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A DEADLY STAY : A Lowcountry Pet & Home Mystery
Starting over is hard. Finding dead bodies is harder.
Carrie Ashford had it all figured out—until her husband left her for his CrossFit instructor. Now forty-two, recently divorced, and desperate for a fresh start, she's traded her Atlanta event-planning career for a new life in Charleston, South Carolina. Armed with her judgmental British Shorthair cat, Margot, and a fledgling pet-sitting business, Carrie is ready to reinvent herself.
Her biggest client yet? The prestigious Worthington family, one of Charleston's oldest names. All Carrie has to do is care for two elderly Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in a stunning Legare Street mansion while the matriarch cruises the Mediterranean.
Simple. Easy. Absolutely nothing could go wrong.
Except Constance Worthington isn't on a cruise. She's lying dead in her prize-winning rose garden.
Suddenly Carrie—the outsider, the stranger, the woman alone in the house—is the prime suspect. Detective Marcus Hale makes his suspicions crystal clear, and Charleston society isn't far behind with their whispers and accusations.
With her freedom and her new life on the line, Carrie must navigate a web of family secrets, old money grudges, and buried scandals to find the real killer. Her only allies? A sharp-tongued society matron who knows where all the bodies are buried, a best friend with excellent wine, and two devoted dogs who might just hold the key to everything.
A DEADLY STAY is the first book in The Pet Sitter's Predicament series, featuring a smart amateur sleuth, a slow-burn romance, charming animal companions, and the atmospheric beauty of Charleston, South Carolina. Perfect for fans of Lilian Jackson Braun, Krista Davis, and Elizabeth Craig.
Carrie Ashford had it all figured out—until her husband left her for his CrossFit instructor. Now forty-two, recently divorced, and desperate for a fresh start, she's traded her Atlanta event-planning career for a new life in Charleston, South Carolina. Armed with her judgmental British Shorthair cat, Margot, and a fledgling pet-sitting business, Carrie is ready to reinvent herself.
Her biggest client yet? The prestigious Worthington family, one of Charleston's oldest names. All Carrie has to do is care for two elderly Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in a stunning Legare Street mansion while the matriarch cruises the Mediterranean.
Simple. Easy. Absolutely nothing could go wrong.
Except Constance Worthington isn't on a cruise. She's lying dead in her prize-winning rose garden.
Suddenly Carrie—the outsider, the stranger, the woman alone in the house—is the prime suspect. Detective Marcus Hale makes his suspicions crystal clear, and Charleston society isn't far behind with their whispers and accusations.
With her freedom and her new life on the line, Carrie must navigate a web of family secrets, old money grudges, and buried scandals to find the real killer. Her only allies? A sharp-tongued society matron who knows where all the bodies are buried, a best friend with excellent wine, and two devoted dogs who might just hold the key to everything.
A DEADLY STAY is the first book in The Pet Sitter's Predicament series, featuring a smart amateur sleuth, a slow-burn romance, charming animal companions, and the atmospheric beauty of Charleston, South Carolina. Perfect for fans of Lilian Jackson Braun, Krista Davis, and Elizabeth Craig.
- GenresAmazon
399 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 9, 2026
Not a bad story, but it p l o d d e d along. If I had to hear one more "cost more than my rent/car/house/salary/wedding/whatever" as a descriptor I may have screamed. Did Becca own a restaurant or a design firm?
This book SCREAMS for a good editor. Someone who would note the discrepancies in the timeline; someone who could make the Preston story believable; someone who could flesh out Hank and Louisa so we knew all of them equally well; and someone who could know when to stop. After about 80% completed, I skimmed. I can be told only so often how Carrie grew and how lovely Charleston is.
The romance is nice; it proceeds appropriately and, unlike many cozies, allows each character to respect the other.
This book SCREAMS for a good editor. Someone who would note the discrepancies in the timeline; someone who could make the Preston story believable; someone who could flesh out Hank and Louisa so we knew all of them equally well; and someone who could know when to stop. After about 80% completed, I skimmed. I can be told only so often how Carrie grew and how lovely Charleston is.
The romance is nice; it proceeds appropriately and, unlike many cozies, allows each character to respect the other.
February 11, 2026
its ok
It went on way too long. I liked the pet part but the story should have ended earlier wheen the murder was solved
It went on way too long. I liked the pet part but the story should have ended earlier wheen the murder was solved
January 21, 2026
Fun to read, highly recommend
The title, cover, and description of this book lured me in. As I started reading, I felt an immediate connection to Carrie, and Margot, her judgemental cat.
Starting her life over, she moves to Charleston and begins pet sitting.
When she arrives at her next job, the care of Winston and Churchill, she doesn't expect to become involved in a murder investigation, risking her own safety for someone she doesn't know.
This is a well written book and I really enjoyed the story. It's a fun, light, cozy mystery that made me laugh and cry. Winston and Churchill will forever be in my heart.
The title, cover, and description of this book lured me in. As I started reading, I felt an immediate connection to Carrie, and Margot, her judgemental cat.
Starting her life over, she moves to Charleston and begins pet sitting.
When she arrives at her next job, the care of Winston and Churchill, she doesn't expect to become involved in a murder investigation, risking her own safety for someone she doesn't know.
This is a well written book and I really enjoyed the story. It's a fun, light, cozy mystery that made me laugh and cry. Winston and Churchill will forever be in my heart.
April 13, 2026
Carrie Ashford has been through a lot, but she isn't going to give up on life. Moving to a cottage that was her grandmother's in Charlotte, Carrie settles down with an unusual cat, and the story unfolds. Of course, with every mystery, you have to have a dead body. Carrie, sadly, is the one to find it. The story is a bit long, with slower reading in places, but it is a good mystery with some twists and turns. I think this book is great for a cozy afternoon in front of a fire.
June 14, 2026
Plot & characters were wonderful!
The plot had so many twists that I kept changing my mind about who the villain was. My only problem was with the last few chapters. They either contained information that should've been earlier or came across as the beginning of a 2nd book. It was "wait, and then there was more" over and over. It was annoying and I found myself skipping whole pages. Other than that it was a great book.
The plot had so many twists that I kept changing my mind about who the villain was. My only problem was with the last few chapters. They either contained information that should've been earlier or came across as the beginning of a 2nd book. It was "wait, and then there was more" over and over. It was annoying and I found myself skipping whole pages. Other than that it was a great book.
March 7, 2026
Good Start to This Series
I liked the mystery, it was an awesome and unusual series of twists. There were inconsistencies that were distracting. Did Carrie get her house from her aunt or did Becca find it for her? Is there a dog named Phantom or did I dream that part? Well, it is a mystery😁 Moving on, so many books so little time.
I liked the mystery, it was an awesome and unusual series of twists. There were inconsistencies that were distracting. Did Carrie get her house from her aunt or did Becca find it for her? Is there a dog named Phantom or did I dream that part? Well, it is a mystery😁 Moving on, so many books so little time.
April 27, 2026
decent story
I enjoyed the story. The characters were relatable but there were some errors in the timeline and reference to events that perhaps were once in the story but had been deleted. I felt that the relationship moved pretty quickly for a recent divorcee and the ending went on a few chapters too long and I skimmed them.
I enjoyed the story. The characters were relatable but there were some errors in the timeline and reference to events that perhaps were once in the story but had been deleted. I felt that the relationship moved pretty quickly for a recent divorcee and the ending went on a few chapters too long and I skimmed them.
August 14, 2026
OK
There seemed to be some discrepancies that made it a little confusing. Carrie is a pet sitter who is hired to care for a woman's 2 dogs. She is supposedly on a cruise, but Carrie finds her dead in her garden. Thus begins a quest to clear herself and figure out who killed the woman. I prefer her Paws & Probable Cause series to this one.
There seemed to be some discrepancies that made it a little confusing. Carrie is a pet sitter who is hired to care for a woman's 2 dogs. She is supposedly on a cruise, but Carrie finds her dead in her garden. Thus begins a quest to clear herself and figure out who killed the woman. I prefer her Paws & Probable Cause series to this one.
February 6, 2026
Great
This is a good story full of action some scary moments dogs cats and nosey high society people toss in a good looking detective with a daughter and I call it fun. I enjoyed reading this story.
This is a good story full of action some scary moments dogs cats and nosey high society people toss in a good looking detective with a daughter and I call it fun. I enjoyed reading this story.
March 25, 2026
Fun and entertaining
I really enjoyed this book in spite of a few glaring editing errors. The book followed a timeline that was lost at a few points. I look forward to reading more of Ms Lyon’s work.
I really enjoyed this book in spite of a few glaring editing errors. The book followed a timeline that was lost at a few points. I look forward to reading more of Ms Lyon’s work.
July 30, 2026
Dog tracking
The author could have done a better job of keeping track of where the dogs were in the story. Every chapter the place they were in conterdicted where they were in the last chapter. Other than that the story followed the normal criteria of the cozy mystery.
The author could have done a better job of keeping track of where the dogs were in the story. Every chapter the place they were in conterdicted where they were in the last chapter. Other than that the story followed the normal criteria of the cozy mystery.
September 1, 2026
Good cozy read
It's been awhile since reading a cozy mystery book. This was a good one to get me back into reading them. Plan on reading the other books in this series. Truly enjoyed this book. Love the pet sitting theme.
It's been awhile since reading a cozy mystery book. This was a good one to get me back into reading them. Plan on reading the other books in this series. Truly enjoyed this book. Love the pet sitting theme.
April 10, 2026
Wonderful read!
May 25, 2026
Interesting story, but typical of Sophie Lyon, way too much redundancy, especially after the plot climax. Also, quite a few wording mistakes. Is this book written or heavily aided by an AI?
June 9, 2026
suspense, intrigue at every turn!
Pets, characters, locations interwoven to keep the reader continually involved. , a murder occurs, but the pets come out of it okay.
Pets, characters, locations interwoven to keep the reader continually involved. , a murder occurs, but the pets come out of it okay.
June 12, 2026
An okay read but lacking the polish and sparkle of the Paws and Probable Cause series. Carrie is not as relatable as the heroine in the P &PC series.
September 4, 2026
excellent work
Who would think a pet sitter could solve a murder? Carrie is good at what she does. Looking forward to seeing her with Marcus in the futire
Who would think a pet sitter could solve a murder? Carrie is good at what she does. Looking forward to seeing her with Marcus in the futire
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews