Fetching Fatality and The Bow Wow Bakery

Doggy Bakery #5

by Belinda Page

"…Is there anyone here who objects to the marriage of these two? Speak now or forever hold your... murder weapon!?"Sophie Harrington cherishes the simple joys of small-town life and shares her peaceful existence with her adorable weenie dog, Max, and her beau, Officer Rey. Sophie is the proprietor of Max's Bow Wow Bakery, a store for pet lovers and their furry friends who visit excitedly while enjoying scrumptious baked goods. The excitement over an upcoming wedding takes a turn for the worse when the event planner is murdered during the wedding preparations. A series of mishaps related to the wedding dress, catering, and a clumsy bride may indicate more than just a curse over "happily ever after."With wedding celebrations hanging in the balance, Sophie, Hadley, and Winks, a favorite college roommate from culinary school, are thrust into a race against time to solve the murder and ensure a ‘hitch’ free wedding.

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 17, 2024

About the author

Belinda Page is the pen name of a cozy mystery writer who has a particular fondness for dachshunds! Her beloved furry companion, Max, has stolen readers' hearts everywhere with his enchanting escapades.
When she’s not spinning intriguing tales, Belinda works as a dedicated counselor in her community. In her downtime, she enjoys the therapeutic joys of meal prep and gardening—especially nurturing her prized tomato plants. Not to mention, she’s always on a quest to perfect her scrumptious spaghetti sauce, adding a pinch of love to every dish.
Keep up with Belinda's newest book release, bundle sales, and more by following her profile.

Reviews

[Kay Cobbold · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good to be reacquainted with Sophie, and the gorgeous Max, for another investigation. I love the combination of the main plot and life at the bakery - I wish we had one similar around here. This time, the murder is very close to home; the backyard of Sophie’s and Rey’s new house, as they plan for their wedding. We meet Hadley again and are introduced to Sophie’s parents and Winks, who is more than happy to get involved in the investigation. Belinda Page keeps the main plot moving and integrates her sub plots with skill. Her characters are well defined and have depth. I was kept guessing as to who the mirderer was and I enjoyed the twist as Sophie and Rey reassess whether it is the right time for them to get married. At least Winks’ food wasn’t going to be wasted! Another winner by Belinda Page.

[Kiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I was given a copy from the author In exchange for my honest review. DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS**

This was the 1st book by this author I have read, so it also happens to be the 1st book of this series that I have read.
That being said, it does work out well as a standalone. You may not necessarily have to read the others to know what's going on. However, I did feel that I would have felt better about Sophia and Reys relationship if I had read the other books.

With this one, I did feel as though Rey was not really in the book, and I didn't even have a general idea of what sort of guy he was. Especially since the whole thing is them planning a wedding. I got a feel for literally every other side character but him. So I do wish that there was more interaction between Rey and Sophia. She is about to marry this guy, and he is hardly in the book. My other dislike is that this is supposed to be a cozy mystery. But there was way more cozy than there was mystery. I have read other cozies that do a good job of giving you a good mix of sleuthing and cozy. But I felt as though the mystery was solved very easily with not a whole lot of sleuthing. Then, the rest of the book was Sophia fretting about planning the wedding. And it was all for nothing! They don't get married! Like Hadley spent sooooo much time on that dress, and she doesn't wear it! I was super irritated about that.

Now that we got the negative things out of the way on to the positive. It was a VERY cutely written story. Once I got through the 1st chapter, I was drawn in more so to the characters themselves than the actual storyline of this one. I really loved how the author wrote the characters. They were very loveable, and Hadley and Winks were totally people I would want to be my BFFs. Even Sophia's parents and all thier quirks, were super fun. Seriously, I want a weiner dog like Max! Lol! There wasn't ever a point where I didn't want to keep reading. The characters are what makes this story.

I do plan on reading the other books because I want to learn about the other characters. I hope the sleuthing isn't overshadowed in the others like it was in this one, though.

For anyone who likes to know, I know it's a determining factor on what I read. There was no cursing, and the Romance is nothing more than sweet kiss. This is a squeaky, clean read.

[Aparna J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fetching Fatality And The Bow Wow Bakery ( ARC) by Belinda Page.

Sophie Harrington, the proud owner of Max's Bow Wow Bakery, and her ever-faithful pet companion, Max, are buzzing with excitement over Sophie's imminent wedding to the newly promoted Lieutenant Rey of the Glenwood Falls Police Department. The arrival of Sophie's college friend, Diana Winchester, aka Winks, to Glenwood Falls couldn't be more timely.

