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Bistro at Holiday Bay #5

Clues and Canines

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It’s Halloween in Holiday Bay and the gang at the bistro have gone all out with seasonal decorations, nightly drink and food specials, and truly haunt worthy games and drawings for the regulars who enjoy hanging out at the bar. The jack-o-lanterns are inspired and the colorful lights plentiful, yet in spite of the festive holiday vibes, all is not quite as it should be.

When a local dog walker witnesses something odd, which in her mind could only have been the aftermath of a gruesome murder, she calls Colt, only to find that by the time he arrives the body, along with any evidence that ever existed, is long gone. Colt wants to believe the woman but the evidence suggests otherwise so when he suggests that maybe this particular dog walker hadn’t seen what she thought she had, she hires Beck to prove otherwise.

Meanwhile, Shelby plans a Halloween Party, Amy meets a mysterious stranger, Alex agrees to help Leo train Fisher, Dawson considers an odd request, and Nikki stops to seriously consider the choices she’s made along the way.

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2023

297 people are currently reading
69 people want to read

About the author

Kathi Daley

357 books1,788 followers
Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.

Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).



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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for RO G'ma.
1,061 reviews43 followers
October 24, 2023
Clues and Canines is the fifth book in Kathi Daley’s Bistro at Holiday Bay series. There are quite a few familiar characters, along with new ones, since this is the first spin-off series from Ms. Daley’s Inn at Holiday Bay series. The well-plotted storyline flows smoothly, the setting is charming, and the well-developed characters are three-dimensional, compassionate, and caring. The murder mysteries in this installment are intriguing and complex, with no shortage of twists, turns, or red herrings. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy well-crafted, cozy mysteries.

Shelby Morris recently learned that she not only had two half-sisters, Sage Wilson and Sierra Danielson, but that the grandmother they didn’t even know existed had passed away, leaving them cash, personal property, and a mansion and grounds worth millions of dollars. The sisters decided Shelby would move to Holiday Bay, Maine, to live in and care for the house and grounds. When Shelby Morris and her friend and talented chef, Amy Hogan, discovered a local bar and restaurant, the Bistro at Holiday Bay, was for sale, the two friends decided to go into business together. Business at the Bistro has been booming since the completion of their remodeling project, opening up the Bistro’s first floor, adding additional seating, exposing previously hidden windows overlooking the harbor, moving the kitchen to the second floor, and opening a second bar and dining area on the rooftop.

In this installment, the Bistro is hosting a spectacular weeklong Halloween event featuring drink and food specials, giveaways, and games, including a nightly trivia contest leading up to a championship round on Saturday. When a new resident who runs a dog walking service reports seeing a body on the floor of a wealthy and connected resident’s home, but there’s no trace of the body when Police Chief Wilder arrives at the house, the Bistro gang goes above and beyond ensuring that she’s safe.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
177 reviews
November 2, 2023
Bistro at Holiday bay is a spin off of The Inn at Holiday Bay & this book is the 15th in the Bistro series. While I love this series, I think I prefer the inn at holiday bay. I do like Shelby who first arrived in Holiday Bay after her inheritance when she discovered she had two half sisters whom she did not know about. The sisters grew very close and Shelby chose to remain in the house inherited by the sisters and opened a bistro in the town.

It is Halloween and Shelby along with her employees are preparing the Bistro for a big Halloween party. Carly is the local dog walker and she comes in looking for Beck, who is the local private investigator and uses a booth at the Bistro to conduct his business. Carly is all flustered because she is sure she just saw the after math of a murder. Or did she? Even though she is convinced she saw a dead body, there isn't any evidence to prove it so the local Police chief Colt and his deputy Alex are on the case with the help of Beck & Dawson (bartender/computer genius).

This book was ok. I do like catching up with the characters of Holiday bay but this book wasn't fantastic and there weren't a lot of twists to discover if there really was a body. It is Halloween after all. I like a mystery with a 'wow, I didn't see that coming' type ending and this one just didn't deliver. If you like a good read, you will enjoy it but if you like that 'wow' factor, then you might find it a bit boring.
2,001 reviews
October 26, 2023
Another great book by one of my favorite authors! This was a good mystery ...a possible murder but without a body! I highly recommend this book!

Amazon synopsis:
It’s Halloween in Holiday Bay and the gang at the bistro has gone all out with seasonal decorations, nightly drink and food specials, and truly haunt-worthy games and drawings for the regulars who enjoy hanging out at the bar. The jack-o-lanterns are inspired and the colorful lights plentiful, yet in spite of the festive holiday vibes, all is not quite as it should be.

When a local dog walker witnesses something odd, which in her mind could only have been the aftermath of a gruesome murder, she calls Colt, only to find that by the time he arrives the body, along with any evidence that ever existed, is long gone. Colt wants to believe the woman but the evidence suggests otherwise so when he suggests that maybe this particular dog walker hadn’t seen what she thought she had, she hires Beck to prove otherwise.

Meanwhile, Shelby plans a Halloween Party, Amy meets a mysterious stranger, Alex agrees to help Leo train Fisher, Dawson considers an odd request, and Nikki stops to seriously consider the choices she’s made along the way.
Profile Image for Darla Taylor.
1,852 reviews
November 9, 2023
It's Halloween so Shelby and the gang at the Bistro in Holiday Bay have gone all out with decorations and events. When Carly, a local dog walker, sees what can only be a murdered woman, she calls the police. But when Colt shows up on the scene, there's no body and no evidence. So, Carly comes to the Bistro to hire Beck to look into things. Back, along with Shelby and a couple others, step up to figure out what happened and to keep Carly safe.

This is one of Kathi Daley's newest series and it's a spinoff of her Inn at Holiday Bay series so there are some crossover characters. I've really enjoyed this series and this book's no exception. It's well-written with well-rounded characters and a fast-paced plot. I was drawn into this captivating tale and kept hooked throughout. It's a quick, fun read with an intriguing mystery to solve. Kathi is a wonderful author and storyteller, and you won't want to miss her books. I loved this story and am looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend both book and series which, in my opinion, is best read in order. It does help if you've read her Inn at Holday Bay series, but it is not a necessity.
172 reviews3 followers
November 3, 2023
This story was all over the place. It’s this, or maybe it’s this, or…. As always, I am amazed that people in these stories are so busy, but can leave (or close, as they do at the bookstore) whenever something comes up. I’m amazed that when civilians knock on doors, the residents let them in, let alone answer questions. Carly saw a crime scene, ran to put her client’s dog safely in the house, then-instead of locking herself in and calling the police- she gets on her bike and rides home, even though it’s very possible the criminal saw her and she is afraid she’s in danger! Not much Halloween involved unless you like reading about the specials at the bistro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
689 reviews2 followers
April 17, 2025
Great book!!!!

I really love this series!!!! I feel like I am right there with Shelby at the Bistro.
Shelby is at the Bistro getting the Halloween decorations up for the week long events they were having, she asked Dawson if he had seen Beck in, cause Carly a local girl with a dog walking business needed to talk to him about an issue she saw that she shouldn't have.
That issue Carly had turned into a full blown tangled investigation for Alex and Colt.
From missing person, digging up bones, making caskets, drug smuggling, murder to shipping stuff to the border!!!!!
You just have to run and get this book to find the answers to this epic issue!!!!!
Profile Image for Joanie Hinton.
730 reviews27 followers
October 25, 2023
Halloween week at The Bistro is super busy. Shelby and her entire staff are working double shifts and trying to keep up when new to town dog walker Carly comes in looking for local PI Beck who is out of town for the weekend. Shelby and Nikki offer to help her. It seems while retrieving a dog she was walking she saw a woman's dead body on the floor of a house. When police chief Colt goes to the house to investigate the body is gone.
363 reviews7 followers
October 28, 2023
Great read

I love these books. I love that so many crossover characters show up from the other two series. I can't wait to read them as soon as they show up. Although about a murder it is never scary. I prefer my dead people to be just that, dead already and no actual violence to read about. The things going on for Halloween were fun and interesting to read about. All in all, a good book.
Profile Image for JoAn.
2,460 reviews1 follower
October 31, 2023
Another intriguing mystery by Ms. Daley set in Holiday Bay, ME. Shelby, Dawson, Nikki and Beck begun involved in a puzzling mystery when a friend of Nikki's sees a dead body inside a house but then it disappears. These characters are so well developed now that I feel like I would enjoy meeting all of them at the Bistro in Holiday Bay. And Amy's food served at the Bistro made me hungry as I read. Plenty of twists and red herrings kept me entertained until I reached the end.
Profile Image for Celest.
715 reviews8 followers
July 9, 2024
New Friends and Dangerous Adventures

