Support Your Local Pug

A Pet Palace Mystery #2

by Lane Stone

Buckingham Pet Palace may provide services fit for a four-legged king, but there’s no use crying over spilled kibble—not unless it leads to murder! When a break-in at the Pet Palace robs Sue Patrick of more than her beauty sleep, she intends to tidy her ransacked doggy daycare and spa before making any rash decisions. But after Sue abandons her better instincts to rescue a petrified pug stranded at a lighthouse in the Delaware Bay later that morning, she’s lured off mainland Lewes long enough for a freshly murdered body to get dumped in her driveway . . .   Aided by Lady Anthea Fitzwalter, her practically royal business partner from across the pond, Sue sniffs out clues about the yappy pug with a complicated history and the old car spotted at both crime scenes in hopes of IDing the culprit. As the investigation leads them back to the bay, the ladies soon find themselves immersed in a case trickier than a canine agility course—and chasing after a well-groomed killer who will do anything to maintain a perfect reputation . . .

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 28, 2018

About the author

Lane Stone is a native Atlantan. She, her husband, Larry Korb, and their dog, Cordy, live in Alexandria, VA during the week and in Lewes, DE on the weekend. Lewes is the setting of her new cozy mystery series, Buckingham Pet Palace mysteries.

Her volunteer work includes media & communications for the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation. She’s on the Political Science Advisory Board of Georgia State University and the external advisory board of the Women’s Center at Northern Virginia Community College. She’s co-president of AAUW, American Association of University Women, Alexandria branch of AAUW.

She’s a graduate of Georgia State University, with a degree in Political Science, and has a post-graduate certificate in Antiquities Theft and Art Crime.

She tweets as Abby, The Menopause Dog (@TheMenopauseDog) and her Facebook page is LaneStoneBooks (https://www.facebook.com/Lane-Stone-B...)

www.LaneStoneBooks.com.

Reviews

[Linda Langford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy all things pet-related in the Pet Palace Cozy series. The returning cast of characters in book two is enjoyable, and I love protagonist Sue Patrick’s schnauzer, Abby. Lady Anthea’s presence livens up the scenes as I get to know her better.

The writing in the first third of this story seemed disjointed and, therefore, confusing. The last half was better. I definitely enjoyed the debut book much better. However, the plot of Support Your Local Pug does have interesting moments via the mystery path, plus some humor.

I reviewed a digital arc from NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical Press. Thank you.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Support Your Local Pug by Lane Stone was a good addition to this cozy series but not as good as the first book in this series.

Sue Patrick is called to Buckingham's Pet Palace early one morning due to a break-in. On her way to the store Chief John turner calls her about another problem. It only gets more complicated with several threads spinning out from there. The plot was slower paced this time but that could be because of the different mystery threads that seemed to happen at the beginning. I was very glad to see Lady Anthea return to the Pet Palace as I love seeing the town, the people and the myriad of situations that occur from her point of view. There were plenty of suspects, clues and twists to keep me off track until the reveal which did surprise me. I do look forward to reading more in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Lyrical Underground via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own. My rating is 3.5 stars.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second installment in this series, especially the cute Pug that turned out to be central in the story line. I got to visit Lewes, DE again on pages, but the more I hear about it, the more I would love to visit it for real, since unlike a lot of cozy mystery settings, it's a real place.

What starts out as a murder mystery for Sue and her business partner/new friend Lady Anthea, may also turn into a case of dognapping. With her good friend the police chief John Turner somewhat approving of what she investigates this time, Sue has to make herself think that their good friend Rick's father, Martin, may be guilty--of something. Sue can't bring herself to think Martin could commit murder. He was such a character! He would only talk to Sue, and give fake answers as well as fake cry when John interrogated him. Martin was a good comic relief. Now to find a killer who may or may not know where Sue lives without getting herself killed first!

