Something Prowling in Paradise Park: A Kate Tessler Amateur Sleuth Mystery

The Accidental Detective #7

by Kris Bock

Three cases. One body. Zero chance of staying out of trouble.

Kate Tessler may have thought her days of chasing danger were over. But the former war correspondent’s “retirement” in sunny Paradise, Arizona, is anything but quiet. With her eccentric circle of friends and colleagues, Kate has built a new life—full of mysteries, mayhem, and the occasional stakeout—as she works towards earning her PI license.

After wrapping her last case, Kate wonders what’s next when three cases—all brought by friends—fall into her lap. Squatters in a snowbird’s house, local pedigree dogs disappearing, and smash and grab burglaries at local pot shops. Kate juggles the cases with help from her usual cast of amateur crime solvers, including the teen sons of Paradise’s mayor. As she digs, Kate suspects at least two cases are connected.

But things turn deadly when a late-night stakeout leads Kate and one teen sidekick, interested in investigative work, straight to a body. Was it a gruesome accident—or something far more sinister?

With humor and high stakes, The Accidental Detective mysteries prove that danger and friendship don’t retire quietly.

Genres: Mystery

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2026

About the author

Be sure to follow Kris on BookBub for the latest releases and sales: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kris-...

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. This humorous series starts with Something Shady at Sunshine Haven. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter: https://sendfox.com/KrisBock

Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. Get a free 10,000-word story set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café when you sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter: https://sendfox.com/lp/1g5nx3 You’ll also get a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Kris Bock also writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town.

“Smart romance with an 'Indiana Jones' feel,”

Kris's Southwest Treasure Hunters novels each stand alone and are complete, with no cliffhangers. This series mixes action and adventure with romance. The stories explore the Southwest, especially New Mexico. Desert Gold follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In Valley of Gems, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In Silver Canyon, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle.

Fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Terry Odell will want to check out Kris Bock’s romantic adventures. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.” 5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page at https://www.amazon.com/author/krisbock

Ms. Bock also writes for young people under the name Chris Eboch. The Eyes of Pharaoh is an action-packed mystery set in ancient Egypt. In The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan girl in ninth-century Guatemala rebels against the High Priest who sacrifices anyone challenging his power. The Haunted series follows a brother and sister who travel with their parents’ ghost hunter TV show and try to help the ghosts while keeping their activities secret from meddling grownups. It begins with The Ghost on the Stairs.

Read excerpts at www.chriseboch.com.

Reviews

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I thought you’d never ask. It’s time to set up a sting!”

Kris Bock’s Accidental Detective Mystery series has the kind of humor that’s right up my alley. Kate’s wry narrative routinely mirrors what I would say or think in a similar situation, and the Coffee Shop Irregulars (quirky senior citizen friends of Kate’s dad who self-drafted themselves into a gang of amateur sleuths) continue leave me laughing out loud with their enthusiastic antics. The quote I shared above comes from one of those Irregulars during the latest installment – Something Prowling in Paradise Park – and the first thought that popped into my mind when I read it was, “Oh boy, here we go!” Because while the plot changes from book to book, I can always count on things to turn delightfully chaotic when the Irregulars get involved in a sting… or a stakeout… or an attempted kidnapping. And half the fun is watching Kate gamely try to keep them in line and out of jail. (Another quote that gave me a giggle in this book – “His hand rubbed circles on my back, trailing heat. Not in a sexy way, he just had hot hands.”)

Between the squatters in a snowbird community, the recent surge in dognapping, and a rash of smash-and-grab thefts & vandalism at local marijuana dispensaries (pot is legal in Arizona), Kate and her faithful crew have their hands full in Something Prowling in Paradise Park. And the stakes in these separate investigations get higher as the story progresses, including some possible connections between them. One of the things I loved about these cases is how they were all brought to Kate by her friends & the Irregulars, not something she stumbled into on her own. Well, at least until…. never mind. You’ll have to find out the rest of that sentence when you read the book! I also loved how Kate’s relationship with her boyfriend Todd’s teenage boys gets closer as they help her with these investigations (including the one they brought to her in the first place). It was fun to see them interact with her – and vice versa – even if it did undoubtedly raise Todd’s blood pressure a time or two (or ten).

Bottom Line: I enjoy mysteries that make me laugh as often as they have me wondering whodunit, so Something Prowling in Paradise Park by Kris Bock was a treat to read! The quirky ensemble cast and the endearing (and hilarious) relationships between them delighted me as they always do in this series. I mean, the antics of the Coffee Shop Irregulars are worth the price of the book all on their own, but if you need more reasons, then the cleverly layered mysteries along with Kate’s dry wit and the relationship growth across the series should do the trick. With its engaging mix of small-town mystery, giggle-inducing humor, and a cast of characters who refuse to stay on the sidelines, this latest Accidental Detective installment is pure fun and a lot of heart to boot.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this whole series. Yes, I grabbed this as soon as it was published and devoured it... I like the way the series develops the protagonist's residence in a new town, her family, and the cast of characters around her.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something Prowling in Paradise Park is a wonderful addition to Kris Bock’s enjoyable series, The Accidental Detective. I was thrilled to read another book in this series. It features Kate Tessler, her sister Jen and her boyfriend Todd. In addition, their dad and his cronies, Todd’s teenage sons and some other friends join them in solving mysteries. The book is set in Arizona. Kate had been a war correspondent but had gotten injured and returned home. She and Jen are working on getting licensed as PI’s and she is writing freelance articles.

As the book opens, Todd’s sons have reached out to Kate about an increase in cases of dogs being stolen. They discuss what might be happening and begin researching and making plans to try and help solve this issue. Then they are asked to help some friends of their dad’s who have returned to find squatters living in their home. Again, the group of sleuths meet to discuss strategies and research how to work on this case. While following up a lead, they discover a dispensary has been hit on purpose by a car in order to steal their product and the money in an onsite ATM. They interview the owners and suspect the squatters may be involved in the dispensary crime.

Kate has been feeling odd lately and realizes she is going through menopause. She mentions it to Todd and he seems to understand. With Todd’s sons having asked her to help with the dog kidnapping case, she is involving them in the stake out and sting and she isn’t sure how Todd feels about this. She is worried this might hurt their relationship that has been progressing so well. Kate has never had a relationship and she is wanting this to work. After a stakeout, she and Todd’s son discover a dead body in the yard where the squatters are and it adds additional problems to their investigation. It also causes more worries for her regarding what Todd is thinking. All is very exciting, suspenseful and very fun to read.

This is another well written book by Kris. The characters are eccentric but genuine. All are developed great and are interesting to read. Kate is very likable and I am rooting for happy times for her, solving mysteries and sharing a wonderful life with Todd. I am glad all the characters we’ve met in prior books are in this story as well. It allows for great continuity and flow. The mystery had lots of surprises and the different cases being resolved made for a terrific book. Hopefully, there are more books to come in this series. It’s another 5 star book by Kris Bock that I am happy to recommend.

I was fortunate to receive this ARC from Tule Publishing Company in exchange for my honest review.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. This is my first outing out with this author but it certainly won't be my last, as I really enjoyed it. I liked the cast of characters and the way that everybody got involved in the case, from the old to the young. All had there part to play and it was interesting the way Kate had to handle them. Whether it was coming up with jobs to keep the elderly members of the team out of trouble or letting the teenage boys feel involved in the case and keeping there dad from shouting at her when thing go wrong because you just know things are going to go wrong. It was nicely written to be entertaining and fast moving. As for the mystery side of the story, it was good. While not really a case with suspects for the reader to wonder about, the reader does become engaged in the out come as the stories unfold. The dog napping has the teens taking over most of the research and just unfolds with each piece of information they learn. With the robbery case, the reader has a very good idea of who was involved and the squatting case is the one that gets complicated and has you guessing. Never a dull moments and a series to be added to my must read list.

When Kate gets a phone call from her boyfriends teenage boys asking for her help, she has no idea what she is getting herself into. The boys have noticed a trend and raise in dog napping cases in the area. Afraid for there own dog they need advice on how to help the dogs and there owners. At the same time her sister is being asked to help when squatters move into a house by the real home owners. The police are unable to do anything about it until it goes to court. With the Coffee Shop Irregulars set to help, a clue quickly leads them to a smash and grab at a marijuana shop. Has Kate and Jen found away to help the home owners? The dog napping case also quickly gets legs of its own and the boys are following up clues of there own but with both cases turn deadly serious it's up to Kate to keep everybody safe and find the answers they need.
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Lisa Ahlstedt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Tessler is adjusting to her new life. She used to be a war correspondent, but an accident on the job has left her with a bum leg and time on her hands. She's moved back in with her father and spends her time as an amateur private investigator. In this outing, she has two main cases that she must solve. One involves tracking down a dog-theft ring. Purebred dogs are apparently being stolen to order by a gang of dognappers. The other investigation involves an elderly couple who arrives at their winter home in Arizona to discover squatters living there. The new residents claim to have a rental agreement, although everyone knows this is forged. In order to get them out, the real owners will have to involve the courts in order to establish ownership, a process that could take a while. In the meantime, Kate manages to sneak into the house and discovers clear evidence of drugs being packaged for sale. This ties in with some other crimes that are occurring in the area, where cars drive into marijuana dispensaries overnight and steal everything they can before escaping. Kate is also navigating a new relationship with the town's mayor, and the avid interest of his two teenaged sons, who are only too eager to help Kate with her investigations.

There was a lot going on in this book! I had a hard time keeping up with all the characters. This is the 7th book in the series, so I wasn't familiar with everyone and I wasn't exactly sure how they all fit into the story. Her father had some elderly friends who apparently were also bored and ready to head out to stake outs and car surveillance. The story began with Kate upstairs getting ready to go out and talking with her sister on the phone. Then she finished getting ready and went downstairs, and her sister was there with their father. It didn't make sense that they were speaking on the phone while in the same house??? So I was confused about several things in this book. I still managed to enjoy the various mysteries and how they eventually got resolved.

I received a copy of this book from a GoodReads giveaway.

[Rebecca Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my third visit to Paradise with Kate and the crew, and I am still enjoying the series. The story is a great romp through what could (even should?) be some serious situations that are always tinged with a hint of the absurd that I find highly pleasurable.

Kate is a great heroine, in my opinion. Fiftyish, a bit disabled, and utterly unwilling to give in to either fact, she matches how most of us feel about aging: it's not really happening, is it? The onset of symptoms of menopause and her decision not to treat them like something shameful, but another fact of life (like her injured leg?) is a much-needed counterweight to the preponderance of young women in the cozy genre--and to our society's way of ignoring women's needs and particularly the realities of aging.

The three mysteries quickly morph to two, which balance nicely off each other. With each of them, I did feel like I was left with some things to figure out and fill in on my own, suspicions and questions raised that weren't wholly settled. But the story is complete, no worries there. (I pay special attention to clues that may not turn into anything, and am contemplating how that works, for good or otherwise. It's a hazard of the profession.)

Kris Bock does a nice job of creating a set of friends who have strengths that help each other. And running through it all is a reminder that old people aren't just "old people." They are people with knowledge and skills that sometimes come in very handy, along with their quirks and crotchets.

My Recommendation:
This series, including this book, is a great one to have handy for vacation reads or those times when you need a good distraction from the world around us, into one where justice prevails and most people are generally good.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of the book as part of a virtual book tour. The opinions in this review are purely my own.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something Prowling in Paradise Park by Kris Bock is the seventh in the Kate Tessler Amateur Sleuth Mystery series, titled The Accidental Detective. Kate returned home to heal thinking her investigative work was over but has found a new career as a PI, while she is working towards an official license. She has found a closer relationship with her sister, some unique friends and even romance along the way. This time she has multiple cases while none seen too dangerous at first, they do seem to be continued. After a body is found the suspense ramps up in this story. Being a cozy mystery there is nothing too scary or gory but still the danger is real. Her crew follow their leader with friendship, warmth, and humor. Of course, the truth comes out in the end.

[Elaine Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Something Prowling in Paradise Park ~The Accidental Detective #7 by Kris Bock from the very beginning of the series, and it continues to impress.

I absolutely love Kris Bock’s writing style. This mystery series truly has it all — engaging storytelling from the very first page, wonderfully developed characters, and a strong, intriguing storyline that keeps you guessing right through to the end.

Beautifully written and expertly paced, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a compelling and well-crafted mystery. I highly recommend it.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to the Accidental Detective series.

Working towards her PI license, Kate Tessler, takes on several new cases which may or may not be connected. With the help of her family and friends, Kate gets to business solving the crimes. I totally enjoyed this fast-paced and unpredictable book. The writing is really good and the characters feel like old friends that I can’t wait to catch up with. I hope there will be more to this series as I always enjoy the books.

[Phylis Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. All kinds of things going on to keep you interested in the book. I highly recommend it.

The twists are someone is stealing dogs in the park, we have squatters, and we have someone stealing merchandise from the CBD stores.

The gang, Jen, Mac, Clarence, Arnold, Dad and I with Todd's help are going to solve all the mysteries.

Check out the book I think you will enjoy it too.

[Robin Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate has her hands full this time, with three different cases that may or may not be connected. With the help of a diverse group of family and friends, including her boyfriend’s teenage sons, Kate and her sister dive in to investigate. Well written cozy mystery with a bunch of characters that feel like friends, a little humor, and a few twists and turns along the way. Looking forward to the next adventure!
I received a free copy via Booksprout, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, given to me by Tule Publishing via BookFunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Always enjoyable and with an ecletic group of characters, “Something Prowling in Paradise Park”, by Kris Bock, shows the Kessler sisters in action with another investigation where family, friends and loved ones are all called to participate.
I loved the easy relationship and banter between the sisters and their unusual group of investigators, involving this time the teen sons of Todd, the leading accidental detective’s boyfriend.
The affection and closeness between the crew is wonderful to watch. Everyone has something valuable and important to contribute, everyone is worthy.
I loved having more of Kate, Todd and his boys. Kate’s tendency to overthinking was interesting to watch; she’s impulsive but very smart and thoughful.
They’re wonderful characters dealing with an interesting crime. I’m gonna miss these unforgetable characters.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book 7 in the Accidental Detective book. Kate has never been so busy with her PI office and is trying to work three cases. Squatters in a snowbird’s house, local pedigree dogs disappearing, and smash and grab burglaries at local pot shops. The former war corespondent must prioritize and multi-task before she ends up being a murder case that needs to be solved.

[Sue :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly fun cozy mystery.

It got a little chaotic with all of the cases that had to be solved but they managed to solve every case.