This book was full of exciting moments. A new friend, maybe a new brother and a dead body. There is never a dull moment in Holiday Bay and not just the Holidays, but mysteries to solve. I really enjoyed this book with all of the exciting adventures and things that I didn't see coming. Most of the lose ends were tied up in the end, but there were some things that I am not sure about. Maybe in the next book.
Profile Image for Cindy.
781 reviews1 follower
November 1, 2023
Intertwined series

This series is intertwined with some of the characters from the Holiday Bay series. Shelby owns the Bistro now, and many characters introduced in Holiday Bay appear in this series, such as Colt, Dawson, Alex, Kennedy, etc. Each book has a mystery and a conclusion. These are all fun, quick reads.
132 reviews
December 7, 2023
Interesting, different and definitely unexpected

This mystery had my mind going in several directions when looking for clues to solving the mystery. The outcome was not only surprising but with several backstories the ongoing possibilities are endless. I am ready for the next chapter!
4,417 reviews43 followers
August 9, 2023
Where is Tricia and why??? AND who is Ringo and where is he??? Who was riding the motorcycle that night??? Drugs, an old book, and family trees??? What more could one want??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
974 reviews3 followers
November 6, 2023
The Bistro at Holiday Bay: Clues and nCaninesi

The story was pretty good with a more organized way of delivering the story. I so enjoy her Alaska series and have also found some.others.really good.
U1et
56 reviews
November 8, 2023
okay, I was completely wrong!

I thought that when the characters were described, I knew who the killer was. NOPE! But I really enjoyed everyone on the Bistro ‘team’ pitching in to protect Carly and help Alex and Colt find the killer!
411 reviews1 follower
November 9, 2023
Crime solved

Interesting how finding a dead body leads to so many other issues. Dead ends and unknown leads takes the folks at the Bistro out to find not only a missing body but a murderer as well.
123 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2023
The body disappeared!

Well written story with plenty of mystery and intrigue. The Bistro crew has become family to Shelby and as family Shelby becomes concerned when one of them is facing a problem.
Profile Image for Ana Gimenes.
114 reviews5 followers
January 8, 2024
Another must-read. I love this series. Lots of food, friends, dogs and cats, a cozy neighborhood, and a mystery. All of these mixed-in chapters will make this book a page-turner. I couldn´t put it down. This series is addictive. I can´t wait for the next one
296 reviews
January 25, 2024
great one

I love all of Kathi Daleys books , each one is unique in it’s own way, they pull you in from the very beginning and you say pulled in all the way to the end , I finish one book of hers and can’t wait to get into another, this book will not disappoint.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,617 reviews
October 26, 2023
really enjoyed the story, looking forward to reading the next...
958 reviews2 followers
October 27, 2023
This was a good one too. I love how the characters go from one book to another.
Profile Image for JANE VAN HORN.
2,087 reviews12 followers
October 28, 2023
Great book

This is another great book in the Bistro at Holiday Bay series by Kathi Daley. I can't wait for the next book.
399 reviews3 followers
October 31, 2023
Lovely

These books in Holiday Bay are so nice and fun I don’t tire of any one I. Every series. I am looking forward to reading the all.
Profile Image for Judith.
696 reviews
October 31, 2023
Good story

Good, uncomplicated story with a little mystery thrown in. This is a clean read as is all of the KD books I've read.
2 reviews
November 5, 2023
fun read

Fun and easy Sunday afternoon read. I enjoy getting to know all the characters and the crossovers in different series.
298 reviews2 followers
November 29, 2023
Short and So Good!

Like all from this author. I really enjoy her writing and highly recommend to all. These are quick reads and clean mysteries.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
1,183 reviews
January 28, 2024
My review for Clues and Canines

I absolutely loved it! Another awesome book of the Bistro. I love all the characters! This is a must read series! I can’t wait for the next book!
1,415 reviews9 followers
May 19, 2024
What happened to the crime scene??? AND who killed Evelyn and why??? Now she needs the justice she deserves??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
705 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2025
Clues and Canines

Great story and another relative find. It would be nice to find out my life had a built in sister or brother to love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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