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Murder at the Dog Show #1
Final Entry
Jennifer Brooks normally leads a quiet life. A Mental Health Administrator during the week, a breeder and exhibitor of champion Cardigan Welsh Corgis on her own time, and member of the board of directors of her national club. Her quiet life is turned upside-down when the club treasurer dies in an accident and the husband asks Jen to take charge of their dogs and his wife’s records. She turns the treasury records over to another board member, but someone wants something else. First the treasurer’s house is burgled, then Jen’s. There’s an attempted break-in at her office, followed by a series of disturbing phone calls. Suddenly, the treasurer’s death is being investigated as murder. The husband is a suspect, then suspicion falls on Jen herself. The treasurer’s handbag is found and holds a clue but the police aren’t interested. Jennifer’s search for answers leads her to a questionable medical clinic hundreds of miles away, but what’s the connection to the dead treasurer? In the midst of all this turmoil there’s romance in the air and a beautiful litter of puppies is born. When Jen travels to see them she and the breeder discuss the murder and she remembers the piece of the puzzle still in her possession. Will Monty, her devoted champion stud dog, hold off the bad guy long enough for Jennifer to solve it?
157 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 10, 2012
15 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 29, 2023
I enjoyed Final Entry, book one in the Murder at the Dog Show Series. The author’s bio says ‘Karen Harbert is a successful breeder and exhibitor of Cardigan Welsh corgis with about one hundred championships to her credit.’ The bio also includes details of her role judging, being a board member in the Corgi Club of America, and having been president of two regional Cardigan clubs. So, the author really knows the environment for showing dogs and of dog clubs and it shows in the details of the book. How much a person is interested in those kinds of details will influence how much they enjoy reading the book. I have a little more interest in it from remembering when I had a Newfoundland, was involved with the local club, and dipped a toe into showing.
It appears the book was first published in 2012, but some aspects of it date it as older. For example, there are refences to computer discs and other aspects that brought back memories to the times of old computer hardware.
Some of the characters seemed to be drawn a little heavy handed, but I just sat back and enjoyed the picture she was painting with her words. Here is a couple of examples:
‘He wasn’t a type that appealed to me: thinning hair worn long and combed over a bald spot; paunchy and given to open shirt-fronts and gold chains. He had a way of always standing a little too close that made me uncomfortable.’
‘Mona could be syrupy sweet, then knife you the minute your back was turned. There wasn’t a dirty trick she hadn’t used in the ring, and there were damn few she hadn’t been suspected of using outside the ring. There were rumors about false papers, puppies switched between litters, cosmetic surgery, even down to whispers of judges being bribed. She was a big winner and a powerful force in the breed. She couldn’t stand not winning, rarely congratulated anyone else on a win, and rather than seeming happy when she did win, she acted as if it was only what she deserved.’
‘Mona’s dogs were kept in crates and let out twice a day for exercise. Bitches were bred until they could no longer produce; males were campaigned as long as they kept winning and siring puppies. When dogs were no longer profitable or useful they were never heard of again.’
Maybe it is a dog breeder thing, but at times it seems the author likes to use the word bitches.
There were some good moments of humor in the book. Not sure if this bit will work without more context, but I thought it was funny:
“Mr. Todd! Are you having an affair with my dog?” I swear they both managed to look sheepish.
“Um, well, I meant to talk to you about her.”
I broke out into giggles that threatened to become hiccoughs, he in turn started laughing, and I finally said gasping, “She can’t cook.”
“I can manage,” he said soberly, “or we can send out.”
I am not a mystery story expert, but it seems like typical things happen. The police are too busy or focused on the wrong thing. The main character finds clues that will lead to the murderer-
“Jennifer, if that is a clue to the whole thing, what on Earth are you doing with it, and why haven’t you turned it over to the police?”
So, she is given some good advice-
“Well, just get rid of that thing immediately, then hang out a sign that says ‘Whatever it is, the police have it’ in the window at home and at your office.”
The main dog ‘Monty’ tries to do the usual thing to help solve the murder, and of course help get the bad person. I like the part where they say:
“If Monty isn’t carrying a gun, he’s the only one in that room who isn’t.”
And of course at the end, the bad person spills the beans on everything they did before getting what they deserve.
So, the book maybe wasn’t that mystery-wise sophisticated, but I enjoyed reading it, and I believe it was her first book. The dog parts were good but a bit expected. The dog show and dog club stuff were a bit interesting and didn’t seem to overwhelm things too much. And I get to check one more off my quest to read book one of all the Mystery + dog series making this the 23rd out of the 57 series I have identified.
It appears the book was first published in 2012, but some aspects of it date it as older. For example, there are refences to computer discs and other aspects that brought back memories to the times of old computer hardware.
Some of the characters seemed to be drawn a little heavy handed, but I just sat back and enjoyed the picture she was painting with her words. Here is a couple of examples:
‘He wasn’t a type that appealed to me: thinning hair worn long and combed over a bald spot; paunchy and given to open shirt-fronts and gold chains. He had a way of always standing a little too close that made me uncomfortable.’
‘Mona could be syrupy sweet, then knife you the minute your back was turned. There wasn’t a dirty trick she hadn’t used in the ring, and there were damn few she hadn’t been suspected of using outside the ring. There were rumors about false papers, puppies switched between litters, cosmetic surgery, even down to whispers of judges being bribed. She was a big winner and a powerful force in the breed. She couldn’t stand not winning, rarely congratulated anyone else on a win, and rather than seeming happy when she did win, she acted as if it was only what she deserved.’
‘Mona’s dogs were kept in crates and let out twice a day for exercise. Bitches were bred until they could no longer produce; males were campaigned as long as they kept winning and siring puppies. When dogs were no longer profitable or useful they were never heard of again.’
Maybe it is a dog breeder thing, but at times it seems the author likes to use the word bitches.
There were some good moments of humor in the book. Not sure if this bit will work without more context, but I thought it was funny:
“Mr. Todd! Are you having an affair with my dog?” I swear they both managed to look sheepish.
“Um, well, I meant to talk to you about her.”
I broke out into giggles that threatened to become hiccoughs, he in turn started laughing, and I finally said gasping, “She can’t cook.”
“I can manage,” he said soberly, “or we can send out.”
I am not a mystery story expert, but it seems like typical things happen. The police are too busy or focused on the wrong thing. The main character finds clues that will lead to the murderer-
“Jennifer, if that is a clue to the whole thing, what on Earth are you doing with it, and why haven’t you turned it over to the police?”
So, she is given some good advice-
“Well, just get rid of that thing immediately, then hang out a sign that says ‘Whatever it is, the police have it’ in the window at home and at your office.”
The main dog ‘Monty’ tries to do the usual thing to help solve the murder, and of course help get the bad person. I like the part where they say:
“If Monty isn’t carrying a gun, he’s the only one in that room who isn’t.”
And of course at the end, the bad person spills the beans on everything they did before getting what they deserve.
So, the book maybe wasn’t that mystery-wise sophisticated, but I enjoyed reading it, and I believe it was her first book. The dog parts were good but a bit expected. The dog show and dog club stuff were a bit interesting and didn’t seem to overwhelm things too much. And I get to check one more off my quest to read book one of all the Mystery + dog series making this the 23rd out of the 57 series I have identified.
July 2, 2014
I recently finished reading "Final Entry" by Karen Harbert, the first of six books in the "Murder at the Dog Show" series. I was interested to read this book because I have owned and loved several Cardigan Welsh Corgis, been a member of their breed club, dipped my toes into the waters of the dog show world and actually corresponded with and met the author many years ago when I was new to the breed.
While it is obvious that this is a first book, this is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves dogs and is interested in the world of dog shows. Ms. Harbert is a well-known cardigan breeder with extensive and impressive credentials. She also worked for years in the mental health field, so her depiction of her heroine, Jennifer Brooks, mental health professional and breeder/owner/handler of champion cardigan welsh corgis is spot on. Jennifer is a Board Member of both her local and national breed organizations. When another breeder dies, her anguished husband calls Jennifer to come get her four dogs, take care of them and rehome them. The deceased was also treasurer of the National Breed organization and things quickly get complicated when she is found to have been murdered. There are plots and machinations galore...unethical handlers, scheming board members and a cast of likable as well as unlikable characters - but it is an interesting, fun read.
Though the plot is predictable, the author's knowledge and love of the subject shine through and make this an enjoyable, quick read. I will give the next one in the series a try.
While it is obvious that this is a first book, this is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves dogs and is interested in the world of dog shows. Ms. Harbert is a well-known cardigan breeder with extensive and impressive credentials. She also worked for years in the mental health field, so her depiction of her heroine, Jennifer Brooks, mental health professional and breeder/owner/handler of champion cardigan welsh corgis is spot on. Jennifer is a Board Member of both her local and national breed organizations. When another breeder dies, her anguished husband calls Jennifer to come get her four dogs, take care of them and rehome them. The deceased was also treasurer of the National Breed organization and things quickly get complicated when she is found to have been murdered. There are plots and machinations galore...unethical handlers, scheming board members and a cast of likable as well as unlikable characters - but it is an interesting, fun read.
Though the plot is predictable, the author's knowledge and love of the subject shine through and make this an enjoyable, quick read. I will give the next one in the series a try.
July 22, 2014
Good Plot
Good Plot
The story was well plotted, interesting and informative. However, the punctuation was so horribly bad that it distracted the reader.
Good Plot
The story was well plotted, interesting and informative. However, the punctuation was so horribly bad that it distracted the reader.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews