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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.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2025
51 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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.
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.
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.
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
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews