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An Art Detective Dog Lover's Short Story #1
Sniffing Out a Crime
Cindy Lange's heart lay in shattered pieces. A fluke Google search revealed that her partner of seven years, Diana, had traded her in for a newer, younger model. Seeking to retreat from her grief, Cindy signed up to be a dog foster mommy. Duke, an elderly basset hound, was just the salve she needed to soothe her jagged wounds. His big, soulful eyes reminded her that life offered much to appreciate. Every new rose bush held beneath it the hope of a playful chipmunk or elusive acorn.And then, strolling with Duke along a sunny bike path, Cindy got the call that lifted her spirits. The Worcester Art Museum needed her help. At long last, her dreams of becoming an art detective were coming true!But could Cindy shake off the shadowy tendrils of her failed relationship to focus on her very first case?* * *Sniffing Out a Crime is the first book in the Dog Fosterer Museum Mysteries series. These short stories are about 15 pages each and feature museums of all shapes and sizes. Author Lisa Shea goes to each museum personally to write up its sights, sounds, and exhibits. That way you, the reader, can take a virtual vacation to these museums! Visit Lisa's webpages to see photos and write-ups of the museums. All of the Dog Fosterer Museum Mysteries series contain no violence, no swearing, and no intimacy, so they are suitable for teens and up. You can read the books one-by-one as they are released, or you can wait for the boxed sets to be published once the series gets enough books in it. It's your choice!A portion of all proceeds benefits battered women's shelters.
24 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2015
75 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Shea
514 books468 followersLisa Shea is a fervent fan of honor, loyalty, and chivalry. She brings to life worlds where men and women stand shoulder to shoulder, steady in their desire to make the world a better place for all. Most of her profits are donated to support battered women's shelters.
Lisa's works are all cleanly written with no explicit intimacy and little language. They are suitable for teens and up.
Lisa has written a wide range of fiction stories. She has medieval romances, modern murder mystery novels, sci-fi adventures, Scottish regency time travel romances, dystopian stories, 1800s-era black-Indian novellas, and Blackstone Valley mysteries.
In short stories, there's a thirty-one part story-a-day mini mystery series set in Salem, Massachusetts through the month of October 2014. There's a time travel series, a Biblical-era series, a zoo mystery series, an art museum mystery series, a diner mystery series with an Asperger's heroine, a romantic proposal series, three sci-fi and two contemporary shorts.
On the non-fiction side, Lisa has written nearly 100 books. There are low carb books, relationship books, green living, journaling, ASP programming, sleep and dreams, wine, wedding and courtship traditions, Melville poetry, and history. There is also a collection of books on self-help topics like working from home, reducing stress, yoga, meditation, using Twitter, running an author signing, and conquering a fear of spiders.
Lisa also writes poetry.
Lisa has thousands of pages online to help aspiring authors learn how to develop time management, write that book, lay it out, and get it published. Visit LisaShea.com for all the details, and free to email with questions!
Namaste.
Lisa's works are all cleanly written with no explicit intimacy and little language. They are suitable for teens and up.
Lisa has written a wide range of fiction stories. She has medieval romances, modern murder mystery novels, sci-fi adventures, Scottish regency time travel romances, dystopian stories, 1800s-era black-Indian novellas, and Blackstone Valley mysteries.
In short stories, there's a thirty-one part story-a-day mini mystery series set in Salem, Massachusetts through the month of October 2014. There's a time travel series, a Biblical-era series, a zoo mystery series, an art museum mystery series, a diner mystery series with an Asperger's heroine, a romantic proposal series, three sci-fi and two contemporary shorts.
On the non-fiction side, Lisa has written nearly 100 books. There are low carb books, relationship books, green living, journaling, ASP programming, sleep and dreams, wine, wedding and courtship traditions, Melville poetry, and history. There is also a collection of books on self-help topics like working from home, reducing stress, yoga, meditation, using Twitter, running an author signing, and conquering a fear of spiders.
Lisa also writes poetry.
Lisa has thousands of pages online to help aspiring authors learn how to develop time management, write that book, lay it out, and get it published. Visit LisaShea.com for all the details, and free to email with questions!
Namaste.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 15, 2020
Quick 15 min read from kindle unlimited. I liked the premise and the museum/art gallery details, as well as the details of the good boi doggo. But the protagonist is kinda pathetic, and too caught up on her own head after a breakup, and the mystery was boring.
I tried the second installment too, but found the same. Just not enough interest here for me to continue. Too dull.
I tried the second installment too, but found the same. Just not enough interest here for me to continue. Too dull.
March 8, 2018
Needs some work
I understand the idea is to keep these short and I'm pretty sure I got this free, so I really can't complain too much, but there wasn't a lot to stand on. The story was weirdly repetitive and the mystery wasn't terribly mysterious. The way she kept bringing up Duke and Diana was kind of strange, too. Even though it was so short, I really struggled finishing it. That being said, I think if more time was given to the actual mystery and the writing was polished up it wouldn't be too bad. I'd like to know more about her relationship with Diana and he rife as a police officer. Maybe I could find that in the sequels but I'm really not interested.
I understand the idea is to keep these short and I'm pretty sure I got this free, so I really can't complain too much, but there wasn't a lot to stand on. The story was weirdly repetitive and the mystery wasn't terribly mysterious. The way she kept bringing up Duke and Diana was kind of strange, too. Even though it was so short, I really struggled finishing it. That being said, I think if more time was given to the actual mystery and the writing was polished up it wouldn't be too bad. I'd like to know more about her relationship with Diana and he rife as a police officer. Maybe I could find that in the sequels but I'm really not interested.
October 13, 2015
Having read Shea's The Lucky Cat - Black Cat Vol. 1 - A Salem Massachusetts Mini Mystery, I grabbed this one for kindle, too, and just got to it. Again, a very short story, but perhaps that's Shea's forte? I wasn't drawn to the protagonist, Cindy Lange. She's obsessed with her recent break-up, and she can barely function. Thank goodness this was a simple crime mystery, lest Lange be too spacey and incompetent to solve it. I hope in subsequent books she's all sorted because Shea lays good groundwork for a series of short stories here. I was hoping for more of the dog, though. In addition, Shea has obviously been to WAM, perhaps a few times. The recent Higgins acquisitions are mentioned, as well they should be. HA was awesome...perhaps Shea should set her stories there instead of museums...they did have that cool suit of dog armor, after all.
February 9, 2018
The story was short, concise and to the point, and a portion of the proceeds goes to the battered women's shelter.
There's no lengthy rhetoric, or enough time to become bored with the characters or storyline. It's short, but that can be a definite bonus if you're in the mood for a quick read between chores or while sitting in a waiting room somewhere, craving a little bit of literary distraction. I enjoyed this short diversion. It's amazing how quickly the mystery was solved. If the detective in the story, gets paid by the hour, she's too good to make much profit. If she charges a flat fee, plus expenses, then she's making out like a bandit. Either way, this was an enjoyable quick read, and part of the proceeds from sales go to the battered women's shelter, which is a very worthwhile cause. Thank you, Lisa Shea, for a delightfully relaxing break from life's problems!
There's no lengthy rhetoric, or enough time to become bored with the characters or storyline. It's short, but that can be a definite bonus if you're in the mood for a quick read between chores or while sitting in a waiting room somewhere, craving a little bit of literary distraction. I enjoyed this short diversion. It's amazing how quickly the mystery was solved. If the detective in the story, gets paid by the hour, she's too good to make much profit. If she charges a flat fee, plus expenses, then she's making out like a bandit. Either way, this was an enjoyable quick read, and part of the proceeds from sales go to the battered women's shelter, which is a very worthwhile cause. Thank you, Lisa Shea, for a delightfully relaxing break from life's problems!
May 27, 2024
Cindy Lange is mid-thirties. She’s still reeling from a breakup with ex-girlfriend Diana, who traded Cindy in for a new, younger model.
