Animal Appetite

A Dog Lover's Mystery #10

by Susan Conant

When a canine lover is murdered, sleuth Holly Winter discovers his double life. But who can explain the odd behavior of his family? What was his strange connection to a local legend who died centuries ago—and how can Holly muzzle the killer before he strikes again?

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

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)mysteries

Mother of author Jessica Park aka Jessica Conant-Park

The photo is of Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant, daughter and mother.

Reviews

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the best one yet in the series. There was a lot less of Holly ruminating with long passages about dog shows that did nothing to add to the story but did boost the word count. This one had a solid mystery -- although parts were formulaic with allegations of affairs. Still, it was a good read.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably should have read previous books in this series to appreciate it more—a dog lover to the extreme with a storyline going in several different directions.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog mystery featuring 2 alaskan malamutes and their handler Holly Winter a writer for dogs life, her lover naturally a vet and interest cast of characters. When a friend challenges her to write about something other than dogs, she finds herself in the midst of two mysteries: one current day mystery while another mystery from the 1600s Maine. Trying to find the truth about the mystery in 1697 about a Hannah Dustan a woman captured by Native Americans ( whose numbers have been decimated by smallpox) and killed her way out of the situation intertwines with the current day death of a man by poisoning with his golden retriever nearby. Can she find the murderer in the eccentric cast of characters before she herself becomes a target?
Quote: about dog training
P. 4 it’s not your fault, but it is your responsibility.
171-2 Steve got called away on an emergency cost, as usual, but yet another Cambridge intellectual who hadn’t been able to endure the prospect of depriving her dog of his so-called freedom to be a dog -his natural right to savor the ultimate canine experience of being crushed by a car - and now expected Steve to repair the damage that was her own damn fault. In cynical moments, I wonder why these dog murdering Romantics bother to let their dogs run loose. It would be all together simpler and easier if these people would just get in their cars and run over their dogs themselves. The effect would be the same, really, only the owners would have slightly more control than they do now over which body parts get destroyed and whether the dogs live or die.
+ colonial history & difficulty of getting primary sources vs social mythology built up over the we years
+ dog mystery, strong animal human bonding
+ psychological questioning
+ often caustic dark humor- befitting a pandemic

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this was really 2 books in one, with Holly Winter, the narrator of every Conat book I've read, investigating 2 old murders. 18 years ago, Jack Winter Andrews (no relation) was murdered in his office, but the discovery of his pet golden retreiver leashed to his desk leaves doubt as to whether the murderer was indeed the man's longtime business partner or a stranger whose presence would force Andrews to keep the dog at bay. Concurrently, Winter is challenged by her neighbor to write a book about something having nothing to do with dogs, so she chooses to reaearch Hannah Dunton, a white New Englander immortalized by museums and statues for her fending off and scalping savage Indians in the 1600s. As Winter looks further into Dunton's history, she begin to question whether Dunton herself was the savage.
I didn't mind the 2 stories, though I prefer Conat's books that focus more on dogs. What I didn't like was the convenient way the stories come together. Winter attends a Bat Mitzvah and is seated with Andrews' widow among others and learns of his murder through casual conversation. At the same party, she meets a professor who is familiar with Dunton's story and lo and behold, so was the late Andrews. So many names were thrown about in this book between the 2 investigations that I eventually lost track of who was who and was frequenty going back and forth between the current and earlier chapters trying to figure things out.
Overall, not one of Conat's better books, but now I can say I read it.

[Jeri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog writer (Dog's Life columnist) Holly Winter is challenged to write about people for a change and decides to research the story of a frontier woman who escaped her Indian captors to return home a heroine. She finds a lot more to the story than the heroic legend, and also gets interested in another mystery, the story of a man murdered eighteen years ago with his dog as witness.

Holly and her two malamutes, Rowdy and Kimi, are always fun to visit. The mystery in this one is particularly interesting, though the coincidences that start her two separate investigations were a bit hard to take. And I don't mind a little "preaching" if I agree with it, such as:

"Steve got called away on an emergency caused, as usual, by yet another Cambridge intellectual who hadn't been able to endure the prospect of depriving her dog of his so-called freedom to be a dog -- his natural right to savor the ultimate canine experience of being crushed by a car -- and now expected Steve to repair the damage that was her own damned fault. In cynical moments, I wonder why these dog-murdering romantics bother to let their dogs run loose. It would be altogether simpler and easier if these people would just get in their cars and run over their dogs themselves. The effect would be the same, really, only the owners would have slightly more control than they do now over which body parts get destroyed and whether the dogs live or die."

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not terribly gripping and subject of mystery was not particularly interesting to me either.
Rats :-)

Dog's Life columnist Holly Winter, challenged to write about human behavior, sinks her teeth--and those of her beloved Alaskan malamutes, Rowdy and Kimi--into two mysteries. Eighteen years ago publisher Jack Andrews succumbed to poison in his coffee, leaving two suicide notes--and his golden retriever chained to the desk. His backbiting family swear he was murdered--by a crazed business partner. But they're no model of sanity a strident widow with well-chewed nails; a bodybuilder daughter with rottweiler tattoos; and a deranged son who forages in garbage cans, ranting about rats and relatives. What can they reveal about Jack's canine-obsessed double life? What did Jack know that was dangerous enough to get him killed? And what on earth could his death have to do with the tale of Hannah Duston, who was captured by Indians in l697, escaped, and lived to tell the tale? But even more to the point, can Holly, Rowdy, and Kimi muzzle a killer before he attacks again?

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love great mysteries, you'll love the next installment in the Holly Winter Dog Lovers series. In this one, Holly's researching Hannah Duston, a 40-year-woman who have been an Indian captive and scalped 10 Indian children. She learned about her family history and her captivity, while she's on a cold case of Jack Andrews, who have been murdered 18 years ago, and his dog, Chip. From there, she learned about his family and the people who associated it, even with the murder of Shaun McGrath. Pretty soon, Holly learns a parallel between Hannah and Jack, when there's a connection between them, that someone wanted to kill them for it, and even for Holly herself. But can Holly find out who done it, when before she's nex t in line? A great quick read.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.

Loved the combination of the main character's -- Holly Winter's -- day job (dog trainer and writer of dog column), her personal love of Alaskan malamutes and her sleuthing -- which takes place on two levels.
One level is her research into the historical figure Hannah Duston (who goes fr. being heroine to victimized member of abusive family) and her research into several murders.

Liked the descriptions of Holly's relationships with her boyfriend, her therapist-tenant.

Don't know if I liked the ending, in which LDS genealogical research reveals Holly is biologically related to Duston.

Did enjoy the concept of plagiarism-based murders occurring in Cambridge, Mass.

[Donna Jo Atwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Subtitled A Dog Lover's Mystery, our heroine Holly Winter, is a dog trainer and freelance writer about dogs. She owns two Alaskan malamutes and dates a vet.
In this book she is entangled in two old murders, one eighteen years in the past and the other four hundred years old.
If you enjoy dogs (especially large ones), genealogy, and/or mysteries with the blood and gory at a distance, this might be the book for you

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite by Susan! Okay, I don't remember if I've had a favorite of her's before, but THIS is it ... for now. I'm reading #11 now, so that could change!

This was a good one with some history of the area. Looked it up on the internet, and it's accurate in the book (so far as I can tell). Plus a good mystery for the dog lovers with a dog marking that fact that death was murder and not suicide. God bless our more intelligent doggie companions!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleased when a friend informed me of Conant's dog/detective series. Growing up with a grandmother who devoured every "The Cat Who..." story, which never interested me, I have long wanted dog-themed books of same.

The author does not disappoint. The books are witty, informational, and quick-reads, without being too predictable.

[Dixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feared this would be a shoddy read with a dog somehow solving the mystery. Not so. The plot was decent with some true historical information thrown in as well. I can relate to the dog/pack issues in the book, not so much the dog breeding aspects.

I would like to read more in the series.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read particularly if you enjoy dogs mixed into your murder mystery. Good flow, excellent humor, I wish it was longer. Some twists I totally did not expect which is a real change let me tell you.

[Minrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read as it has a nice murder mystery with plenty of dog humor

[Susan Laine]

have

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good; continuing character: Holly Winter; author who writes about dogs solves mystery of poisonings of two people.

[Ajcc]

F 813.54 CONA

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy dog mystery. Easy to read.

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay story, inconclusive historic thread, disjoint, abrupt denoument

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not enough dog stuff.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an engaging dog lover's mystery with interesting characters and plot, but I too easily guessed the culprit before the ending, although there was a quirky surprise left.

[Pam Bales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malamutes in Boston living with a PI. Mystery cozies at their best. There are new edition available. Dog Lover's Mystery #10

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better of this series. It concentrates on 2 mysteries, one that occurred in the 1600s, the other '18 years ago', and they both have ties to now, of course. Good story, though.