This was another good mystery, a little bit confusing at times, but it all sorted itself out towards the end. There were lots of things to wrap up and I was glad to find that everything was taken care of and explained at the end. Will John ever get his elusive date with Sue? I guess we'll just have to keep reading and find out! I saw that there's a third book coming next May and while it seems like a long wait, I noticed that the first and second books also had the same amount of time in between. I had only discovered the series recently, so I didn't have to wait long to read this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher and would like to thank them for letting me take care of my Pet Palace fix a little early. Release date is August 28, 2018.

[RO G'ma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Support Your Local Pug is the second book in Lane Stone’s Pet Palace Mystery series. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous one. I think there are too many named characters, the plot was somewhat confusing, and the storyline didn’t flow smoothly. I would recommend reading the first book in this series, Stay Calm and Collie On, before reading this one and even then, you might find yourself confused.

Sue Patrick and Lady Anthea Fitzwalter are the owners of an upscale doggy daycare and spa, Buckingham Pet Palace, which is located in the seaside town of Lewes, Delaware. Anthea is visiting from England to teach trick and agility classes. A break-in occurs at Buckingham Pet Palace, a dog sighting is reported at an uninhabited lighthouse, dog food is stolen from Raw-k &Roll, and the body of William Berger, commonly known as Billy B., an opera singing deli man, is found in front of Sue’s garage. In between running Buckingham Pet Palace, dog training sessions, and trying to help the town keep possession of the bottom of a South African wine bottle that is an artifact from a sunken British supply ship, Sue and Lady Anthea try to help Sheriff John Turner figure out who is responsible for all the mayhem that occurred in Lewes.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars-maybe more but the mystery was just illogical

Sue Patrick is horrified to be woken by a call from the alarm company stating her business had been broken into. She rushes to ensure the safety of her staff and along the way spies a suspicious car speeding away. She pauses long enough to snap a few pictures and assess the damage before she gets another important call from Chief John Turner. He wants her to meet him at the ferry to the lighthouse. Someone reported seeing a dog running around and as John is afraid of dogs, he needs Sue's help. Sue finds the adorable Pug alone. Returning home, Sue has one more surprise in store- a bloody garage code panel and a dead body. She's devastated to see the man who sings opera to customers at Mozart's Deli. When the Pug's identity is revealed, it complicates the mystery further and her friend Rick Ziegler's pet food business has also been robbed. Are the events connected? When Lady Anthea arrives from England, she and Sue set out to solve the mystery of the abandoned Pug in hopes it will help locate the murderer. Chief John Turner tries his hardest to keep Sue from interfering but once again, his outsider status is at a disadvantage and he needs Sue's help.

I liked this story much better than the first one. The action starts right away and doesn't really let up until towards the end. Just when one mystery seems solved, there's more mysteries that need to be resolved. None of them make much sense, logically, especially the story of the Pug, but it was a lot of fun.

I like Sue a little better now I know her. She's still a weird beach bum surfer chick, Elvis obsessed woman which doesn't seem to go with her pet enthusiast side or her long working hours. She is truly dedicated to her pets and her staff. This time the murder victim is someone she knew and liked. The chief suspect is giving the police the runaround but Sue is too smart for that. I didn't enjoy her trying to interfere in John's investigation so I was glad when he asked for help. John is becoming less uptight, even making jokes from time to time and sharing in Sue's passion for Elvis songs. He reveals a little bit about his background and that makes him seem more human and likable. Lady Anthea takes more of a backseat this time, actually working at training dogs this time. She tones down her Britishness and focuses on the task at hand. I was surprised she didn't stay in the U.S. for longer or return permanently. She does explain she returned to her ancestral estate when she was widowed but it doesn't say anything about who her husband was and why he died.

Sue's assistant manager, Shelby, is efficient and loyal. She gets involved with Sue's investigation briefly. Dana helps once again with her knowledge of technology. Why didn't a simple Google image search suffice? A Google search for John would have revealed more than facial recognition software. Dana is a lot of fun and I hope she gets more involved in the next investigation. Mason is still a bit high strung but Joey is a sweetheart. I hope they can keep Wags. Dayle, the photographer, is back. She's still a nervous type but she has a big heart and is very kind. Dayle and Rick are the oddest couple. Rick is involved in the mystery and manages to stay sober all day! Imagine that? He does what he has to do but he's really worried and it's starting to show. Dayle shows she truly cares for him. So-Long's pet parent manages to impress and show a different side of himself when it doesn't involve his furchild. We're introduced to Rick's dad Martin, who owns Mozart's deli. Martin is Chief Turner's #1 suspect for murderer. Martin made me laugh with his antics even though he should be charged with obstruction of justice. He's much smarter than he appears and I feel sorry he lost a friend and is accused of the horrific deed. I don't think he did it, too obvious, but his car was at the scene of the crimes!

Newcomers to the story include Wags, the adorable abandoned Pug. He is oh so adorable and sweet and makes me smile, especially in the training sessions. His story is illogical but I was happy the mystery involved a dog this time. Captain Sandy, the captain of the boat out to the lighthouse. His wife is divorcing him and good riddance. I suspect he's up to no good and knows more than he lets on. One character doesn't seem to like Captain Sandy at all and that makes Sue suspicious. Then his soon-to-be ex-wife reveals what an awful person he is. Is that enough to arrest him for murder? Only if they can find proof. Howard Fourie, CEO of an educational entertainment company. Everyone makes fun of him but his edutainment event sounds really, really cool and I'd love to attend it. Mr. Fourie is a tough businessman. He's all business and doesn't like to deviate from his plan and that includes having his son David fool around. David is a young man in his 20s who talks like an older man (sleazy). He's lazy and selfish and I suspect he's up to no good after Sue overhears a phone conversation. I wonder if they are who they say they are?

The victim, Billy B. was a kind man. His needs were simple - food, shelter, a dog and opera. That's all he needed to be happy. He charmed all the locals at the deli with his singing. His happiness spread. His story is super heartbreaking and also very weird. I don't understand how and why the murder happened. The motive surprised me because it seemed too weak and stupid. I suspected what Billy B. was worried about. How horrific either way to finally be happy only to come up against the ghosts of the past. Julie, his niece, arrives in town to check up on her uncle after it's too late. She doesn't seem to show much grief aside from fainting. Sue suspects Julie may not be who she says she is and devises a clever test to tell. I really didn't like Julie and her story. That was silly and lame. Her reveal about her heritage though helped give me a clue as to what the murder may have been about.

Spoilers about the mystery

If Wags, aka Wagner, really was a champion show dog, wouldn't his breeder want him back if his owner couldn't take care of him? If not, and the breeder allowed ownership to be transferred to William Berger, wouldn't the breeder contact him and insist Wags be neutered or sent back to the breeder for breeding? The vet surely would have recognized Wags and advised William on what to do. I suspected Howard was actually stealing dogs and involved in the illegal breeding scheme. Otherwise, the murder doesn't make much sense. Then I thought perhaps Howard was doing some kind of vengeance purge of all the remaining Jews from Cologne, Germany or something. Again, the motive is much too weak to be logical.

I enjoyed the fun, light story so much I plan to read the third one soon. This was just the sort of light read I needed after two dark historical mysteries.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sue Patrick runs the Pet Palace for doggy day care, training center and dog grooming. There is a break-in at the business and her night employees call her to tell her someone has broken in downstairs. She races over and on the way gets a call from the police asking why she isn't at the wharf. When Chief John Turner asks her, she tells him she's on the way to the Pet Palace because of a break-in. He meets her there, and then tells her that he needs to her to go with himd to the light house offshore because someone has reported hearing a dog bark. Chief Turner is afraid of/doesn't like dogs and needs Sue to deal with the dog for him. Chief Turner would also like to date Sue, but she's not particularly interested in someone who doesn't like dogs. They find a pug on the lighthouse and when she gets home, there is a body in her driveway. The pug's owner. But who killed him and why in front of her house?
A rather fun mystery.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the Pet Palace Mystery series and is easily read as a stand alone. This story features an abandoned Pug on the lighthouse just off shore of Lewes, Delaware. Book 1, Stay calm and Collie on introduces us to Sue and Lady Agatha who own the Buckingham Pet Palace, a boutique pet store supplying tourists and locals in the small beach community. Someone breaks into the shop and while Sue and the sheriff are investigating the robbery and rescuing the Pug, someone drops off a dead body in her driveway. Good story and lots of info on the featured pet. Animal lovers will devour the story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Support Your Local Pug by Lane Stone is the 2nd book in A Pet Palace Mystery series.
Sue Patrick is the owner of Pet Palace, an upscale doggy daycare and spa, who caters to the rich clients in Lewes, Delaware. Sue gets a call during the night because someone has broken in. Shortly after that Sue helps rescue a pug that was abandon at a lighthouse island. When she finally gets home that night, there is a murdered body dumped on her driveway. What is going on? Sue is determined to get to the bottom. Honestly I liked the first book in the series, Stay Calm and Collie On, more that this book, but I like this book enough to continue on with the series. I love the unique people and situations in this book. I found this book to be a quick read, that keep me guessing until the end. If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend this book/series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sue Patrick and Lady Anthea Fitzwalter are co-owners of a doggy daycare/spa, Buckingham Pet Palace in the seaside town of Lewes, Delaware. In this book, Anthea is visiting Sue, and will teach a few doggie classes while there. Just before Anthea arrives, Buckingham Pet Palace is broken into, and some gourmet dog food is stolen. In addition, about the same time, someone dumps a pug at the town lighthouse, which Sue and the local sheriff rescue. Next, the thief moves on to Sue’s house, where a local worker from the town deli is killed. How are these events connected? Sue, Anthea and her friends jump right into the murder investigation, much to the dismay of the local Sheriff, John Turner, trying to piece together exactly what is going on in their normally quiet seaside town.

I requested this book because I saw that it was a doggie story, and, being a dog lover, I am always interested in doggie stories. However, in the case of this book, there is a dog, a famous pug, involved, but the animal is really not an integral part of the story, remaining on the periphery. The story focuses to the largest extent on the murder investigation and Sue and her friends’ involvement. As I read, I wondered what Sue, the “super girl”, would do next, since the author portrayed her as the end-all of just about everything. The author has portrayed her as strong, smart and perhaps too perfect and involved to be realistic. I concluded the sheriff had issues, though they are never really brought out. He came across as a nothing burger throughout the story, and I wondered how or why he just let Sue and her friends step right into his investigation, ending up doing most of it. I am not sure I would want him as sheriff in my town, as I saw little competence or involvement in what should rightly have been his area of interest. Sue led the charge throughout the entire book, and he just sort of went along for the ride. There was also a sideline story about artifacts retrieved from a long-ago sunken ship in the town port, which never did get totally resolved and had little or no part in the murder, so I felt it was a bit unnecessary. The characters were many, and none, in my opinion, were well developed. In fact, I left the book wondering just who Sue Patrick, Lady Anthea and the sheriff really were. I could come up with no visuals or concrete insights into their personalities. Perhaps all this was covered in the first book, which I have not read, but a little back story would have helped. In conclusion, this is an okay book–just not a good, involved doggie story or mystery, in my opinion, with far too many characters, and a book that read choppy. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

[Crittermom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh, fun and never formulaic, Lane Stone’s Buckingham Pet Palace mysteries are always a delightful read. Sue Patrick and Lady Anthea Fitzwalter are well matched, easily up to the task whether it be running their business or tracking down a murderer. And their newest case may be the most complex yet.

Support Your Local Pug begins with a Gordian knot of events occurring one after the other. There is a break- in at Buckingham Pet Palace. A pug is discovered at an uninhabited lighthouse. While Sue is rescuing the pug from the lighthouse, someone attempts to break into her home. The driver of the car escapes, leaving a dead body on Sue’s driveway. That is before Howard Fourie, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist starts making waves.

Dogs play a vital role, but there are plenty of interesting people as well. Support Your Local Pug has a complex plot that works well and is easy to accept. There is even a little development on the romance front. All in all, Support Your Local Pug is a great cozy that will definitely appeal to animal lovers and mystery lovers alike.

5 / 5

I received a copy of Support Your Local Pug from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

— Crittermom

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight to be back at the Pet Place (I mean Palace). A light, entertaining and enjoyable series. Yes, it contains some serious happenings and subjects, touched upon but not dwelt on. As a bit of an Anglophile the Lady from England character adds special meaning for me. Light hints of romance, but all done with fun, not steam. I look forward to reading the next one in this series. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Support your local pug

This is the second book in Lane Stone's,Pet Palace mysteries.

I have fallen in love with this series.

The characters are fun and likeable,and you never see the ending coming.

Plus their fun reads.

Can't wait for book three,to see what Sue and Pet Palace crew is up to

[AnnMarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stopped reading about 25% in. I didn’t read the first book so that may be why I found this story too disjointed. There was a robbery, abandoned dog and a murder all within the first few pages. I thought the story would flesh out soon after but it just was too much at times. I gave it an extra star because I absolutely love the cover.

[Randall Wisehart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the major characters but some of the supporting characters needed more development.
The plot was fine for a cozy but a little predictable.
My main issue is with the writing. In places, especially the first half of the book, I had to read some sentences twice and even then did not always understand.
I liked the first book in the series better.

[Gabrielle David · Rating 4 out of 5]

It helps to have read the first book in the series. I enjoyed it, though there was more romance than I usually like. The dogs were my favorite part. I will read the next in the series.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to review. #NetGalley #SupportYourLocalPug

[C.A. Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun read. Lane weaves in the clues and keeps the action going throughout. Love Lady A and the antics of the dogs while Sue is on the case. Add in a dash of the relationship with the local cop and you've got a great beach or rainy/sunny day read.

[Raquel Cortes · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a mother of a pug, I love everything with pugs on it, so of course, I had to read this book. The cover is adorable. Support Your Local Pug is a funny, quick mystery. I didn't read the first book in the series but it wasn't hard to catch up and enjoy it.

[Valerie R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great mystery.

Lane Stone creates wonderful mysteries with a cast characters that care each other and care about dogs, and love working together to provide a loving palace for many dogs.

[loretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I read in this series and enjoyed the characters but there were soooooh many of them along with plot lines that you know were connected but it seemed a bit frenetic. I didn’t love it enough to read book 1.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snickering and trying to keep from laughing out loud when I read this. Very funny! Great book!

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this book. Too many unnecessary named characters and too complicated a plot

[Lisa Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. I really like the characters and the town. I found some of the tying up of loose ends a bit clumsy.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love pugs and I am owned by two pugs and this book was a great story, good for a quick read over the weekend. I have never read any stories by this author, but I am so glad I did.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the mystery sets up various scenes around the town of Lewes, out in the harbour and back to town where a dog boarding kennel is the main theme. I enjoyed the first book which brought the co-owner a titled English lady to town. Her resourceful friend is the other owner and now the business is broken into and pet food bags stolen.

I wish the author didn't keep the stiff formality of a character's title going; this gets pointless and she should be addressed by her first name or surname and described that way when she is not fulfilling official functions.

Dog lovers will find plenty of dogs and kind owners. Mystery fans may not love the mystery by itself but the setting is pleasant.
I downloaded a copy through Net Galley and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.