Army vet Persephone “Perri” Morgan has big plans, as her custom leather leashes, saddles, and other pet accessories are the rage of dog and horse enthusiasts everywhere. But when murder prances into the ring at a Massachusetts dog show, Perri must confront a cunning killer who’s a breed apart. Accompanied by her bestie Babette and four oversize canines, Perri motors down to the Big E Dog Show … down to the Big E Dog Show in high style. Perri hopes to combine business with pleasure by also spending time with sexy DC journalist Wing Pruett. Until a storm traps everyone at the exposition hall . . . and a man’s body is found in a snow-covered field, a pair of pink poodle grooming shears plunged through his heart.
Turns out the deceased was a double-dealing huckster who had plenty of enemies chomping at the bit. But as breeders and their prize pets preen and strut, the murderer strikes again. Aided by her trusty canine companions, Keats and Poe, Perri must collar a killer before she’s the next “Dead in Show” winner.
Praise for Arlene Kay’s Boston Uncommons Mysteries
“Reminiscent of the comedy-mystery movies of the thirties…An entertaining first entry into the Boston Uncommons Mystery series.” —New York Journal of Books on Swann Dive
“Highly entertaining . . . I can’t wait for the next book in the series!” —Jaye Roycraft, author of Rainscape
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This was a great. Book. I loved so many characters.
Kept in you in, suspense. Not a bit, boring. Just read it it, right thru.
Cozy mysteries usually aren’t filled with words you can’t pronounce or have to look up meaning. Don’t know who writer was trying to impress, but wasn’t me & I read a lot.
Interesting view of the dog show world.
Wonderful mystery, I read in one sitting.
Nothing like good prose, but mildly enjoyable
I thought I was going to really enjoy this book. There were a lot of interesting possibilities but by the middle I wanted to quit reading. I was tired of all the superficial characters. The protagonist, Persephone, is presented as a strong ex-military woman yet her thoughts seem to center around how her boyfriend is the sexiest man alive. She is absorbed with how he looks and it is mentioned a lot throughout the whole story. Her best friend, Babette, is obsessed with her appearance and is on the hunt for husband number 5.
I am not against using unique names in a story but I had trouble imagining the boyfriend, Wing, as the “sexiest man alive” and when we met the detective with the first name of Roar that really was hard to envision.
I was also disappointed in the author’s narrow minded view of pit bulls.
I was invested enough to finish the book. I wanted to find out who did it and what was up with Wing’s questionable behavior. Only one of those things was answered.
Death by Dog Show is not the type of cozy mystery that readers are used to reading. There are numerous references to the male physique (Wing’s especially) and how it affects Perri’s “nether regions”. The sexual exploits of other characters are referenced throughout the story along with their looks. The author seems focused on appearances along with people’s finances. There is an emphasis on the financial disparity between characters (the rich versus Perri who grew up in the foster system). I found the writing to be awkward and the pacing slow. Some of the author’s word choices were unusual and it felt like the author had swallowed a dictionary and thesaurus (peripatetic and plutocrats are two examples). Arlene Kay used some unusual names for her characters. They include Yael Lindsay, Roar Jansen, Wing Pruett and Persephone Morgan. There is an abundance of foul language (which is unusual for a cozy mystery) and repetition of information. The characters lacked development. Do not expect warm, friendly characters (that includes Keats and Poe) in this cozy. Perri is an unlikeable protagonist who is focused on people’s looks and finances (comes across as shallow and jealous). Perri is one of those people who judge based on first appearances. She is especially intent on getting the “handsome” Wing Pruett undressed and into her bed (while someone else watches Wing’s daughter). Babette seems perpetually on the prowl for her next bed partner and husband. As I was reading Death by Dog Show there were references to a previous crime. I felt like I was dropped into the middle of A Creature Comforts Mystery series. There are references to a previous crime. The mystery was uncomplicated and can be figured out long before the reveal. The dog show elements were confusing and not explained properly. I am not sure what the author was aiming for with this story. It seemed out of date. I found Death by Dog Show to be “ruff” and it missed the mark for me.
A canine caper featuring female protagonist, Perri Morgan, who’s a leathersmith and makes collars, leashes, etc., for animals and is selling her wares at a dog show. The plot contains a double murder due to shenanigans that apparently go on behind the scenes at dog events. Perri and a couple of friends plus local law enforcement are led on a chase to find the killer during the dog competition. As a dog lover, the menagerie of canines was the main part of this story that interested me.
The pacing is okay; however, I didn’t care for the author’s writing voice which greatly dimmed my enjoyment of the story. The overall tone is harsher than most cozies I read with numerous references to sexual exploits of the human participants at the event which also takes away from the mystery. The frequent use of uncommon adjectives was irritating, too. The only character I could appreciate was a 7 year old girl, Ella, who had a champion pointer, Guinnie, in the dog show. This is my opinion, only, but this story just wasn’t for me.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical Underground. Thank you.
Death Disturbs The Dog Show
This episode takes place at a major dog show event in Boston. The story is pretty good with a sound plot and realistic characters. There were a couple of things that I was put off by. There was lots of closed-door sex, sexual innuendo and it seemed that was all out heroine could think about. The other item was that our heroine acted as if 30 was over the hill and super mature (like 50 or 60). Both of those got very old very quickly. It may be enough to keep me from reading more of this series. I received this book for free and this is my honest review.