Even an experienced pet sitter like Daphne Templeton can be fooled by animal behavior: how can an adorably tiny fuzz ball named Tinkleston be capable of sudden flying leaps with cat claws bared? But human behavior remains even more mysterious, especially when Tinkleston’s owner is murdered on the night of a gala fundraiser for Fur-ever Friends Pet Rescue.Accompanied by her unflappable basset … unflappable basset hound, Socrates, Daphne plans to take charge of Tinks the Terror and leave the crime-solving to handsome detective Jonathan Black. But while luring the prickly Persian out of hiding, she uncovers clues that might take suspicion off her own mother. Maeve Templeton already has a reputation as a killer—in real estate. How far would she go to bag Sylvan Creek’s most coveted property, the Flynt Mansion?
To expose the truth, Daphne finds herself donning a deranged clown costume on an autumnal adventure that might just be crazy enough to work—if it doesn’t get her killed.
Includes recipes for homemade pet treats!
“Doggone charming from start to finish!” —Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author on Death by Chocolate Lab
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Fur-Ever Friends Pet Rescue gala is being held at the Flynt Mansion this year. As the set-up work is being done inside and outside the mansion owned by Lillian Flynt, Lillian’s prized cat, Tinkleston escapes. At the same time, Maeve Templeton, Daphne Templeton’s real estate agent mother, is waiting on a potential buyer to arrive to view Flynt Mansion. After Daphne is delegated the cat catcher by her sister Piper, Daphne discovers more than just a cat who hisses and tries to get away – she finds Lillian Flynt dead in an upstairs bathroom.
Daphne has assumed responsibility to care for Tinkleston and has decided after the previous murder investigation, to leave the murder-solving to Jonathan Black, resident hunky detective. Only, when Maeve is considered a suspect, Daphne can’t just sit idly by while her mother is wrongly accused. Maeve Templeton may be many things but a murderer is not one of them!
Dial Meow for Murder is a wonderful cozy mystery full of action, suspense, drama, and animals. I love Artie, the chihuahua Daphne rescued in book 1 and convinced Jonathan to adopt. He is such scene stealer. Tinks is a feisty cat with a cantankerous personality and Socrates is patient, especially concerning Daphne and her recent influx of foster animals (both in book 1 and book 2). Now on to the humans.
Daphne is a wonderful character. She is snarky, compassionate, without too many cares in the world. Some may think she’s a flake since her cell never works and she’s never on time for anything, but she’s a strong protagonist that doesn’t live by the timeline of others. She even has a PhD in philosophy but doesn’t use her degree. She’s down-to-earth, kind, and gentle. She loves her pet sitting business and continues to prosper. The sparks between Daphne and Jonathan are still there in book 2 and the dynamics are not at all subtle.
The book is engaging from the very beginning and kept me entertained throughout. There was never a dull moment and some of Daphne’s antics 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.
Dapne Templeton is in the Flynt mansion helping set it up for the Fur-Ever Friends benefit and discovers her mom, Maeve, preparing to show the house to a prospective buyer. When Daphne discovers the body of Ms Flynt while trying to take care of a Persian with attitude. Daphne is pulled into the investigation along with Jonathon Black, local detective, so she can help clear her mother’s name.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are fun to get to know and their relationships are realistic. Ihighly recommend this book and the series.
I’m loving this series!! This fast paced, well put together, cozy is perfect for your next beach read! Filled with frolicking animals, a protagonist who is smart, curious, and funny, and well thought out mysteries strung throughout the pages – the only thing this book will leave you wanting, is the next story in the series (and maybe a puppy to keep you company while you read)! I love the setting, the characters are interesting and I am always intrigued by the subtle clues into Daphne’s past, adventurous life, throughout the world. Maybe we can look forward to a future story introducing us to some of these trips Daphne found herself on when she acquired certain belongings mentioned throughout the series!
