To Catch a Treat

Barkery & Biscuits Mystery #2

by Linda O. Johnston

When a Dog-Snatching Scheme Leads to Murder, Carrie Must Sniff Out the Truth

Carrie Kennersly, veterinary technician and owner of the Barkery and Biscuits bake shop, agrees to a day of hiking with her brother Neal—mostly because she wants to meet and critique his latest romantic interest, Janelle Blaystone. But instead of judging her, Carrie feels only sympathy for Janelle, whose beloved black Labrador, Go, was recently dognapped.

Janelle thinks the culprit is Ada Arnist, a wealthy homeowner spotted at the dog park where Go was stolen. Soon after Janelle confronts Ada, though, the woman is found dead. With Janelle and Neal on the suspect list, Carrie must solve the mystery before the police bark up the wrong tree.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Cozy, Animals, Fiction, Dogs

298 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2016

About the author

Linda 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.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery with lots of adorable dogs.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute and entertaining if it wasn't for the fact that it's supposed to be a cozy mystery. The mystery seems secondary compared to what's going on at Carrie's shops and in her personal life. I couldn't really get into this one, and the best thing about it are the dogs who were at the center of the story. This would not be one I recommend for cozy mystery fans.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries. Agatha Christie, the queen of the cozy mystery, is one of my all time favorite authors. I also love dogs. So when I saw "To Catch a Treat" pop up on NetGalley, I thought it would be a great palate cleanser after all the intense history books I've finished lately. Sadly, this book did nothing but annoy me.

The story? Let me save you a few hours; Leading lady, Carrie, meets brother's new fling, who recently had her dog stolen. Carrie accidentally saves the day, this leads to a murder, 200 pages of nothing, then Carrie accidentally saves the day again and the story is resolved. The End. Yeah.
It really feels like Carrie doesn't do much in this story in relation to the mystery. She leads someone somewhere once and follows someone twice. That's it. The rest of the book consists of Carrie juggling two (three? Since one is two businesses?) jobs, wandering around meeting people (mostly men, but I'll get to that), and her kinda-sorta-but-not-really-relationship with her boss. It's those last two that really annoyed the hell outta me.

Let's take the "meeting people" one first. Carrie must be really insecure. Whenever a new female character is introduced, her weight/figure is mentioned within the first few lines. If I thought this book had that much depth, I would think that this book was trying to introduce some kind of mental issue with Carrie, ie "The Girl Who Works in a Bakery with an Eating Disorder". But this book isn't that deep and neither is Carrie. Now, the men. As I said, Carrie must be really insecure, because every time a man is introduced Carrie feels the need to narrate how he either a) is currently flirting with her/pursuing a relationship, b) has previously flirted/pursued a relationship, or c) might want to flirt with her/pursue a relationship and she doesn't want him to. No joke. Every man, with the exception of one elderly married man, totally wants to hit dat, at least in Carrie's mind. Trouble is, we rarely actually see evidence of it, leading me to believe that Carrie's insecurities have led to delusional thinking. Or maybe it's just poor writing.

Now, Carrie's kinda-sorta-but-not-really-relationship with her boss, Reed (the only man in the book, by the way, who actually is interested in being in a relationship with Carrie, despite her delusions). This might be my own personal bugaboo hitting here, but the fact that Carrie seems to never want to acknowledge the fact that she is in a relationship with this man, really annoyed me. When the book started, it was (paraphrasing here, since I really don't want to have to go back and read any of this book again) "he is a nice guy, but I'm not ready to commit cause there are other men who are pursuing me too". Ok. Fine. No problem. I think these other men are all in Carrie's mind, but whatever. But her mentality never changed.... She was never "in a relationship" with him, almost 300 pages later, despite several dates and even after she started sleeping with him (this book is very PG, so it's never actually stated, but it's very clear to anyone over the age of nine what is going on)! Come on, Carrie. Break out of your delusional thinking. There aren't a bunch of other men who want you, just this one. I actually ended up feeling really bad for her boss/boyfriend, since it was clear she was going to make his life miserable with her insecurities (when the brother's fling is introduced, Carrie immediately judges her looks and seems frightened that Reed is going to flirt with her). My piece of advice: Run, Reed, Run.

Ignoring the annoying lead character, this book still doesn't have much going for it. There is no mystery to solve as you aren't really given clues. It's just 300 pages of being dragged along until the story ends. If you want a good cozy mystery, read Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers. Not even the dogs make this one redeemable.

**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carrie Kennersly is a veterinary technician as well as the owner of the Barkery and Biscuits bake shop, a place to buy treats and food for dogs. She and her friend, veterinarian Dr. Reed Storme, are invited on a hike led by her brother Neal. She meets a young woman, Janelle Blaystone, who has recently moved from LosAngeles. She is upset and Carrie finds out that her dog was stolen from a dog park. Janelle is also seeing her brother Neal. When Janelle accompanies Carrie to the local dog rescue, she finds her dog is there. She was suspicious of a local woman, Ada Arnist, and confronts her. When Ada turns up dead, Janelle is the major suspect. Carrie begins nosing around to help her brother find the real culprit and get Janelle off the hook.

I really enjoy cozy mysteries, but I like them better when there is a good mystery to be solved, and the sleuth takes an active role. There was a mystery, actually there were two; the murder and a dognapping storyline. Carrie does not really investigate so much as ask questions and get nosey. She does have a good brain and is able to put the pieces of the puzzle together which inevitably solves the mystery, or at least makes the culprit nervous enough to confront her. Her life is very busy with her part-time job and the vet clinic as well as running both her canine and human bakeries. This takes up a lot of the story. Overall, this was a very lightweight cozy. If you love animals, you will probably enjoy this one a lot as the animals are integral to the story. Not a page turner, but fun.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second book in the series and it was okay. I like the resort, mountain town setting and the concept of Carrie's bakery (one side for human treats and the other for pets). There was a nice little twist at the end when the murderer was revealed and while I didn't know who did it, I will say that I didn't like that character throughout the story. The part I didn't like was how things were repeated a lot (which I know that's life, your days tend to be a like but I don't want that to come through in my books). The other part I didn't like was Carrie's attitude about the police and how she didn't think they were investigating and I'm sure some of that is just because I work around the police but they are always investigating a crime.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogs...

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read some of this authors previous books and I was excited to see this pop up on NetGalley. I am a huge cozy mystery buff and I love everything a cozy mystery book offers.
This series features Carrie, a vet tech, who has recently bought a bakery that offers human and animal treats. The bakery is separated into two stores and is staffed by Carrie and her assistants.
In this particular story, Carrie meets Janelle, her brother Neal's new friend. Janelle is trying to heal after her dog Goliath was dognapped. As a huge supporter of animals the story tugs at Carrie's heartstrings and she wants to see if she can help Janelle explore other avenues to find her dog. Carrie begins to get suspicious when she sees Janelle interacting with a local resident and she has her doubts when Goliath, the missing dog, suddenly returns. When Ada, the local resident is murdered, Janelle is considered a suspect and soon Carrie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, a possible dog theft ring and conspiracy. This book is filled with excitement and the story is well told. There were times I felt the story was dragging a bit, but for the most part it is a well written cozy mystery. If you are a dog lover then I'm sure your heart will melt when you read about Sweetie.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one I randomly picked up at the library on audio. I love animals and that's what caught my attention. Well it kind of fell flat. The story was interesting enough but the characters weren't my favorite so I wasn't that drawn in to the story.

Not sure if I'll try another one by this author.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! What a mystery! Very enjoyable! Can't wait to read the next one!

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had hoped the 2nd book would be an improvement, but unfortunately it was not. I don't think mystery is a good genre for this author, since it is extremely weak on crafting that aspect. I made it through 1/3, then skipped to the end. I continue to think Carrie sounds like an idiot, and that much of the speculation and events are illogical and unrealistic. For example...Neal's new love interest. It keeps talking about how she came to their town to get away from bad memories, and that Carrie hopes she's planning to stay around for Neal's sake. But if you read further, you realize that Janelle has only been there a couple of days, and that she's staying at a hotel with a friend. Doesn't that clearly mean she's a visitor? How is this a serious love interest?

*SPOILERS*
Carrie is a really pushy person with no sensitivity. When someone tells you they "were" a dog owner and "had" a dog then starts crying, you don't say "What do you mean?" Any normal person would assume the dog died (in this case the dog was kidnapped, but Carrie didn't know that) and not push into an emotional subject with someone she just met. She also thinks it's possible the dog just ran off, despite the fact that dog parks are fenced in. Then, she decides it would be a good idea for Janelle to adopt a new dog to take her mind off her missing dog...also not her business. Of course, it miraculously turns out that Janelle's dog is at the shelter, found just that morning! The reunion scene was so bland that I had to read it a couple of times to make sure that really happened. And of course, Carrie is suspicious that perhaps the deliriously happy Labrador is not really Janelle's dog, and that for some nefarious purpose she may be claiming it. Yeah, let me go check with your vet to see if your dog has any identifying scars. What? Or you could look at the millions of photos that Janelle the photographer has taken of her dog...and acknowledge that the dog OBVIOUSLY knows her. Oh, but the murder...she has to solve it because they might accuse her brother, since maybe he killed the woman in order to impress the girl that he met two days ago. That's about when I lost my patience.

Having skipped to the end, I'm glad I didn't force myself to read the rest. The reasons for the murder made no sense, and I want to know why anyone is paying ransom to this moron, when she doesn't give them the dog back. Also, it's pretty easy to get caught when you go pick up the ransom payment, so how is she getting away with it? Then she decides she can both get a ransom payment AND a reward for "doing a good deed" and returning the dog. In what world is that going to happen? I didn't even understand why they kidnapped the dogs anyway. Sure, there's a certain market for purebred dogs, but I'm not sure what profit there is after you transport them, rent a house, and feed them for awhile. Also, it's illogical for the dognapper to have hung around because he cared about dogs so much that he was slowly releasing them where the shelter could find them. Apparently he couldn't fit them all in his car at one time, and that's why he didn't get away. Is it really difficult to think that maybe you should put the dogs in a secure location and then call in an anonymous tip so someone can find them? Releasing them at the shelter still carries risk that you will get caught (esp since after the first time, someone should have set up a camera) or that the dog will run off.

The whole thing just annoyed me. I give up on the series and the author - she needs a good dose of reality to write better mysteries.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Catch a Treat by Linda O. Johnston is the second book in A Barkery and Biscuits Mystery series. Carrie Kennersley owns the Bakery and Biscuits bake shop in Knobcone Heights, California. One side caters to humans and the other to four legged creatures (what a neat idea). Her brother, Neal has invited her to participate in one of his hikes (he gives hikes of the area) in order to meet his new love interest, Janelle Blaystone. Janelle is upset over the loss of her black Labrador, GO (for Goliath). This is not the first dog napping. There have been a rash of them lately. Janelle is from Los Angeles and is visiting the area (does not bode well for Neal’s romance) with her friend, Delma Corning. Carrie feels bad for Janelle and decides to help her. She takes her to Billi Matlock’s Mountaintop Rescue Animal Shelter and introduce her to their latest guest (a friendly black Labrador who was left in the alley behind the shelter). The rescue dog turns out to be Janelle’s dog, Go. Janelle is so excited at getting her baby returned to her. Go was chipped, but it was unable to be read with the scanner (odd). Janelle confronts Ada Arnist and accuses her of stealing her dog. Unfortunately, Ada soon turns up dead with (guess who) Janelle as the lead suspect. Carrie does some sleuthing to find the real killer and, hopefully, the dog nappers.

To Cath a Treat was kind of blah. The beginning is very slow and this reader was not drawn into the story. I was also not taken with the main character. I think Carrie has some major issues and needs some help. Carrie believes all men are attracted and interested in her (it is in her head). The one man who does like her, she keeps pushing away (he should run while he has the chance). The book talked more about the animals, than about the murder. The dog napping seemed to take precedence of the murder (the only people concerned with Ada’s death seem to be her parents). We get many details on the scenery while hiking, dog descriptions, the bakery, people, etc. There are a lot of people and animals. It is hard to keep them all straight (so focus on the main ones). The mystery was fairly easy to solve, but there was a little twist (most people will probably not see it coming). The writer just did not bring this novel to life for me. Some books you read and good novels you live. I give To Catch a Treat 3 out of 5 stars. This is the second book in the series, but I believe it can be read without having enjoyed the first book (though it may help to keep all the characters straight). Will I read the next book in the series? Unfortunately, no. This was just not the right book for me. One thing I did like was the cover of To Catch a Treat. It is just adorable.

