A killer wants Lilly Echosby to roll over and play dead . . . Lilly may be losing a husband but she’s gaining a toy poodle. That could be seen as a win-win, since her new adopted pooch Aggie (named after Agatha Christie) is cute and adorable, and Lilly’s dirty dog of a spouse is cheating on her with a blond bimbo—except for one problem: Albert Echosby’s just been murdered, and Lilly is the … Lilly is the number-one suspect.
With the cops barking up the wrong tree, it’s a good thing her best friend Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, decided to take a break from the dog club circuit to pay a visit, along with her own prize pair of poodles. With help from Dixie, her defense attorney daughter, and a blue-eyed man in blue with a K-9 partner, Lilly is determined to collar the real killer. But when a second murder occurs, it’s clear they’re dealing with one sick puppy . . .
more
Dogs rule in this charming new cozy by VM Burns! One day Lilly Echosby is a spurned spouse, and the next she’s a suspect in her ex-husband’s death. Sure, Lilly had plenty of motive to want her cheating ex out of her life, but she didn’t expect to be charged with his murder. With her best friends–both human and canine–and loyal family members heeling at her side, Lilly sheds the cloak of suspicion and sets out to deliver some ruff justice to a killer. This fast-paced cozy kept me racing through the pages until the final reveal. I’m anxious to read the second installment in this promising new series!
In The Dog House
Dog Club Mystery, Book #1
V.M. Burns
5+ Stars
Synopsis:
Recently divorced Lilly Echosby finds a community of new friends at a Tennessee dog club, never guessing she’d be groomed to solve a murder close to home . . .
Sure, Lilly Echosby’s husband dumped her after thirty years of marriage, but there’s an upside, too. She’s recharging her CPA career, trading brutal Michigan winters for the sunny south, and best of all, she can finally get a puppy. Enrolling her new toy poodle, Agatha Christie, at the Eastern Tennessee Dog Club also comes with a new best friend: club trainer and southern belle, Scarlet “Dixie” Jefferson. Unfortunately, not everything in Lilly’s life is quite so cuddly. Her neighbor, Bradley Hurston, is a cantankerous, growling, poodle-hating blowhard. For Lilly, snapping back at him in public wasn’t exactly the best revenge. The next day Bradley is murdered in the community pool and Lilly becomes number one suspect. Now the fur is really going to fly . . .
On the scent to find the real culprit, Lilly and Dixie discover that Bradley’s bad-neighbor policy was blocks long. So is the list of suspects. But is aggressive behavior a motive to kill? Lilly and Dixie think there’s more to Bradley’s past. Something more sinister. And they have every reason to fear that Bradley won’t be the last in the community to be put down. (Goodreads)
Review:
This is the first book in the Dog Club Mystery series and I thought it was excellent. The characters were great, the mystery was well plotted and there was a lot of humor in this book.
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Lilly is a smart, strong caring woman who was betrayed by her husband in the worse way. She is a mom with two grown children with whom she is very close to. And she has an old friend named Dixie that she is excited to reconnect with. So when her husband is killed and she is the prime suspect, she has friends and family standing beside her. She knows she has to find the real killer before she is put away for life.
I really liked the fact that Lilly was an older protagonist with a family. I also liked the fact that she did not stumble upon a dead body like in so many of the cozies that I read. Another thing that I liked was the fact that Lilly did not have any type of love connection with the detective working on the case. I thought all of these things gave this cozy a unique perspective.
The writing style flows smoothly and defined the characters very clearly by their actions and words. It was a quick easy book to read and kept me swiping pages as fast as I could. Her descriptive writing pulled me into the story right from the start and took me on a wonderful journey. And there was plenty of humor that kept me laughing throughout the book.
The mystery was well plotted and fast paced. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through and was not easy to solve, which is how I like my mysteries.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. This is the first book in this series and I cannot wait to read the next book. And I am going to have to check out this authors other series, she is very good at her craft.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Great new series! In this book, Lilly Echosby’s husband has decided he wants a divorce and is seeing someone new. Before they can finalize their divorce, her husband is murdered. Now Lilly is a suspect and when an elderly neighbor is also murdered, she is suspected of killing him as well. With the help of her two children, her old friend Dixie, and a kind police officer they set out to clear Lilly’s name and find out what is really going on. I loved this book! Full of great characters and poodles! I am looking forward to seeing Lilly move on with her life with a move to Tennessee and see what she and Dixie get themselves into next!
In the Dog House by M.M. Burns, is a clearly outstanding light mystery and I want the next book NOW! As a fan of her Mystery Bookshop, I wasn’t surprised to discover that I love the new series, but I was surprised to love it even more the the first series. Both books have a great balance of plot versus character with a slight lean towards the development of the characters, and great characters they are. The distinction may just be that I often favor the book I finished most recently or it may have a bit mare character interaction, which I love. The difference is the difference between a 5 star and a 5.25 star rating. Readers of either series will come out the winner. The plot in every one of her books that I have read has been excellent and intriguing and has drawn me in from the beginning. V.M.Burns makes me care what happens in her novels and that is besides the wonders dogs who people her books.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
First, I couldn’t resist that cover. That face, that face, that puppy dog face. I just had to find out what the poodle was up to.
It turns out that poodle belongs to Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, best friend of our protagonist Lilly Echosby, and she owns not one but two show poodles. She also has a toy poodle with her that Lilly quickly adopts and names Aggie, a nod to Agatha Christie. Dixie has come to town, taking a break from the dog show circuit to be with Lilly as she deals with her pending divorce. Her husband has left her for a child, well a woman who could be his child. I would say Albert Echosby was a low down dirty dog but that would insult dogs more than him. He hasn’t told his family about the divorce and actually expects Lily to still host his grandmother’s birthday party. She agrees after some negotiations, but tempers run high at the party.
The next day Lilly continues to make plans for his life sans Albert. She is going to pack up and head to Tennessee with Dixie. Her plans come to a screeching halt when she learns Albert has been murdered and she is the prime suspect. That makes no doggone sense. She does have one member of the police force on her side because he has clearly fallen for Lilly’s defense attorney daughter. They both, along with Dixie and Lilly’s son are going to help Lilly do everything they can to put the real killer in a cage. When another murder occurs they must double their efforts but realize they could be putting themselves in the line of fire.
This series is off to an amazing start. I love Lilly, close to my age with two grown children, it was easy to identify with her. When she adopted Aggie so fast I loved her even more. I liked that the romantic entanglement had to do with her daughter as Lilly had enough on her plate with Albert and his bimbo, Bambi Love. Oh my starts, Bambi was truly a piece of work. The aspect of Dixie coming to Lighthouse Dunes after receiving an email from her friend was fantastic. Advice from a total stranger and Dixie helped Lilly make crucial decisions and also brought out her strength. The rest of the characters are also very well developed for a first book in a series and easy to envision. The dogs stole my heart and added so much to the story.
The plot flowed so well. Perfectly penned and full of humor, I loved every minute of it. The descriptive writing style took me right into the story and into these characters lives. It turned out there were plenty of suspects and a variety of clues to follow. An unexpected twist brings the story to a very entertaining conclusion.
Reading In the Dog House was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and I can’t wait to get my hands on The Puppy Who Knew Too Much. Lighthearted and Fun! This was a Perfect Escape!
Loved the dogs.
This held my attention till the end. Had a few slow, preachy spots that did not add much to the actual mystery, but I enjoyed the book and will probably read more from the author, V. M. Burns.
It was a fun read.
This is my first book by this author and I liked it. I thought the plot was believable and I liked the main character and supporting cast. I’ll look for other books by this author.
At first I thought I had discovered a well-written book, and it was good, but it turned out to be a mixed bag. Some parts were repetitive and at times, especially toward the end, the plot seemed contrived. However, over all I enjoyed it, especially the toy poodle. I also enjoyed the doggie info–for the most part it was well done, informative. So many times a promising setting or occupation is not developed at all, and we learn very little about the location or the business. In sum, this story was a clean, easy and interesting read.
Good mystery in an interesting story.
I made the mistake of laughing out loud when I was a page or two into this book and my two teenage sons made me start it over and read the entire book out loud. It kept you guessing and entertained. We thoroughly enjoyed the book and have recommended to family and friends.
A non traditional cozy. There still is divorce, murder, unexpected good friend in old roommate who clicks into good support person even after years apart and ads a lot to story. Nice to see a good family work to help mom be cleared of murder by doing careful (not throwing themselves into danger stupidly) snooping When danger comes it is logical. Clever way to identify murderer.
Purchased this because of the poodle influence- found it to be entertaining and laugh out loud funny at times. Characters grow and come into their own as they deal with their family. Sorry the book ended – wanted to know what happens to the characters next! Well done!
I am a doglover, what’s not to love about this book!!
Good read.
Great characters and story line. I love cozy mysteries and put canine slant and it has to be a winner. I have already -ordered the next book.
Highly recommended.
I enjoyed this book so much I stayed up way too late to finish the book! Thankfully it was a Friday night.
I enjoy a good cozy and I think one of the things I liked best was that the character was around my age. Not that it is a requirement, but sometimes it is nice to see a slightly older protagonist. Plus it had dogs in it…that always hooks me into a story.
As is with most firsts in a cozy, the main character is a suspect to whoever was killed. In this case, it was Lilly’s soon to be ex-husband. Typical mid-life crisis by leaving her for a younger woman! But we learn more about Bambi as the story progresses and I wondered about her motivation.
Then there is the soon to be ex’s family – I don’t know how Lilly put up with them all those years. What self-absorbed and selfish people! If I knew my spouse’s family was like that I might not have married into that family especially if he made excuses for them. I think
Lilly’s friend Dixie is a hoot! I loved that she came down to see her friend and was there to help her through this whole situation. She is spunky and not afraid to tell you what is on her mind.
I wasn’t extremely surprised at the bad guy reveal. There are several clues that might lead you to this character, but the clues are not obvious. I figured out some of the mini mysteries going on in the town.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what happens in book 2 as there are some big changes ahead for Lilly!
I very much enjoyed this new series! Lilly is a strong lead character, supported by her older children Stephanie and David. But when Dixie shows up, she takes the cake and the case – everyone wants a Dixie in their corner – she’s a great go-getter, friend to have on your side! When Albert, Lilly’s soon to be ex-husband shows up with Bambi, it’s time for Lilly to officially move on. But not before Albert talks her into one last family event hosted at the house with all of her “favorite” in-laws. Soon after the party is over, Albert is discovered to have been murdered and Lilly is the number one suspect. What comes next is a fun romp through town to discover what happened to Albert and why someone wanted him dead. Let’s not forget one of the best aspects of this new series – the dogs! This particular book has a couple of fun loving poodles brought along by Dixie. They are loyal and fun and great companions to our characters. Unfortunately, the story seemed to end abruptly – I just wasn’t ready for the end – it was well pieced together for a complete conclusion but I think I was geared up for some more twists and turns. I look forward to more books by this creative author. Thank you net galley for allowing me to read early in exchange for my honest opinion!
I love cozies, poodles, and strong, capable female characters, so I definitely loved this debut book! Protagonist, Lilly Anne’s hubby of 25 years is divorcing her, and their daughter, Stephanie, is her lawyer while Albert lawyers up with high-powered attorney, Charles Nelson. Let the fun begin! Lilly’s longtime friend, Dixie (Scarlett Johnson), arrives to visit with 3 poodles along. One is a black toy poodle, Aggie, who absolutely stole my heart and Lilly Anne’s, too! Now, these two girl friends are going to have fun together and the dogs are going to help them! Before you can say ‘woof!’, however, somebody offs Albert! The books at the car dealership they owned look suspicious. Lilly Anne can’t believe Albert was so stupid and left her such a mess to decipher.
Humor scenes galore kept me giggling throughout this entertaining storyline. The poor old man in the wheelchair—bless his heart—I loved his connection to Lilly Anne. I really liked Officer Joe and his K-9 dog, Turbo. Reading this new cozy mystery was a treat! I look forward to the next book in the Dog Club series.
I reviewed an arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical. Thank you.