Wow, I enjoyed this book so much more than book 1. Daphne has matured and seems to be getting more responsible while still maintaining her free spirit. Great mystery. So many good suspects with so many good reason that I was guessing till the end. Some interesting new characters so can’t wait to see what the future holds. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down.
I loved this book. The small town and the characters (animals included) are charming. I think that Daphne made the right decision in the end and it shows that she’s not as flighty or as ditzy as some people think she is. I did not like the appearance of Jonathan’s ex-wife. She struck me as the type of person who is used to getting what she wants no matter what and didn’t seem very friendly. I’d really like to see Daphne and Jonathan dating as well as Piper and Roger. Maybe Moxie could start dating the new reporter, too. Can’t wait to see what’s next for these loveable characters!
Just finished this cozy, cute mystery and am already looking for more from this author! If you are recovering from a heavy, sad story (like I was) this was like a breath of funny, fresh air!
Fun read.
This was my first read from this series…I will be back for more
good read
Cute book. Took me a bit to get into it, but nice light-weight reading.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Loved the characters and the personalities of the furry ones. Loved that i wasnt able to guess who the bad person was!!!! Plan to read more of this author’s works
I’ve enjoyed all three books in this series. After getting the Bookbub deal on #2, I purchased #1 and #3.
This was a disappointing book. The female lead character just interpreted what her dog was saying by his posture and expressions. The story was basically good, but could use to have more depth to be a much better tale.
Dial Meow for Murder by Bethany Blake is the second book in A Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series. Daphne Templeton owns Lucky Paws PetSitting in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. Daphne is setting up her table for the Fur-ever Friends Pet Rescue gala fundraiser at Flynt Mansion which is being hosted by Lillian Flynt who is currently MIA. Daphne gets tasked with tracking down Lillian’s missing cat, Tinkleston and discovers Lillian dead in her bathroom (found the missing CD players too which explains the lack of electricity). Detective Jonathan Black is assigned the case and Daphne is happy to leave the sleuthing to him. However, when Maeve Templeton, Daphne’s mother, ends up at the top of the suspect list, Daphne has no choice but to start prowling for clues. Daphne has her hands full with her business, moving into the caretaker’s cottage, tetchy Tinkleston and tracking down a killer. Then she discovers that Maeve’s new client who wishes to purchase the Flynt Mansion is Jonathan’s ex-wife, Elyse Hunter. What is Daphne willing to do to expose a killer? Find out in Dial Meow for Murder.
Dial Meow for Murder is a cozy mystery for readers who like hilarity and hijinks. Daphne is flighty, bumbling, reckless, and scattered (lost her new business cards, trouble with cell phone, daydreams frequently, stole evidence from crime scene, disregards chain of custody for evidence and so much more). Would you trust your precious pet (i.e. your baby) with this woman? I would not trust Daphne to watch a cactus. On the flip side, I do like Daphne’s interactions with her dog, Socrates. My rating for Dial Meow for Murder is 3 out of 5 stars (okay, but I am the wrong audience for this book). The killer stood out like a red wine stain on a white tablecloth. There are two big clues that provide the answer (if you need them). I wanted less silliness and more mystery (more action and less zany). I found Dial Meow for Murder to be cliché and predictable. I felt the writing lacked polish. I do enjoy light hearted stories (Seashells, Spells and Caramels for example), but Dial Meow for Murder was not one of them. Even my mother (who normally likes this type of book) found Dial Meow for Murder over-the-top.
I really enjoyed this book. I don’t think I have read this author before, or at least I have not read this series before. Daphne is smart, but a she has a bit of a free spirit. She cares for pets. Takes care of them when their owners are gone or walks them. Her sister Piper is the serious one and her friend Moxie is quirky. The characters are fun and I love all the animals. Of course, her dog Socrates seems to understand what she says and shows his opinion through sighs, showing his sad eyes, etc. There were several suspects and the murder reveal was a surprise to me. Fun cozy. Loved it.
I received this book from NetGalley for my review.