I received a complimentary copy of To Catch a Treat from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the novel.

[Pippa D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was book two in the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series by Johnston. She’s written over twenty other books and is obviously a very popular author. The first book in the series, Bite the Biscuit, is a finalist in the fiction category for the Dog Writers Association of America’s annual Maxwell Awards.

I would advise starting with the first book. I didn’t, and had several problems with the second book as a result. There were a lot of characters, and their dogs, which seemed to be mentioned only because they’d presumably been integral to the story in the first book. They were completely irrelevant to the second and it just made it harder to work out who everyone was. There were also many references to action prior to the second story starting, so do read the first book before this one.

Carrie Kennersly runs a joint set of shops, the Barkery and Biscuits that makes treats for dogs, and Icing on the Cake, which caters for humans. The fact that the two shops are combined works well for the dog-obsessed Carrie and her numerous customers.

Carrie’s other job is vet technician, where she works part time with a good friend and potential partner, Reed Storme, who is one of the veterinarians at the practice. She is also very close with her brother Neal, who has just found a new girlfriend. Janelle, new to town, is still angry and grieving over the dognapping of her beloved black Labrador, Go, who was stolen a month ago.

When Go turns up at the local pet rescue centre, and the possible thief turns up dead the next day, the cozy little mystery begins. Realising that both her brother and his new girlfriend are high on the suspect list, Carrie leaps into sleuthing mode.

There are several possible suspects, each as dubious as the other, and plenty of misunderstandings to push the story along. The plot ticked along nicely, and had a good sense of pace about it. However, I found the writing a bit flat, and the main character is so pushy that she comes across as rude on many occasions. There were also some problems with some of the logic of the behaviour of the characters. I couldn’t understand why Carrie would have to be pushed to reveal information by the local police, rather than freely revealing information that might help the police to find the real suspect(s). I found this fairly irritating and these little shocks brought me out of the story world every time and made me disinclined to keep reading.

I can see why Johnston is so popular within the genre, but I found her writing style didn’t work well for me.

2.5 stars.

Review copy provided by the publisher for a fair review.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed on Musings and Ramblings.

The first book in this series, Bite the Biscuit, was a great read for me, so I was excited to see the next book in the series come out. In the first book, Carrie helped solve a murder, because she was a suspect. In this second book, she is involved in the beginning, to help out someone her brother is interested in, and to make sure that he doesn't also become a suspect. But as the case progresses, she becomes much more interested in the dog-nappings that are probably linked to the death. As an animal lover, finding the dogs and restoring them to their loving families is Carrie's primary goal. The fact that who ever is stealing dogs, might know something about the murder is just gravy.

I really liked that the story was smart. It was rare for Carrie to do something dangerous or "dumb". She kept people informed of her whereabouts and mostly did her investigating and interrogating in public. Plus, none of the information she gathered was obtained in any questionable means. It was all a matter of asking the the right questions to the right people. Of course, there were leads that didn't go anywhere and information that wasn't useful. But Carrie used logic and common sense to put the important (to her) puzzle pieces together. I had my suspicions about one of the bad guys, but the other caught me totally by surprise. Quite like Carrie.

One of the few things that disappointed me in this book, was that Carrie spent quite a bit of time in her head. I would have liked for there to have been more dialogue scenes. I enjoyed Carrie's interactions with her friends and family and wish there had been more of them.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and could really feel the canine love coming through on every page. I gave it 3 stars.

Thanks to Great Escapes for the opportunity to read and review the book.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing book about dognappers and treats for humans and furfriends. Carrie Kennersly is a vet technician who owns a bakery that supplies treats for dogs and humans. She and her date join a hike and meet a girl who has lost her dog to dognappers. The next day her dog turns up and the body of the suspected thief is found. Carrie explores what happen. I found this book to very predictable and the characters one dimension.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Midnight Ink through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions are my own.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series is every bit as delicious at the first, BITE THE BISCUIT! Scratch that…it’s even better!

