What do you think?
Rate this book
Barkery & Biscuits Mystery #1
Bite the Biscuit
Carrie Kennersly, a veterinary technician, has become known for offering healthy and popular dog treats at the clinic where she works. When the local bakery's owner moves away, Carrie jumps at the chance to convert it into the Barkery, a shop to make and sell her canine delights.
But Myra Ethman, co-owner of another pet product store, hates the new competition. At the Barkery's opening party, she badmouths Carrie's homemade dog biscuits, insisting she'll find a way to shut the place down. So when Myra is found dead with a Barkery biscuit beside her, Carrie must prove she didn't do it before she's collared for murder.
But Myra Ethman, co-owner of another pet product store, hates the new competition. At the Barkery's opening party, she badmouths Carrie's homemade dog biscuits, insisting she'll find a way to shut the place down. So when Myra is found dead with a Barkery biscuit beside her, Carrie must prove she didn't do it before she's collared for murder.
312 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
47 people are currently reading
807 people want to read
About the author
Linda O. Johnston
132 books463 followersLinda O. Johnston's first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the Year. Since then, Linda has had more short stories and novellas published, plus, by the end of 2018, she will have had fifty novels published, including mysteries and romance.
Linda currently writes the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries cozy mystery series for Midnight Ink, and also wrote the Superstition Mysteries for them, both featuring dogs. She has also written the Pet Rescue Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, which was a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series. And yes, they involved dogs, too.
Linda also writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, including a new miniseries about a K-9 ranch where dogs are trained. Linda additionally writes paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne including the Alpha Force miniseries about a covert military unit of shapeshifters--and all the werewolves also have cover dogs.
Linda, a currently inactive transactional attorney, now writes fiction full-time. She is a member of the Los Angeles chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America, including the Los Angeles, Orange County and Santa Clarita chapters.
Linda currently writes the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries cozy mystery series for Midnight Ink, and also wrote the Superstition Mysteries for them, both featuring dogs. She has also written the Pet Rescue Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, which was a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series. And yes, they involved dogs, too.
Linda also writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, including a new miniseries about a K-9 ranch where dogs are trained. Linda additionally writes paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne including the Alpha Force miniseries about a covert military unit of shapeshifters--and all the werewolves also have cover dogs.
Linda, a currently inactive transactional attorney, now writes fiction full-time. She is a member of the Los Angeles chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America, including the Los Angeles, Orange County and Santa Clarita chapters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
May 9, 2015
2.5 stars
Veterinary Technician Carrie Kennersly, loves animals, loves. working with them and being around them. While she loves her job the dream of owning her own business is a dream that she is realizing with the purchase of a bakery which she plans on splitting up to make half a bakery for 4 legged clients. Sadly, there is a sour puss in town that wishes her doom in her new business. She does it publicly, loud and proud and then turns up cold and dead. Then when it’s found out that a bakery treat was next to her body guess who their number one suspect is ? The detectives come in and the hunt for the truth starts.
I loved the idea of the story, but several excessive actions rubbed me the wrong way. The main character washed her hands so many times, and told us about hygiene for her human clients, over and over. She was overly safety conscious the story would stop so she could tie her dog up, talking about the steps she took to keep him from running out in the street. Hugging, she hugged Biscuit, she went back to hug Biscuit goodbye, she couldn’t wait to hug Biscuit. Okay enough already. I had too many eye roll moments to fully enjoy the story.Yes, all great things but this story was not the place for safe dog preaching which is what it felt like. If only the author would have held back this would have been a much better read.
The mystery was fun the characters interesting the excessive detailing ruined the flow for me. I can’t recommend this book.
Veterinary Technician Carrie Kennersly, loves animals, loves. working with them and being around them. While she loves her job the dream of owning her own business is a dream that she is realizing with the purchase of a bakery which she plans on splitting up to make half a bakery for 4 legged clients. Sadly, there is a sour puss in town that wishes her doom in her new business. She does it publicly, loud and proud and then turns up cold and dead. Then when it’s found out that a bakery treat was next to her body guess who their number one suspect is ? The detectives come in and the hunt for the truth starts.
I loved the idea of the story, but several excessive actions rubbed me the wrong way. The main character washed her hands so many times, and told us about hygiene for her human clients, over and over. She was overly safety conscious the story would stop so she could tie her dog up, talking about the steps she took to keep him from running out in the street. Hugging, she hugged Biscuit, she went back to hug Biscuit goodbye, she couldn’t wait to hug Biscuit. Okay enough already. I had too many eye roll moments to fully enjoy the story.Yes, all great things but this story was not the place for safe dog preaching which is what it felt like. If only the author would have held back this would have been a much better read.
The mystery was fun the characters interesting the excessive detailing ruined the flow for me. I can’t recommend this book.
May 7, 2017
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Linda O. Johnston loves her pets and that truly shines through in her writing. In Bite the Biscuit she introduces us to Carrie Kennersly who has so much energy it is absolutely amazing. She works at a local veterinary clinic as a tech and has just bought a local bakery and added on to include a “barkery” where she bakes and sells yummy treats for dogs. Her own dog, Biscuit, goes almost everywhere with her. She is at her shop by 5 a.m. each morning baking and her day continues on in her store until it is time for her to work at the clinic and then she goes back to close up her shop. She did inherit 2 assistants when she purchased the bakery but she enjoys doing both things and plans to continue that as long as she can.
Her grand reopening is all set and people are showing up in droves, including the owners of a local pet supply store, her closest competition. Myra Ethman owns the store with her husband and she doesn’t make a quiet entrance. She is bad mouthing Carrie’s treats to everyone and threatening to put the new barkery out of business. She and Carrie exchange a few heated words but Carrie is not about to let one cranky customer ruin her day. But it does ruin the next day and week when Myra is found dead and the police are trying to find enough evidence to collar Carrie for the crime. So now Carrie’s busy days also have to include time for snooping, sleuthing and solving the mystery of who made Myra Bite the Biscuit .
This was a fun story with some very entertaining characters both 2 and 4 legged. We not only meet Carrie and her store clerks, we also meet her brother, Neal, Dr. Arvus Kline, the vet that helped Carrie buy her bakery/barkery, and Dr. Reed Storme and his dog Hugo, plus many more.
The mystery was very well written as well. Myra wasn’t the most liked woman around town so there were plenary of suspects. I saw where the story was headed and was still surprised by the way things actually played out in the end.
The author also includes some doggy treat recipe in the back of the book too.
This is a great start for this new series!
May 26, 2017
For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogs...
dnf
July 24, 2016This book cries out for a strong editor. The writing is incredibly clunky, with oddly undescriptive but long descriptions. I got about ten pages in and realized life is too short.
August 14, 2017
Clunky writing and annoying lead character. It was a struggle to finish. I found the entire murder investigation ridiculous and unrealistic (both her own amateur sleuthing and the police), and Carrie frequently came across as both unintelligent and overly emotional. Why would a murderer leave a dog biscuit with her business name by the victim? How does that make for a strong suspect? What will a sample of the same kind of biscuit prove? This is extemely sloppy "investigative" work.
The plethora of attractive single men that were suddenly interested in her was unbelievable (and at least 2 of 3 showed inexplicable asshole behavior). Also, really bad descriptions "caring eyes," "caring expression," "kissed - warmly and caringly," etc. One of the guys starts hugging and kissing her for no particular reason, and the author just throws in remarks out of nowhere "his smile suggested he wouldn't mind stopping at a room in the resort." On top of that, the writing was pretty repetitive - Biscuit was mentioned ALL THE TIME without actually being a key character. Carrie dropped Biscuit off, petted Biscuit, tied Biscuit up, fed Biscuit the highest quality food, hugged Biscuit, etc, etc. But Biscuit pretty much did nothing but act as an accessory to show how much Carrie loved her dog.
I have a lot of exception to basic reality in this book. One, how did she afford a nice house near San Bernardino California on a vet tech salary? Two, she makes dog treats...but does that actually qualify her to make regular treats for the people side of her business? Just having recipes does not a talented baker make. Then her division of time as vet tech and baker is completely inefficient. Why would you go to work for one hour at a time a couple of times a day? Not to mention all the random hours she takes off to have coffee with friends or snoop around. But she "wants it all." You need to effectively manage your time if you want to own a business and have a second job, and she was doing a bad job of it. Also, when your parents remarry and have more kids, those are not your step siblings. They are half siblings. And I'm a little unclear how a vet supposedly misdiagnosed a dog with ticks, since you should either see them or not. I also want to know why Carrie thinks you need to be strong to strangle someone to unconsciousness with a leash. Or how a receipt is falsified. If a receipt can be tied to a specific person, it must have been paid with by a card - if that transaction is not on your card, it's pretty obvious that it's not a real receipt. What kind of crappy detecting is this?
It was pretty frustrating to continually come across little mistakes like that. I guessed the killer pretty early, though I couldn't figure out a motive...because the motive was pretty stupid.
The plethora of attractive single men that were suddenly interested in her was unbelievable (and at least 2 of 3 showed inexplicable asshole behavior). Also, really bad descriptions "caring eyes," "caring expression," "kissed - warmly and caringly," etc. One of the guys starts hugging and kissing her for no particular reason, and the author just throws in remarks out of nowhere "his smile suggested he wouldn't mind stopping at a room in the resort." On top of that, the writing was pretty repetitive - Biscuit was mentioned ALL THE TIME without actually being a key character. Carrie dropped Biscuit off, petted Biscuit, tied Biscuit up, fed Biscuit the highest quality food, hugged Biscuit, etc, etc. But Biscuit pretty much did nothing but act as an accessory to show how much Carrie loved her dog.
I have a lot of exception to basic reality in this book. One, how did she afford a nice house near San Bernardino California on a vet tech salary? Two, she makes dog treats...but does that actually qualify her to make regular treats for the people side of her business? Just having recipes does not a talented baker make. Then her division of time as vet tech and baker is completely inefficient. Why would you go to work for one hour at a time a couple of times a day? Not to mention all the random hours she takes off to have coffee with friends or snoop around. But she "wants it all." You need to effectively manage your time if you want to own a business and have a second job, and she was doing a bad job of it. Also, when your parents remarry and have more kids, those are not your step siblings. They are half siblings. And I'm a little unclear how a vet supposedly misdiagnosed a dog with ticks, since you should either see them or not. I also want to know why Carrie thinks you need to be strong to strangle someone to unconsciousness with a leash. Or how a receipt is falsified. If a receipt can be tied to a specific person, it must have been paid with by a card - if that transaction is not on your card, it's pretty obvious that it's not a real receipt. What kind of crappy detecting is this?
It was pretty frustrating to continually come across little mistakes like that. I guessed the killer pretty early, though I couldn't figure out a motive...because the motive was pretty stupid.
February 18, 2021
I listened to this book. The narration was terrible. TERRIBLE. Honestly, I could have done better myself. The story itself was not amazing either. And why on earth Carrie has no fewer than THREE guys interested in her is beyond me, but she spends quite a bit of her time wondering if this or that guy is flirting with her.
I actually found the whole premise to be a bit insane. WHY would someone sell HER a bakery to turn into half a barkery when they had TWO bakers there that wanted to run it? And WHY would her veterinarian boss subsidize her venture? None of this makes a wit of business sense to me AT ALL. And, WHY would the murder victim be so darn worked up over a completely different form of competition? And, WHY would the gentle way in which Carrie seemed to respond to the aggressive nature of the victim lead the police to make her the number one suspect JUST because a dog bone was found at the scene? She HAD been to the opening, the dog bone was NOT that big of a deal.
So, Carrie OWNS the barkery AND she is ALSO still working as a vet tech. Which requires her to be gone from her barkery for spells of an hour at a time. An HOUR? Really? What is the point? At best, that leaves her 30 minutes at work. And, that is unlikely because she walks her dog and puts her in doggie daycare between sessions. Which we know, because it is tirelessly explained at every venture. HOW does she have the TIME to split between THREE guys, drink so much coffee, and investigate a murder? There is not enough time in the day.
And, this my friends, was just the beginning. The story was boring. The narration was beyond terrible. I *only* finished it because it filled in my final bingo square. Only. It didn't. Sigh. I didn't need to finish this. But I *did* want to know whodunit. Just because. And, the whodunit was just as disappointing as the remainder of this story. I suggest avoiding this one.
I actually found the whole premise to be a bit insane. WHY would someone sell HER a bakery to turn into half a barkery when they had TWO bakers there that wanted to run it? And WHY would her veterinarian boss subsidize her venture? None of this makes a wit of business sense to me AT ALL. And, WHY would the murder victim be so darn worked up over a completely different form of competition? And, WHY would the gentle way in which Carrie seemed to respond to the aggressive nature of the victim lead the police to make her the number one suspect JUST because a dog bone was found at the scene? She HAD been to the opening, the dog bone was NOT that big of a deal.
So, Carrie OWNS the barkery AND she is ALSO still working as a vet tech. Which requires her to be gone from her barkery for spells of an hour at a time. An HOUR? Really? What is the point? At best, that leaves her 30 minutes at work. And, that is unlikely because she walks her dog and puts her in doggie daycare between sessions. Which we know, because it is tirelessly explained at every venture. HOW does she have the TIME to split between THREE guys, drink so much coffee, and investigate a murder? There is not enough time in the day.
And, this my friends, was just the beginning. The story was boring. The narration was beyond terrible. I *only* finished it because it filled in my final bingo square. Only. It didn't. Sigh. I didn't need to finish this. But I *did* want to know whodunit. Just because. And, the whodunit was just as disappointing as the remainder of this story. I suggest avoiding this one.
March 26, 2018
So it happened. You may remember just before Christmas I was granted the fourth book in this series on Netgalley, without having read the first three. I mentioned on that review that I had a Christmas wish list, and this book was on it. Sure enough, despite my hoping they'd pick one of the others, I ended up getting this one! I put it on my shelf for months, but I had to see if it was just the editing in the EArc that had me rattled. It wasn't, unfortunately.
Don't get me wrong, there are good aspects of these books, not least that there is a good idea with the Barkery/Bakery theme. But that's where it ends. The writing was clunky and repetitive, and most of the book is made up of non events. Carrie tying up her dog, washing her hands, having a coffee. Although Biscuit doesn't repeat her magical transportation trick from book four, most of the book is dedicated to her actions. Carrie says at the end of this book 'No more detecting for me' ummmmm for that statement to make even a little sense she has to have done SOME detecting, and she doesn't. Blatantly asking someone 'did you kill her' and reading whether they're lying from their kindly smile doesn't count. Also, there are three men interested in Carrie all at the same time and they all have the sex appeal of a gnat. Reed in particular annoys me, and he doesn't improve over the course of the novels (Reed Storme....seriously)
Right, but now I've read it and I can stop feeling bad for the person who gifted it to me. The book still looks good on the outside with one of the prettiest covers I've seen for cozy mystery. Two stars.
Don't get me wrong, there are good aspects of these books, not least that there is a good idea with the Barkery/Bakery theme. But that's where it ends. The writing was clunky and repetitive, and most of the book is made up of non events. Carrie tying up her dog, washing her hands, having a coffee. Although Biscuit doesn't repeat her magical transportation trick from book four, most of the book is dedicated to her actions. Carrie says at the end of this book 'No more detecting for me' ummmmm for that statement to make even a little sense she has to have done SOME detecting, and she doesn't. Blatantly asking someone 'did you kill her' and reading whether they're lying from their kindly smile doesn't count. Also, there are three men interested in Carrie all at the same time and they all have the sex appeal of a gnat. Reed in particular annoys me, and he doesn't improve over the course of the novels (Reed Storme....seriously)
Right, but now I've read it and I can stop feeling bad for the person who gifted it to me. The book still looks good on the outside with one of the prettiest covers I've seen for cozy mystery. Two stars.
January 16, 2015
I have mixed feelings on this book. Overall the book was enjoyable and while I didn't guess the killer, I got really close once a few certain clues were revealed (or at least what I thought were clues!). The main character (Carrie) drove me a little crazy, I don't know if I can pinpoint anything specific, maybe she was too OCD at times and since that is not me, I couldn't relate to her. I also wonder how long she can keep up working at the bakery all day long and some shifts as a Vet Tech at the same time. She is going to burn out!
There are plenty of characters to like and dislike and I see some potential love interests for Carrie.
I think it will take a few books for me to get into the groove of this series. That is what it took for the Pet Rescue series...wasn't in love with the first book but really enjoyed follow up books.
There are plenty of characters to like and dislike and I see some potential love interests for Carrie.
I think it will take a few books for me to get into the groove of this series. That is what it took for the Pet Rescue series...wasn't in love with the first book but really enjoyed follow up books.
June 3, 2016
I have had this book sitting on my Kindle for quite some time so when I received an ARC of the second in the series, I figured it was about time to get it started. I love dogs and enjoy cozy mysteries from time to time. I usually find them quick, engrossing reads and this one was no different.
Carrie is a part-time vet tech as a local office. When her friend has to leave town to care for her ailing mother, Carrie buys her bakery and splits it into two stores - a bakery and a barkery. While Carrie may be learning the ropes of baking for human patrons, she is a pro at making healthy dog snacks and she is determined to make her businesses thrive. She does have the help of two assistants she inherited from the previous owners, so it is pretty much smooth sailing until one of Carrie's competitors, Myra, ends up dead on the night that she had Carrie had a terrible rift at Carrie's new store. Since Carrie is the #1 suspect, she takes it upon herself to try to prove her innocence before she gets arrested.
"Bite the Biscuit" has all the elements of a good cozy mystery - engaging and often quirky characters, a small town setting, and a wide array of suspects. The mystery kept me guessing and although I almost had it figured out at the end, it wasn't who I initially expected. I adore Carrie's dog Biscuit and Johnston does a great job of showing how important Biscuit is to Carrie. Carrie also has a really good relationship with her brother, which is a nice added aspect. I really only found two irritating issues with this book. First of all, Carrie, while not necessarily looking for a man, has no shortage of suitors which I found overwhelming. I mean, I started to wonder if there were any other eligible women in town. And secondly, I found Johnston's writing style a tad off. At times, she would take important messages such as "Dogs should eat healthy food" and reiterate them so many times that it interrupted the story. However, both of these issues did not take away from the overall plot of the book and I am interested to see where this series goes.
If you like cozy mysteries and animals, this is definitely a book for you to consider.
Carrie is a part-time vet tech as a local office. When her friend has to leave town to care for her ailing mother, Carrie buys her bakery and splits it into two stores - a bakery and a barkery. While Carrie may be learning the ropes of baking for human patrons, she is a pro at making healthy dog snacks and she is determined to make her businesses thrive. She does have the help of two assistants she inherited from the previous owners, so it is pretty much smooth sailing until one of Carrie's competitors, Myra, ends up dead on the night that she had Carrie had a terrible rift at Carrie's new store. Since Carrie is the #1 suspect, she takes it upon herself to try to prove her innocence before she gets arrested.
"Bite the Biscuit" has all the elements of a good cozy mystery - engaging and often quirky characters, a small town setting, and a wide array of suspects. The mystery kept me guessing and although I almost had it figured out at the end, it wasn't who I initially expected. I adore Carrie's dog Biscuit and Johnston does a great job of showing how important Biscuit is to Carrie. Carrie also has a really good relationship with her brother, which is a nice added aspect. I really only found two irritating issues with this book. First of all, Carrie, while not necessarily looking for a man, has no shortage of suitors which I found overwhelming. I mean, I started to wonder if there were any other eligible women in town. And secondly, I found Johnston's writing style a tad off. At times, she would take important messages such as "Dogs should eat healthy food" and reiterate them so many times that it interrupted the story. However, both of these issues did not take away from the overall plot of the book and I am interested to see where this series goes.
If you like cozy mysteries and animals, this is definitely a book for you to consider.
May 20, 2015
Bite the Biscuit (1 star) by Linda O. Johnson
Slow, repetitive and utterly predictable.
Carrie Kennersly has achieved her dream of taking over a local store and developing it into a bakery with a difference: one half selling human treats and the other half selling delicious, healthy dog biscuits. But Carrie’s dreams quickly turn to nightmares at the launch party as she has a run-in with Myra Ethman, owner of the local pet emporium. The very next day Myra’s dead body is discovered and all clues point to Carrie’s guilt. The police already seem convinced she is the murderer and so it is up to Carrie to prove her innocence.
I find it impossible to give this book more than one star for one simple reason: the repetition drove me mad! Yes, I understand the importance of hygiene in a bakery: one cannot have one’s canine friend in the kitchen; washing one’s hands is vital when cooking for humans and animals alike; Carrie likes to hug her dog but not when she’s baking, of course! Fine, I get it. I do not need to be told ten times in each chapter! The break in the story every time she had to tie her dog up to stop it running loose in the shop was incredibly frustrating. I suspect there might be a good story here, but it was lost in the menial tasks that were so painstakingly detailed for the reader.
The characters, however, could have easily handled a lot more detail. I found them flat, unintelligent and in need of a serious dose of reality. The overbearing local power family; the handsome vet; the suspicious out-of-towner, all just a little too stereotypical for my liking. And the ending? More predictable than a hedgehog’s midnight stroll on the M25.
~Anouk
Best Selling Crime Thrillers were given a copy of this book to review.
Slow, repetitive and utterly predictable.
Carrie Kennersly has achieved her dream of taking over a local store and developing it into a bakery with a difference: one half selling human treats and the other half selling delicious, healthy dog biscuits. But Carrie’s dreams quickly turn to nightmares at the launch party as she has a run-in with Myra Ethman, owner of the local pet emporium. The very next day Myra’s dead body is discovered and all clues point to Carrie’s guilt. The police already seem convinced she is the murderer and so it is up to Carrie to prove her innocence.
I find it impossible to give this book more than one star for one simple reason: the repetition drove me mad! Yes, I understand the importance of hygiene in a bakery: one cannot have one’s canine friend in the kitchen; washing one’s hands is vital when cooking for humans and animals alike; Carrie likes to hug her dog but not when she’s baking, of course! Fine, I get it. I do not need to be told ten times in each chapter! The break in the story every time she had to tie her dog up to stop it running loose in the shop was incredibly frustrating. I suspect there might be a good story here, but it was lost in the menial tasks that were so painstakingly detailed for the reader.
The characters, however, could have easily handled a lot more detail. I found them flat, unintelligent and in need of a serious dose of reality. The overbearing local power family; the handsome vet; the suspicious out-of-towner, all just a little too stereotypical for my liking. And the ending? More predictable than a hedgehog’s midnight stroll on the M25.
~Anouk
Best Selling Crime Thrillers were given a copy of this book to review.
June 28, 2021
1.5 stars Why did I buy this? Generally I don't like "cozy" mysteries and I think this qualifies. First, I don't like the narrator; she sounds too cutesy. Then the story: a nasty woman gets killed and our heroine, the new owner of the bakery and barkery (for dogs) is a likely suspect. She has lots of men coming around and she seems to have designs on all of them. And SO much unnecessary detail! The lawyer's office is on the third floor and there's an elevator and his clothes and hair are nice and and and... And she does really stupid things. If you're accused of murder, are you going to go and question the deceased's family and husband and eat at their establishment so you can talk to the staff to figure out who did the deed? It's mindless.
December 12, 2022
Really not enjoying this audible book. The author writes her character in first person like a scared self-centered manipulative smart child. It might translate to the author’s character. My least favorite line has noted that the main character decided to be nice to Jack, because he had discussed with her the possibility of going international with doggie treats. It seems like she has a difficult time being nice without a reason that benefits her. Quite the slip. And an unlikeable character turns me off to the writing. I don’t care for the overuse of her detailed thoughts in general. It breaks up the conversations too much and the story doesn’t move forward easily. Might not have a finish date for this one; though, I usually see a book through to the end.
January 5, 2018
Even if you are a cat person, you will enjoy Johnston’s book Bite the Biscuit and the on-going series. Protagonist Carrie Kennersly adds to her job as a veterinary technician the ownership of a joint enterprise Bakery and Pet Barkery. Kitchens kept separate, of course. When she is heard making a threatening statement that becomes real, she becomes a primary suspect. The story jumps and leaps and bounds from there into an enjoy, page turner.
--Le Coeur de l'Artiste http://www.djadamson.com/le-coeur-de-...
--Le Coeur de l'Artiste http://www.djadamson.com/le-coeur-de-...
September 19, 2018
3.5 Stars
In this first installation of the Barkery & Biscuits series, we meet vet tech and dog/human bakery owner Carrie Kennersly and her rescue dog Biscuit.
On the opening day of her new bakery, the nasty wife of a nearby pet emporium hangs around telling everyone at the top of her lungs, that Carrie's products are rubbish. Carrie defends her wholesome treats, but when the nasty shrew is murdered, Carrie becomes top suspect. Her reputation at the vet clinic where she works part time is also tarnished when they find human cookies in a box meant as dog treats (chocolate is dangerous to dogs).
This is not a fast paced book, but it reads smoothly and pleasantly and definitely falls within the definition of a cozy mystery.
In this first installation of the Barkery & Biscuits series, we meet vet tech and dog/human bakery owner Carrie Kennersly and her rescue dog Biscuit.
On the opening day of her new bakery, the nasty wife of a nearby pet emporium hangs around telling everyone at the top of her lungs, that Carrie's products are rubbish. Carrie defends her wholesome treats, but when the nasty shrew is murdered, Carrie becomes top suspect. Her reputation at the vet clinic where she works part time is also tarnished when they find human cookies in a box meant as dog treats (chocolate is dangerous to dogs).
This is not a fast paced book, but it reads smoothly and pleasantly and definitely falls within the definition of a cozy mystery.
October 13, 2022
This book was boring
The plot and writing was clunky
Carrie is boring, irritating, and if I hear one more time she’s a vet tech, a vet tech, a vet tech, I was going to screammmmmm. Everything is just so excessive, so over the top and repetitive in the book I swear my eyes were bleeding and ready for the book to be over.
I just can’t be bothered to write a full review - ughh
The plot and writing was clunky
Carrie is boring, irritating, and if I hear one more time she’s a vet tech, a vet tech, a vet tech, I was going to screammmmmm. Everything is just so excessive, so over the top and repetitive in the book I swear my eyes were bleeding and ready for the book to be over.
I just can’t be bothered to write a full review - ughh
December 22, 2017
This was good!
May 24, 2021
Good cute mystery
November 30, 2022
A delightful read .
May 21, 2015
This is an exciting time for Carrie Kennersly. She’s about to start a new venture when she buys her friend’s bakery and turns it into two bakeries – one for humans and one for dogs. In addition to her job as a veterinary technician, she plans to juggle both stores and make a success out of it.
At the opening of her stores, things take a nasty turn when the owner of another pet store, Myra Ethman, publicly badmouths Carrie and her doggie bakery goods. Myra is determined to see Carrie’s new shop go under and she makes sure everyone knows Carrie’s products are inferior.
Naturally Carrie publicly threatens to stop Myra. The very next day, Myra is murdered and Carrie is the number one suspect. The police are totally focused on Carrie, so it’s up to her to find the real killer.
This is a sweet, cute cozy mystery complete with a dog named Biscuit. I love the bakery setting and Carrie is adorable. She has so much spark and strength. I’m wondering how long she will continue managing two bakeries and working as a vet tech, though. That’s a pretty stressful life she’s building for herself, but it’s fun for the readers.
There are several romantic possibilities, but the author isn’t pushing Carrie into anything in the first book. She’s just kind of testing the chemistry. The secondary cast of characters are interesting and I’m looking forward to learning more about them, especially Carrie’s brother.
The storyline itself is fast-paced and the book is a quick read. I didn’t figure out who did it until the end, although I did have my suspicions. This is very well written and a great start to the series.
FTC Disclosure: NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
At the opening of her stores, things take a nasty turn when the owner of another pet store, Myra Ethman, publicly badmouths Carrie and her doggie bakery goods. Myra is determined to see Carrie’s new shop go under and she makes sure everyone knows Carrie’s products are inferior.
Naturally Carrie publicly threatens to stop Myra. The very next day, Myra is murdered and Carrie is the number one suspect. The police are totally focused on Carrie, so it’s up to her to find the real killer.
This is a sweet, cute cozy mystery complete with a dog named Biscuit. I love the bakery setting and Carrie is adorable. She has so much spark and strength. I’m wondering how long she will continue managing two bakeries and working as a vet tech, though. That’s a pretty stressful life she’s building for herself, but it’s fun for the readers.
There are several romantic possibilities, but the author isn’t pushing Carrie into anything in the first book. She’s just kind of testing the chemistry. The secondary cast of characters are interesting and I’m looking forward to learning more about them, especially Carrie’s brother.
The storyline itself is fast-paced and the book is a quick read. I didn’t figure out who did it until the end, although I did have my suspicions. This is very well written and a great start to the series.
FTC Disclosure: NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 8, 2019
Two new stores!
Carrie Kennersly is a veterinarian technician who buys the local bakery and renovates it to add a canine bakery as well. Heated words are exchanged between Carrie and Myra Ethman, the executive manager of Knobcone Heights Resort and owner of Pet Emporium. Carrie becomes the prime suspect when Myra is found dead the next day with one of Carrie's treats by her body.
This was a quick easy read. There were a number of repetitious things that I found annoying. I got it the first time that the treats were wholesome and that she only feeds her dog, Biscuit healthy foods. The constant recounting of going to bed early, getting good sleep and getting up early was also a given since she runs a bakery. Running back and forth between the vet office and the bakeries was tiring as well. Hopefully Carrie will make a decision to commit to the bakeries in the next installment.
Carrie's sleuthing was a little haphazard. I did find it amusing that she mentions how people get involved in solving mysteries in books. She did not use much finesse when approaching suspects.
The killer came out of left field so I went back and re-read portions of the first part of the book to see if I missed a clue. It was a twist but I looked at the killer a little differently after discovering who it was.
I like the premise of a canine bakery and had hoped for more than one recipe at the end of the book. I may try the snack for my sister's dogs to see if it is a winner.
I may try the next book just to see where certain relationships may lead.
Carrie Kennersly is a veterinarian technician who buys the local bakery and renovates it to add a canine bakery as well. Heated words are exchanged between Carrie and Myra Ethman, the executive manager of Knobcone Heights Resort and owner of Pet Emporium. Carrie becomes the prime suspect when Myra is found dead the next day with one of Carrie's treats by her body.
