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Gin & Tonic Mysteries #1
Collared: A Gin & Tonic Mystery
They rely on animal instincts…
Meet “Gin” and “Tonic.” She’s a dog person. He’s a cat person. But when these two friendly rivals team up to solve a mystery, you can bet their pets aren’t the only ones getting collared…
Ginny Mallard and her shar-pei, Georgie, are about to run out of kibble and cash, unless she digs up another client for her private concierge business. So she heads to her neighborhood Seattle bar, Mary’s, to sniff out an opportunity. Or a gimlet or two. The bartender, Teddy Tonica, is usually good for a round of challenging banter, and Georgie is oddly fond of his bar cat, Mistress Penny.
Before she can say “bottoms up,” Ginny lands a job tracking down some important business papers that have gone missing—along with the customer’s uncle. If Ginny hopes to track him down, she’ll need more than her research skills: she’ll need a partner with people skills—like Tonica.
This is one dangerous case that’s about to go to the dogs—unless man, woman, cat, and canine can work together as one very unconventional crime-solving team.
Meet “Gin” and “Tonic.” She’s a dog person. He’s a cat person. But when these two friendly rivals team up to solve a mystery, you can bet their pets aren’t the only ones getting collared…
Ginny Mallard and her shar-pei, Georgie, are about to run out of kibble and cash, unless she digs up another client for her private concierge business. So she heads to her neighborhood Seattle bar, Mary’s, to sniff out an opportunity. Or a gimlet or two. The bartender, Teddy Tonica, is usually good for a round of challenging banter, and Georgie is oddly fond of his bar cat, Mistress Penny.
Before she can say “bottoms up,” Ginny lands a job tracking down some important business papers that have gone missing—along with the customer’s uncle. If Ginny hopes to track him down, she’ll need more than her research skills: she’ll need a partner with people skills—like Tonica.
This is one dangerous case that’s about to go to the dogs—unless man, woman, cat, and canine can work together as one very unconventional crime-solving team.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2012
3 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 2, 2013
I was SO excited when I first discovered this book. A dog mystery? Featuring a Shar Pei, one of my favorite breeds? "YES!!" However once I started reading the book, I was really.... disappointed. Despite the title ("Collared: A Gin & Tonic Mystery"), the tag line ("They're putting a leash on crime!") and the cover art (a cat and Shar Pei)... this is NOT a mystery where animals are important characters. In fact, I was disappointed to find out the Gin & Tonic are Ginny, a bar fly who happens to own a shar pei mix, and Tonica- a BARTENDER. What the--? The poor Shar Pei, Georgie, barely appears in the book and spends most of her time tied up, alone, outside of the Seattle bar. Once Ginny leaves her outside for hours *in a rainstorm* (what kind of person does that??). She continues to tie the dog outside the bar even after her apartment is ransacked and she's left threatening text messages on her phone (uh, hello... you're still leaving your dog unattended when someone is clearly out to get you??). The cat, Penny, is a stray who occasionally wanders into a scene, purrs, makes random "I'm worried" observations. Georgie the dog does make one scene-stealing appearance at the end where she suddenly knows attack/schutzhund training, grabbing and holding a villain on command...a bit odd, since it was never mentioned before, she's a puppy to boot, AND Shar Pei aren't really schutzhund dogs... at all... LOL. It was just really ... odd.
Overall, this was a 'so-so' cozy mystery, with the main jist of the story being a bar fly and bartender solving a crime and two animals happening to have VERY very minor parts. Why is this touted as a dog & cat mystery? Main characters Ginny and Tonica don't even seem to be animal lovers. They have animals but don't seem to care much about them. Disappointing.
If you're looking for a mystery series where the protagonists are actually DOG PEOPLE, and the dogs are important characters in the story, and well-loved, then stick with Susan Conant, Laurien Berenson and Carol Lea Benjamin. I hope the author makes the animals more front and center in the sequel (if there is one) or else re-package the book as a Cheers-esque bar-centered mystery series and not an animal-mystery series.
Overall, this was a 'so-so' cozy mystery, with the main jist of the story being a bar fly and bartender solving a crime and two animals happening to have VERY very minor parts. Why is this touted as a dog & cat mystery? Main characters Ginny and Tonica don't even seem to be animal lovers. They have animals but don't seem to care much about them. Disappointing.
If you're looking for a mystery series where the protagonists are actually DOG PEOPLE, and the dogs are important characters in the story, and well-loved, then stick with Susan Conant, Laurien Berenson and Carol Lea Benjamin. I hope the author makes the animals more front and center in the sequel (if there is one) or else re-package the book as a Cheers-esque bar-centered mystery series and not an animal-mystery series.
November 17, 2012
Collared may be written under a new pen name, but the author's previous experience shines through. The first of the Gin and Tonic mysteries -- that would be Virginia "Ginny" Mallard, private concierge and Tony Tonica, bartender -- is a thoroughly enjoyable read, establishing an excellent foundation for what will hopefully be a long series.
