“The story has a Nancy Drew style to it… fun and upbeat with a mystery that’s intriguing, engaging, and is perfectly fitted to the witty duo of Luffy and Jasmine… funny, charming, lighthearted”–5 Stars, Readers’ FavoriteA quaint town full of secrets. A string of bizarre occurrences. An unconvincing suicide…Jasmine Moore is a local favorite who is unusually gifted—she has random visions of the … unusually gifted—she has random visions of the future that usually culminate in disaster. She can also understand her loyal golden retriever. Literally.
When a body is discovered in the small, sheltered town of Blackwood Cove, the authorities are ready to write it off as a suicide. But for her, something doesn’t quite add up.
Taking up the mantle of detective, her insatiable thirst for justice sets her on a path to solve the baffling case. Sifting through decades of forgotten town history and long-buried secrets, she begins to piece together a far stranger story than a simple suicide.
Will Jasmine unravel the startling truth in time?
more
Jasmine is still living in the small coastal town where she has grown up, and is now waiting and saving to go to college, while she waits she works part time at the local bookshop and picks up some work as a dog trainer (much to the derision of the local big shot trainer who thinks she is a nothing) but Jasmine has a secret, her pet dog Luffy, she found him on the beach stranded some years before, she has a special connection with Luffy one that goes above the normal relationship with an owner and her pet, she can understand him, and he her. Not just the normal range of commands. Sit, Stay Heel etc, she can understand him and have a full on conversation with him, so she uses this connection to translate to other dogs.
The coastal town of Blackwood Cove is a quiet town where nothing much of note happens, it has its tourist season in the summer but in the autumn and leading up to the winter it is stagnant almost, sleeping like it is waiting for the next summer to begin, but this year that is about to be shattered, not just because Jasmine is having strange episodes where it seems like she is fitting but she is having the most strange visions, which seem to be coming true!
But there is a murder, Crazy Jack, her friend Brandon’s uncle is found drowned on the beach, though the town police are happy to call it an accident, Jaz is not so sure, she asks the police chief if he is sure,that she is convinced crazy Jack was to good a swimmer, everyone new the story of how he swam in one of the worst storms the town could remember after his boat capsized, he was able to swim to safety.
Given the blessings of the Chief and “deputised” with a note she begins to question people, and secrets start to come out, old relationships and friendships, feuds and motives aplenty, and just who is the stranger in town the same one Jaz saw in her fit/dream? Was it murder or just a tragic accident
This is a well written clean cozy, it can be slow in places with meandering sentences but these are well written. There is a good rhythm to the story.
I have to admit I did not understand the animosity of Barry Brock the “famous” dog trainer, there was nothing in this with regards to this story, but it could be this is the authors way of laying down characters for books coming up in the series.
I will be intregueed to see how Mr Parrott is going to continue the series, (once you read the ending you will understand why I say this) but it would be nice to see more of Jasmine and Luffy
In all I would recommend this it is a PG rating and can be read by mystery fans young and old.
Paws in the Action: Psychic Sleuths and Talking Dogs is book #1 in the Jaz and Luffy Cozy Mystery series by Max Parrott.
19-year-old Jasmine (Jaz) works part time at a bookstore and also trains dogs with the help of her dog, Luffy. Luffy can talk to Jaz and she understands him. A body is found on the beach and is it an accident as the police believe or something more?
This was a cute story. I liked that Jaz struggled with her investigation because most people don’t know how to investigate a potential murder. I loved. Luffy and the dog training.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This was a great mystery good enough for people of any age! I loved the first fact, that Jaz could talk to and hear Luffy! I thought that added to the story as a whole.
The mystery was awesome! I think those that grew up loving Nancy Drew books will love this mystery, and how it unfolded, (as I did). Reading how the investigation changed what people thought of HOW Jack died was interesting… especially how Jaz’s input, and how people looked at her before and after the investigation!
Thank you Max Parrott for a Great story!
Delightfully Binge-worthyYou are hooked as soon as you start reading…
Very anxious to read more . . .
Next please More and more difficult to put down . . .
A really wonderful cozy mystery that I enjoyed reading…
I really wanted to like this book, but was disappointed. It would be great as a YA story, but found it a little to almost childish for my tastes. The narrator’s voice for the dog drove me nuts listening to it. No real depth to the characters or plot. Just nothing to really make me want to keep turning pages.
This review is for the audio book.
This is the first book by this author I have read or listened to but the cover art looked interesting, so I gave it ago. I’m glad I did because it was slightly different and I enjoyed the book. It was never really explained why Jasmine and her dog Luffy could talk to each other and I would liked to have know how or why but other than that I liked the characters. I am sure at some point everybody has wondered what there pet is telling them, so it is a fun gift for the main character to have, as well as her premonitions. It was also a nice change that Jasmine as only a teenager was given so much respect that you tended to forget that fact. Although if the sheriff really thought it was a possible murder would he really give someone so young permission to investigate? Luffy the dog is fun and I loved the way he talked back to the humans, it added some light humour to the story with him telling them off and them not hearing him. The mystery was interesting and I liked the way the crime was worked out. There was slightly to many characters introduced at the start of the book, which got a bit confusing but it made for an interesting suspect list. I look forward to the next book.
The small town peace of Blackwood Cove is shattered when the local grumpy hermit is found dead. Nobody is too upset except Jasmine who can’t understand why such a strong swimmer could drown on a calm night, even if he had been drinking. She convinces the sheriff the death needs investigating. At the same time as asking questions of the town’s folks, she starts to have seizures that leave her with strange images or dreams. Could the two be related? And if so what are they trying to tell her? The dead man was her best friends estranged uncle and with him acting strange is she right to suspect him? What about the stranger that is hanging around after the tourist season has ended? Every her boss has something he hasn’t told her. Can Jasmine aided by her special connection with her dog find out what happened?
I liked the narrator and thought she helped to bring the story to life with the use of different voices for the many characters.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
Lovely, clean, cozy mystery! This was a very entertaining story and a quick read. It’s not a mind-bender, but there are enough twists to keep it interesting from first page to last. Excellent writing and world-building, too; you can just picture this tiny, slightly run-down town, and it’s very plausible (and predictable if you’re from a small town!) how everyone is connected and yet somehow, there still manage to be secrets! I can’t wait to read more of Max’s books.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery. Imagine if you could understand what your pet was saying. Jasmine’s dog can talk to her and she is a beginning physic. I found this to be an enjoyable and great esacpe. I will be looking for more books by this author.
Jasmine “Jaz” Moore works part time at The Book Nook in Blackwood Cove. It is a small town of only about 850 people that relies heavily on tourism, but it is late autumn and the tourist season is virtually over. Everywhere Jaz goes, her friend Luffy, a golden retriever, goes with her. Luffy is not your average retriever, since Jaz has the ability to communicate with him. When Crazy Jack, a local fisherman, turns up dead on the beach, everybody automatically presumes he drowned.
Jaz doubts that Jack’s death was an accident and thinks it was murder. Jack had previously experienced a storm at sea and had survived after swimming 15 miles before being rescued. Granted, it was quite a while ago, but was he really in that bad of shape? Jack also had plenty of enemies in the area!!
Was Jack’s death an accident or murder? If murder, who had the best reason for killing him? Can Jaz and Luffy unravel the conflicting stories to figure out what really happened to Jack?
Max Parrott has a great start to the series. Jaz speaks with Luffy the same way people talk with each other, but it is unknown how Luffy communicates with Jaz. Still the story is well-written with enjoyable people and situations. There are plenty of twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing clear to the end.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. Jasmine and Luffy helped solve the murder with the help other friends. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
I received a free copy of this book.
Is it murder or not? “Crazy” Jack Torres’ body is found on the beach, his boat nowhere to be found. The authorities believe since Jack was very drunk the last time he had been seen that means he probably accidentally fell of his boat and drowned. Nineteen-year-old Jasmine Moore isn’t so sure. Jasmine is a psychic and can communicate with her dog, Luffy. They believe there’s a good chance Jack Torres was murdered. Due to her psychic visions and being able to communicate with her dog Luffy I find Jasmine to be a unique sleuth. I really enjoyed following her methodology while trying to solve the case. The other characters in Blackwood Cove added a lot to the atmosphere of the mystery. This is a super beginning to what looks to be a fun series to read.
Jaz is a young woman from a small seaside town, saving up to go to college by working part time in a bookstore, but also making a bit extra by training dogs, but she has a secret, she and her dog Luffy can talk, and understand, each other, no-one else is aware of this connection. Needless to say as this is a cozy mystery she uses this gift to help solve a murder, even though it initially seems to be accidental.
This is a clean, entertaining mystery, a bit slow in places but generally well written. The characters are believable and the story is engaging. Overall an enjoyable read.
Was Crazy Jack’s death an accident, or murder?
Jasmine Moore and her dog Luffy are much more than a girl and her dog and with Luffy’s helpful counsel, Jasmine could have a great future in law enforcement. Jaz and Luffy make a great detective duo!
I really enjoyed this fun cozy mystery. It has plenty of suspense, some good plot twists, and the characters were very likable. It is the first book in this series I have read but now I want to read more.
Interesting mystery
Jasmine is unlike any detective I have read about. She has unique visions to guide her and she can also talk to her dog. The her gifts set her apart.
As she looks into the death of Blackwood Cove, she is the only one who feels that it was a murder and with her talking dog Luffy, she goes down to investigate the matter.
The cute little town was described beautifully and the characters were well etched. Humour was sprinkled in all the chapters making it more fun.
Overall enjoyed the cosy mystery story.
Jaz and Luffy her dog can communicate. It is beneficial as Jaz keeps having spells that knock her out for a few seconds and Luffy can tell her when one of her spells is about to happen so she can sit down in advance. I really want a talking dog (there I said it). This cozy mystery keeps you on your toes, there are many characters and it is hard to deduce who the guilty party is in this story. I love any cozy mystery with animals that can communicate and this one doesn’t let me down. I recommend this story.
Paws in the Action: Psychic Sleuths and Talking Dogs (A Jaz and Luffy Cozy Mystery Book 1), my first enjoyable mystery read from author Max Parrott. Well-written with intriguing characters developed in great detail in the first few chapters of the book. I read a lot of clean, cozy mystery & this book is more mystery than cozy. Sometimes a book is just enjoyable, wait no spoilers here, buy the book, read & review the book. “I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.” I’ll definitely be reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
I liked the story. It started a little slow then got into action. Jasmine and Luffy, her dog, can have conversations with each other. Jasmine is occasionally having brief episodes of missing time. She is in an altered state briefly and Luffy can tell when she is about to have an episode. When a not well liked resident drowns, she begins her own investigation for murder. The action is fast paced, Luffy is witty, fun, and original story. It has a quirky cast of characters and a few twists. Very good read.
Red Robin
Right away the author pulls you into the beautiful yet spooky atmosphere of Blackwood Cove, before introducing you to the characters.
When the most disliked man in town winds up dead, Jasmine and her dog Luffy are determined to find out if he was murdered, and by whom.
“Paws in the action” is a fun cozy mystery I read in one go.
These first two books (and the freebie number 1.5, in between the two) are wonderful murder mysteries. Delightful characters (Jasmine and her neighbors in the small town she lives in, plus her dog Luffy) and a good story. The idea of being able to talk to her dog and hear his thoughts too is well done. This is one series where our heroine is taken seriously by the newspaper and the sheriff – a welcome change! Enough excitement and still a fun read. I received a review copy and voluntarily leave this honest review.