While wedding preparations continue with zeal, Sophie's world is shaken when she discovers the body of her wedding planner. With her innate curiosity awakened, the amateur sleuth, despite her packed schedule, joins forces with Winks to crack the case. Despite numerous suspects, the lack of concrete clues keeps everyone guessing, until a surprising twist turns the investigation on its head.

Author Belinda Page masterfully crafts yet another delightful cozy mystery with this story. Her ability to weave suspense and charm into the fabric of Glenwood Falls is truly commendable. Page's narrative style is both engaging and comforting, making each of her books a must-read for cozy mystery enthusiasts. Her skill in balancing the elements of mystery, romance, and friendship is remarkable, ensuring that the reader is hooked from the first page to the last. If you're a fan of well-crafted mysteries with heartwarming narratives, don't miss this latest gem from Belinda Page.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie is in the midst of planning a wedding cake for a wedding. She is also thinking of the cake she wants for her wedding to her beau Rey, lieutenant with the Glenwood Falls Police Department. Because of their hectic schedules they hired a wedding planner, Jasmine from Fetching Celebrations. Her best friend Hadley is helping with the wedding gown. Then her parents arrive back in town and their interference with her plans are causing her some stress. Her friend from culinary school arrives back in town and tells her she'll cater for her. As Sophie takes her parents aside to try to talk to them about taking over her wedding, there's a scream. They rush outside to see the wedding planner under a heavy statue. The police are called. It is starting to look like a murder. Unfortunately it also means that she and Rey are without a planner to help. The wedding is only about two weeks away and there is still a lot to get done. Now she's on a case while trying not to be on said case to go along with planning her wedding and trying to be nice to her parents interference. Then her friend, Winks, tells her she'll help investigate. Erin her helper has too much going on so bows out gracefully. So the hunt is on for the murderer. Will they find out who did it in time to have a beautiful wedding? And what about her parents!!!
A mystery wrapped in a wedding wrapped in food. What could go wrong!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another excellant written book about murder and mysteries in a small town. It starts out with Sophie Harrington and her beau Rey Beltran planning their wedding when someone decides to murder their wedding planner Jasmine. Sophie trys to look after all the wedding planning and running a bakery herself but she is getting way over head with everything as she is trying to help the police solve the murder of wedding planner at the same time. Her beau can not help much as he is a police officer and they are shot staff and everyone is working so much over time. Sophie best friend Hadley Moyer is making her wedding dress and her other best friend Wink has just moved to Glenwood Falls and offer to do the catering for the wedding. But there is so much that still has to settled before they get married. Sophia and her dashound Max are trying to help with the investigation into the murder of Jasmine as well as do everything else herself and it is just getting to much for her. Once she decide to let her parents help with the planning and she got back to working in the bakery and just helping the police with the murder investigation she is alot better off. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoy clean murder mysteries with out all the gore.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deadly cozy mystery murder with a familiar array of characters and a few new because of course this is a murder mystery,so somewhere there's a deadly schemer hidden. One of our favorite small town bakers "Sophie" her favorite small town detective and friends will draw you into this mystery but the plot of murder during finalizing a wedding will have you enthralled with more misunderstandings, delightful surprises, missteps and a heavy race against time will have you anxiously turning page after page with anticipation as to if everything comes to fusion or falls apart. Will the murderer be discovered. Once I began reading this cozy mystery I couldn't put it aside until I reached its unexpected but peaceful ending. Acquire " Fetching Fatality and The Bow Wow Bakery " the fifth delightful ( Doggy Bakery Cozy Mystery) for hours of intriguing and enjoyable entertainment. Kat

[Alice Hazelbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophia Harrington owns Max’s Bow Wow Bakery, named after her cute dachshund Max, baking dog treats and also some human goodies! She and her fiancé Rey are finally ready to tie the knot, and wedding planning is in their future, along with all the decisions that requires. They hire Jasmine from Fetching Celebrations, but when she comes over to see their house and plan where things go, someone hits her over the head and kills her! Now Sophia also feels she needs to solve the murder as well as plan her own wedding. It’s a lot to have on her plate and she is definitely feeling the pressure of trying to do it all by herself! Another really fun and fascinating cozy mystery in this series. I received a free ARC through BookSprout and write this review voluntarily.

[Cat B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fetching Fatality and the Bow Wow Bakery, differs from the previous books in this series in that it focuses more on Sophie's wedding preparations to Rey than to the mystery. There is, of course, a murder mystery, but so much is happening around the wedding that it is more of a secondary story line than the main. An old friend of Sophie's appears in town just in time to help with the planning and with the murder investigation and the unexpected early appearance of Sophie's parents adds a bit more stress to the mix and things just keep going wrong. This was a nice quiet (sort of) story that I enjoyed. The Bow Wow Bakery series has become one of my favorites and this was a nice addition.
I received a free reader's copy of this book and am voluntarily posting a review.

[Breana Sprinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is growing in my heart when I read them & has me invested in the characters.

Right now I want to discuss...
Fetching Fatality and the Bow Wow Bakery.

Again, The characters in this series captured my attention. This time they're not only facing a murder but one that impacts Sophia's wedding. Not only does this add to the character stress of planning the wedding whilst also dealing with all that it encompasses creating an overwhelming atmosphere for the gang of her family & friends...it leads to another investigation.

Cozy, lighthearted (aside from the crime), & fun to read. I enjoyed tagging along with Sophia in yet another mystery she found herself thrown her way.

It's an ARC & my opinion is mine.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wedding to die for!

Besides the Bow Wow Bakery, Sophie and Rey are planning their wedding. Their wedding planner was doing her best to have everything ready for their big day up to the point when Sophie found her dead in the backyard of their new home. Rey is going to be busy with the investigation so she’ll be their new planner in addition to figuring out who killed their old one.

This is a fun cozy series. There is always a good mystery and relatable character interactions. I wish recipes for dog and human treats were included at the end of the book because they all sound delicious. I received a free copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit put out with Sophie at the beginning of the story. Her not telling her mom and dad how she felt about their taking control of her wedding planning was idiotic. She kept stuffing it down until it came out all wrong. I didn't like her being so clumsy with her wedding dress. I would have thought that she'd treat it like spun glass, instead of being ditzy clumsy and ruining it!! Smh. I figured out whodunit, but it didn't detract from the story. If she couldn't pay attention to her wedding plans she could at least help solve the homicide. The big twist at the end shocked me, and gave me another reason to question Sophie and her motives. Not a fan right now!!!!!

[Margaret Hejmanowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all things Belinda Page, and this does not disappoint!! Sophie owns Max's Bow Wow Bakery; she sells human baked goods and dog treats, named after her weenie dog Max. Sophie is engaged to Rey a police officer, and are planning their wedding. They have hired Jasmine a wedding planner, from Fetching Celebrations. As Jasmine is in their back yard doing a mock set up, she is murdered. Who would want her dead? Sophie is an amateur sleuth, so with the help of her friends can she help solve this mystery? Love the plot, great setting, and strong intense interesting characters. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Page!!!

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again more mystery for Sophie to sort out. She’s with her parents at the house she & Rey will move into when they get married & the wedding planner is there too, arranging the wedding. But, she ends up dead in their garden. Sophie has so much going on & it all comes to a head one evening when she looses her cool with her mother!! But, that gets sorted out really well. Another good thing is that her friend from college has moved to town & is a fantastic chef & takes on the wedding food to good effect. Another enjoyable read.

[JOAN SALLEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the midst of planning a wedding for Sophie and Rey, Wedding Planner Jasmine is murdered in their back yard. As well as working in her bakery and trying to get the wedding plans back on track, Sophie and her friend Winks, who has recently moved back to town, start sleuthing to find out who could have caused all this disruption. The main characters in this series mesh together so well and of course there are cute dogs to contend with. Mystery, long-time friendships, romance all make for a page-turning read.

I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Famous last words......"it'll be fine"......always precede disaster and so it goes with the wedding plans of Sophie and Rey! The women in this book are all formidable ladies. Erin, though not the main character, is an especially good role model for anyone with her laser focus on tasks. The book is slightly slanted to the romance side of cozy mysteries but not sappy. Sophie and her friends are the ones who ultimately solve the murder as the town has an over worked and understaffed police department! It's a nice read so I do recommend it to you also because it has an unusual murder!

[L.a.l · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would think that the wedding planner's untimely murder would change the soon-to-be bride into a crime-solver? Well running a dog bakery and planning a wedding cause this heroine to come to some very important decisions in her life.
Pairing up with two long-time friends, they find the murderer and plan the perfect wedding without everything falling apart.
There is even some ex- involved.
You know there will be more of this coming!!!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann]

It was nice to reaquaint myself with Sophie, Rey and, of course, the cute daschund Max. Sophie is trying to plan her wedding as well as run her bakery and is feeling a bit stressed when there's a murder and she feels she should investigate which adds to her stress. Then her parents turns up early and the fun begins! Her old friend Winks also comes to town and she is a great character, full of fun and willing to be drawn into Sophie's world. A great book, story is well written, the characters are great and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fetching Fatality and The Bow Wow Bakery: A Doggy Bakery Cozy Mystery is book #5 in the Doggy Bakery Cozy Mystery series by Belinda Page.

The wedding is coming up and there are several mishaps, including the murder of the event planner. There was a lot going on with Sophie having her bakery, wedding planning, and the murder investigation. Max is adorable as usual. I didn’t guess the murderer. I’ve always liked Sophie, but not so much in this book and I wasn’t a fan of the twist at the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie Harrington owner of Bow Wow Bakery was excited as she was getting married to police officer Rey Beltran. But suddenly her wedding planner Jasmine is murdered in her backyard before the wedding.  Sophie being an amateur sleuth goes about finding clues with her friends Erin and Winks . A exciting read with a lot of twist and turns . I received this ARC copy via booksprouts and leave a honest review. I recommend this book to other readers.

[Dianne Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder!

An enjoyable stand-alone book in a fun series with Sophie, the owner of a very lovable dog, Max, and a bakery for pets and humans. With an unexpected murder of her wedding planner, Sophie turns to investigating the murder and sharing clues with her fiancé, Rey, a detective on the local police force. An enjoyable book with an unexpected ending.

I read this book as part of an advance reader team and am voluntarily providing my honest feedback.

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wedding Woes

Sophia is involved with preparations for her wedding and is feeling overwhelmed. Her bakery is thriving and she has a busy schedule. Then somebody murders her wedding planner, Jasmine. In addition, due to an accident, her beautiful dress gets ruined. Will the wedding go ahead as planned? Will she be able to get justice for her wedding planner? An interesting mystery with a surprising ending. I like the smooth and captivating story line.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Doreen Farrar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story adds a new "ensemble cast" character to the main characters. She has potential, but I think she's going to take some getting used to. The murder takes second place to the wedding plans, which was interesting, and the ending was a surprise, but I liked it. Its originality and plot twists are part of what sets this series apart from all of the other cozy mysteries that I've read lately. If you've been enjoying the series so far, you're certain to enjoy this one. Enjoy!

[jyweniverel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading this series. I am a dog-mom and love the relationship of Sophie and Max. This book doesn’t deal so much in the murder as it does Sophie and Rey’s upcoming wedding, but it wouldn’t be a mystery without a murder. Glad to have Sophie’s parents making a bigger appearance and an old friend shows up. I definitely didn’t get the murderer right, but that was a kudos to Belinda Page for making it that hard. Anticipating the next book.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is very enjoyable. Within the story line there are many extra, side events/ happenings that keeps the reader actively connected to all that is happening.

I recommend it and I did receive an ARC copy. The ARC copy had a few typos but I expect they were fixed and they did not affect the enjoyment of the book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Martine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie has to use her detective skills again as mysteries keep falling into her life. I think this is the best book in this series so far. Nice characters, sweet Max, a good story, entertaining and well written.
I received an advance review copy for free via Booksprout and I’m leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these stories they just keep getting better and better. Make sure you have plenty of time when you start because you aren't going to quit until the very last page. Another murder happens at Sophie and Rey's new house, she was their wedding planner and things got interesting from there. Great story!

[David Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advance review copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review. As if getting ready to get married isn't stressful enough, what happens when your wedding planner is killed? Things just keep happening and this gives Sophia pause, should they get married now or wait? I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belinda Page can’t let Sophia and Max enjoy their bakery and visiting with Rey and Penny. No, she has to throw in a murder. Sophia has to help investigate, run her bakery, plan her wedding and manage her parent’s “help”. We get plenty of questions, twists, turns and a final surprise. I really enjoyed this book.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a senseless death. And right in Sophia’s backyard! During her wedding preparation! Ugh! But we all know that Sophia has a knack for finding out the truth. And with the help of her old friend, Winks, who just moved to town, she’s able to bust this mystery wide open!
The ending surprised the heck out of me! Wonder how the parents took the news…

[Jacqueline Johnston Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, cozy mystery! Sophie has alot going on with planning a wedding and solving a murder. I loved her friend, Winks! They mystery is intriguing, great plot and all of it a whole lot of fun with wonderful characters. I liked getting clues along the way, although I didn’t guess the ending. A very enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.