Lilly Echosby and her toy poodle Aggie find a fresh start in Chattanooga, Tennessee, spoiled by the scent of murder . . . Having solved the shooting death of her cheating husband, Lilly’s left behind the drama of Lighthouse Dunes, Indiana, to start over in the hometown of her best friend, Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson. As she gets settled in her new rented house, Lilly gives Aggie, short for … Aggie, short for Agatha Christie, her own fresh start by enrolling her in the Eastern Tennessee Dog Club, where Dixie is a trainer.
But drama seems to hound Lilly like a persistent stray. Her cranky new neighbor appears unfamiliar with Southern hospitality and complains that Aggie barks too much and digs up his prized tulips. But what the poodle actually unearths is the buried body of a mysterious man who claimed ownership of the lost golden retriever Lilly recently rescued. Now it’s up to Lilly and Dixie to try to muzzle another murderer . . .
more
Love this author and her books with dogs.
Enjoyed
I loved this book. I got hooked on book one of thus series. I hope there will be many more to come. I love the characters and their incredible dogs.
In THE PUPPY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, V. M. Burns has penned an entertaining whodunit that will leave readers begging for more.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. With wonderful characters both human and canine, I quickly felt like I had known them all for some time. And it was a lot of fun to see the dogs playing a part in solving the case.
A great plot and a complex mystery, I found it very hard to put this book down. I kept telling myself, just one more page. One more chapter. Well, I’m sure you know how that worked out. I didn’t let it out of my sight until I had finished.
Pick up a copy of, THE PUPPY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. You’re going to be happy you did.
Lilly is eager for a fresh start. Three months ago her cheating husband was murdered and she was the prime suspect. She’s finally cleared of suspicion and moves to Chattanooga and a new beginning, Her tiny poodle, Aggie, isn’t so keen on the move and finds creative ways to make it known. Fate is on Lilly’s side and she finds the perfect rental house and a great new job at the museum. But her rosy new life hits a bump in the road when she stumbles upon a dead body. Then her new house is ransacked. She won’t sit idly by when her new beginning is threatened.
I was surprised when I reached the end of this book. It felt like I’d just started it. I was immediately charmed by the characters. Lilly is so authentic and likable and would be such a great friend to have. Some other favorites are her boss and co-worker at the museum. I loved how they welcomed Lilly, made her feel at home, and how they actually used some of the antique pieces. Dixie is the perfect best friend. And her daughter and son-in-law are very supportive and a great couple. As for the grouchy neighbor, I couldn’t wait to see if she could win him over. The author brought them all to life and I had such fun getting to know them.
I don’t want to forget the other characters. The four legged ones. So many dogs in this book. I say, the more the merrier. Each have their own personalities and charms. And the part where Lilly’s daughter rescues a stray golden retriever had me almost in tears. So sweet.
The mystery here wasn’t easily solved. There were some obvious suspects and then some that lurked off the radar. I picked my culprit and followed the story closely, sniffing out clues, wandering off the obvious paths, and I was wrong. What a fun surprise.
This is my first book by V. M. Burns and I’m thrilled to discover another cozy author and series. I’ll be following these characters to their next adventure and I’ll miss them til we meet again.
Can Lilly and Aggie find a nice place to live in Chattanooga?
The Puppy Who Knew Too Much by V.M. Burns was an excellent cozy mystery that kept me guessing from the first moment I started to read the book. Ms. Burns has a great way of capturing you and making a believable world full of great characters. Especially our sleuth Lilly Echosby and her dog Agatha Christie aka Aggie and everything that they’ve gone through.
Lilly Echosby
Our sleuth is Lilly Echosby, and she is a recent transplant from Lighthouse Dunes, Indiana to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lilly needed a fresh start away from Indiana and everything that happened there. She moved to Chattanooga to be with her best friend from college Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson. Lilly is a bit skeptical about being there since no one wants to rent to her and her toy poodle who is so adorable. Until a nice old lady lets her rent out her son’s home while he’s away. Things are going ok until she finds a body. Then things go crazy after that.
What I like about Lilly is that she is after justice especially once she is considered the prime suspect again to a murder that she didn’t commit at all. She is excellent at sleuthing even though she is told not to. Another thing that I like about Lilly is that she is trying to get back into the workforce after not being in it for quite some time. The last thing that I like about Lilly is that she is very protective of not only her dog but of her family and friends. The one thing that I dislike about Lilly is that she isn’t a keen judge of character.
Dennis “Red” Olson
Dennis “Red” Olson is a friend of Joe, who is Stephanie’s boyfriend, and works for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. We don’t meet Dennis until after some circumstances required him to come in. Red is a pretty interesting guy who seems to have had a crush on Lilly since there were first introduced. What I like about Red is that he knows how to cook and bake which is pretty cool.
Another thing that I like about him is that he knows when the girls are lying which they don’t like. The last thing that I like about him is that he is a Southern gentleman. The ole Southern charm is nice. However, I wished we had seen more of him.
The Mystery
This book has quite a few “mysteries” but they all lead back to the first one which was who killed the man in the forest. Is he Lilly’s landlord? Did Lilly kill him? And a bunch of other questions like that. It’s a great story and I liked how the sleuth, her daughter, and her friend go around solving the crime. Especially when she figures it out at the end. Let’s just say that this book has quite a few plot twists that I love and a couple of red herrings.
Five Stars
The Puppy Who Knew Too Much by V.M. Burns is set up to be a great cozy mystery series. The sleuth was believable, the mystery was so awesome, and I am glad that the sleuth’s love interest is in law enforcement. I am giving this book a five-star rating as it is that good. I highly recommend this book to those who love a good cozy mystery.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by,
Baroness Book Trove.
I received this book for free from Great Escapes Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you would like to read more reviews like this one, please go to baronessbooktrove.com
The Puppy Who Knew Too Much is the second book in the A Dog Club Mystery series.
Lilly has taken the advice of Dixie, her friend from college, and has moved to Chattanooga, where Dixie lives, to start a new life after the death of her husband was murdered. While having lunch at a restaurant, Lilly is discussing the need to find affordable housing and a job. Jo Ellen Hansen sitting at a table next to them catches their attention and tells Lilly that she can rent her son’s house to Lilly. She says that her son is working in the Cayman Islands and that she can move in right away.
Lilly’s daughter, Stephanie, arrives at her mother is moving in and will help her to unpack and get the house organized. Lilly learns that there is a homeowners association meeting and decides to attend, thinking that it would be a good way to meet her neighbors. She does meet her next door neighbor, Theodore Livingston. Livingston is a cantankerous old man and Lilly ends up getting into a heated debate. Later, while walking her poodle, Aggie finds a body in a shallow grave. Lilly is able to convince the police that she wasn’t in the area when the body had been buried. But the next day she makes some cookies and goes next door to apologize to Livingston, but instead, she finds that he has been murdered. When the police learn of her argument with him, she becomes a primary suspect. Stephanie’s boyfriend, Joe Harrison, arrives and offers to help them learn who Livingston killer might have been.
Jo Ellen also gives Lilly the phone number of Chattanooga Museum of Arts who is looking for an accountant. Lilly ends up getting the job and she finds the books are in an absolute mess. Linda Kaye Weyman, the director of the museum, that Freemont Hopewell the great-grandson of the museum founder had no idea what he was doing. With Lilly having to take time off, she is worried that the museum will let her go, and she really does love the job. Luckily, Weyman likes her and is willing to work with Lilly about the time off.
As they begin to investigate the murder and the other death, things aren’t adding up for Harrison and he asks an old friend, Red Olson, an investigator with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to come help them with their sleuthing.
Once again V. M. Burns gives us a very exciting and well-plotted story. There were a lot of red herrings that kept me guessing who the murderer was until the end. I really enjoy the characters, who are all interesting and believable. I love reading about all the dogs, too.
I’m really looking forward to the next book, Bark If It’s Murder, that will be out in August.
Second in the Dog Club Mystery series, this delightful cozy is even better than the first! In the midst of murder and mayhem, the author delivers a healthy dose of humor, friendship, and fresh starts in a new city, rental home, and temporary job in the genteel South.
Even with the best of intentions, it isn’t always easy to start over in a new city, and Lilly Echosby, whose almost-ex-husband was found murdered recently, is doing her best with her new pup, Aggie. Chattanooga, Tennessee is where one of her best friends, Dixie Jefferson and her husband live, so at least she has a partner in crime solving. Crime solving is what it seems they are destined to be doing for the near future.
Lilly finds a home to rent from the mother of the owner, who is out of the country for several months. She sends the owner’s furnishings and belonging to storage while moving in her possessions and furniture. Lilly’s daughter Stephanie, an attorney, comes to help her settle in. Lilly finds a temporary position at an art museum, reviewing the accounting that was messed up by a family member of the original benefactors. All is not bliss in this new neighborhood. When Lilly attends a homeowner’s association meeting, she punches a nasty new neighbor who threatens her precious pup. She is not the first person to come to blows with this neighbor, as many homeowners have had their day with him.
Stephanie and Lilly find a beautiful, injured golden hiding in the yard, and Stephanie instantly bonds with the pup. After taking care of the surgery he needs, she tries to find the owner, and meets two different, interesting potential owners. When Lilly is walking Aggie, her pup finds the feet of a man partially buried and very recently murdered. The police officer is suspicious of Lilly when the ID in the man’s pocket shows him to be the owner of the home she is renting – the man who was supposed to be out of the country. Then the house is vandalized, but nothing seems to be missing.
Stephanie’s boyfriend Joe, from Lilly’s former home in Indiana, sends his friend from the TBI, Dennis “Red” Olson, to keep the ladies safe. When a few days go by and Red is being shown around the neighborhood by Lilly, they find another body. This time, the cranky old neighbor that Lilly had punched is the murdered man, lying on a chaise at the community pool. The police officer is even more suspicious, even though Red can alibi Lilly for the day. Dixie, Stephanie, and Lilly determine to prove Lilly’s innocence, even though it means they will – again – have to find who the real bad guy might be.
I really enjoyed this novel! The characters are very well defined; I especially like Dixie and Lilly. Dixie is one fine Southern lady who is tough, funny, and a top-notch dog trainer. She is also one of the most loyal friends one could hope to have. Lilly is a delight, as is Stephanie. The love these three ladies have for dogs is clear throughout and is a key element of the mystery.
The plot twists keep coming and keep the novel fresh throughout! It is a complex mystery, and I couldn’t have guessed the end if I had read it several times. More than one surprise is in store for Lilly and the reader! I highly recommend it for fans of the author, dogs, sweet Southern folks, and well-written cozy mysteries!
From a grateful heart: I received an e-ARC of this from the published and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
In book two of this delightful series, Lilly Echosby, and her toy poodle Aggie (named after her favorite author Agatha Christie), have now moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be near her best friend Dixie. Lilly, looking for a fresh start after solving the murder of her ex-husband is excited to find the perfect residence for her and her pup with Dixie’s help. Interesting characters abound in this community along with those responsible for the Homeowners Association. Unfortunately, her next-door neighbor is one of those crotchety neighbors that makes trouble for everyone and is never happy or satisfied.
Poor Lilly had to listen to his complaints about Aggie’s barking and leaving deposits where she shouldn’t. Not only was he accusing her of breaking the rules of the Association, he is making it very public in her first Association meeting. This does not bode well for Lilly.
As she struggles to get along with her Association community Lilly finds a puppy outside her backdoor that needs attention and love. With her daughter staying with her for a vacation, it is decided she will take care of the puppy and his expenses. Then, one morning while walking Aggie, the pup decides to explore and do some digging. As soon as Lilly sees her, she tries to put a stop to it and finds that Aggie has discovered a body!
Now the adventure begins. With so many different suspects and many visits from the police, Lilly is trying to find the murder before they strike again or make her a victim. Nail-biting ending is pure suspense as everything comes to a gripping end! Can’t wait for the next book in this series. I received this book through NetGalley.
5 Stars
Chattanooga Murders, Dogs and TBI
This cozy mystery is all about dogs and dog training. Of course, there are a few murders and other crimes along the way. This fun story sails past and leaves the desire to read the next in the series. I don’t want to spoil the plot, so I’ll just say that lovers of cozy mysteries and dogs will love this book. I seemed to have missed the first in this series and plan on reading it next. I received this book for free and this is my honest review.
The Puppy Who Knew Too much by V.M. Burns is the second book in her A Dog Club Mystery series. Lily Echosby has moved to Chatanooha, TN for a fresh start. Previously her soon-to-be-divorced-from husband was murdered and Lily was arrested for the murder. Of course she was proven innocent. Moving means getting away from all the stares and snide remarks – a new lease on life. She has chosen Chatanooga because it’s a great place to live plus it’s the home town of her best friend. Lily lucks into a rental house in a nice neighborhood. Well it was nice until the murders started happening. Lily gets thrust into the murder investigation. She has to since the police consider her a suspect. Not again!
This was a fun mystery to read with lots of surprises and twists. I really enjoyed this book.