Professional pet sitter Daphne Templeton loves the holidays in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. And nothing gets her into the spirit more than the town’s annual Bark the Halls Ball. The whole community will be there to wag their tails, especially this year’s special guest—Celeste “CeeCee” French, founder of a national chain of pet care franchises, who’s returning home to announce plans for a bright new flagship store.
But not everyone’s celebrating CeeCee’s homecoming. Daphne’s friend Moxie Bloom, owner of Spa and Paw, a unique salon for people and their pets, has plenty to growl about. So when CeeCee is found face down under Sylvan Creek's town Christmas tree, stabbed with a distinctive pair of professional-grade pet shears, suspicion lands squarely on Moxie. Despite Daphne’s promises to Detective Jonathan Black, she quickly reprises her role as amateur sleuth. Ably assisted by her basset hound sidekick, Socrates, she must hurry to prove her friend’s innocence before a killer barks again . . .
Includes recipes for homemade pet treats! “Doggone charming from start to finish!” —Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author on Death by Chocolate Lab
This was a fun holiday-themed cozy. I am not usually huge of pet-themed books, but this one wasn't too bad in that regard. I haven't read any of the previous books, so I was a bit lost with who all the characters were and their past connections. However the further I got into the book the less confused I was. The mystery aspect was well done and kept me guessing until the end. I thought there was an awful lot of "romance" angst both with Daphne and Moxie. Hopefully, though Daphne and Jonathan will be a solid couple going forward, and Mike and Moxie can work things out. Last, we get a few recipes (gear towards pets) which is always a nice touch.