Self-employed Ginny is always on the lookout for a new job handling the little details that her clients just don't have the time or energy to deal with. Running errands. Finding the right summer camp. Running around finding a missing person may not quite be her usual thing, but it's not impossible for a concierge, especially not for one who stands to make a lot of money and connections just by spending a few days tracking down a missing businessman for his nephew/business partner. After all, it's not like she's being asked to play private investigator and solve a crime, is it?
Of course it is. Fortunately, Ginny has plenty of backup. Not just in the shape of Tony Tonica, her friendly neighborhood barman, but also from her dog Georgie and the bar cat Mistress Penny Drops.
Although the animals talk to each other - easily believable from anyone who's seen pets interact - they do not talk to the people around them, nor do they act like furry little sardonic humans. And that's what makes Collared stand out - it's refreshingly free of twee. The dog worries about dog things; the cat acts like a cat. The humans are equally believably human, especially Ginny. I've read far too many cozies where the author mistakes "neurotic" and "insecure" for "adorably cute." Kornetsky never forgets that a cozy is first and foremost about solving a puzzle, delivering a solid, thoughtful mystery wrapped a well-paced appealing read.
Self-employed Ginny is always on the lookout for a new job handling the little details that her clients just don't have the time or energy to deal with. Running errands. Finding the right summer camp. Running around finding a missing person may not quite be her usual thing, but it's not impossible for a concierge, especially not for one who stands to make a lot of money and connections just by spending a few days tracking down a missing businessman for his nephew/business partner. After all, it's not like she's being asked to play private investigator and solve a crime, is it?
Of course it is. Fortunately, Ginny has plenty of backup. Not just in the shape of Tony Tonica, her friendly neighborhood barman, but also from her dog Georgie and the bar cat Mistress Penny Drops.
Although the animals talk to each other - easily believable from anyone who's seen pets interact - they do not talk to the people around them, nor do they act like furry little sardonic humans. And that's what makes Collared stand out - it's refreshingly free of twee. The dog worries about dog things; the cat acts like a cat. The humans are equally believably human, especially Ginny. I've read far too many cozies where the author mistakes "neurotic" and "insecure" for "adorably cute." Kornetsky never forgets that a cozy is first and foremost about solving a puzzle, delivering a solid, thoughtful mystery wrapped a well-paced appealing read.
November 13, 2012
Ginny Mallard is a personal concierge who has a half-grown Shar-pei named Georgie, and likes to drink at an out-of-the-way neighborhood bar called Mary's. She has a routine and is a problem-solver. Teddy Tonica pretty much runs Mary's, the bartender an empathetic, yet slightly mysterious, soul who knows when to cut off a patron without ruffling any feathers. His (not his) cat, Mistress Penny-drops, has the run of the bar - as long as she stays out of the way.
A long-time customer of Mary's shows up one evening and spills his trouble to Tonica. Ginny, between customers at the moment, overhears and inserts herself - and her business - in, and lo and behold, ends up with a well-paying commission to find the customer's missing uncle and some papers that were with him when he went walkabout.
Tonica, worried about his verbal sparring partner, agrees to help Ginny find the missing uncle. What starts as an interesting research problem quickly turns frustrating and then frightening as they two are accosted by thugs looking for the same papers.
Ginny and Tonica are a fun, realistic pair of characters who will have you alternately chuckling at their repartee and then worried over them when things turn dangerous. Even Georgie and Penny take a hand, the two animals worried over their humans. This is an outstanding beginning to a new series, and I look forward to future volumes.
A long-time customer of Mary's shows up one evening and spills his trouble to Tonica. Ginny, between customers at the moment, overhears and inserts herself - and her business - in, and lo and behold, ends up with a well-paying commission to find the customer's missing uncle and some papers that were with him when he went walkabout.
Tonica, worried about his verbal sparring partner, agrees to help Ginny find the missing uncle. What starts as an interesting research problem quickly turns frustrating and then frightening as they two are accosted by thugs looking for the same papers.
Ginny and Tonica are a fun, realistic pair of characters who will have you alternately chuckling at their repartee and then worried over them when things turn dangerous. Even Georgie and Penny take a hand, the two animals worried over their humans. This is an outstanding beginning to a new series, and I look forward to future volumes.
September 29, 2012
This book is a study of human nature as much as a mystery. Two distinctly different personalities discover they mesh in inexplicable ways as they attempt to carry out a seemingly innocent business transaction.
Ms. Kornetsky portrays a very strong female protagonist as well as an equally strong male protagonist. I like the fact that Ms. Kornetsky can portray a strong female without having the need to demean her male counterpart. As much as I like strong female protagonists, I have seen where some authors feel that if the woman is strong the man must be a buffoon or patented stupid. Sadly too many people still have difficulty with equality that men and women can operate together as equals. Some how that just shouldn’t be a revelation.
Ginny and Teddy complement each other’s skill sets quite nicely. Together they make a formidable investigative team even though they both stoutly swear they are not investigators. The become embroiled in a missing person issue that morphs into a far more complex situation.
Ms. Kornetsky has included animal companions for her protagonists. I’m not sure if they were a before or after thought. They compliment the book but certainly are not integral to the plot or the action, except for one small scene. The animals communicate with each other and accept ownership of “their” humans but their input in the story seems pretty basically peripheral. It seems like Georgie, the Sharpei, and Miss Penny, the cat, were inserted in cameo type roles just to have animals in the book. I personally have always enjoyed anthropomorphism so I didn’t have any issues with the pets. I’m just not sure they were needed.
The book is more about the relationship between Ginny and Teddy than it is between them and the rest of the world. Some books are mysteries that have relationship overtones while I see this book as a relationship book with a mystery overtone.
I enjoyed the book and it infers sequels will be coming. I look forward to reading them as well.
November 28, 2012
I have been waiting for this book since the first time I heard about it. LA Gilman writing mysteries? Could it be anything but good?
The Seattle that Ms Kornetsky described, felt like it was written by a Seattlite. It managed the fine balance of being detailed enough to be believable, yet not so detailed that the description bogged down the narrative.
The characters were deliciously snarky, but what I especially liked was how Gin and Teddy complemented each other. Ginny was good at finding information and Teddy talking with people.
I also liked how they had... not a love-hate relationship, but they were definitely not the best of friends.
The mystery was well plotted and kept me hooked from the beginning. I loved how Gin and Teddy gradually started to realise that they were in over they heads. Yet, they refused giving up. After all, Gin had promised DubJay to find his uncle and her reputation was important for her busniess.
I loved seeing how the attitudes in the Estate business had changed from when Joe started it in the 80's.
One thing that I especially loved was that every scene in the plot was actually related to the mystery. (Yes, it might sound like an odd thing, but that's my pet peeve: Mysteries where something happen in chapter one, and then there is 150 pages of describing the characters life, and then they stumble upon the sollution.)
So... What I didn't like. The pets POV:s. I enjoyed reading them, but it felt like they didn't add anything to the story. But maybe that will change in the second book.
The Seattle that Ms Kornetsky described, felt like it was written by a Seattlite. It managed the fine balance of being detailed enough to be believable, yet not so detailed that the description bogged down the narrative.
The characters were deliciously snarky, but what I especially liked was how Gin and Teddy complemented each other. Ginny was good at finding information and Teddy talking with people.
I also liked how they had... not a love-hate relationship, but they were definitely not the best of friends.
The mystery was well plotted and kept me hooked from the beginning. I loved how Gin and Teddy gradually started to realise that they were in over they heads. Yet, they refused giving up. After all, Gin had promised DubJay to find his uncle and her reputation was important for her busniess.
I loved seeing how the attitudes in the Estate business had changed from when Joe started it in the 80's.
One thing that I especially loved was that every scene in the plot was actually related to the mystery. (Yes, it might sound like an odd thing, but that's my pet peeve: Mysteries where something happen in chapter one, and then there is 150 pages of describing the characters life, and then they stumble upon the sollution.)
So... What I didn't like. The pets POV:s. I enjoyed reading them, but it felt like they didn't add anything to the story. But maybe that will change in the second book.
December 31, 2012
Enjoyed story and action which kept moving from scene to scene. Use of animals was not distracting & added another dimension. Will be reading this author in future.
January 9, 2013
Good story especially the inter action between the dog and the cat.
November 18, 2012
Review Copy Provided by Publisher
I’ll be the first to admit that I am both a cat and a dog person – and have not only 3 dogs, but 2 cats in my home (yes, I might be slightly insane…) – so when I came across the ARC for Collared on Edelweiss, I was intrigued. I wasn’t sure if it was going to fall into the Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown kind of theme – which I didn’t really enjoy (maybe because I picked up book 5 in the series…but that is a story for another day). I like it when dogs act as dogs, and cats as cats (as stand-offish as that might be) rather than animorphizing them – so when I was first introduced to not only Penny (the cat) and Georgie (the dog), I was happy to see that their parts were told through their eyes and what they observed. I do think that the author managed the nail the character of the cat (the no one is their owner) kind of feeling without going too overboard.
Then there were the humans, Virginia “Ginny” the personal concierge and Tommy Tonica, the local bartender (yeah, don’t laugh too much that was really his name…ok, well, laugh some, I know that I did when he was first introduced). But then, at the same time, I have come to expect slightly cheesy names in cozy mysteries and this was definitely one of those. Overall, I don’t have too many complaints about how the mystery panned out – as with any cozy mystery I have read in the past, there were a few times that I wanted to slap by Ginny and Tommy upside the head (a la Gibbs style) for something dumb that they hadn’t done, or the fact that calling the cops, never seems to show up on someones radar…I mean, hello….but the ending was satisfactory and I have to admit that I am curious as to where this series might go in the future…are they going to open up their own PI business? Will Tommy keep tending bar? and why the heck is he so secretive about his past…what is he hiding?