Seriously, author Linda O. Johnston knows how to win my heart. Dogs, a dog bakery and connecting human bakery? Pinch me I must be dreaming!

A missing dog, murder, and sweet treats, TO CATCH A TREAT has it all! Add to that of course, author Johnston’s wonderful writing, and you have a fantastic mystery that will leave you begging for more.
Make no bones about it, TO CATCH A TREAT is a doggone entertaining tail…um, tale!

[aem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like mysteries.
I like cozies.
I like dogs.
Unfortunately, I did not really care for the main character, Carrie nor was there much detecting relating ot the murder of Ada.
She seemed to think every guy she ever met was flirting with her. Is she really that "hot"??? Whatg was edited out? What did I miss?
A lot of CArrie's thoughts, but not much interaction with the other characters.
Maybe a little more work in developing a more likeable character and presenting more of the other characters thoughts would make these stories miore interesting?

[Rachelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author is going on my do not read list from now on.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Catch a Treat sounds like everything I should love in life: a small-town bakery that caters to both humans and their fur babies, a cast of quirky characters, and a murder mystery tangled up in dognapping drama. I was ready. I wanted cozy. I wanted charm. I wanted to impulsively Google local dog bakeries. Instead...I got Carrie Kennersly — our heroine who can run three businesses, solve crimes, and still somehow find time to be completely insufferable.

Let’s start with the good stuff: The world is cute. Really cute. Carrie runs Barkery & Biscuits, and if that’s not Hallmark Channel bait, I don’t know what is. There’s a whole community feel — the doggy daycare, the local coffee shop, the gossip mill that never sleeps. The murder mystery itself? Genuinely decent. We’ve got suspicious dog thefts, a washed-up body, and enough red herrings to fill a fish market. I didn’t guess the killer until the end, and for a cozy, that’s a win.

But y’all. Carrie. I wanted to root for her so badly. She’s a vet tech! A business owner! A dog lover! She should be the perfect cozy heroine. But instead, every woman she meets gets judged on her appearance like they’re in a beauty pageant and Carrie’s holding a secret “hot or not” scorecard. She describes every female character’s looks before mentioning their names.

Plot-wise, it gets repetitive fast. There’s only so much “waking up early, baking dog treats, working at the vet, lunch at the same café, rinse, repeat” I can take before I start yelling, “We get it, girl. You’re busy!” I wanted less schedule updates and more personality. And honestly? Carrie feels like a robot who thinks “being observant” means judging outfits and wondering if people find her charming. Spoiler: they probably don’t.

The ending does deliver some satisfying twists, and I would read another in the series, but only if Carrie gets a personality upgrade or someone sits her down with a "Maybe stop describing women like you're auditioning them for The Bachelor" intervention. 3 stars — cute, fluffy, and fun in small bites, but ultimately more bland than biscuit.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited when I saw this mystery pop up on Netgalley and quickly requested. This is my first read by Linda O. Johnston and I am definitely a fan of mysteries with dogs in them now! I am a dog lover.

Carrie Kennersly is a vet tech that is also the owner of the Barkery and Biscuits Bake Shop. The bakery is divided into 2 sides because they serve dog biscuits as well as human food. Carrie has an assistant that helps her in the bakery. Carrie decides to go on a hiking trip with her brother, Neal. Neal is also bringing his new girlfriend, Janelle.

Carrie and Janelle hit it off pretty good and soon Carrie learns that Janelle is upset because her black Labrador, Go, has been dog napped. Being the animal lover that Carrie is, she decides that she is going to try and figure out who took Go for Janelle. In comes Ada, a wealthy homeowner that has been seen at the dog park where Go and Janelle have been know to frequent. When Carrie tells Janelle that she suspects that Ada had something to do with the dog napping of Go, Janelle decides to confront Ada.

When Janelle does confront Ada, she doesn't come up with much and then come to find out, Ada ends up dead. Now Janelle and Neal find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. They are both on the suspect list. Carrie knows that she really has to solve the murder mystery now to clear Neal and Janelle's names.

I quickly fell in love with these characters and animals in this story. Linda O. Johnston has a way of drawing you in and keeping your attention throughout the whole story. I can't wait for more of the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries!

[Shelle Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrie Kennersly, owner of a dual bakery serving both fresh dog treats and treats for the humans who love them has once again gotten involved in a murder investigation. This time her brother’s new girlfriend has been implicated after the woman she accused of stealing her dog is found dead.

This story is proof that dog lovers can hold their own as the furry best friends are the real stars. Carrie lands herself in the middle of this investigation by rationalizing that her brother may be in the crossfire, but it is obvious that her love of dogs and indignation over the dognappings is what fuels her fire. I do have to admit that this didn’t feel like a cozy as the investigation took an extreme backseat to Carrie’s businesses. There seemed to more information about part time workers schedules than clues. I have to admit that the concept of a canine bakery is an interesting one and the treats as described were mouthwatering even for dog treats.

The story does offer suspects galore and Carrie’s unsophisticated investigation style keeps the story moving. I have to admit the end was a bit of a surprise as I couldn’t tell which of the suspects I was leaning more toward being the bad guy. This was an quick entertaining read.

4 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made some notes earlier from my phone, but it doesn't look like they were saved, unless they get posted somewhere else.

What I said, was that while I like the premise of this series, and the plot keeps me interested, I find myself fairly annoyed with the main character, Carrie, and the way the author does her descriptions of the characters in Carrie's voice. She is very judgmental in her descriptions of people. And she writes Carrie as thinking every single man is attracted to her and then toward the end of this book, she actually makes it sound as if Jack being with Billi is his second choice and only because Carrie okay'd it. Lots of skippable parts, so this turns out to be a fairly quick read.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, this book is basically the same story. The narrator/main character is annoying. The story is extremely repetitive and the details are almost puritan esque....examples being describing a sexual relationship with the narrator’s boyfriend as well as not even wanting to describe her dog pooping. Which why does that detail need to go into this anyway. This town seems super shitty overall and the endings are like trying to be shocking but they are very anticlimactic. Overall a very lame book and series in my opinion. I will be taking a break from this series for a while because I can’t bear the thought of reading 3 more of these even though I already bought them.

[Kelli]

To Catch a Treat is a delightful and suspenseful addition to Linda O. Johnston’s Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series a perfect blend of heart, humor, and whodunit charm. The story’s mix of cozy small town life, canine companionship, and clever sleuthing makes it irresistible to mystery lovers and dog enthusiasts alike.

Carrie Kennersly’s dual life as a vet tech and bakery owner gives the series its unique flavor literally and figuratively. Johnston’s knack for creating endearing characters, intricate motives, and genuine warmth around every twist keeps readers invested to the final page. It’s a tale that combines compassion, curiosity, and canine devotion into one satisfying mystery treat.

[Nikki Raichlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book as with the first one I did not find the main character likeable nor intelligent. However the story did not help my feelings for the main character. But I still listened to this even though I had bought the book. It might be I did not enjoy the person reading the story.. either way I had already bought the books so I've moved onto book 3 of the series and will try to finish this series to get to one I will enjoy. The main character is wishy washy with going to bed with her maybe boyfriend. I also am not sure I enjoyed the storyline arch...

[Heidi Bourbeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still loving it! The main character though sometimes annoys me as she has internal conversations that even in the simplest ones, could elevate small misunderstandings. But I guess that is life. People misunderstand all the time and don't take the time to just ask questions. And the dog treat recipes in the back of the book...excited to see if my pups like them!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightfully dog-filled quick read. Carrie is a part time vet tech and the owner of human treat and dog biscuit bakeries. There's a dog-napping ring and some of the dogs inexplicably end up in her small town.

[Alyssa Collins]

I thought the book was really good and I would recommend it to anyone who likes fun filled animal mysteries. I think that the author did a great job creating all the characters and biscuits in the book.

[Cozy Reader Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

So there were multiple bad guys but with all that was going on I kinda had that figured out. Plus there wasn't enough contradictions to why the suspects may not have that I kinda figured it was these people. Still a good story though.

[Martha Cardassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

again.good enough,but too much time on details not related to the crime or the dogs

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty light, easy read.