A Bite of Death

A Dog Lover's Mystery #3

by Susan Conant

Book

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

179 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

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

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

When a therapist dies, Holly Winter adopts her dog...who may be the primary witness to the murder.

Hum-drum

[Gloria Mccracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third or fourth in my favorite mystery-with-dogs series and tells how the protagonist ended up with her second Alaskan malamute, Kimi. Having been published in about the 1980's or so, it is dated, as the author herself acknowledges in a preface to the Kindle edition, in the dog training details. A more serious sign of age is in the premise behind a major plot turn (which I will not divulge since that would be a total spoiler). This is why I have given it 4 stars rather than 5. However, it is still a wildly entertaining read and whether you've read the previous books in the series or not, if you like mysteries with a little humor (and probably need to at least tolerate passionate dog ownership), you will enjoy it as well as any of the others in this prolific series.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this series since I started it and find each book gets a little better. I have to admit I loved Kimi.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kimi!

Re-read new Kindle version. I liked the forward. The dog part is the best, with the "murder" part feeling a little forced.

[Ruth Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

So here's the deal. This otherwise fine, cozy mystery was published in 1991 and is steeped in period-typical transphobia.

The straight, cis protagonist is well-intentioned and is probably pretty accepting for a late twentieth century straight cis person, but I'm an early 21st century queer trans person and everything about how the trans character and his partner were treated was blood-curdling and infuriating and disgusting so yeah, this is a 1 star review from me because you won't enjoy it if you care about trans people and I don't give a fuck about your reading pleasure if you don't.

More under the spoiler cut.

So halfway through the novel the protagonist's dog realizes that this guy Joel is menstruating. I'm unclear why he wasn't on T but my guess is because Conant didn't realize that was a thing trans men could do.

Joel is 100% stealth and married to a cis woman, and I guess props for the narrator using the correct pronouns for him basically 100% of the time, but the amount of "really a..." and "pretending to be..." kind of cancels that out.

They all live in Cambridge, MA, and this whole thing where a trans man exists is considered weird beyond comprehension by everyone, including the protagonist's therapist neighbor who recently didn't read a biography of Billy Tipton "because it's too damned bizarre" (101). In Cambridge Massachusetts in 1990.

"In the eyes of most people, even in Cambridge, liberal heaven, where lesbian couples can live about as openly as they can anywhere, he'd have been a freak, a woman passing herself off as a man. And what would Kelly have been? If the word existed, I'd never heard it. And their marriage? Plainly enough, they wouldn't be married anymore. I thought about some of the lesbian couples I knew. Joel and Kelly weren't one. They weren't and wouldn't want to be, I thought. They wanted to be man and wife. That's what they were. I'd never thought of them in any other way." (150)

SO YEAH, there are points to this portrayal that are really surprisingly good for 1990, and at the same time... well, you can guess where this is headed, right, because this is a murder mystery.

And that kind of goes back to the thing that cis people often get wrong when writing about queer lives, which is the utter lack of community. Now, I know that obviously stealth trans men exist and have existed who don't want to be part of any trans community, but the problem you get when you have one (1) trans character and one (1) character who's the partner of a trans person and one (1) of those people is a fucking serial killer who kills to protect her partner's ~secret~ and the other is in collusion about his wife's serial killing you have done a transphobia, period. You've made a choice not to include any other trans characters (except the allusion to the existence of Billy Tipton) and that that point it kind of stops mattering that you're using the correct pronouns because Joel's wife is a serial killer because she's married to a trans guy.

"Before I knew the Bakers, if somebody had asked me, in the abstract, who was more strange, a woman pretending to be a man or the woman married to the first woman, I'd have answered wrong. Kelly was by far the weirder." (162)

The idea behind this is that trans people, trans bodies, are so abject that it's unthinkable that ~normal people would be attracted to us, or that we could have relationships that don't end in tragedy.



In short, I did not care for it, would not recommend, happy Pride.

[Sharla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in 1994. While that might seem like yesterday in some ways, twenty-eight years is a long time for knowledge and attitudes to change. Things that seem cringe-worthy now, seemed cutting edge at that time. Dog training methods have evolved and so have attitudes about trans people.

I read and enjoy a lot of Golden Age mysteries. I long ago accepted the fact that what might seem like archaic attitudes now, were mainstream then. I appreciate the aspects I enjoy without a lot of harsh judgement. I understand that not everyone can do that, but it is not a problem for me. I can accept that Holly was using outdated training methods but do not feel she was ever less than humane and caring with her dogs. I can accept that while there is much Holly fails to understand about being a trans person, she is basically empathetic. If she fails, it is probably in being overly concerned with the people involved, to the point of placing herself and her dogs in danger. I thought the ending was fascinating and didn’t mind that in some ways it leaves you guessing. I’m satisfied enough with the mystery to give it four stars.

[☯Emily Ginder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some aspects of this book were great. I enjoyed the way this dog owner related to dogs, could understand dog language and interpreted dog behavior. She simply understood dogs better than humans. I also enjoyed the introduction of Kimi, a new dog added to the mix.

However, I thought the murder mystery was fatally flawed. One question immediately arose and was never answered. The victim did not like cottage cheese. So why DID she eat the cottage cheese (which was poisoned) if she didn't like it? This was never explained and only cursorily addressed. Also, why wasn't the police notified of the true murderer? These flaws meant I could not rate the book higher than 3.

[rob santore · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHAT!!?

Sorry but the finalli was AWFUL! Who the heck died and left this dog owner the decision maker . Please!!! completely dissatisfied with this ending. It is unrealistic to think she alone comes up with the killer and she covers it up after her dogs almost loose their lives.. Book is wordy,blah,blah,blah and then falls flat with it's ridiculous ending. Again I say PLEASE!!!!

[Megan Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story - Fun & Insightful

If you’re not a dog lover when you start this book you will be when you finish. If you’ve remained confused about LGBTQ identity this book will give you some insight. And it’s a straightforward entertaining story. This author’s sense of humor is delightful! Be certain to read the forward. Amazingly, the only thing needing updated after over three and a half decades is the insight on dog training.

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

While a Bite of Death tells a good story, the reader is never enraptured by the characters. One is not swept away by the narrative nor immersed. The appeal of a dog based book is there but taken too far. It becomes a bit overblown. As is the women's lib mentality. There is no subtlety, just this relentless whacking over the head of personal ideals from the characters.

[Beatrice Pedersen · Rating 1 out of 5]

No justice.

Author assumes she has the answer to the murders while being what she calls compassionate. She is a fool. She cares nothing for two human lives taken by a killer to preserve anonymity and by an accomplice to preserve prestige. Last book of this author I will ever read. Steer clear.

[Cathie Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow! I didn't care for this book at all. I wish I could say something positive about the book, but there just isn't any. It was so disgusting and weird. I don't advise anyone to pick up and read this book.

[Shay Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Light entertainment, and I liked the dogs and the setting, but the stone-age attitudes towards trans people was irritating.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book in the series. Good characters.

[Wendy French · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of heavy on dog breed/show stuff, but fun mystery.

[Jen Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love mysteries and dogs and Susan Conant does an awesome job of combining the two! Great writer and I very much recommend her Dog lovers mysteries.

[Mare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another engaging installment with Holly and Rowdy.

[Becky]

This book is more than 30 years old, and it shows. Despite the MC having a bit of an epiphany at the end, it's transphobic af.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing about reading a book published in 1991 is how attitudes to things have changed so radically over time. Caitlin Jenner vs Joel

What if I died and came back to life as my own dog?

In Susan Conant's third dog lover's mystery, Dog's Life columnist Holly Winter is writing a story based on that improbable premise when she's interrupted by an urgent summons to rush to the aid of feminist psychotherapist Elaine Walsh, whose wild-acting Alaskan malamute, Kimi, has driven Elaine to take refuge on her kitchen table. Elaine inherited Kimi when a patient, Donna Zalewski, apparently committed suicide. Before long, Elaine, too, is found dead—of a fatal overdose of the same prescription drug that killed her patient.