This was a quick easy read. There were a number of repetitious things that I found annoying. I got it the first time that the treats were wholesome and that she only feeds her dog, Biscuit healthy foods. The constant recounting of going to bed early, getting good sleep and getting up early was also a given since she runs a bakery. Running back and forth between the vet office and the bakeries was tiring as well. Hopefully Carrie will make a decision to commit to the bakeries in the next installment.
Carrie's sleuthing was a little haphazard. I did find it amusing that she mentions how people get involved in solving mysteries in books. She did not use much finesse when approaching suspects.
The killer came out of left field so I went back and re-read portions of the first part of the book to see if I missed a clue. It was a twist but I looked at the killer a little differently after discovering who it was.
I like the premise of a canine bakery and had hoped for more than one recipe at the end of the book. I may try the snack for my sister's dogs to see if it is a winner.
I may try the next book just to see where certain relationships may lead.
March 22, 2017
The big day has finally arrived! Opening day of the Barkery where Carrie will be selling her own line of pet treats. Sadly, not everyone is thrilled about the new venture and when Carrie finally can't keep her words civil she says a few unfortunate phrases. Especially when the next morning the woman who was bad mouthing the Barkery is found dead.
Working two jobs and having to get up at 4am every morning to bake, Carrie doesn't have much time to go looking for a murderer but fearing that if she doesn't clear her name she will lose everything,
Although her time is spoken for, she manages to have a social life with some handsome men.
She takes advantage of a dinner offer to do some snooping. It is hard to tell if the cops are looking for an easy way to close the case or are looking for the truth. I really have a strong dislike for these detectives. I am not too fond of Dr. Reed Storme either.
While not finding any solid clues to the main murder, some smaller mysteries come to Carrie's notice. It all comes to an exciting conclusion
Add to that some delicious sounding recipes!
I am curious what kind of trouble Carrie (or maybe Neal) gets into next time.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my impartial review.
Working two jobs and having to get up at 4am every morning to bake, Carrie doesn't have much time to go looking for a murderer but fearing that if she doesn't clear her name she will lose everything,
Although her time is spoken for, she manages to have a social life with some handsome men.
She takes advantage of a dinner offer to do some snooping. It is hard to tell if the cops are looking for an easy way to close the case or are looking for the truth. I really have a strong dislike for these detectives. I am not too fond of Dr. Reed Storme either.
While not finding any solid clues to the main murder, some smaller mysteries come to Carrie's notice. It all comes to an exciting conclusion
Add to that some delicious sounding recipes!
I am curious what kind of trouble Carrie (or maybe Neal) gets into next time.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my impartial review.
November 8, 2020
Carrie Kennersly has just opened a new combination bakery and barkery--an establishment whose purpose is to bake delectable dog treats so healthy and good that humans can eat them. She now owns both the bakery and the barkery, and on the grand opening of the two businesses combined, Myra Ethman, owner of a competitor pet food store, publicly browbeats Carrie. After she takes it long enough, Carrie makes mild threats against Myra. The next day, someone finds Myra dead with a barkery biscuit lying near her. Naturally, the cops suspect Carrie, and it's up to her to find the real killer before Carrie is arrested.
If I had spent a precious Audible credit on this, I would have raged and screamed and begged the company to restore the credit and take back this book. Johnston characterizes the detectives in this book as buffoons and clouts. It feels like there's some kind of anti-cop bias with this author. These people are more villainous than whoever killed Myra Ethman, and that's ridiculous. The plot is at least a third too long and rambly, and there are no real red herrings here to keep the reader thinking and guessing. It just felt like a bit of a slog that I trudged through just to learn who did what to whom.
If I had spent a precious Audible credit on this, I would have raged and screamed and begged the company to restore the credit and take back this book. Johnston characterizes the detectives in this book as buffoons and clouts. It feels like there's some kind of anti-cop bias with this author. These people are more villainous than whoever killed Myra Ethman, and that's ridiculous. The plot is at least a third too long and rambly, and there are no real red herrings here to keep the reader thinking and guessing. It just felt like a bit of a slog that I trudged through just to learn who did what to whom.
May 17, 2015
4 STARS
This is a mystery that keeps you guessing till the revealed. I liked the main character Carrie. Lots of drama. Lots of animals. This is a clean read.
Carrie Kennersly is a veterinary technician who is just opening her new business or two actually. She has bought a bakery from her friend and split it into two different business. She makes dogs treat in one half called the barkery.
Her grand opening of her two business. Lots of people has come out for it. Myra Ethman owns a pet store and her family owns the resort. Myra is bad mouthing Carries business during the grand opening. The next day she is found dead.
Carrie is the main suspect in Myra's death.
I did not think the fight was strong enough for her to be the main suspect. I also think the motive of the killer is one people wont be able to figure it out.
It also has some recipes included for dog treats.
I want to see where the next book in the series goes. I will look forward to reading more from Linda O. Johnson in the future.
I was given Bite the Biscuit to read by Net Galley and Midnight Ink in return I agreed to give a honest review and be part of Bite the Biscuit blog tour.
This is a mystery that keeps you guessing till the revealed. I liked the main character Carrie. Lots of drama. Lots of animals. This is a clean read.
Carrie Kennersly is a veterinary technician who is just opening her new business or two actually. She has bought a bakery from her friend and split it into two different business. She makes dogs treat in one half called the barkery.