She’s had a lot of trouble since the separation; Cindy can’t concentrate well at all. So she’s trying her hand at fostering dogs.
Duke is an aging but determined Nick Carter bloodhound.
Cindy looks into artwork loss issues. A former police office in Hartford, Cindy has always had a passion for art and art history.
She’s excited to get a call from Jocelyn at the Worcester Art Museum. Turns out, there’s a nefarious plot where the interns are suspects.
Lots of interesting projects at the museum, such as the restoration of the Paolo Porpora painting, “Flowers.”
While determining the culprit, Cindy is inspired by Duke’s persistence and perseverance.
Nice solve. Curious to see where this series goes.
She’s had a lot of trouble since the separation; Cindy can’t concentrate well at all. So she’s trying her hand at fostering dogs.
Duke is an aging but determined Nick Carter bloodhound.
Cindy looks into artwork loss issues. A former police office in Hartford, Cindy has always had a passion for art and art history.
She’s excited to get a call from Jocelyn at the Worcester Art Museum. Turns out, there’s a nefarious plot where the interns are suspects.
Lots of interesting projects at the museum, such as the restoration of the Paolo Porpora painting, “Flowers.”
While determining the culprit, Cindy is inspired by Duke’s persistence and perseverance.
Nice solve. Curious to see where this series goes.
February 29, 2020
The computer glitch
A great little read. The heroine is down at mouth as her long term partner has traded her in for a newer model. However the foster dog she has taken in has given her a much need boost to her flagging spirits. As has the request from the local museum to look into a case for them. Her police experience raises it's head and gives her added impetus to solve the case.
Someone has been taking unauthorised pictures of an item being restored. It could only be one of of four interns but which one? Can she use her knowledge to ferret out the guilty?
A great little read. The heroine is down at mouth as her long term partner has traded her in for a newer model. However the foster dog she has taken in has given her a much need boost to her flagging spirits. As has the request from the local museum to look into a case for them. Her police experience raises it's head and gives her added impetus to solve the case.
Someone has been taking unauthorised pictures of an item being restored. It could only be one of of four interns but which one? Can she use her knowledge to ferret out the guilty?
August 21, 2018
Cute short story
This free e-book is a cute short story and worth the read. It is the first if a series of short stories, and I can see myself reading more of the series.
This free e-book is a cute short story and worth the read. It is the first if a series of short stories, and I can see myself reading more of the series.
June 30, 2019
Cute short story.
August 24, 2020
Fun.
I enjoyed Sniffing Out a Crime. Short. Sweet. Funny. And of course, a cute dog. OK. On to the next in the series.
I enjoyed Sniffing Out a Crime. Short. Sweet. Funny. And of course, a cute dog. OK. On to the next in the series.
September 9, 2021
Cute, fast read. Brings attention to fostering dogs. Made me happy when I finished.
December 2, 2025
2.5 stars
September 1, 2015
A great start to a new series of mini-mysteries about an "art detective" who takes in foster dogs... I really like the protagonist and all. This is one of those stories that grabbed me emotionally from the beginning. I mean, it hit one of my super soft-spots because of the protagonist and her situation; so 5 stars for that! (Full disclosure: I was honored to read it mere days before publication.)
December 30, 2015
I really enjoyed this quick mystery! It reminded me of the books I read as a teen where the story was quick, but your brain is running the whole time, trying to figure out who the killer is before you get to the end. I admit my brain isn't as fast as it used to be. It took me almost to the end to realize who it was...
I would love to read more in this series!
I would love to read more in this series!
December 30, 2015
I really enjoyed this quick mystery! It reminded me of the books I read as a teen where the story was quick, but your brain is running the whole time, trying to figure out who the killer is before you get to the end. I admit my brain isn't as fast as it used to be. It took me almost to the end to realize who it was...
I would love to read more in this series!
review by Cryssy
I would love to read more in this series!
review by Cryssy
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews