Murder wasn’t supposed to be on the menu at the Little Dog Diner, but that’s exactly what we got served anyway.Hi, I’m Dani Mackenzie and I’m the unfortunate soul who owns said diner. Looks like business is going to be slow for a little while as the whole town scrambles to find whodunnit.At first I just needed something to keep me busy while on my forced vacation, but now as the clues stack up, … the clues stack up, I’m caught in the middle of this crazy mixed-up murder. And I’ll do anything to get to the bottom of what really happened and why it happened in my kitchen.
Too bad the only known witness to the crime is the victim’s terrier, Pip, and no one believes she bludgeoned her owner to death. But if not her… then who? And, perhaps more importantly, who’s next?
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This is a new to me author. It’s her first cozy mystery, and let me just say, she definitely has a future writing this series.
The book starts with quite a surprise & kept me hooked. It’s funny, fast paced, sweet, with great characters.
Dani is the main character & I really like her. She adopts Pip, the murder victim’s little dog. Her bond with Pip & the way she talks to her & interacts with her is perfect. Very realistic to me. Dani’s Grandma Rose is another great character. Smart, knows just about everything that goes on in their beautifully described little town of Blueberry Bay, Maine, but isn’t overtly nosy. Rose owns/runs the local weekly paper & has lived there 70 plus years so she has status. Sheriff AJ is great too. Fair minded & not a bumbling idiot. And willing to listen to Dani’s thoughts & clues. You could tell he likes Dani without it being the focus of the story. Dani doesn’t even realize it. Just the way I like my cozies; with just a hint of romance.
Lily, Dani’s BFF & wife of the deceased Ray, was my only con. I don’t think she was a very good friend to Dani. She starts the book deceiving & using Dani . If she was my BFF I’d of been questioning our friendship. And I wouldn’t be nearly as forgiving or understanding as Dani about it all. Hopefully that changes in book two. Lily did redeem herself a little at the end with a grand gesture, but she never apologized to Dani for her actions. I also didn’t like her because she seemed to have zero interest in keeping Pip (her deceased husband’s dog) herself. She never said a word, just let Dani take her.
This was an extremely strong 5 star start to a new cozy series & I can’t wait to read book two! I’m happy to highly recommend this book.
Thanks to Sweet Promise Press for proving me with an ARC of this book. This review is my honest opinion, and not required.
This will make you chuckle and keep you engaged as Dani and Pip get mixed up in solving the mystery of not only whodunnit but just as important the why it was done. Very interesting theories and entertaining banter. This is my actually second time reading this. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
Really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Great characters with a great lesson not to have your own fake funeral. Looking forward to more from the Little Dog Dinner series.
This book had everything I look for. It was well-written. It had interesting characters and a lovely setting. It was a good story and clean. And to top it all off it had a cute, little dog who was in it a lot and not just an afterthought. I really enjoyed it.
This is the first in this delightful series. Dani Mackensie walks into her diner and finds her friend’s husband dead. Each character we are introduced to has their own quirky behaviors and will make you laugh. This story has several twists that keep you guessing until the end. In this story, she adopts the dead man’s dog, Pip. Her ex boyfriend comes back to town. Her aunt Rose owns Little Dog Diner and the local newspaper, and are introduced to the stern police detective, AJ who arrests the most likely suspect, the wife. This story will make you laugh, smile and want to know more about the Little Dog Diner in Blueberry Bay.
Dani MacKenzie is the owner of the Little Dog Diner where an unfortunate murder has just occurred. Her best friend’s soon-to-be ex-husband has been bludgeoned with her prize rolling pin. Now she’s caught up in the investigation if only to prove her friend, Lily, innocent. Too bad the only witness is Pip, the terrier that the victim had rescued.
I began this series because the restaurant is mentioned in another series I read, the Pet Whisperer PI series. I really enjoyed this first book and am looking forward to reading more. I highly recommend this one.
Mixing Up Murder by Emmie Lyn is the first novel in A Little Dog Diner series. Dani Mackenzie co-owns Little Dog Diner with her best friend, Lily Lemay in Misty Harbor, Maine. Lily’s louse of a husband ends up dead in their kitchen, closing their restaurant for the foreseeable future. With extra time on her hands and worried about her best friend, Dani begins looking into the murder. Mixing Up Murder is a lighthearted cozy mystery with quirky characters and a quaint small town. The mystery has a variety of suspects along with a red herring or two. I like that the author took the time to introduce the main characters of Dani, Lily and Rose (Dani’s grandmother). We meet several townspeople including Detective A.J. Crenshaw and Luke Sinclair. My favorite character was Pip, the Jack Russell terrier, who is smart and a sweetie. I enjoyed the interactions between Dani and Pip. I thought Mixing Up Murder was easy to read, it progressed at a nice pace, and it was just the right length. I did find Dani to be loyal to her best friend especially when she would overlook some of Lily’s questionable behavior (I would not have been as forgiving). Mixing Up Murder has murder, romance, friendship, mayhem, family, and humor. Mixing Up Murder has Pip the pooch, a clueless best friend, a fake funeral, a dashing MG, stunning seaside vista, and a curious cook.
Emmie Lyn is a new to me author but she has kicked this series off with a bang. There is romance, humor, mystery and intrigue. Looks to me as if Dani had two gentlemen from which to possibly choose. I love the interaction between Dani, Lily and Rose. I look forward to Book 2.
As I drew closer to the end of this book, I found myself going off to hide so I could continue reading it.
I really enjoyed Mixing Up Murder. It is interesting and fun. I love the characters and the small town setting. The mystery is interesting and has so many twists to keep you guessing. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
A great story
There are so many twists and suspects in the book that keeps you turning pages.
If you love cosy mysteries, you should enjoy this well written tale.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When her best friend’s scheming real estate broker husband ends up dead, Dani feels compelled to solve his murder … and acquires the custodianship of his little terrier dog Pip.
I found most of the characters, including Pip the dog, engaging and mostly charming and enjoyed unraveling the mystery of Ray’s murder. True to the classic mystery formula, author Emmie Lyn points an accusing finger at a long line of possible murder suspects before Dani’s sleuthing and Pip’s fearsome canine assistance finally reveal the killer in the closing pages.
A fun read with a small town, east coast setting.
Dani’s best friend was seeking a divorce from her wealthy real estate husband. When they discover his body in Dani’s restaurant Lily disappears making her look guilty. It seems like everyone has a motive but who had the best motive? It’s a great who dunnit.
I really like Dani, Lily, Rose and Pip. When Dani and Lily go to Lily’s soon to be ex-husband’s funeral, Dani is shocked when he winks at her and then sits up in the coffin. What?! Dani has never liked Lily’s husband and this new stunt just makes it worse. Then when they find him lying on the kitchen floor of their diner, Dani is sure he is faking it again. This time it is for real and the only witness his Pip, his little dog. Rescuing Pip is the only good thing he has ever done and Dani decides she needs to keep her. As Dani and Lily try to figure out who murdered the ex, Pip helps and rides shotgun. A good mystery with lots of suspects.
I really enjoyed Mixing Up Murder. The story moved at a good pace, there were plenty of clues to keep me guessing(even though I figured out the murderer before Dani did), the characters were likable, and Pip was adorable. Lily was a bit wishy-washy for my taste but she was growing a backbone as the story progressed. I would like to know why Dani and Lily’s cafe is called Little Dog Diner since Pip was not part of Dani’s life until after the book started. This was my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more books in this series.
What a wonderful cozy mystery! Dani is a wonderful character you get to know well. The Little Dog Diner sounds like a place I would love to visit for lunch (except for the body in the kitchen!) Very enjoyable read! Can’t wait for the next one!
MIXING UP MURDER is the first book in the Little Dog Diner series. Like most cozy mystery series, they’ll be able to be read in any order, but always read the first one first. Here is where the introductions are made.
The story starts with a great hook – a fake funeral – and kept me gripped to the pages straight through to the end. The story is fun and had a nice rhythm to it. The addition of Pip, the adorable dog, is a bonus that keeps on rewarding.
This is the first book I have read from Emmie Lyn, but I will definitely be reading more. I like her style!
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: MIXING UP MURDER
Series: Little Dog Dinner #1
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended for: 14+ due to romantic content
Grammar/editing: A – near perfect
Received from: Sweet Promise Press (as an ARC gifted copy)
This was a fun, entertaining book. Dani was shocked when she discovered a dead body in her diner. She’s caught in the middle of the investigation and will do anything to solve it and figure out why it happened in her restaurant. I enjoyed this book and would read more books in this series.
This book was so exciting and fun to read! Dani and Lily were great characters. I loved how feisty Dani was, especially to the suspects that were not nice. I enjoyed trying to figure out who committed the murder, so many twist and turns. There is humor, mystery and I’m hoping the beginning of a romance. I cant wait to read the next book! Emmett Lyn is a new to me author, I will be reading every book of hers from now on!
Was given a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I have been provided with a copy of Mixing Up Murder by Sweet Promise Press for an impartial review. This is the first book in the brand-new Little Dog Diner series and it was just a great way to start off a new series. I just absolutely fell in love with this new world and new characters. I loved meeting Dani Mackenzie and getting to along with her on this crazy journey. I just was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going to happen next. I can’t wait to see what happens next with this series.