t let the cops do their job and starts snooping.
The mystery itself wasn’t bad. Ms. Blake threw in a couple of red herrings to make things interesting. But like most cozy mysteries, Daphne just rather stumbles upon the solution. I’ll admit the solution did take me by surprise though, so that’s always nice.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad story. It just started out a little slow and then threw a lot of characters (both animal and human) into the mix to the point of being a little overwhelming to me. But now that everyone in town is mostly introduced, I may pick up book two to see how this series evolves. There was a nice perk at the end of the story, Ms. Blake provided several pet-friendly recipes for her readers that I might just have to try.
My review posted at Novels Alive.
Great story line and fun characters keeps you turning the page!
As a pet sitter I could totally relate to Daphne Templeton. I can’t wait to start the next book.
An interesting start to the series! The characters have some very interesting backstories. I like how the dogs all have their own unique personalities.
For me, Detective Jonathan Black and the dogs were definitely the stars of this book. I would have loved if Detective Black was the main character instead of Daphne because I could just not warm up to her. I didn’t really care for all of the descriptions of what the dogs were eating. Just not for me. I think there’s a lot of potential for the characters and the town and I sure hope Daphne decides to grow up and be more responsible. I’ll find out in book 2.
A fun new series about pet sitter, Daphne Templeton. She’s a bit quirky, but extremely smart. In this first book she gets involved trying to clear her sister’s name after her sister’s ex-boyfriend is murdered. The handsome detective, Jonathan Black, is not at all happy with Daphne’s investigating. I loved this book and both its human and animal characters. The town is a charming small town as well. Fans of cozy mysteries and animals will absolutely love this series!
any cozy mystery iis fanttasti unless you love bloody murder mysteries these soristories sare more puzzling thanthey srehorrifying