Her grand opening of her two business. Lots of people has come out for it. Myra Ethman owns a pet store and her family owns the resort. Myra is bad mouthing Carries business during the grand opening. The next day she is found dead.
Carrie is the main suspect in Myra's death.
I did not think the fight was strong enough for her to be the main suspect. I also think the motive of the killer is one people wont be able to figure it out.
It also has some recipes included for dog treats.
I want to see where the next book in the series goes. I will look forward to reading more from Linda O. Johnson in the future.
I was given Bite the Biscuit to read by Net Galley and Midnight Ink in return I agreed to give a honest review and be part of Bite the Biscuit blog tour.
May 6, 2015
This is the first book in the Barkery and Biscuits series and it follows Carrie Kennersly a vet tech, who has opened to stores one that specializes in adult bakery items and one that specializes in doggie treats. Carrie makes these homemade treats on the premise. At the grand opening of both stores she seems to be doing well until Myra Ethman and her husband Harris come in and instigate fighting verbally with Carrie.
The next day Carrie awakes to find that Myra has been killed and is shocked to learn that the police seem to be narrowing in on her. Carrie has to find out who really did it so the police will bark up the right tree and not Carrie's tree.
I loved this adventure and mystery. I have loved every book written by Ms. Johnston she is really a great writer with her writing about pet owners, and the care they take with their animals and also adds the element of mystery that the main character has to muddle through to find out the bad guy. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Definitely a barking great adventure!
The next day Carrie awakes to find that Myra has been killed and is shocked to learn that the police seem to be narrowing in on her. Carrie has to find out who really did it so the police will bark up the right tree and not Carrie's tree.
I loved this adventure and mystery. I have loved every book written by Ms. Johnston she is really a great writer with her writing about pet owners, and the care they take with their animals and also adds the element of mystery that the main character has to muddle through to find out the bad guy. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Definitely a barking great adventure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2015
This was a very good start to a new cozy mystery series, even though it would make a good stand alone book. The main character, Carrie, opens a barkery/bakery for both humans and their beloved pets and of course a murder takes place soon after. Carrie is suspected but along the way she has a few love interests and is of course very busy with running her shops and working as a vet tech. I was surprised to learn who was the murderer. If you love animals and cozy mysteries I think you would really enjoy this new start to a series!
I did receive a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
I did receive a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
March 12, 2015
Vet tech Carrie Kennersly opens the Barkery bakery for dogs and Icing on the Cake for their humans.
I liked the careful explanation of canine issues (doggy day care as separate from the vet practice) and vet procedures as well as the issues around her double business (and keeping the two businesses separate)until it became a bit repetitious. Overall, the book couldn't have been sweeter, but I found naive Carrie wasn't that interesting and the mystery lost in day to day activities. I also missed the humor I enjoy in many canine cozies.
Too cozy.
I liked the careful explanation of canine issues (doggy day care as separate from the vet practice) and vet procedures as well as the issues around her double business (and keeping the two businesses separate)until it became a bit repetitious. Overall, the book couldn't have been sweeter, but I found naive Carrie wasn't that interesting and the mystery lost in day to day activities. I also missed the humor I enjoy in many canine cozies.
Too cozy.
December 30, 2015
Since I have enjoyed others books from this author, I was looking forward to reading this first book in a new series. I really wanted to like this book but it never seemed to go anywhere. I was on page 164 before the main character decided that maybe she should do something to solve the murder since she was the number one suspect. Even then her actions were a snooze-fest. Way to much time was spent on worrying about which bell was ringing in each side of her bakery/barkery business and not enough time was spent developing the mystery and clues to solve the crime.
January 19, 2016
I stopped reading this author's previous series when they began to all sound the same. Apparently I forgot that, and picked this up at the library.
It was dull, repetitive, dull, and then repetitive some more. And I found the whole thing a bit hard to swallow, to be honest. Everyone knows the husband is always the first suspect, and having a dog biscuit placed next to the body is ever so convenient.
And I wanted the killer to be the person it turned out to be, purely because I disliked her so much!
It was dull, repetitive, dull, and then repetitive some more. And I found the whole thing a bit hard to swallow, to be honest. Everyone knows the husband is always the first suspect, and having a dog biscuit placed next to the body is ever so convenient.
And I wanted the killer to be the person it turned out to be, purely because I disliked her so much!
May 19, 2017
I'll preface this review by saying I'm a big fan of Ms. Johnston's other series and never miss an installment. I was thrilled to find this new series but oh my goodness it was a struggle to get through this book. The writing was laborious with so may sentences adding excruciating detail even once writing about how a pick up bag wasn't needed because the dog didn't poop on the walk. Add to that a dog named Biscuit and a mystery that had to do with a bakery and I could barely finish. Not sure what happened but this is a series I will not be continuing.
May 30, 2015
This book had potential, but fell far short of it. I did not really like the main character, or the preaching in EVERY chapter about how the "homemade" dog biscuits were so much better than anything availably commercially. It really got old, really fast. And it really did not make me want to search out anything else by the author ever.
I read it because it fit a category for the 2015 Ultimate Reading Challenge, but that's the only good thing I can say about it.
I read it because it fit a category for the 2015 Ultimate Reading Challenge, but that's the only good thing I can say about it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews