In the Dog House

by V M Burns

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 Stars

I won a copy of In the Dog House through Goodreads Giveaways.

In the Dog House is the first in a new mystery series, which also has a dog themed name. It’s the Dog Club Mystery series. And if you’re anything like me, you’re looking at that and thinking that this must be a perfectly cozy mystery series.
I’ve seen a few different mystery series revolving around cats, but this is the first I’ve seen about dogs. Not that the dogs are the ones running around and solving the crimes or anything like that, this isn’t Scooby Doo. Still, it’s kind of a cute concept, and definitely adds to the relaxing vibe of a cozy mystery.



In the Dog House is exactly the sort of book I seek out when I’m looking for a quick and fluffy read (no pun intended there). I’ll confess that the animal theme may have helped bring it to my attention, but who can blame me there?
The plot was more or less what I expected for this book. It was interesting, compelling, but didn’t require a lot of focus to follow. I’ll confess that I felt like there were points where it felt like the book was dragging on, while in other points it rushed through events. But on the whole the pacing was decently balanced.
I had trouble liking the main character, despite my best efforts. Lilly is one of those characters that have to deal with life throwing her a lot of lemons, so she got my sympathy card. Unfortunately though, I just couldn’t find myself attached to her beyond that. The downside to now liking the main character in this situation is that I didn’t feel invested in the situation she was in…which in this case was the mystery, and thus major plot of the book.
Despite not feeling emotionally invested, I did quite enjoy myself and the book. I think I’d probably read the following sequels, but like any cozy mystery I’d have to be in the right mood for them.