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Call of the Wilde #1
Woof at the Door (Call of the Wilde Mysteries) (Paperback) - Common
Animal behaviorist Grace Wilde keeps her ability to psychically communicate with furry and feathered critters under wraps. But when a Doberman turns out to be the only witness to a crime, Grace will have to let the cat out of the bag in order to catch a killer. Grace Wilde’s job is anything but normal. When she’s not helping out at the zoo by comforting agitated lemurs, she’s listening to the woes of annoyed house pets. Grace’s life gets even more complicated, though, when the cops summon her to a crime scene to help deal with the murder victim’s terrified Doberman. The pooch turns out to be the only one who saw what happened the night of the shooting—and only Grace can get the information out of him. The problem is, how will Grace tell the distractingly gorgeous Sergeant Kai Duncan that it’s the dog who’s giving her the intel without spilling her big secret or sounding crazy? Left on her own, Grace will have to follow the pup’s lead to track down the killer. But she’ll have to be careful—or curiosity may end up killing the cat whisperer.
295 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2013
50 people are currently reading
1926 people want to read
About the author
Laura Morrigan
8 books222 followersSpending the first years of her life on a Costa Rican coffee farm blessed Laura Morrigan with a fertile imagination and a love for all things wild. Later she became a volunteer at a Florida zoo, helping out with everything from “waste management” to teaching an elephant how to paint. Drawing from her years of experience with both wild and domestic animals and her passion for detective novels, Laura created the Call of the Wilde series. She lives in Florida with far too many cats, loves the Blue Angels, wearing flip flops in November, and thunderstorms.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
June 26, 2016
Excellent debut cozy! It features Grace Wilde who talks to animals. Really? Yes! It's more like animal telepathy. It can be hard on relationships -- but it makes her an excellent pet behaviorist.
Enter murder! She is called in to take in a Doberman who is at a murder scene. Complication ensues. The Doberman witnessed the murder. But his "testimony" would be hearsay since they would only have Grace's word for it, and they would probably call the local psych ward for her.
This mystery was very enjoyable. There was a very interesting plot with many layers. There was a great supporting cast. The interactions with all sort of animals are priceless. Some were predictable, as in when Grace's dog is continually asking for a "bite". Others were different, as in when the love interest's cat tells her she doesn't like it when he takes a shower, she's afraid he'll drown.
The denouement at the end was very good too. She builds up the suspense quite well.
The only thing that did bother me was the love interest, Kai. He is supposed to be a CSI guy, but he turns out to be more like a detective. I never got why he was questioning suspects, why he was carrying a gun, why the other cops treated him like he was the authority. I think the author had watched to many episodes of CSI and didn't do enough actual research.
However, the story was so good, I managed to squelch my annoyance at this.
Enter murder! She is called in to take in a Doberman who is at a murder scene. Complication ensues. The Doberman witnessed the murder. But his "testimony" would be hearsay since they would only have Grace's word for it, and they would probably call the local psych ward for her.
This mystery was very enjoyable. There was a very interesting plot with many layers. There was a great supporting cast. The interactions with all sort of animals are priceless. Some were predictable, as in when Grace's dog is continually asking for a "bite". Others were different, as in when the love interest's cat tells her she doesn't like it when he takes a shower, she's afraid he'll drown.
The denouement at the end was very good too. She builds up the suspense quite well.
The only thing that did bother me was the love interest, Kai. He is supposed to be a CSI guy, but he turns out to be more like a detective. I never got why he was questioning suspects, why he was carrying a gun, why the other cops treated him like he was the authority. I think the author had watched to many episodes of CSI and didn't do enough actual research.
However, the story was so good, I managed to squelch my annoyance at this.
May 20, 2016
This book was one of those books that you stay up most of the night reading. It was a great, suspense filled start to what looks like a great series.
Even though Grace speaks to animals, she doesn't make a big deal out of it, which I really liked. Sure, she's self-conscious about it, but if you could you would probably be that way, too. I loved that most people who knew about it didn't make a huge deal about it either, and the fact that when she tells Kai, he doesn't believe her. It makes his character more realistic, because if someone told me they could talk to animals I wouldn't believe it either.
The mystery was fast-paced filled with bribes and genuine whodunit moments. I had an idea of who the killer would be when we first met them but I didn't have a clue about the killer's accomplice until it was revealed at the end.
The animals didn't talk in huge, intellectual sentences. Each animal was still an animal and talked like one, getting distracted at different things happening around them. This made the psychic aspect of the book more believeable, also.
Overall an amazing book with great characters, a good settings, and laugh-out-loud moments, I'll be buying the next one.
Even though Grace speaks to animals, she doesn't make a big deal out of it, which I really liked. Sure, she's self-conscious about it, but if you could you would probably be that way, too. I loved that most people who knew about it didn't make a huge deal about it either, and the fact that when she tells Kai, he doesn't believe her. It makes his character more realistic, because if someone told me they could talk to animals I wouldn't believe it either.
The mystery was fast-paced filled with bribes and genuine whodunit moments. I had an idea of who the killer would be when we first met them but I didn't have a clue about the killer's accomplice until it was revealed at the end.
The animals didn't talk in huge, intellectual sentences. Each animal was still an animal and talked like one, getting distracted at different things happening around them. This made the psychic aspect of the book more believeable, also.
Overall an amazing book with great characters, a good settings, and laugh-out-loud moments, I'll be buying the next one.
August 10, 2023
Read Around the World: Costa Rica
This gets 5 stars because I did not [at any point] see the end coming the way it did. And because I totally and completely love Dobermans.
Great story, really great writing and a quick read [I would have been done WAY faster if I wasn't currently swamped in a bazillion other books right now].
Highly recommend this series!!
This gets 5 stars because I did not [at any point] see the end coming the way it did. And because I totally and completely love Dobermans.
Great story, really great writing and a quick read [I would have been done WAY faster if I wasn't currently swamped in a bazillion other books right now].
Highly recommend this series!!
July 3, 2013
Just what I needed to get out of my "I don't want to read anything in my TBR pile" slump. It was cute and funny, and I loved all of animals. If you're looking for a mystery with some humor in it, I would recommend this.
July 8, 2013
Laura Morrigan has crafted an interesting tale that will keep readers coming back for more! Grace is a quirky fun character who is easy to fall in love with and of course - I'm a sucker for a dog in a story!
October 18, 2020
Veterinarian Grace Wilde isn't just an animal behaviorist, she's an animal empath with the ability to psychically communicate with animals. Her animal expertise lands her in the middle of a police investigation, when she's asked to calm down a murder victim's agitated Doberman...and a suspect's pet jaguar. How is Grace supposed to explain that she has insider knowledge of the murder because the dog told her?
I think this is a really great start to a series. I like Grace, and understand why she would be wary of telling anyone about her gift. Police Sergeant Kai Duncan is an interesting character, too, and while he believes in her as a behaviorist, he's understandably skeptical about her psychic gifts. The supporting characters also have a lot of potential. I can't wait to read more from this author and this series.
I think this is a really great start to a series. I like Grace, and understand why she would be wary of telling anyone about her gift. Police Sergeant Kai Duncan is an interesting character, too, and while he believes in her as a behaviorist, he's understandably skeptical about her psychic gifts. The supporting characters also have a lot of potential. I can't wait to read more from this author and this series.
February 26, 2017
Woof at the Door is a very good debut. Sweet and funny with a strong lead character.
January 5, 2017
I was immediately sold when I discovered that Woof at the Door was about an "animal whisperer," and I'm so glad I gave this a try! I loved the dogs in particular, but Grace Wilde's ability to talk to animals means that there is a never-ending supply of lovable supporting characters in general. So much better than humans.
It would have been very easy to paint Grace Wilde's unique gift as being something overly fantastic and potentially absurd, and I'm incredibly glad that the author actually kept both Grace herself and her ability surprisingly grounded. Rather than conversing as humans do, Grace's exchanges with animals vary from short sentences or fully-formed ideas to a flurry of images and vague concepts, based on their breed, their intelligence, whether they have been around humans, etc. Aside from the interesting portrayal of different animal characteristics, I appreciate that I'm not expected to stretch my ability to believe by being presented with a protagonist who's surrounded by animals with the vocabulary of highly-educated adults. Grace is also proficient at her job as animal behaviorist, and she's generally level-headed and professional - not quite your usual bumbling amateur sleuth.
The mystery was quite interesting as well, and thankfully kept firmly in focus throughout the story rather than falling by the wayside in favour of the chosen "cozy theme" or the romance (certain other cozy mystery series, I'm looking at you!). I did guess the identity of the murderer pretty early on, but the suspense as Grace and Jax the Doberman Witness gradually pieced together his flashes of memory were more than enough to keep me hooked. Better yet, Grace more or less saves herself when she inevitably encounters danger! No swooping detective waiting in the wings or suspiciously-helpful cozy mystery macho man to jump to her defense - just Grace and her loyal doggie guards, Moss and Jax.
While I noted that romance was not the focus of this series, there is still enough to satisfy those who liked a bit of a romance subplot in their cozies. I liked Kai Duncan, believable skepticism and all, and I'm rooting for him and Grace to make it work sometime down the line. Looking forward to the next book!
It would have been very easy to paint Grace Wilde's unique gift as being something overly fantastic and potentially absurd, and I'm incredibly glad that the author actually kept both Grace herself and her ability surprisingly grounded. Rather than conversing as humans do, Grace's exchanges with animals vary from short sentences or fully-formed ideas to a flurry of images and vague concepts, based on their breed, their intelligence, whether they have been around humans, etc. Aside from the interesting portrayal of different animal characteristics, I appreciate that I'm not expected to stretch my ability to believe by being presented with a protagonist who's surrounded by animals with the vocabulary of highly-educated adults. Grace is also proficient at her job as animal behaviorist, and she's generally level-headed and professional - not quite your usual bumbling amateur sleuth.
The mystery was quite interesting as well, and thankfully kept firmly in focus throughout the story rather than falling by the wayside in favour of the chosen "cozy theme" or the romance (certain other cozy mystery series, I'm looking at you!). I did guess the identity of the murderer pretty early on, but the suspense as Grace and Jax the Doberman Witness gradually pieced together his flashes of memory were more than enough to keep me hooked. Better yet, Grace more or less saves herself when she inevitably encounters danger! No swooping detective waiting in the wings or suspiciously-helpful cozy mystery macho man to jump to her defense - just Grace and her loyal doggie guards, Moss and Jax.
While I noted that romance was not the focus of this series, there is still enough to satisfy those who liked a bit of a romance subplot in their cozies. I liked Kai Duncan, believable skepticism and all, and I'm rooting for him and Grace to make it work sometime down the line. Looking forward to the next book!
July 15, 2013
As soon as I heard about this new cozy series (A Call of the Wilde Mystery), I pre-ordered because I love animals and cozy mysteries!!
Grace Wilde, the main character, is an animal whisperer....a pet psychic. It's great being able to talk to animals, and the animals talk back to her. There's just one little problem....nobody but Grace and her sister, Emma, know about her unique ability. She gets a lot of interesting calls; especially when an animal is in distress. When she meets Jax, a Doberman, who has witnessed his owner's murder; she realizes she has her hands on the only witness to the killer. And Jax is so traumatized, it's going to take awhile before his mind allows him to fully remember that terrible night. So, how is Grace supposed to explain this to Sergeant Kai Duncan with the Crime Lab Unit, when she's afraid to tell anyone about her secret gift? She doesn't. She keeps mum; hoping Jax will reveal some details later that she can share with the police.
Oh, and getting back to the murder victim....he just happened to be the son of the governor of Florida, and the star quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars. So, you have a prominent family, very much in the public eye, and you're looking for motives and alibis.
Well, I'm not giving any more of the plot away because I don't want to spoil all the surprises debut author, Laura Morrigan has in store for you. You will enjoy this story. And, I assure you, she had my heart pounding the last two or three chapters of the book!!
I'm a new fan, and I look forward to the future books in the series!!
Grace Wilde, the main character, is an animal whisperer....a pet psychic. It's great being able to talk to animals, and the animals talk back to her. There's just one little problem....nobody but Grace and her sister, Emma, know about her unique ability. She gets a lot of interesting calls; especially when an animal is in distress. When she meets Jax, a Doberman, who has witnessed his owner's murder; she realizes she has her hands on the only witness to the killer. And Jax is so traumatized, it's going to take awhile before his mind allows him to fully remember that terrible night. So, how is Grace supposed to explain this to Sergeant Kai Duncan with the Crime Lab Unit, when she's afraid to tell anyone about her secret gift? She doesn't. She keeps mum; hoping Jax will reveal some details later that she can share with the police.
Oh, and getting back to the murder victim....he just happened to be the son of the governor of Florida, and the star quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars. So, you have a prominent family, very much in the public eye, and you're looking for motives and alibis.
Well, I'm not giving any more of the plot away because I don't want to spoil all the surprises debut author, Laura Morrigan has in store for you. You will enjoy this story. And, I assure you, she had my heart pounding the last two or three chapters of the book!!
I'm a new fan, and I look forward to the future books in the series!!
June 13, 2016
I so enjoyed this book. An animal lover myself, I couldn't stop myself from picking up this book about Dr. Grace Wilde, a veterinarian who can communicate telepathically with animals. Grace was a wonderful main character and her conversations with each animal made me feel like a little kid again. I quickly worked my way through her next two books in the series and look forward to keeping the next ones on my to-read shelf. Thanks for lifting my spirits!
July 5, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Was a quick read, and enjoyed Grace's ability to communicate with the animals... don't want to give anything away, but I wish there was more mentioned about the outcome of Moss..... looking forward to the next book in the series.
August 14, 2018
Talking to the Animals
Woof at the Door is the first in a cozy mystery series revolving around Grace Wilde, an animal behaviorist or trainer who has an ability to converse telepathically with animals, both domestic animals and wildlife and she uses her skills to save animals from harm and help solve behavior issues for problem pets for her clients. Think Doctor Doolittle or Animal Whisperer.
But Grace keeps her abilities a secret from everyone except her sister. So her clients all just assume that she simply has a knack with animals.
There’s a murder and a witness
So the story starts when Grace is called out to aid the police with a traumatized and angry guard dog, a Doberman named Jax. Jax witnessed the murder of his owner, the star quarterback of the Florida Jaguars, Mark Richardson. Richardson is also the son of the current Governor, so he’s a relatively high profile person.
The poor dog is suffering from trauma and Grace knows that it's going to take a while before the Jax’s mind allows him to fully remember who was responsible for the death of his owner. At the moment, all Grace can sense from him is his feelings of utter betrayal. So Grace takes Jax to her home to care for him - a home that she shares with her sidekick and best friend Moss, a wolf hybrid fiercely protective and loyal to Grace.
Being a veterinarian herself, Grace is able to calm the Doberman and hopes to find him a home. It’s interesting to note that the reason that Grace didn’t pursue a career in veterinary medicine, by the way, was because of constant chatter in her head from all the animals. It’s also worth mentioning that Grace’s “pet whispering” talent is handled in a realistic and entertaining way in the book, and the author does an excellent job of presenting her talent has believable.
Chatting with a Jaguar
So Grace hopes that the police will solve the case so she doesn’t have to get involved any further in such a high profile case but the crime just will not go away. In fact, Grace is next called back out to calm a Jaguar owned by a friend of hers. It just so happens that this friend also had an altercation with Richardson shortly before his murder, making him the primary suspect in the killing.
The jaguar, however, shows/tells Grace that her owner did not commit the crime and was home asleep on the couch when the murder took place. The problem is how does Grace inform the police sergeant in charge of the case without disclosing her abilities, and will he believe her?
Grace becomes an amateur sleuth
Now its up to Grace to figure out exactly what Jax has seen, so she takes it upon herself to find concrete evidence to give to the homicide detective in charge, the handsome Kai Duncan leading to some quite humorous situations, especially when giving obviously vague answers to the detectives questions, making her look guilty in the process. Not that Grace is in any hurry to let anyone else know about her ability. She was once burned pretty badly when she revealed her talents to a boyfriend, so she’s determined not to disclose her gifts to anyone else.
The Verdict
This was a lovely cozy mystery and a fun whodunnit, with plenty of suspects, along with numerous twists and surprises, that I didn't see coming. It had a gripping multi-layered plot with a superb supporting cast of characters. I especially loved Grace’s character - she was feisty, independent and strong, an all-around lovable character. The story was also wrapped up nicely at the end with a satisfying conclusion.
If you’re an animal lover and a mystery buff then you might want to check out Woof at the Door. I give this 5 stars, and I can’t wait to read more books in this series. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
This review originally posted on my book review blog at: rogersreads.com.
Woof at the Door is the first in a cozy mystery series revolving around Grace Wilde, an animal behaviorist or trainer who has an ability to converse telepathically with animals, both domestic animals and wildlife and she uses her skills to save animals from harm and help solve behavior issues for problem pets for her clients. Think Doctor Doolittle or Animal Whisperer.
But Grace keeps her abilities a secret from everyone except her sister. So her clients all just assume that she simply has a knack with animals.
There’s a murder and a witness
So the story starts when Grace is called out to aid the police with a traumatized and angry guard dog, a Doberman named Jax. Jax witnessed the murder of his owner, the star quarterback of the Florida Jaguars, Mark Richardson. Richardson is also the son of the current Governor, so he’s a relatively high profile person.
The poor dog is suffering from trauma and Grace knows that it's going to take a while before the Jax’s mind allows him to fully remember who was responsible for the death of his owner. At the moment, all Grace can sense from him is his feelings of utter betrayal. So Grace takes Jax to her home to care for him - a home that she shares with her sidekick and best friend Moss, a wolf hybrid fiercely protective and loyal to Grace.
Being a veterinarian herself, Grace is able to calm the Doberman and hopes to find him a home. It’s interesting to note that the reason that Grace didn’t pursue a career in veterinary medicine, by the way, was because of constant chatter in her head from all the animals. It’s also worth mentioning that Grace’s “pet whispering” talent is handled in a realistic and entertaining way in the book, and the author does an excellent job of presenting her talent has believable.
Chatting with a Jaguar
So Grace hopes that the police will solve the case so she doesn’t have to get involved any further in such a high profile case but the crime just will not go away. In fact, Grace is next called back out to calm a Jaguar owned by a friend of hers. It just so happens that this friend also had an altercation with Richardson shortly before his murder, making him the primary suspect in the killing.
The jaguar, however, shows/tells Grace that her owner did not commit the crime and was home asleep on the couch when the murder took place. The problem is how does Grace inform the police sergeant in charge of the case without disclosing her abilities, and will he believe her?
Grace becomes an amateur sleuth
Now its up to Grace to figure out exactly what Jax has seen, so she takes it upon herself to find concrete evidence to give to the homicide detective in charge, the handsome Kai Duncan leading to some quite humorous situations, especially when giving obviously vague answers to the detectives questions, making her look guilty in the process. Not that Grace is in any hurry to let anyone else know about her ability. She was once burned pretty badly when she revealed her talents to a boyfriend, so she’s determined not to disclose her gifts to anyone else.
The Verdict
This was a lovely cozy mystery and a fun whodunnit, with plenty of suspects, along with numerous twists and surprises, that I didn't see coming. It had a gripping multi-layered plot with a superb supporting cast of characters. I especially loved Grace’s character - she was feisty, independent and strong, an all-around lovable character. The story was also wrapped up nicely at the end with a satisfying conclusion.
If you’re an animal lover and a mystery buff then you might want to check out Woof at the Door. I give this 5 stars, and I can’t wait to read more books in this series. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
This review originally posted on my book review blog at: rogersreads.com.
March 24, 2024
This novel was brilliant! I would love to be able to communicate telepathically with animals. The characters, both human and canine, were beautifully created and I can see being friends with them for a long time to come. You won’t believe the twists and turns of this tale but it is well worth your reading time.
June 28, 2018
A new to me author. This book had me hooked from page one. I can’t wait to scoot over to Amazon and order the rest of the series!
July 11, 2013
Grace Wilde is an animal behaviorist who has a wide range of clients including distressed animals in the local zoo and misbehaving pets. Her latest “patient” is Jax, a distraught Doberman, who is the only witness to his owner’s murder. Grace is not an ordinary pet therapist, though. She is able to psychically communicate with animals, and she has been working with Jax to help him deal with his trauma and also to see if she can gain any clues about the murder. Although her skills as an “animal whisperer” are helping Jax, they are causing problems for Grace. Only her best friends know about her special talent, and she doesn’t want to admit to Kai Duncan, the handsome crime lab sergeant assigned to the case, that she can communicate with animals. So when Grace gives vague answers to Kai as to the source of some of her information, she appears guilty when all she is trying to hide is her psychic abilities. In addition to getting unwanted attention from the cops, if the killer realizes Grace might be able to get information from the murder victim’s dog, she may be putting herself in danger.
I was a bit skeptical about the premise that the main character can “talk” animals, but this book is better than I could have imagined. Grace’s special talent is handled in a believable and entertaining way. She isn’t debating world politics with the animals, but communicates with them through simple words and images and it’s really fun to read. Grace is a likeable character. She isn’t perfect, but she isn’t afraid to admit when she makes mistakes and seems to be learning and growing as a character throughout the book.
Grace’s interactions with animals are definitely the best parts of the book. She communicates with animals throughout the book, including Jax and her own dog Moss, a lemur, a Jaguar, and even Sergeant Duncan‘s cat Dusty. In addition, Grace has a great relationship with her more fashionable and confident sister Emma as well as Grace’s childhood friend Wes, now a successful attorney. Sparks fly from the beginning between Grace and Kai and there seems to be a possibility for romance in the future, but I’m glad this book revealed chemistry between the two without throwing them into a full-fledged romance. This is potential that can be visited in future books in the series, which hopefully will be coming soon!
I had a couple suspicions about the murderer of pro football player Mark Richardson, but the story was much more complicated than I thought. There are enough suspects to keep you guessing and the motive was unexpected, resulting in an interesting mystery. Grace doesn’t limit her questioning to four-legged witnesses; she questions many of the humans involved, too. I think Grace relates well to people, even if she isn’t confident in her social skills, and it helps her to get information about the murder. As an animal lover, I really enjoyed this book from the beginning until the very end, and look forward to reading future books in this unique new series.
Fans of books by Judi McCoy or Cynthia Baxter will also like this debut by Laura Morrigan.
4.5 stars This review was originally written for The Season EZine. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
I was a bit skeptical about the premise that the main character can “talk” animals, but this book is better than I could have imagined. Grace’s special talent is handled in a believable and entertaining way. She isn’t debating world politics with the animals, but communicates with them through simple words and images and it’s really fun to read. Grace is a likeable character. She isn’t perfect, but she isn’t afraid to admit when she makes mistakes and seems to be learning and growing as a character throughout the book.
Grace’s interactions with animals are definitely the best parts of the book. She communicates with animals throughout the book, including Jax and her own dog Moss, a lemur, a Jaguar, and even Sergeant Duncan‘s cat Dusty. In addition, Grace has a great relationship with her more fashionable and confident sister Emma as well as Grace’s childhood friend Wes, now a successful attorney. Sparks fly from the beginning between Grace and Kai and there seems to be a possibility for romance in the future, but I’m glad this book revealed chemistry between the two without throwing them into a full-fledged romance. This is potential that can be visited in future books in the series, which hopefully will be coming soon!
I had a couple suspicions about the murderer of pro football player Mark Richardson, but the story was much more complicated than I thought. There are enough suspects to keep you guessing and the motive was unexpected, resulting in an interesting mystery. Grace doesn’t limit her questioning to four-legged witnesses; she questions many of the humans involved, too. I think Grace relates well to people, even if she isn’t confident in her social skills, and it helps her to get information about the murder. As an animal lover, I really enjoyed this book from the beginning until the very end, and look forward to reading future books in this unique new series.
Fans of books by Judi McCoy or Cynthia Baxter will also like this debut by Laura Morrigan.
4.5 stars This review was originally written for The Season EZine. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2016
Well, what would I give to have Grace's talent! She can communicate with animals, read their 'thoughts' and ask them to follow her instructions. It makes her an excellent animal behaviorist, but few know where her real talent lies. Alas, all this time with animals makes her pretty terrible at human relationships, but I'm sure that will change as the series progresses.
First off, I loved the dogs. Jax and Moss are awesome crime companions, and I do wonder what we will see next. Grace can talk to everything from Giraffes to Jaguars, and Kai will be getting her involved with all kinds in the future I'm sure. I also loved Grace's sister, Emma, and her friend Wes. I hope they feature more prominently in future too!
A great little cozy mystery series with heaps of potential. I picked this up from the library, so hopefully they have more of the series. Five stars!
First off, I loved the dogs. Jax and Moss are awesome crime companions, and I do wonder what we will see next. Grace can talk to everything from Giraffes to Jaguars, and Kai will be getting her involved with all kinds in the future I'm sure. I also loved Grace's sister, Emma, and her friend Wes. I hope they feature more prominently in future too!
A great little cozy mystery series with heaps of potential. I picked this up from the library, so hopefully they have more of the series. Five stars!
November 11, 2013
An excellent beginning to the new Call of the Wylde cozy mystery series! Grace is a most interesting character and I loved all the animal characters in this one. You might think a series in which the protagonist can communicate with animals might be over the top. But this book worked. The animals can't talk and they communicate with Grace more in generalizations. Good mystery, great characters and lots of dogs! Looking forward to #2! RECOMMEND!
July 10, 2013
I love this book. I had so much fun reading it, loved the concept of the way Grace communicates with animals. If your an animal lover, who likes a good mystery, with some quirky humor (both animal and human) in a well-written format, then this book is for you. Laura Morrigan, seems to really love and appreciate animals, which comes across in her writing. I can't wait for the next one in the series..
March 9, 2015
If Woof at the Door hadn't been a book club pick, I probably wouldn't have ever read it. The title doesn't appeal at all and the cover didn't pull me in. But the first chapter? That had me: hook, line and sinker. Full review to follow.
April 22, 2019
4,5⭐️ actually.
Immensely enjoyable and quite fresh for me in terms of writing. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series and hoping the author produces more as quickly as possible without missing on quality.
Immensely enjoyable and quite fresh for me in terms of writing. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series and hoping the author produces more as quickly as possible without missing on quality.
August 7, 2014
I quite enjoyed this book. It was light and quirky and I love the characters and the animals. Started the next book as soon as I finished.
July 31, 2016
This is a terrific book. I loved Grace Wilde and her animals and I can't wait to dive into the second book in the series and spend more time with them.
January 14, 2024
Source: Borrowed from the library via Libby ebook
Grace Wilde works as an animal behaviorist. She actually has psychic powers that let her sense animals' emotions and communicate with them with basic words, images, and feelings. But, they still have free will and may not obey when she asks them to do something they don't want to do. She gets involved in a murder investigation because a dog witnessed the crime and Grace's friend is the main suspect although Grace knows he didn't do it.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I like paranormal cozy mysteries as they can make things a bit more interesting in terms of how the investigation progresses, and how the MC's powers develop over the course of the book and series. I loved the parts with the animals, especially Grace's wolf-dog Moss and Charm, the jaguar. I thought the "conversations" with the animals made sense. I was bummed that the plotline of taking care of Charm dropped off since Maybe it all just happened off page?
Grace is a funny, smart MC and I liked following along with her. The mystery has a lot of twists and turns. I guessed part of it, but not how everything fit together.
Diversity: Since a lot of cozies are disproportionately white, I was happy that there are actually black characters in this book!! I really liked Grace's friend Sonja. I wished the football player LaBryce had been the love interest instead of the cop (a trope I'm not into). There are gay characters, but
Unfortunately, I did notice a few continuity errors, including the dreaded missing day, which was also in another book I read recently.
1. This one bothered me the most as it actually affects the plot. There seems to be a missing day in LaBryce's timeline. Mark was killed overnight on Saturday/Sunday night (housekeeper found the body Sunday morning, cops called Grace Sunday afternoon). Another night passed (end of Chapter 1). The next day, Monday, evening is when Grace goes to help with Charm. In Chapter 6, Grace keeps talking about what happened "last night" and "this morning" but with "last night" being when Mark was murdered. What happened all day Sunday?? I read it over several times in case I misunderstood, but I think it must just be an error. Unfortunately, that threw me off for the rest of the book.
2. In Chapter 3, Grace hands Jennifer "a card" in case she wants to talk. But Grace doesn't actually get her business cards until Chapter 15.
3. The missed day thing happens again in Chapter 17, but not quite as bad as it doesn't really affect the story. Grace said she met Gardenia Richardson "yesterday" when it had actually been two days prior.
I don't like being picky about these things, but reading mysteries teaches one to be observant, so I do notice. I feel like maybe I should change careers and be an editor! I plan to keep reading these. Kind of sad there are only 4.
Grace Wilde works as an animal behaviorist. She actually has psychic powers that let her sense animals' emotions and communicate with them with basic words, images, and feelings. But, they still have free will and may not obey when she asks them to do something they don't want to do. She gets involved in a murder investigation because a dog witnessed the crime and Grace's friend is the main suspect although Grace knows he didn't do it.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I like paranormal cozy mysteries as they can make things a bit more interesting in terms of how the investigation progresses, and how the MC's powers develop over the course of the book and series. I loved the parts with the animals, especially Grace's wolf-dog Moss and Charm, the jaguar. I thought the "conversations" with the animals made sense. I was bummed that the plotline of taking care of Charm dropped off since Maybe it all just happened off page?
Grace is a funny, smart MC and I liked following along with her. The mystery has a lot of twists and turns. I guessed part of it, but not how everything fit together.
Diversity: Since a lot of cozies are disproportionately white, I was happy that there are actually black characters in this book!! I really liked Grace's friend Sonja. I wished the football player LaBryce had been the love interest instead of the cop (a trope I'm not into). There are gay characters, but
Unfortunately, I did notice a few continuity errors, including the dreaded missing day, which was also in another book I read recently.
1. This one bothered me the most as it actually affects the plot. There seems to be a missing day in LaBryce's timeline. Mark was killed overnight on Saturday/Sunday night (housekeeper found the body Sunday morning, cops called Grace Sunday afternoon). Another night passed (end of Chapter 1). The next day, Monday, evening is when Grace goes to help with Charm. In Chapter 6, Grace keeps talking about what happened "last night" and "this morning" but with "last night" being when Mark was murdered. What happened all day Sunday?? I read it over several times in case I misunderstood, but I think it must just be an error. Unfortunately, that threw me off for the rest of the book.
2. In Chapter 3, Grace hands Jennifer "a card" in case she wants to talk. But Grace doesn't actually get her business cards until Chapter 15.
3. The missed day thing happens again in Chapter 17, but not quite as bad as it doesn't really affect the story. Grace said she met Gardenia Richardson "yesterday" when it had actually been two days prior.
I don't like being picky about these things, but reading mysteries teaches one to be observant, so I do notice. I feel like maybe I should change careers and be an editor! I plan to keep reading these. Kind of sad there are only 4.
March 23, 2023
4.5 stars
This was a good cozy mystery. Amazing for a first novel. There were good clues, good investigation and a reasonable reason she was trying to solve the mystery rather than just being nosy. I went back and forth when I was trying to figure out who did it. The final climax was excellent.
I like how she talks to the animals, more in emotions and just a few simple word. They communicate the same way. It isn’t the talking dog trope.
I like how she’s clear that a jaguar is a wild animal.
I don’t like that when the dog growled at a man jogging by in just red shorts she thought it might be because the dog had seen the killer and maybe he was black. She didn’t think maybe it was just because he was male or half naked or moving a certain way or wearing a cologne the dog recognized or wearing a certain color. (Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not completely colorblind.)
I like how she described a woman she thought was very old to be as healthy and young as any 60 year old. Yes 60 is not old anymore.
I hate the word feminazi even if she’s using it to describe herself.
I like Kai but he has some questionable behavior. Bordering harassment both sexually and non sexually but physically.
I’m uncomfortable leaving dogs in a car with it running even with the AC. What if it ran out of gas or the AC broke or the brake wasn’t set well?
The artist who did the cover is very talented. You can see it in the cover for the sequel even more. That is the perfect hybrid wolf dog. Not too wolf like but not a dog either.
As usual in these books, the cop tells her way too much confidential information.
And with the climax, (Not too much of a spoiler. I don’t name names.):
Overall a really good mystery.
This was a good cozy mystery. Amazing for a first novel. There were good clues, good investigation and a reasonable reason she was trying to solve the mystery rather than just being nosy. I went back and forth when I was trying to figure out who did it. The final climax was excellent.
I like how she talks to the animals, more in emotions and just a few simple word. They communicate the same way. It isn’t the talking dog trope.
I like how she’s clear that a jaguar is a wild animal.
I don’t like that when the dog growled at a man jogging by in just red shorts she thought it might be because the dog had seen the killer and maybe he was black. She didn’t think maybe it was just because he was male or half naked or moving a certain way or wearing a cologne the dog recognized or wearing a certain color. (Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not completely colorblind.)
I like how she described a woman she thought was very old to be as healthy and young as any 60 year old. Yes 60 is not old anymore.
I hate the word feminazi even if she’s using it to describe herself.
I like Kai but he has some questionable behavior. Bordering harassment both sexually and non sexually but physically.
I’m uncomfortable leaving dogs in a car with it running even with the AC. What if it ran out of gas or the AC broke or the brake wasn’t set well?
The artist who did the cover is very talented. You can see it in the cover for the sequel even more. That is the perfect hybrid wolf dog. Not too wolf like but not a dog either.
As usual in these books, the cop tells her way too much confidential information.
And with the climax, (Not too much of a spoiler. I don’t name names.):
Overall a really good mystery.
June 17, 2021
I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a cozy mystery so much. The writing in this type of book is usually so bad that I give up after the first couple of chapters. This one hooked me right from the beginning, and I'm actually kind of sad I won't be able to return to it tonight. (No worries, just ordered book 2 from the library!)
Grace Wilde is a veterinarian with a unique talent. She can communicate with animals - even though almost no one knows about it. It's not quite the same as being able to have regular conversations with them, but she can ask questions and understand their wants and needs. Her ability to feel their fear and pain at a psychic level has forced her to give up doctoring them, so instead she runs her own business trying to help people deal with problem pets.
When the star quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars (who also just happens to be the Florida governor's son) is gunned down in his home, Grace is called in to take care of the victim's Doberman. Grace quickly realizes the dog witnessed the killing, but how does get the information out of a traumatized pooch and pass it on to the the hunky (because of course he's hunky) police detective without giving away her secret.
Yes, some of the story is silly. Grace refuses to open herself up to the possibility of a relationship because the one person she told that she was psychic dumped her. And she seems to pack more driving around and stopping at people homes than any normal human being could. And I thought it was pretty easy to figure out who the killer was the first time the character is introduced. But there was something about the whole thing that I thought was very clever. I look forward to reading more of these.
Grace Wilde is a veterinarian with a unique talent. She can communicate with animals - even though almost no one knows about it. It's not quite the same as being able to have regular conversations with them, but she can ask questions and understand their wants and needs. Her ability to feel their fear and pain at a psychic level has forced her to give up doctoring them, so instead she runs her own business trying to help people deal with problem pets.
When the star quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars (who also just happens to be the Florida governor's son) is gunned down in his home, Grace is called in to take care of the victim's Doberman. Grace quickly realizes the dog witnessed the killing, but how does get the information out of a traumatized pooch and pass it on to the the hunky (because of course he's hunky) police detective without giving away her secret.
Yes, some of the story is silly. Grace refuses to open herself up to the possibility of a relationship because the one person she told that she was psychic dumped her. And she seems to pack more driving around and stopping at people homes than any normal human being could. And I thought it was pretty easy to figure out who the killer was the first time the character is introduced. But there was something about the whole thing that I thought was very clever. I look forward to reading more of these.
June 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this. It was a nice blend of a well-conceived murder mystery, terrific characters, and just a little oddness to keep things interesting.
I loved Grace! Yes, she does a few dumb things, but we expect that from our cozy heroines. She's also smart, brave and resourceful and I loved that she holds her own in dangerous situations, physically as well as using her brain. There's no weeping maiden here, and that's always a plus for me.
This is a super book if you are an animal lover. As an "animal behaviorist" Grace helps out all kinds of animals who have problems. The fact that she can not only talk to them, but can actually hear what they say, think and feel in response [that's not a spoiler - it's on the back cover blurb] means Grace is the person to call whenever an animal's in trouble. Even if she can't tell most people about her special ability, it makes her a wonderful advocate for animals. And we get to meet a number of animals in the book - both domestic and wild and this aspect was quite unique for cozy mysteries. I loved the animals.
We only meet a few supporting characters in this first book, but I pretty much liked all of them - except the nasty neighbour guy! I look forward to getting to know them better in future books.
The requisite romance was actually pretty well-structured and believable given the circumstances. It all made sense as to how things played out in the end, and I won't mind Grace's romance going forward at all.
Overall, definitely one of the better cozies for me! I am looking forward to reading future books in this series.
I loved Grace! Yes, she does a few dumb things, but we expect that from our cozy heroines. She's also smart, brave and resourceful and I loved that she holds her own in dangerous situations, physically as well as using her brain. There's no weeping maiden here, and that's always a plus for me.
This is a super book if you are an animal lover. As an "animal behaviorist" Grace helps out all kinds of animals who have problems. The fact that she can not only talk to them, but can actually hear what they say, think and feel in response [that's not a spoiler - it's on the back cover blurb] means Grace is the person to call whenever an animal's in trouble. Even if she can't tell most people about her special ability, it makes her a wonderful advocate for animals. And we get to meet a number of animals in the book - both domestic and wild and this aspect was quite unique for cozy mysteries. I loved the animals.
We only meet a few supporting characters in this first book, but I pretty much liked all of them - except the nasty neighbour guy! I look forward to getting to know them better in future books.
The requisite romance was actually pretty well-structured and believable given the circumstances. It all made sense as to how things played out in the end, and I won't mind Grace's romance going forward at all.
Overall, definitely one of the better cozies for me! I am looking forward to reading future books in this series.
September 19, 2022
Woof at the Door, which is the first installment in Laura Morrigan's "Call of the Wilde" series. The main character is pet psychic Grace Wilde.
Grace uses her ability to communicate with animals to establish a pet sitting career. She also helps out at the local zoo. However, she keeps her odd ability under wraps. When she's summoned by the police to the scene of a murder to calm the victim's Doberman, Grace soon learns that Jax was the only witness to the murder. Now it's up to Grace to try to glean what information she can from Jax and pass it along to police Sergeant Kai Duncan without letting him know what she's truly capable of. As Grace tries to follow up on the clues that Jax has given her, she finds herself in the killer's crosshairs. Will Jax, still grieving that he was unable to protect his owner, be able to save Grace?
This was an interesting story. I've read other pet-sitting centered mysteries, but this one was the first where the mc could communicate telepathically with animals. Grace was engaging and lively, and I loved how she put the welfare of animals ahead of her own safety. I enjoyed her interactions with her sister, Emma, and her own dog, a wolf hybrid named Moss. I could have done without the romantic interest being in law enforcement. Yawn. Characters were wonderful, the plot moved quickly and convincingly, and I was kept guessing until the end.
Overall, a charming and refreshing story. I'll definitely look for more in this series. Four stars.
Grace uses her ability to communicate with animals to establish a pet sitting career. She also helps out at the local zoo. However, she keeps her odd ability under wraps. When she's summoned by the police to the scene of a murder to calm the victim's Doberman, Grace soon learns that Jax was the only witness to the murder. Now it's up to Grace to try to glean what information she can from Jax and pass it along to police Sergeant Kai Duncan without letting him know what she's truly capable of. As Grace tries to follow up on the clues that Jax has given her, she finds herself in the killer's crosshairs. Will Jax, still grieving that he was unable to protect his owner, be able to save Grace?
This was an interesting story. I've read other pet-sitting centered mysteries, but this one was the first where the mc could communicate telepathically with animals. Grace was engaging and lively, and I loved how she put the welfare of animals ahead of her own safety. I enjoyed her interactions with her sister, Emma, and her own dog, a wolf hybrid named Moss. I could have done without the romantic interest being in law enforcement. Yawn. Characters were wonderful, the plot moved quickly and convincingly, and I was kept guessing until the end.
Overall, a charming and refreshing story. I'll definitely look for more in this series. Four stars.
October 4, 2017
I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Lately I've been thinking I need to move on from cozy mysteries as I found my patience wearing thin and my interest waning. However I did actually like this one. So maybe it's more of I need to be more selective in my cozy mystery picks instead of moving on completely.
I actually liked the characters in this one, Grace was interesting, happily I wasn't rolling my eyes every five minutes at her actions or dialogue and I wasn't doing any face-palms. I liked her ability to communicate with animals, and I was engaged since she was introduced with a lemur on her head. Of course she had the prerequisite failed romance, but I don't think it detracted from her character, like so many other MC's and I liked Kai, he wasn't a jerk straight from the beginning, and I loved the fact they weren't enemies from the get go. (that trope is way overdone) I could see him as a guy trying to get his job done, with this quirky woman randomly getting in his way. He wasn't overly aggressive or mean about it. And I could see where he was coming from. Some woman tells him his main suspect isn't the murderer then expects him to take her word for it. Which even if he did, how was he suppose to prove it to the courts when she flat out refuses to name her source?
I enjoyed the side characters, Grace's sister and Sonya or was it Sonja? And the story was entertaining and kept my attention through out it's entirety.
Recommended? Yes
Buy/Borrow? Borrow first
I actually liked the characters in this one, Grace was interesting, happily I wasn't rolling my eyes every five minutes at her actions or dialogue and I wasn't doing any face-palms. I liked her ability to communicate with animals, and I was engaged since she was introduced with a lemur on her head. Of course she had the prerequisite failed romance, but I don't think it detracted from her character, like so many other MC's and I liked Kai, he wasn't a jerk straight from the beginning, and I loved the fact they weren't enemies from the get go. (that trope is way overdone) I could see him as a guy trying to get his job done, with this quirky woman randomly getting in his way. He wasn't overly aggressive or mean about it. And I could see where he was coming from. Some woman tells him his main suspect isn't the murderer then expects him to take her word for it. Which even if he did, how was he suppose to prove it to the courts when she flat out refuses to name her source?
I enjoyed the side characters, Grace's sister and Sonya or was it Sonja? And the story was entertaining and kept my attention through out it's entirety.
Recommended? Yes
Buy/Borrow? Borrow first
October 1, 2022
I wanted to wait until I had read every book in “A Call Of The Wilde Mystery” series to write my review on the series as a whole.
I gave 5 stars to each and every book! 4 books in total! Each book is just as encapsulating as the next. Grace Wilde has the ability to communicate with animals through her mind, she can feel their emotions, see things through their eyes and sometimes even speak to them in conversation in her mind! Throughout the series Grace finds herself in the middle of trying to save someone’s life, find missing animals and help solve a murder, o and trying to keep herself alive! Each story lends itself to developing amazing characters that you grow fond of. Although I must admit one of my favorite characters comes in the last book!
Each story line is different from the next and each one will grab you and keep you wanting to know what is going to happen next. As I was ready through this series it quickly became part of my top favorites. It has tons of animals involved through each story, suspenseful at times and full of action! What more could you want from a super cozy mystery. Also I very much enjoyed that most of the book is set in Jacksonville FL, being a Florida native and having lots of knowledge of that area it was fun to read these books and know most of the places she goes ! Last book is set in New Orleans MS which was a very nice change of setting I will say!
If you’ve been on the fence about reading these just go ahead and do it! You won’t be sorry.
If I had to chose my favorite book of the 4 it would be hard and they are so close together but I think the last one is my favorite! Everything comes to a head and it’s just an awesome read!
If you want a great series to keep you busy than I would definitely recommend these books! You won’t be sorry.
I gave 5 stars to each and every book! 4 books in total! Each book is just as encapsulating as the next. Grace Wilde has the ability to communicate with animals through her mind, she can feel their emotions, see things through their eyes and sometimes even speak to them in conversation in her mind! Throughout the series Grace finds herself in the middle of trying to save someone’s life, find missing animals and help solve a murder, o and trying to keep herself alive! Each story lends itself to developing amazing characters that you grow fond of. Although I must admit one of my favorite characters comes in the last book!
Each story line is different from the next and each one will grab you and keep you wanting to know what is going to happen next. As I was ready through this series it quickly became part of my top favorites. It has tons of animals involved through each story, suspenseful at times and full of action! What more could you want from a super cozy mystery. Also I very much enjoyed that most of the book is set in Jacksonville FL, being a Florida native and having lots of knowledge of that area it was fun to read these books and know most of the places she goes ! Last book is set in New Orleans MS which was a very nice change of setting I will say!
If you’ve been on the fence about reading these just go ahead and do it! You won’t be sorry.
If I had to chose my favorite book of the 4 it would be hard and they are so close together but I think the last one is my favorite! Everything comes to a head and it’s just an awesome read!
If you want a great series to keep you busy than I would definitely recommend these books! You won’t be sorry.
October 29, 2018
Great fun first book
If you like cozy mysteries with a little more bite (see what I did there?) I highly recommend this book. It was equal parts fun and exciting, with a great cast of characters. I especially liked how graces Connection to animals is shown, through senses, and body language and a few words, not complete sentences. I felt like the author really understood animals, and how they communicate.
My only critique is that many of the Cozy Mystery tropes are used with varying degrees of skill. Grace is constantly shocked that a bevy of hot dudes like her, some to distraction, and at least one woman in power - whom the author takes pains to describe as not just plain but ugly- hates her and is jealous of her. Grace also casually mentions she's part Cherokee which is an epic eye roll but doesnt harp on it.
All in all a good time, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.
If you like cozy mysteries with a little more bite (see what I did there?) I highly recommend this book. It was equal parts fun and exciting, with a great cast of characters. I especially liked how graces Connection to animals is shown, through senses, and body language and a few words, not complete sentences. I felt like the author really understood animals, and how they communicate.
My only critique is that many of the Cozy Mystery tropes are used with varying degrees of skill. Grace is constantly shocked that a bevy of hot dudes like her, some to distraction, and at least one woman in power - whom the author takes pains to describe as not just plain but ugly- hates her and is jealous of her. Grace also casually mentions she's part Cherokee which is an epic eye roll but doesnt harp on it.
All in all a good time, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.
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