Is a murderer targeting Kimi's owners? Or is Kimi the intended victim? Since the orphaned Kimi is Holly's dog now, Holly needs to find out who's next on the killer's hit list—¬¬¬¬and to protect herself and Kimi, she needs to find out fast!

While trying to convince her first malamute, Rowdy, to accept the tough, pushy Kimi and while persuading the uncivilized Kimi that Rowdy has rights, too, Holly now realizes that Kimi, her radical-feminist malamute, is the key witness to both murders, a canine witness whose testimony no one but Holly understands.
In pitting canine authenticity against human deceit, A Bite of Death offers a wry and hilarious take on men, women, dogs, and female empowerment.

[crayolaab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd forgotten how fun these books are to read. This book, third in the series, has Holly Winter taking ownership of her second malamute, Kimi, when one of her boyfriend's patients dies. While she's trying to get Kimi under control and introduce her to Rowdy, she is also out to solve the mystery of Kimi's former owner - wait, make that owners. It turns out Kimi has two former owners, both of whom have died under mysterious circumstances.

While I think it's a bit preposterous to think that one woman could stumble upon so many murder victims it's easy enough to suspend belief and live in Holly's world for a couple of hours.

[Gwyneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love dogs, and i love any book where dogs are some of the main people in the book. And i love books with females as the central chacter. And this book has them both.

Holly Winter has her hands full with her malamute Rowdy. But ends up with in even more of a handful malamute Kimi after not one but two of her owners haveing died before Kimi was even a year old. Holly tries to figure out why both who onewners died in the excat same way, and must deal with many a shirink to find out who killed them and why. There are some werid twists and turns, but thanks to her two malamutes she figures out who and why.

[Sandra Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author totally surprised me this time. I never saw it coming, when trying to detect for myself who the culprit was.

This time, a young woman who had been sexually abused as a child, seeking help in counseling, accuses her therapist of stepping over the line, and then suddenly she is found dead. Supposedly a self-induced death. Of course that is not the case, but the path to finding why and who did cause her death was really interesting, and definitely told from a different point of view.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#3 in the Dog Lover's series. The unfortunately named Holly Winter is a Cambridge, MA based magazine writer on subjects canine.

Dog Lover's series - Holly Winter rescues therapist Elaine Walsh from her malamute, Kimi. After Elaine is found dead, Holly adopts Kimi. Holly finds that Elaine died from a drug overdose and that Kimi's former owner, a patient of Elaine's, committed suicide with the same uncommon drug. Holly scours the dog and therapy worlds of Cambridge, MA in search of the truth.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the 2nd book in the series, Dead and Doggone. The mystery was more cohesive this time around. I was bothered at the end of the book when Holly accepts some baked goods from the people she suspects are poisoners. Why would she do that? Other than that moment, I enjoyed the book.

[Gail Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. The mysteries are always clever, the details of life in Cambridge dead-on accurate. I especially love the characters -- the dog obsessed heroine, her wolf-dog breeding father, the cop who lives with his mother, and the hunky veterinarian boyfriend, not to mention the funny assortment of Cambridge residents and other dog training enthusiasts. These books are always entertaining, and this installment in the series doesn't disappoint.

[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.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 3rd in the series, and I am quickly learning that I can't stand the main character, Holly Winter. If you are not a dog person, you simply don't exist to her, and if you are a dog person but don't own a Malamute, you are far down on the dog chain. The plots of the books aren't bad, if only the mysteries could be solved without her.

[Ami Nosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mystery novel. A predictable mystery novel. One in which the author flexes how much she knows about dogs, breeding, and shows. Also transphobia.

This book is full of stereotypes and concepts that have aged very poorly. If you're willing to overlook that and want a quick murder mystery, you may find this amusing. Otherwise, I would pass.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This woman is not a great writer - her plots are weak and characters undeveloped, but it is fun to learn more about dogs and dog shows. I had never heard of a Rhodesian Ridgeback and now I recognize one in my neighborhood.

[Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a really busy month, which means it's time for.....animal themed murder mysteries! I liked this at the time, but entering these reviews in 2010, I do not remember one iota of any of the plot. Good brainless reading.