Dial Meow for Murder

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.

A light fun book to carry with you for the waiting time you always seem to have. Very enjoyable. Fun and lovable characters you wish you could meet in person!