Overall, I’d give it a solid 3 stars and recommend to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am both a cat and a dog person – and have not only 3 dogs, but 2 cats in my home (yes, I might be slightly insane…) – so when I came across the ARC for Collared on Edelweiss, I was intrigued. I wasn’t sure if it was going to fall into the Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown kind of theme – which I didn’t really enjoy (maybe because I picked up book 5 in the series…but that is a story for another day). I like it when dogs act as dogs, and cats as cats (as stand-offish as that might be) rather than animorphizing them – so when I was first introduced to not only Penny (the cat) and Georgie (the dog), I was happy to see that their parts were told through their eyes and what they observed. I do think that the author managed the nail the character of the cat (the no one is their owner) kind of feeling without going too overboard.
Then there were the humans, Virginia “Ginny” the personal concierge and Tommy Tonica, the local bartender (yeah, don’t laugh too much that was really his name…ok, well, laugh some, I know that I did when he was first introduced). But then, at the same time, I have come to expect slightly cheesy names in cozy mysteries and this was definitely one of those. Overall, I don’t have too many complaints about how the mystery panned out – as with any cozy mystery I have read in the past, there were a few times that I wanted to slap by Ginny and Tommy upside the head (a la Gibbs style) for something dumb that they hadn’t done, or the fact that calling the cops, never seems to show up on someones radar…I mean, hello….but the ending was satisfactory and I have to admit that I am curious as to where this series might go in the future…are they going to open up their own PI business? Will Tommy keep tending bar? and why the heck is he so secretive about his past…what is he hiding?
Overall, I’d give it a solid 3 stars and recommend to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries.
December 24, 2012
L.A. Kornetsky is an alias for Laura Anne Gilman, who writes urban fantasies and under the name of Anna Leonard writes paranormal romances. I love her urban fantasies and I love mysteries so I was excited to hear about this book and have been waiting for it impatiently.
The cover makes it look like a cozy mystery but it's not nor is it cutesy. The latter was a possibility given the addition of the animals as part of the investigative team. Kornetsky plays it straight, not endowing the animals with human characteristics or special powers.
The relationship between the main humans, Ginny "Gin" Mallard and Teddy "Tonic" Tonica is complicated and until now, casual. She plays on a trivia team in the trivia competitions at the bar where Teddy works. When she takes on a job looking for a missing person, which is really stretching her role as a personal concierge, she enlists Teddy to help her, knowing that his people skills are better than hers.
The story is tightly written, the characterization deft and skillful and the story intriguing. Having read her urban fantasies, which all contain mysteries as part of their plots, I had no doubt of Kornetsky's ability to write a straight-up mystery and she didn't disappoint. I got tired at times of the constant sniping Teddy and Ginny engage in and I also questioned Teddy's willingness to help Ginny. Yes, she appealed to his competitive side but it seemed unlikely. Despite those issues, I enjoyed the story and I'll definitely read the next one.
The cover makes it look like a cozy mystery but it's not nor is it cutesy. The latter was a possibility given the addition of the animals as part of the investigative team. Kornetsky plays it straight, not endowing the animals with human characteristics or special powers.
The relationship between the main humans, Ginny "Gin" Mallard and Teddy "Tonic" Tonica is complicated and until now, casual. She plays on a trivia team in the trivia competitions at the bar where Teddy works. When she takes on a job looking for a missing person, which is really stretching her role as a personal concierge, she enlists Teddy to help her, knowing that his people skills are better than hers.
The story is tightly written, the characterization deft and skillful and the story intriguing. Having read her urban fantasies, which all contain mysteries as part of their plots, I had no doubt of Kornetsky's ability to write a straight-up mystery and she didn't disappoint. I got tired at times of the constant sniping Teddy and Ginny engage in and I also questioned Teddy's willingness to help Ginny. Yes, she appealed to his competitive side but it seemed unlikely. Despite those issues, I enjoyed the story and I'll definitely read the next one.
September 5, 2012
"Collared" is a mystery novel. The mystery was to find a missing man and to discover exactly why he decided to hide (along with some important business papers) from his nephew. They weren't investigating a murder, which was a refreshing change. It wasn't really a puzzle-mystery but following along as they uncovered the trail and decided what to do with what they learned. The suspense was from potential danger to them and the missing man.
The characters were engaging, and Ginny and Teddy both acted in realistic ways to the situation. I liked that they were more concerned about what harm their actions might cause people than in finishing the job to get the money or to prevent a bad reputation for Ginny's business. They also realized when they were in over their heads and when they needed to hand the situation over to professionals.
The dog and cat had "speaking" (to each other) parts in the story, but their concerns and actions were like real cats and dogs. A nice level of detail about the setting, jobs, etc., was woven into the story.
There was no sex. There was a fair amount of explicit bad language. If you don't mind that level of bad language in a book, then I'd recommend this engaging mystery.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
The characters were engaging, and Ginny and Teddy both acted in realistic ways to the situation. I liked that they were more concerned about what harm their actions might cause people than in finishing the job to get the money or to prevent a bad reputation for Ginny's business. They also realized when they were in over their heads and when they needed to hand the situation over to professionals.
The dog and cat had "speaking" (to each other) parts in the story, but their concerns and actions were like real cats and dogs. A nice level of detail about the setting, jobs, etc., was woven into the story.
There was no sex. There was a fair amount of explicit bad language. If you don't mind that level of bad language in a book, then I'd recommend this engaging mystery.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
September 2, 2014
3.5 stars
This is the story of Ginny, a personal concierge, and Teddy, a bartender, and how they get involved in something way, WAY over their pay grades. It involves a missing patriarch, some shady real estate dealings, and pistol-toting dames, not to mention a dog and cat who consult with each other on the care and feeding of The Humans.
Kornetsky (aka Laura Anne Gilman) has a real gift for snappy, snarky dialog and capturing the urban scene. Although the novel is set in Seattle and environs, her NYC roots show (that's a compliment), especially in Teddy's thoughts and lines. Lots of fun.
This is her debut mystery novella (she's also done urban and epic fantasy, in addition to short fiction and a bit of nonfiction), and that's where the only weaknesses are apparent. The plot is a little thin, and the story ends a bit abruptly and somewhat off-screen--I felt slightly shortchanged. But this is a promising debut, and I've already gotten the next two books in the series.
Here's to Gin and Tonic! (hic)
This is the story of Ginny, a personal concierge, and Teddy, a bartender, and how they get involved in something way, WAY over their pay grades. It involves a missing patriarch, some shady real estate dealings, and pistol-toting dames, not to mention a dog and cat who consult with each other on the care and feeding of The Humans.
Kornetsky (aka Laura Anne Gilman) has a real gift for snappy, snarky dialog and capturing the urban scene. Although the novel is set in Seattle and environs, her NYC roots show (that's a compliment), especially in Teddy's thoughts and lines. Lots of fun.
This is her debut mystery novella (she's also done urban and epic fantasy, in addition to short fiction and a bit of nonfiction), and that's where the only weaknesses are apparent. The plot is a little thin, and the story ends a bit abruptly and somewhat off-screen--I felt slightly shortchanged. But this is a promising debut, and I've already gotten the next two books in the series.
Here's to Gin and Tonic! (hic)
November 29, 2012
A new series under a new name from the ever-interesting Laura Anne Gilman, this is a fast-paced, humorous and gripping read with strong protagonists and a wonderful sense of place.
December 19, 2012
This is one I would read again. Interaction between pets was believable & added to a captivating story. Will be reading this author again.
August 9, 2012
Fast moving and attractive characterizations. Good beginning for a new pet based series.
January 3, 2021
2 STAR
This book has good 'potential' that was why I didn't give up on reading it; it's book 1 of the series and another reason I finished it instead of quitting it in the middle. It wasn't that it was 'horrible' just had to much details on things that didn't really matter (or at least to me) and as I read it I would skip parts and then read some skip some read some and still was able to find out what the characters did and find etc. This reminded me of watching an episode of Ghost Hunters and instead of the investigators doing the investigating they were sitting there visiting with one another about things nothing to do with what they were suppose to be doing. Thus was the way this book was. BUT I haven't read the other books in the series yet either. So maybe all the 'non important' stuff may be important to other books? I am about to read book 2 to see if the writing gets better. And it's not really that it gets better just more organized and stay true to the storyline. Where the cat and dog was 'suppose' to be helping wasn't all it was was them talking to one another and most of the time only repeated what the humans said to one another. I was hoping that they were actually going to be 'active' and do some snooping and help their humans. It was a cute story; and the characters are developed nicely. It just didn't stay on track of the storyline (to me) had good poetical but it never quite fulfilled that
This book has good 'potential' that was why I didn't give up on reading it; it's book 1 of the series and another reason I finished it instead of quitting it in the middle. It wasn't that it was 'horrible' just had to much details on things that didn't really matter (or at least to me) and as I read it I would skip parts and then read some skip some read some and still was able to find out what the characters did and find etc. This reminded me of watching an episode of Ghost Hunters and instead of the investigators doing the investigating they were sitting there visiting with one another about things nothing to do with what they were suppose to be doing. Thus was the way this book was. BUT I haven't read the other books in the series yet either. So maybe all the 'non important' stuff may be important to other books? I am about to read book 2 to see if the writing gets better. And it's not really that it gets better just more organized and stay true to the storyline. Where the cat and dog was 'suppose' to be helping wasn't all it was was them talking to one another and most of the time only repeated what the humans said to one another. I was hoping that they were actually going to be 'active' and do some snooping and help their humans. It was a cute story; and the characters are developed nicely. It just didn't stay on track of the storyline (to me) had good poetical but it never quite fulfilled that
March 18, 2020
It was an okay Cozy Mystery. The ending was not very clear. It was more about the human characters than the dog and cat.
November 9, 2022
Delightful investigative tail with imaginative kibitzing by the attending pets in the area. Really enjoyed the characters and the jokes. Look forward to finding more of these.
October 2, 2016
This was an interesting mystery read it is told from the owners and pets point of view. with more voices the book was entertaining and interesting enough to made pick up the next book as well.
February 22, 2013
‘Collared’ is the first book in a new mystery series by L.A. Kornetsky. Virginia Mallard (Gin) is a private personal concierge, which is akin to a freelance administrative assistant. Teddy Tonica (Tonic) is a bartender at Mary’s. One night when Ginny was down at the bar, she offers her services to Walter Jacobs (DubJay) to track down his uncle, Joe. She realizes she’s going to need much more than her fact-finding to discover the truth, so she recruits Tonica to help her pound the pavement. Their digging is causing some ripples in the pool, so they must find out the truth quickly before they drown. Ginny’s dog, Georgie, and the cat who chose Teddy, Penny, don’t do any investigating themselves, but put their two cents in regularly.
I enjoyed ‘Collared’, overall. I wasn’t sure what kind of part the animals were going to play, but they are just a dog and a cat who get along and care for their humans. There were small sections of conversation or observation by the two animals which was the extent of their dialogue and ‘first-person’ involvement in the story. Ginny is meticulous, scrupulous, and ultra-competitive while Tonica is more easy-going, but with a mysterious past which was only touched on in passing. They are an unlikely team, but they worked well together when they weren’t griping at each other, which was often – and became tedious at points. I like how ‘Collared’ is a no frills mystery; there aren’t any romantic or fantastic elements. I feel Ms. Kornetsky is getting her feet wet in the pure mystery genre and it’s going swimmingly. I am hoping some of the rough edges of the characters start to smooth out in the next book, which I am planning to pick up.
Gin & Tonic Mystery Series: Collared (1)
I enjoyed ‘Collared’, overall. I wasn’t sure what kind of part the animals were going to play, but they are just a dog and a cat who get along and care for their humans. There were small sections of conversation or observation by the two animals which was the extent of their dialogue and ‘first-person’ involvement in the story. Ginny is meticulous, scrupulous, and ultra-competitive while Tonica is more easy-going, but with a mysterious past which was only touched on in passing. They are an unlikely team, but they worked well together when they weren’t griping at each other, which was often – and became tedious at points. I like how ‘Collared’ is a no frills mystery; there aren’t any romantic or fantastic elements. I feel Ms. Kornetsky is getting her feet wet in the pure mystery genre and it’s going swimmingly. I am hoping some of the rough edges of the characters start to smooth out in the next book, which I am planning to pick up.
Gin & Tonic Mystery Series: Collared (1)
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December 30, 2012Subtitled A Gin and Tonic Mystery, this Seattle mystery marks the debut of an unlikely pair. Gin is Ginny Mallard, a personal concierge. Tonic is Teddy Tonica, a bartender who could be much more, Ginny thinks. Their initial connection is through the Tuesday Trivia games at Mary’s, the bar where Tonica works. The two are on rival teams (tied for second place at the moment) and, as fierce competitors, don’t think they like each other much.
Ginny is approached at the bar where Tonica can overhear the transaction, by a man who wants to hire her for something outside her area of expertise. He wants her to locate his missing uncle, Joseph Jacobs, and gives her a hard and fast deadline. She knows she should turn him down, but he’s offering a lot of money. And he’s a member of one of the trivia teams.
When Ginny becomes desperate (she should never have taken this job—she’s not a P.I.), Tonica steps in to help her out. She excels at research, but he has the people skills she lacks. Two other characters deserve a mention: Mistress Penny-Drops, a small gray tabby cat that considers Tonica her human, although he doesn’t consider himself her owner. She roams in and out of the bar at will and keeps track of things. She’s best friends with Georgie, Ginny’s adorable Shar-Pei. Georgie is usually tethered somewhere, unable to get out like Penny can, but the two of them keep tabs on their humans and assist where needed.
The sexual tension builds amid witty banter as the job turns out to be not at all what they thought. They’re in way over their heads, but events transpire to keep them on the trail of information as the missing person case threatens to turn deadly.
Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “Broke” for Suspense Magazine
Ginny is approached at the bar where Tonica can overhear the transaction, by a man who wants to hire her for something outside her area of expertise. He wants her to locate his missing uncle, Joseph Jacobs, and gives her a hard and fast deadline. She knows she should turn him down, but he’s offering a lot of money. And he’s a member of one of the trivia teams.
When Ginny becomes desperate (she should never have taken this job—she’s not a P.I.), Tonica steps in to help her out. She excels at research, but he has the people skills she lacks. Two other characters deserve a mention: Mistress Penny-Drops, a small gray tabby cat that considers Tonica her human, although he doesn’t consider himself her owner. She roams in and out of the bar at will and keeps track of things. She’s best friends with Georgie, Ginny’s adorable Shar-Pei. Georgie is usually tethered somewhere, unable to get out like Penny can, but the two of them keep tabs on their humans and assist where needed.
The sexual tension builds amid witty banter as the job turns out to be not at all what they thought. They’re in way over their heads, but events transpire to keep them on the trail of information as the missing person case threatens to turn deadly.
Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “Broke” for Suspense Magazine
January 6, 2017
The main characters are not a dog and a cat, no the main characters are a Bartender named Teddy Tonica and a 'professional (purrfessional) Concierge' Ginny Mallard. It's why its 'Gin and Tonic'. Both humans are competitive and stubborn it's how Ginny convinced Tonica to help with a missing paperwork case. They both end up in over their head when their investigation leaves them in P.I. territory and neither of them are Private investigators (even if Tonica did read a 'Morons guide to P.I).
Two things I was happy about, One is that they gave the dog (Georgie, a Shar-Pei) to Ginny instead of it being the typical girl has cat, boy has dog thing. Tonica has Mistress Penny Drops who is a stray that sorts of adopts Tonica. The second think I liked was they included the animals P.O.V. It was not as often as I would have liked but I did enjoy those parts.
The one thing this book makes you think is that this would be a mystery with animals helping out and while Georgie came to the rescue towards the end you really don't get to see much of Penny or Georgie throughout the books. This was a huge disappointment for me, the tagline even alludes more animals scenes.
Another thing was I did not really like Ginny, while her interactions with Georgie softened her up a bit she was a bit too pushy. I understand why she felt like she had to push so much, her reputation and therefore her business was on the line but she just irked me. I liked Tonica a lot better despite him being kind of a cliche.
Overall the story was entertaining, I may read the second book Clawed to see if Penny and Georgie have more of a roll in it. I'd recommend this to someone who needs a easy-quick read or trying to get into the mystery genre.
Two things I was happy about, One is that they gave the dog (Georgie, a Shar-Pei) to Ginny instead of it being the typical girl has cat, boy has dog thing. Tonica has Mistress Penny Drops who is a stray that sorts of adopts Tonica. The second think I liked was they included the animals P.O.V. It was not as often as I would have liked but I did enjoy those parts.
The one thing this book makes you think is that this would be a mystery with animals helping out and while Georgie came to the rescue towards the end you really don't get to see much of Penny or Georgie throughout the books. This was a huge disappointment for me, the tagline even alludes more animals scenes.
Another thing was I did not really like Ginny, while her interactions with Georgie softened her up a bit she was a bit too pushy. I understand why she felt like she had to push so much, her reputation and therefore her business was on the line but she just irked me. I liked Tonica a lot better despite him being kind of a cliche.
Overall the story was entertaining, I may read the second book Clawed to see if Penny and Georgie have more of a roll in it. I'd recommend this to someone who needs a easy-quick read or trying to get into the mystery genre.
July 2, 2014
COLLARED was an interesting and entertaining mystery. Ginny Mallard is a freelance concierge who handles things others are too busy or something to do. She has recently adopted a shar pei that she has named Georgie. She hangs out at a bar named Mary's when she wants to get away from home.
Teddy Tonica is the bartender at Mary's. There is also a cat that has adopted Teddy but who comes and goes at her will. Ginny and Teddy are friendly rivals at the Tuesday night trivia contests and have a relationship where one is constantly trying to one-up the other. When one of the other trivia contest participants comes to Ginny and asks her to find his uncle who has disappeared with some papers that are necessary to finalizing a business deal.
Research is Ginny's strength but people skills are definitely where Teddy shines. The two decide to work together - well, actually, she sort of dares him to help. Together they find more than they ever expected and attract the attention of some goons who don't want them looking for Uncle Joe.
What makes this unique is that the dog and the cat have conversations and spend time looking out for their humans. The cat's and dog's personalities were very realistic to the natures of cats and dogs.
I thought this story was entertaining and will be looking for the sequel to see how a second case goes for these two unlikely detectives.
Teddy Tonica is the bartender at Mary's. There is also a cat that has adopted Teddy but who comes and goes at her will. Ginny and Teddy are friendly rivals at the Tuesday night trivia contests and have a relationship where one is constantly trying to one-up the other. When one of the other trivia contest participants comes to Ginny and asks her to find his uncle who has disappeared with some papers that are necessary to finalizing a business deal.
Research is Ginny's strength but people skills are definitely where Teddy shines. The two decide to work together - well, actually, she sort of dares him to help. Together they find more than they ever expected and attract the attention of some goons who don't want them looking for Uncle Joe.
What makes this unique is that the dog and the cat have conversations and spend time looking out for their humans. The cat's and dog's personalities were very realistic to the natures of cats and dogs.
I thought this story was entertaining and will be looking for the sequel to see how a second case goes for these two unlikely detectives.
July 31, 2013
A mystery book which I found in the murder section, so it was a little disorienting at first. Once I realized my mistake, I settled in to enjoy a puzzle which I could work out along with the main characters, Ginny and Tonica. I was disappointed.
It seemed like random happenstance whenever the two managed to find a clue, and never enough information was shared to make me feel involved in puzzling it out. I was also looking forward to seeing the dog and cat from the cover have something valuable to contribute but (as another reviewer pointed out) what did happen was unrealistic - the puppy is a trained attack dog despite Ginny never taking her for lessons? As well, why even bother with the animals? They seemed extraneous until the end.
I did like the author's writing style: quick moving and engaging, kept pulling me from chapter to chapter. Although it is obvious that there are some rough edges to be smoothed out. I can see potential here as she gets her feet wet by writing more of this series.
It seemed like random happenstance whenever the two managed to find a clue, and never enough information was shared to make me feel involved in puzzling it out. I was also looking forward to seeing the dog and cat from the cover have something valuable to contribute but (as another reviewer pointed out) what did happen was unrealistic - the puppy is a trained attack dog despite Ginny never taking her for lessons? As well, why even bother with the animals? They seemed extraneous until the end.
I did like the author's writing style: quick moving and engaging, kept pulling me from chapter to chapter. Although it is obvious that there are some rough edges to be smoothed out. I can see potential here as she gets her feet wet by writing more of this series.
March 10, 2013
This is the first of a new series and features 2 people who join together to find a missing person. The 2 people are acquaintances, not friends, not lovers, not even attracted (at least at this point) and it seems like a very unrealistic pairing. One has a dog, the other a cat and the animals talk to each other. Their conversations seem superfluous and totally unneeded. The man is a little more defined than the woman whose personality sends mixed signals. I never really got a read on her at all as far as what kind of person she was. The "mystery" of the missing person was okay and I'm giving this 3 stars because it has potential. The next book in the series (assuming there is one) will make or break it for me.
March 3, 2015
More like a 3.5, but rounding up. This is a fun and cute little cozy mystery by fantasy author Laura Anne Gilman, writing under a pen name. I really liked the characters, both the humans and the animals. The mystery was pretty low-key and also different from the norm - a missing person rather than a murder. The novel served mainly as a vehicle for introducing the characters and relationships, and launching the series. The animals do 'talk', but only to one another, and I thought of it as communicating through body language and other senses rendered as human speech. I found it to be a fun and very quick read, and I would definitely continue to read more in the series.
November 29, 2012
The bartender at Mary's, Teddy Tonica, doesn't much like Ginny, a blonde know-it-all, but he respects her. Ginny regards Teddy as a smart-mouthed bartender, but he's undeniably tough-looking. When Ginny, an independent concierge, is hired to find a missing man (just another form of research, right?), she persuades Teddy to help her. It doesn't hurt that Ginny's lovable pup Georgie is friends with Miss Penny, the cat who definitely doesn't belong to Teddy or anyone else. The plot seemed a bit confusing, but the interaction of the characters is enjoyable.
February 13, 2013
Collard by L.A. Kornestsky. Ginny needs some hard cold cash if is she is going to keep her Shar Pei Georgie in kibble, she lands a gig tracking down a businessman’s missing uncle and some legal documents. In order to solve the case, Ginny has to enlist the aid of the local bartender, Teddy Tonica, one smart dude. Of course Georgie and Teddy’s cat, Mistress Penny have to get into the act. Set in Seattle, this is an engaging mystery with unique characters.
April 3, 2013
More like 3.5 stars for me, really, but I enjoy the author's other books (Laura Anne Gilman) and suspect that as a series this will get better, so I'm giving it 4 stars for the moment. It was slow beginning, picked up speed and interest about half-way through, but the ending didn't really end. It's like the pieces aren't quite clicking yet. But it was still a fun read and I will read at least the next instalment.
February 14, 2014
I liked this mystery. The story was well written and the short sections from both the dog and cat's point of view were nice. My only quibble is that though the book is set in Seattle, there were a lot of inaccuracies in terms of locations and neighborhood names. It was still an enjoyable read but lacked a sense of place.
April 25, 2014
A fun and quick read. As a long-time fan of Laura Anne Gilman's (Kornetsky is a pen name), it was exciting to try this change of pace for Gilman. The characters are smart, and Gilman really has a handle on animal thoughts. Plus, I really enjoy the fact that her characters (like Gilman herself) talk the way I do, eg. Serious man is serious.
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