Catwalk

An Animals in Focus Mystery #3

by Sheila Webster Boneham

Book 3 in Midnight Ink's wildly popular animal cozy mystery series

When animal photographer Janet MacPhail gets a frantic call from champion dog owner Alberta Shofelter about a "cat-napping," she and her Australian Shepherd Jay jump in to assist. Fur flies when the search turns into a nasty run-in with local big shot Charles Rasmussen, a bully who enjoys throwing his weight around.

As Rasmussen makes good on his promise to cause trouble, Janet tries to keep up with her mom's romantic travails, figure out her own relationship with Tom, and train her animals for the upcoming agility trials. But when a body is discovered at the Dog Dayz event, it stops the participants dead in their tracks--and sets Janet on the trail of a killer.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Dogs, Fiction, Cozy, Cats

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Sheila Webster Boneham writes fiction and nonfiction, much of it focused on animals, nature, and travel. She doesn't like to be labeled -- just as she reads across genres, Sheila also writes across genres. She is currently working on a novel, a series of short stories, a series of essays about traveling the U.S. by train, and a book-length meditation on the human-canine connection. Sheila teaches writing workshops and classes, and often speaks about writing, creativity, and related topics.

Sheila's debut mystery novel, Drop Dead on Recall was named on the Top Ten Dog Books of 2012 by NBC Petside. The sequel, The Money Bird , was released in 2013, and Catwalk is scheduled for September 2014.

Sheila holds a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing from the Stonecoast MFA Program/University of Southern Maine, and a Ph.D. degree in folklore from Indiana University. She has taught writing, folklore, and literature at universities in the U.S. and the Middle East. She is a member of the Associated Writing Programs, the North Carolina Writers Network, and several other professional organizations.

Sheila and her husband and dogs have enjoyed getting to know different parts of the U.S. over the past few years. They currently live in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Again Sheila Webster Boneham has crafted a wonderful story with a great whodunit. She also includes just the right amount of humor and romance. The mystery is so well plotted and will keep you guessing right up until the end.

This time kitties join the puppies in the adventure!! Leo is quite a cat. He is training just like the dogs do for agility trials and I am very impressed with his talents. Our cats were very agile when traveling as high as possible around the house but the only time they rushed anywhere was to the kitchen when they heard the can opener.

Jay is quite a dog as well with a very good sniffer. He comes in very handy when trying to find lost kittens or to track down a killer.

I like Janet MacPhail more with each story. I enjoy the pace that her relationship with Tom is progressing. They are an older couple who are used to being on their own and their lifestyles are starting to mesh together perfectly. Janet’s mother also plays a key role in this story and that really put a smile on my face. The realistic characters are what makes these stories really shine.

The other thing I look forward to in these stories is that we learn something too. This time is was about a capture, neuter, release program for feral cats. We also learned a bit about conservation and areas that need to be preserved for birds and wild animals to thrive and survive.

If you love animals, and who wouldn’t, you have to read this series. They can all be read as stand alones but treat yourself to all three captivating mysteries. You will be glad you did.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/ca...

Brought to you by guest reviewer JoAnne

Let me tell you first that if you don’t like animals, you won’t like this book. But, if you do like animals, as I myself do, you will. That being said: Janet MacPhail has her dog Jay and her cat Leo, whom she has trained herself, to do animal trials. This is where (for those who may not know) the animals go through a timed series of obstacles. Her boyfriend Tom also takes his dog Drake, through these trials also.

When one of her friends, Alberta, makes a frantic call for help because her cat is missing, both Janet and Tom offer to help her look. They find the missing cat and her newborn kittens at Charles Rasmussen’s home, in his wife’s painting studio. Mr. Rasmussen threatens to kill the cats and Janet calls for help, which comes in the form of Officer Hutchinson, who is another animal lover and takes Janet’s side, which only infuriates Rasmussen more. Even Rasmussen’s wife Louise takes the womens’ side. So, a very angry Rasmussen threatens them all even as they are removing the mama and her newborn kittens. Then there is Janet’s mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and has gotten involved with someone at the nursing home, who turns out to be Charles Rasmussen’s father-in-law, and Mr. Rasmussen is none too happy about that.

Soon enough, the women (and Hutchinson) are served with legal papers from Rasmussen, and shortly after that, he is killed. Now the race is on to find out who killed the man, since it appears he had no dearth of enemies.

This is where the book lost me a little. The murder seemed to have taken second place to the animal trials and the plight of feral cats. I will tell you that I realize this is serious, and I have adopted a few feral cats myself that wandered into my back yard. So yes, I do know this is a problem. But the book goes on and on about the trials, about the feral cats, about ways to help them. By the time they get back to the murder – which is intermittently referred to throughout the book – you start to wonder who-is-who and have to backtrack as to who was at the dogs’ trials the night the guy was killed. Please don’t get me wrong; the writing is very good, but the book was more about the animals and not enough about the murder investigation. However, I will say that justice was done.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

[Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
by Kim

Told in first person from the point of view of Janet MacPhail, I found Catwalk to be an enjoyable read. I’m an animal lover and I LOVE that Janet, her boyfriend Tom, and her friends are all animal lovers as well. This installment of the series is all about feral cats. You know, the kind of cats that should be domesticated, but aren’t, be it their choice or the choice of humans. Catwalk finds Janet not really doing any investigation and pretty much minding her own business. But of course, trouble follows her around.

What starts out as her friend/acquaintance Alberta Shofelter asking Janet and her dog Jay to help her find her missing cat turns into so much more. The three end up being threatened with lawsuits and possibly bodily harm. Ultimately, the accuser who is hated by almost everyone ends up being found dead. And you guessed it, Janet is the one to find the body.

Not only does Janet have to deal with yet another murder investigation, she is having issues with Tom. Janet is trying to figure out her relationship with Tom, as far as what she wants, and has to deal with the possible breakup of that relationship. Her mother is at Shadetree Retirement Home, is battling Dementia, as well as other health problems. But, Mrs. Bruce is also falling in love.

While I did enjoy the book, there’s a lot of repetition. Information that has already been stated is stated several times throughout. At times, the author provides way too much descriptive detail. I found myself getting bogged down by it all. I’m seriously in love with the secondary character of Homer Hutchinson, the detective. Catwalk shows a new side of him. It should be pointed out that while Catwalk is the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

I really loved the way the story got wrapped up. However, I’m a bit disappointed in the way the issue between Janet and Tom was resolved. There are two scenarios and I literally have no idea which one is happening.

**Received a copy from Midnight Ink Books in exchange for an honest unbiased review.**

[ReadaBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so enjoy this series! A big fan of cozy (and dog-oriented) mysteries, this series is even better because Janet, the main character, is not a twenty- or thirty-something, but a bit older....like me! I am not a professional photographer, but at one time was a reporter and photojournalist, so I love the bits of comment about photographer (and would enjoy even more of that in future books). Janet's relationship with Tom is refreshing too. The challenge of having an aging parent hits home for me. The development of solving the murder kind of trudges along, doesn't develop as quickly or smoothly as I would like, and so for that reason I removed a star from my rating. But overall -- a series I really enjoy.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read. I enjoy this series because it's setting is fairly near where I live and I like dogs and training them, too. When the author writes about obedience or agility, I understand the background better than most books I read.

[Theresa Garton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Great characters, interesting action. Sad that it seems there is only one more book in the series

[Martha Cardassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Hit! Love that it featured Leo, love the cat agility, love that the "victim" would not be missed at all (!) As with the previous two, great characters that I hope to see again.

[Lucy Dosch (EBookObsessed) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series reminds me a little of the Mattie Winston Mysteries by Annelise Ryan. Janet MacPhail and her search and rescue dog, Jay, as well as her boyfriend Tom Saunders are once again stuck in the middle of a murder investigation. No one is going to miss this victim, but more than likely the killer is going to be a friend of Janet and Tom’s.

Janet MacPhail and her Australian Shepherd, Jay, and once again embroiled in a not really that exciting murder investigation, all while balancing her relationship with fellow dog lover, Prof. Tom Saunders.

Janet’s friend Alberta from the Dog Dayz training center is looking for Janet’s help. Alberta believes someone abducted her cat and she wants Jay’s clever nose to find her. Jay manages to track down Alberta’s cat, but she hasn’t been kidnapped. She slipped into the neighbor’s shed to give birth to her three little kittens. Unfortunately, the neighbor isn’t a big fan of cats in general, let alone Alberta and her crusade to trap, neuter and release the feral cats which are living on the property that Charles Rasmussen and his development company want to turn into condos.

There’s no question after spending five minutes in the story with Charles Rasmussen, who is our eventual victim, that he’s an ass, no one likes him and that the list of suspects is huge, including Alberta, Charles’s abused wife, Charles’s tortured and infirmed father-in-law, people who he has forced out of properties he wanted, local environmentalists and just about everyone in town. So actually it’s a bit grasping at straws when they question Janet for the murder just because he was trying to press charges for trespassing. Rescuing a lost cat wouldn’t have equated to a life sentence or even a fine so why she should be on the list of suspects let alone be concerned about proving her innocence is the real mystery.

Other than the murder, we go about Janet’s life with her while she spends time with her dog, Jay, and cat, Leo, and her friend, Tom. Janet is over 50 so Tom’s status is a little in question since boyfriend is a little childish. Janet is trying to determine if she wants to take the next step and move in together when she overhears Tom making plans to vaccinate his dog so he can leave the country. She knows he was thinking of a sabbatical but she doesn’t know where that will leave her relationship. Tom tries to talk to Janet, but she appears to have a habit of zoning out in the middle of conversations and being too embarrassed to mention she wasn’t actually listening to you, so she jumps to a lot of conclusions.

We meet all of Janet and Tom’s pet owning friends and attend an agility trial with them, including something I never heard of before – cat agility. Janet is training her cat in agility as well as her Australian Shepherd.

If there was ever a book that I should have written or that was written specifically for me, this would be it.

I competed in agility for several years with my American Eskimo Dogs. My girls and I spent many lovely days (and many rain drenched, muddy weekends) competing in agility. This was mostly pre-children. Winter and Dakotah both have been gone a few years now and I have started training my 2 year old Australian Shepherd, Bowen. We haven’t gone out to competitions yet since time and money are limited for Mommy Funtime, but I don’t doubt he will be quite successful once we get in the ring. Well, that is if my daughter lets me have a turn. Now that he knows the basic equipment, she takes over my classes. What I am impressed with is that my dog understands that he needs to work slower with her than he does with me.

But even with my love of the topic, and I am one of the few who will get all the inside comments like recognizing the other competitors by their dogs names but not theirs, the story line wasn’t that exciting to grasp anyone’s attention who isn’t reading it because it was about a murder at an agility competition. I know lots of people who would enjoy this, but it is more geared to a very specific group of my friends who compete in obedience, agility and tracking. I don’t know that this has such a general audience appeal.

I did have one issue with her writing style. On several occasions she gives you a hint of something near the end of a chapter, and then the next chapter you started somewhere else. For example, when Alberta wanted Janet to read a letter she received and was very angry about. She hands the letter to Janet who couldn’t believe it…and then the next scene started the next day and we had to backtrack to the information in the letter. Doing it once as a way to build suspense is fine, but she did it at least three times just in the beginning of the book. She also had a habit of making Janet comment to herself like a schizophrenic — We can manage this, snarked Janet demon. He knows that, countered good Janet. He wants to help, not take over. I just found it odd to Jekyl and Hyde your inner monologue.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s unfortunate but some people are not animal lovers. I say “unfortunate” because I think those folks miss out on an awful lot, not least of which is the love between human and pet. It’s been shown that even the most cold-blooded critters know their people and appreciate them to a degree that goes beyond just the recognition of a food source. Cats and dogs, though, have a really special rapport with us so I regret that some people don’t have this kind of bond in their lives.

Then there are the ones who truly have no empathy with animals and don’t value their lives at all. Such is a man named Charles Rasmussen, the sort of man who would drown kittens given the chance and who has no regard for the creatures of the wetlands he wants to develop nor for the feral cats living in the area. As you might expect of such a man, he’s also abusive to his wife, Louise, and to anyone who doesn’t go along with his program. When another mean-spirited bully feels the need to break up an elderly couple’s relationship, Janet MacPhail wonders why “belligerent rich guys” seem to be bent on interfering in other people’s lives. Alarm bells start to clang when she finds out who that particular bully is.

Lots of people have motives to leave the dead body on the agility course, from a surly teen named Rudy to Alberta, a sort of crazy cat lady, to Hutchinson, a cop who was heard to make a threatening comment but no one is prepared when the real killer is revealed. Suffice it to say karma is a bitch for real.



{{{SPOILER FOLLOWS}}}

{{{SPOILER FOLLOWS}}}

There’s one scene which strained credulity more than a bit. Janet decides she MUST go see the body even though she’s shaken to the core and then MUST make sure the victim really is dead because, after all, she recently had first-aid training. This made no sense as there was absolutely no need for her to do this when other people had already done so. Besides, she’s contaminating the crime scene so why on earth would she feel compelled to behave as if she’s the primary investigator or first responder? This is all even more baffling considering the fact that the person who found the body is a firefighter and member of a search and rescue team so he’s certainly qualified to recognize death when he sees it.

{{{END SPOILER}}}

{{{END SPOILER}}}



The above-mentioned scene is the only one I found the least bit jarring and I really did thoroughly enjoy this third adventure with Janet and her friends, both two-footed and four-footed. One really funny occurrence involves dogs, a cat and a porta-potty but I’ll say no more about that ;-)

And there’s this:

Hutchinson scratched Jay’s chin and said, “Gooboy, gooboy.” What is it about animals that turns big tough men into baby-talking mushballs?

Isn’t that just so true?

The characters in Catwalk are all so well-drawn that I feel as though I could sit down and have a cup of coffee with them and would thoroughly enjoy their company (except for a handful of unpleasant types). The animals in the story—especially Leo and Jay—are delightful and essential (and I could gladly snatch either or both of them) but readers who shy away from cutesy cat or dog mysteries shouldn’t be concerned. These pets are entirely normal and do no sleuthing or talking to humans or to each other ;-)

Once again, Ms. Boneham has come up with an engaging story with a good mystery to be solved and appealing characters to spend time with. I can’t think of a better way to while away a few hours.



Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, October 2014.

[Julesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as her previous books. Most likely because this was mostly cats, apparent from its title. I don't mind cats in cozies, which is commonplace, but cat agility? Really?! I know it is possible, but I can't seem to wrap my head around it. I also missed hearing more about the main character Janet's dog, Jay. One thing that really bothered me was Janet's jumping to bad conclusions regarding her boyfriend Tom. It dwelled too long with Janet not talking to him until the end. I will read the last book, which is more dog than cat, but unfortunately it's not on audio.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catwalk by Sheila Webster Boneham is the third book in the Animal In Focus Mystery series. This book revolves around cat agility and feral cats, as well as a murder.

Janet is a freelance photographer who specializes in animal photography. She has a dog named Jay who is active in agility competition and is also active in search and rescue. She is also training her cat, Leo, in agility. She is busy with animal training and keeping an eye on her mother. Her mother has dementia and she is in a nursing home, but that does not stop her mother from finding a boyfriend. Janet thinks that her mother is happier and doing better since she met her beau, but there is trouble in paradise with the boyfriend. And speaking of boyfriends, Janet’s boyfriend, Tom, is hinting at making things more permanent. But Janet is afraid to make any permanent commitments because of the mistakes she’s made in the past. Will they be able to work out their relations in a way that is acceptable to both of them?

Janet and her dog, Jay, are asked to track one of her friend’s missing cat. When they find the cat, and her kittens, they become involved with a ruthless land developer. The developer is abusive to his wife and he is trying to turn the wetlands into a condo. There are plenty of people who despise the developer, and when he turns up dead, there are plenty of suspects. Janet is there when the body is discovered, and she cannot help but look for the killer.

The mystery is continued throughout most of the story and there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I thought I had figured out the killer two different times and I was wrong both times. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very descriptive and at times I felt like I was right there watching the action first hand. You can tell that the author has a lot of knowledge concerning animals and their behavior.

I really enjoyed the fact that this book centered around cat agility. I did not know that they even had such competitions for cats, and I found that very interesting. All of the animals in the book are adorable and some of the stuff that the animals do is funny. There is also humor when “Good Janet and Bad Janet” appear. They have some comical conversations with normal Janet.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very descriptive and at times I felt like I was right there watching the action first hand. The characters are well developed and well rounded and are people I would like to meet in real life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an animal cozy that is very well written. Whether you are a cat person or a dog person, this book will be enjoyable to you.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Midnight Ink for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animal photographer Janet McPhail, her Australian shepherd dog, Jay, and her cat, Leo, are back, along with her human friends and acquaintances, including Goldie, Tom, and the easily agitated but surprisingly sound Alberta. Leo has just begun competing in cat agility, while Alberta is working, against considerable opposition, to establish a managed feral cat colony--with all the cats neutered and vaccinated, and shelter and food provided. (The effect of this would be to both gradually reduce the number of feral cats, and to reduce their hunting. But don't tell the cat haters that; they won't listen.) Even worse, one of Alberta's neighbors wants to develop the adjoining wetlands, doing far more damage to the local wildlife than a cat colony, managed or not, ever could.

Meanwhile, Janet's mother, now in a nursing home, has met someone, a sweet, kind man of her own generation. His son-in-law (the developer) discovers the relationship, expresses outrage, and decides to move him.

This is all distressing enough, but it gets worse when the developer turns up dead in the agility tunnel at a competition.

The problem is not a lack of suspects; it's a surfeit of them. I've barely scratched the surface of the list of local people who hated this guy, and with good reason. Janet has a lot of friends and acquaintances, she's intelligent, observant, and has a photographer's eye for detail. She pays attention to the behavior, and the messages, of her animals and others'.

I like Janet, I like her animals and her friends, and her family is growing on me. I like this story. It moves, it's nicely complex, and people don't do stupid things because the plot requires it.

Except Janet, in her personal life. Specifically, her romantic life.

Despite that particular frustration, I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to more from Boneham.

I bought this book.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

Watch out this book has lots of cute baby animals you might want to bring one home too. I love the cover. I did not realize that cats can do agility courses too. The suspense is good I did not know who the guilty party was till the unveiling. Lots of suspects that did not like the victim. The characters are interesting and keep your attention on them.
Lots of cute animal characters too.

Janet MacPhail is a animal photographer. She has one dog Jay a Australian Shepherd he is a tracking dog. Janet dates Tom.
She also has a cat Leo who is just starting to train for agility courses too.

Tom teaches in anthropology department IndianaPurdue Fort Wayne. His dog is Drake.

They go to a lot of dog training classes and shows. Makes me think I need to get animals better trained or me trained.

Janet's friend Alberta has been harassed because she is feeding wild cats and trapping and fixing them and releasing them in woods across from her house. Some people want to develop the wetlands. She calls Janet when she is afraid that someone has kidnapped her cat. She wants Jay to track her cat.

There is a lot of vandalism, murder, and abuse. Lots of drama in Janet's personal life with her mother. Plus Janet's relationship to Tom. There are a lot of animal lovers and haters out their.

The setting is Fort Wayne Indiana area.

The pacing is pretty good. I was not board. I was involved with the characters lives and there drama. It is also a clean read.

I have only read two of the three books of the series but would like to go back and read the one I missed.

I was given this ebook to read and in return agreed to give honest review and be part of its blog tour.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Catwalk - Animals in Focus Mystery 3
Author: Sheila Webster Boneham
Published: 10-8-2014
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Animals; Dogs & Cats; Amateur Sleuths; Cozy Mystery
ISBN: 9780738734880
ASIN: B00NJ2U5ZG
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

.
The story centers around Janet MacPhail, an Animal Trainer in her 50's with a busy life. Janet receives a frantic call asking for help over a kidnapping. Then a dead body turns up on the dog agility course at the local competition. Throw in trying to keep her mother's love life from getting out of control and to keep her own in good standing and it's a surprise she has time to even stop and blink.


Sheila Webster Boneham is either very involved with the world Janet Mac Phail works in or has done unbelievable research. Any animal lover or cozy mystery buff will love this series in general and this series in particular. This is the third book in the series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone. Ms. Boneham has created some interesting multi-dimensional and paired them with a though out plot that flows smoothly and quickly from scene to scene. My rating is 4 1/2 stars.



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[Janice Liedl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mislaid this book for several weeks but stumbled across it just the other day. Boy, am I glad that I did because the read was so much fun. If you like your cozies with occasional bits of hilarity to relieve the tension and break up the mystery-hunting, Boneham's the author for you! Who else will introduce you to the world of cat agility? Hence, the book's fun title and glorious cover!

Janet is a photographer and animal-lover who's involved with Tom, another animal person. It's animals that start the story off - a missing, pregnant cat that Janet's smart Aussie sheepdog will track to a building on the property of a very angry homeowner. Shoves, growls, threats and more signal that Charles Rasmussen will be the big baddie in this book: something that only becomes more evident as his wish to develop a nearby wetland reveals. With animal lovers, Janet's friends, naturalists and even his relatives outraged by Rasmussen, you can bet we've got the fuel for a mystery.

Some readers might find Boneham's story a little over the top at times but I enjoyed the way that mistakes and mishearings factored into Janet's sleuthing as she seeks to not only clear her friends' names but track down someone who's too close for comfort, threatening herself and the animals she holds dear. A fun romp of a mystery, perfect for animal-lovers!

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janet MacPhail gets a distress call from a client - she's an animal photographer, and she has a tracking-trained Australian sheepdog which is known around town. Her dog tracks the missing cat, which has hidden away to have a litter in an art studio belonging to a local land developer.

Sadly the developer turns out to dislike cats and he also has a poor attitude to Janet for intruding, so he seems likely to make trouble for her. This man is at the heart of a controversy about developing a local nature site - which he is calling an empty lot. The blackbirds nest there, the water birds migrate to the ponds, the local young environmental students carry out research.

With all sides of the argument shown it's amazing that there is still time for Janet to fit in agility training of not only dogs but her ginger cat. Some cats are natural showoffs and this one enjoys performing his agility on the dogs' equipment. However the developer is found very dead in a very strange place, and Janet recalls all the conversations and clues, wondering if anyone she knows could possibly have killed this man. There is also a lot of humour, much of it animal generated and the dogs behave exactly as dogs do. This is a good fun read which can help people learn about nature too.

[Paula Ratcliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janet has her work cut out for her in this book when she helps her friend catch a cat only to meet a very cranky Mr Rasmussen who seems to have a thing for hurting his wife. Unfortunately he has friends in high places and has set his eyes on getting rid of all feral cats in the area. It isn't long until Janet is served with a law suit over her find the cat.

Also in this book we see more of Janet's mother who lives in a retirement community and is suffering from Dementia and getting worse everyday. Janet's mother has found love again with Mr. Rasmussen's father in law much to the anger of his son in law. He even threatens to send his father in law to a different community to keep the two apart.

What I enjoyed:

I loved hearing about Jay, Leo and the other felines and dogs. I loved watching the relationship between Tom and Janet and to see where it is headed. Overall it was a great book.

What I didn't like:

The mystery in this book wasn't central to the situation, there seemed to be too much other stuff going on so it felt like a bit of confusion when I read the story. That is just my thought someone else may love all the little mysteries in the middle of it. That part of the story the little mysteries intertwined in the story felt rushed.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third installment in the "Animals in Focus" series is an enjoyable cozy. Animal photographer Janet McPhail is dealing with the murder of a bully who hates cats and was pushing to develop some nearby swampland. His corpse was found as Janet was practicing her cat, Leo, in the upcoming feline agility trial. Janet finds herself figuring out both this murder as well as her future with her boyfriend Tom. I would recommend to folks who like Lillian Jackson Braun and Rita Mae Brown's "kitty" books, as well as Laurien Bernstein's "poodle" cozies. You don't have to be a die-hard animal lover to like this series, but I do recommend starting at the beginning with "Drop Dead on Recall".

[Charline Bonham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ARC. I did enjoy the book. I am not as into dogs as the writter but she was very knowledgeable about training them and showing. Found the info about showing cats interesting.
It is called equal parts mystery and dog appreciation with a dash of romance throwb in. People from many generations interacting together or against each other. Janet misunderstands statements made by Tom while he was on the phone and this puts a strain on their relationship for a while.
Rasmusson was killed but he had to many enemies it was hard to know who hated enough to kill. I didn't know until the end and even then the reason was not clear.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janet has a run in with local big wig Charles Rasmussen and when she finds him dead at the dog trials she has to help find the killer before the police start arresting all her fellow dog lovers. Everyone there has reason to kill him including his wife. It's great catching up with all the the characters and their pets from the previous 2 books in this wonderful cozy series. Tom, her boyfriend and their dogs and cats add special romance to this mystery series. A nice little read.

[Val Rheinheimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book--love the animal parts of the story. I get frustrated with how the main character deals with her personal relationship. I also felt like the actual murder mystery in this one kind of got lost in the midst of the feral cat part of the story. But I enjoy the people and setting so it was still worth reading.

[Amber Polo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the combo of dog/cat information, mystery, and woman’s real life issues as menopausal Janet deals with hr mother and boyfriend.
The feral cat problem was nicely handled and cat agility, who knew?
But read it for the Porta potty Iditarod!!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

319 p.

[Mary Sherbak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Parts extremely funny

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great one!

[Brenda Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgot about this series until I read this one, then had to go buy book two.