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Wagging Tail Mystery #0.5
Murder at Pawprint Creek
Murder at Pawprint Creek is the prequel to the Wagging Tail Cozy Mystery Series. It can be read at any time during the series. A dog-loving sleuth. A baffling murder. To catch the killer, she’ll have to follow her nose. Nikki Green wouldn’t trade her job as a dog walker and pet sitter for anything. But even she needs an occasional break from the tangled leashes of her daily routes. When she’s asked to pet sit a pair of adorable pugs in a quaint farm town, she thinks she’s found her perfect vacation. But the grass isn’t greener in Pawprint Creek. The crops are as dead as one of the town’s residents. Surrounded by suspects who all seem to be relieved that the victim is dead, Nikki can’t bear to sit around while the killer walks free. Along with her new canine companions, Sunny and Stormy, she searches for clues, but when everyone seems to have a motive, she finds that she might have bitten off more than she can chew. In a town where gossip spreads like wildfire, she’d better catch the killer fast before she becomes the next victim.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 3, 2018
336 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 31, 2020
Really cute pugs throughout the story as their pet-sitter helps solve a murder mystery. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the Wagging Tail Cozy mysteries!
January 10, 2019
A fun clean murder mystery in a neat little town.
March 2, 2019
Papering creek
This was a delightful short mystery. Just long enough for a cozy read on a snowy evening, with a lot of tea or cocoa at your side. Looking forward to reading the next adventure.
This was a delightful short mystery. Just long enough for a cozy read on a snowy evening, with a lot of tea or cocoa at your side. Looking forward to reading the next adventure.
June 28, 2020
This a cute cozy - but too simple for me.
March 7, 2019
Corny but sweet
This is the prequel to this series. Nikki is dog sitting two cute pugs on a farm while the owner, Jackson Nule, is away. The very morning of the day Jackson left, the owner of a restaurant in town was found strangled. It was the first murder in the town anyone could remember. Nikki has incurable curiosity. Because Detective Space suspects Jackson Nule, Nikki decides to do some investigating. This young woman sure gets herself into a lot of trouble. There are a whole town of suspects because the restaurant owner created a dam on a water source preventing other farmers from having enough water during a drought. The whole town was angry at him. Water rights and fights about them are definitely the kind of issue that makes neighbors get angry enough to kill.
This is about 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4). Some of the dialog especially at the climax is real corny. BTW, my title for this review of this book is a double entendre.
This is the prequel to this series. Nikki is dog sitting two cute pugs on a farm while the owner, Jackson Nule, is away. The very morning of the day Jackson left, the owner of a restaurant in town was found strangled. It was the first murder in the town anyone could remember. Nikki has incurable curiosity. Because Detective Space suspects Jackson Nule, Nikki decides to do some investigating. This young woman sure gets herself into a lot of trouble. There are a whole town of suspects because the restaurant owner created a dam on a water source preventing other farmers from having enough water during a drought. The whole town was angry at him. Water rights and fights about them are definitely the kind of issue that makes neighbors get angry enough to kill.
This is about 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4). Some of the dialog especially at the climax is real corny. BTW, my title for this review of this book is a double entendre.
March 20, 2019
Dessert anyone?
A light, easy read cozy. With a plot about greed and how it can ruin lives and thus drive someone to make the final solution - murder. The characters although likeable needed more substance to reply take on a life of their own.
She has a dog walking business but also takes on dogsitting. Her arrival on her latest jobs (one organised by her BFF) is for an owner of two pugs who rushes out as she arrives. It is also met by the death of a local organic restaurant owner. The man had no-one to say anything nice about him as his actions of building a damp over the creek that passed through his property was having a devastating effect on the farmers and owners that lived further down especially in the drought conditions they were in. Can she find out why the man was killed and who by? Not only for her own curiosity but because her friend had her life and business here.
A light, easy read cozy. With a plot about greed and how it can ruin lives and thus drive someone to make the final solution - murder. The characters although likeable needed more substance to reply take on a life of their own.
She has a dog walking business but also takes on dogsitting. Her arrival on her latest jobs (one organised by her BFF) is for an owner of two pugs who rushes out as she arrives. It is also met by the death of a local organic restaurant owner. The man had no-one to say anything nice about him as his actions of building a damp over the creek that passed through his property was having a devastating effect on the farmers and owners that lived further down especially in the drought conditions they were in. Can she find out why the man was killed and who by? Not only for her own curiosity but because her friend had her life and business here.
September 14, 2020
This is a little novella (75 pages on my e-reader) and was a free download from the author. As 2 stars indicate, it was okay. Putting out these short stories seems to be all the rage these days by both cozy mystery writers and some authors of hard core thrillers - and I don't get it. The story is not particularly interesting, and it does not provide much backstory on the main character, which is sometimes the point. 75 pages should be enough to really hook me into a story, but I feel like I am being shortchanged in this case. Was this her warm-up writing before she actually starts working on a story she could publish as a standalone novel. In 75 pages, one cannot really develop much of a mystery, and she did not even hook me on the main character to entice me to read one of the novels in the series.
August 16, 2025
ASIN: B07L3TQQBH
Publication date: December 3, 2018
Murder at Pawprint Creek by author Cindy Bell is a delightful cozy murder mystery. Perfect for a quiet afternoon or a day on the beach. It's a fast read with well-developed characters, including two pugs, Sunny and Stormy. Our MC, Nikki, pet-sits two happy pugs in this out-of-town prequel to Cindy Bell's Dahlia mysteries. When a local dies, Nikki learns he was not well-thought-of in his community. Nikki decides that she will make sure his murder is properly investigated.
Murder at Pawprint Creek, by Cindy Bell, is a good cozy murder mystery, with plenty of suspects, nice and short, and makes for a good afternoon read.
Publication date: December 3, 2018
Murder at Pawprint Creek by author Cindy Bell is a delightful cozy murder mystery. Perfect for a quiet afternoon or a day on the beach. It's a fast read with well-developed characters, including two pugs, Sunny and Stormy. Our MC, Nikki, pet-sits two happy pugs in this out-of-town prequel to Cindy Bell's Dahlia mysteries. When a local dies, Nikki learns he was not well-thought-of in his community. Nikki decides that she will make sure his murder is properly investigated.
Murder at Pawprint Creek, by Cindy Bell, is a good cozy murder mystery, with plenty of suspects, nice and short, and makes for a good afternoon read.
March 28, 2024
Nicki receives a chance to dog sit from her friend Hannah, which will also give them a chance to visit, as she hasn’t seen Hannah since Hannah moved there a year ago. The man she’s dog sitting for, gives her quick instructions and introduces her to his two adorable pugs, Sunny and Stormy, then races off to catch his flight. The police discover a body behind the farmer’s market, a man named Rocky, who is basically a pretty well disliked man in the community - especially since he built a dam to divert the water to his land, cutting off everyone else during drought conditions! So the Detective has a lot of suspects to investigate. A cute book!
April 7, 2019
Nikki adventure before those in Dahlia
Nikki pet-sits 2 happy pugs in this out-of-town prequel to her Dahlia mysteries. When a local dies and she learns he was not well-thought-of in his community, she decides that she will try to make sure his murder is properly investigated. And she does, putting herself and her charges in harm's way before helping to solve the case and making sure the culprit is taken to jail. Interesting characters here who might do well visiting her in Dahlia someday. Recommended
Nikki pet-sits 2 happy pugs in this out-of-town prequel to her Dahlia mysteries. When a local dies and she learns he was not well-thought-of in his community, she decides that she will try to make sure his murder is properly investigated. And she does, putting herself and her charges in harm's way before helping to solve the case and making sure the culprit is taken to jail. Interesting characters here who might do well visiting her in Dahlia someday. Recommended
January 20, 2021
A corpse really ruins small-town ambiance!
Pawprint Creek is such a friendly, homey town. Or at least it is until a corpse mucks everything up. What should be a simple pet sitting job combined with a small vacation, drops Nikki Green paw deep into a murder investigation. Since everyone seems to have hated the victim, there is no shortage of suspects but Nikki is determined to bring the killer to justice.
This was a fun, quick read with likable characters and some good twists. I think anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries will like it.
Pawprint Creek is such a friendly, homey town. Or at least it is until a corpse mucks everything up. What should be a simple pet sitting job combined with a small vacation, drops Nikki Green paw deep into a murder investigation. Since everyone seems to have hated the victim, there is no shortage of suspects but Nikki is determined to bring the killer to justice.
This was a fun, quick read with likable characters and some good twists. I think anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries will like it.
February 15, 2024
The perfect pocket size cozy mystery with a touch of murder. The array of vibrant characters will draw you in at first but it's the enticement of mystery, intrigue secrets, betrayal and murder through a plot that will carry you captivated throughout turning intriguing page after page until you've reached its unexpected and climatic conclusion. Acquire this captivating cozy " Murder at Pawprint Creek " to enjoy while on the beach, bussing to work, during your lunch break or snuggled up at night before bed, just pick it up and enjoy. Kat
March 25, 2023
"Murder at Pawprint Creek is the prequel to the Wagging Tail Cozy Mystery Series. It can be read at any time during the series. It was part of the Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes: 12 Mysteries for the Dog Days of Summer anthology A dog-loving sleuth. A baffling murder. To catch the killer, she’ll have to follow her nose."
I received this book from Bookfunnel. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
I received this book from Bookfunnel. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
December 8, 2018
Great story..............
I've already read this story in the past, the author has done a great job of putting together a wonderful group of characters to help tell the story of mystery and mayhem. The heroine put herself on the front of the dangers involved in the solution of the murder of the victim.
I've already read this story in the past, the author has done a great job of putting together a wonderful group of characters to help tell the story of mystery and mayhem. The heroine put herself on the front of the dangers involved in the solution of the murder of the victim.
December 24, 2018
Great intro to a good series
This is a great intro to the Wagging Tail series where we get to meet Dog walker/sitter Nikki. Nikki's friend Hannah invites her to visit and sit for a neighbors 2 pugs. We follow the adventures the two ladiws get involed in when a much hated neighbor is murdered.
This is a great intro to the Wagging Tail series where we get to meet Dog walker/sitter Nikki. Nikki's friend Hannah invites her to visit and sit for a neighbors 2 pugs. We follow the adventures the two ladiws get involed in when a much hated neighbor is murdered.
July 14, 2019
I enjoyed reading this story (in Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes: 12 Mysteries for the Dog Days of Summer) about Nikki who takes care of a man's dogs in a small town called Pawprint Creek and gets involved with the local people after a not so nice man is murdered. Nice to read this in the mornings after breakfast before going outside on hot days.
April 2, 2020
This is .5 in the series. The main character is Nikki who comes to town to babysit 2 pugs and visit with an old friend. Shortly before she arrived there was a murder. The victim owned a diner and was hated by almost everyone in town. Nikki gets caught up in the investigation. Can she figure out want went on before it is too late ?
May 18, 2020
A great little mystery
This was a very entertaining and enjoyable mystery. The characters were fun and I am looking forward to getting to know them better. I hope to see more of Pawprint Creek, the quaint little town were Hannah lives. Maybe Nikki could move there, it would make me happy, lol. Can't wait to start the next book in the series.
This was a very entertaining and enjoyable mystery. The characters were fun and I am looking forward to getting to know them better. I hope to see more of Pawprint Creek, the quaint little town were Hannah lives. Maybe Nikki could move there, it would make me happy, lol. Can't wait to start the next book in the series.
July 28, 2025
Nikki, a dog walker, is asked by a friend in another town if she can dog sit for someone. When she arrives, it doesn't take long for her to hear about the death of a man who owns a local cafe. He seems to be a terrible man, and no one really cares that he is dead. However, Nikki gets involved in trying to find out who killed him.
December 12, 2018
Nice History
It was nice to find out more about Nikki and her love of animals. It filled in the gaps nicely before the events of the first book in the series happened. Looking forward to learning more about her. A plucky heroine 👍
It was nice to find out more about Nikki and her love of animals. It filled in the gaps nicely before the events of the first book in the series happened. Looking forward to learning more about her. A plucky heroine 👍
April 2, 2020
Pups and people
Why can’t people be like pug pups? Just being happy. Loving those around them. No, people have to “make” things go their way. A hard head makes a soft behind, my mom used to say. Good mystery, plenty of suspects, nice and short. Good afternoon read.
Why can’t people be like pug pups? Just being happy. Loving those around them. No, people have to “make” things go their way. A hard head makes a soft behind, my mom used to say. Good mystery, plenty of suspects, nice and short. Good afternoon read.
February 10, 2022
I received this from a Bookfunnel promotion. I thought it was a cute cozy although there were some proofreading errors. How can you not like a cozy with pugs? It was short but sweet. I recommend it.
January 9, 2024
4.5 rounded to 5. The pugs in this book were so cute and would have made a pug I knew very proud. There were a lot of twists and turns in this short cozy mystery. I look forward to reading more in this cute series.
January 26, 2024
Nikki comes to town to dog-sit because the owner has urgent business out of town.
A restaurant owner is murdered and the owner is a prime suspect - well, except for all the other people in town who also hated him.
Good prequel to a series
A restaurant owner is murdered and the owner is a prime suspect - well, except for all the other people in town who also hated him.
Good prequel to a series
June 23, 2024
Fabulous
I read Murder at Pawprint Creek AFTER Murder at Pooch Park but it didn't really matter one bit. This is a fabulous prequel and I definitely recommend this series if you like Cozy Crime.
I read Murder at Pawprint Creek AFTER Murder at Pooch Park but it didn't really matter one bit. This is a fabulous prequel and I definitely recommend this series if you like Cozy Crime.
January 3, 2019
Cozy Murder Prequil
I was ready for a nice easy read about a murder with dogs in it. This was great. Two friends, 3 dogs and a small town. I will read more of this series.
I was ready for a nice easy read about a murder with dogs in it. This was great. Two friends, 3 dogs and a small town. I will read more of this series.
February 22, 2019
Dog walked or detective
Good read lots of fun with good characterization and storyline was great.Sweet little mystery with good clean language and lots of action
Good read lots of fun with good characterization and storyline was great.Sweet little mystery with good clean language and lots of action
March 10, 2019
Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes: 12 Mysteries for the Dog Days of Summer
April 8, 2019
Very easy read
It easy read, read In one day, This was the last book in the series that I read. It's a stand alone story. But a good mystery.
It easy read, read In one day, This was the last book in the series that I read. It's a stand alone story. But a good mystery.
October 23, 2019
Swéet mystery with 2 cute pugs
Refreshing mystery with two precocious pugs. Nikki goes to a nearby town to dog sit and winds up involved in a murder investigation.
Refreshing mystery with two precocious pugs. Nikki goes to a nearby town to dog sit and winds up involved in a murder investigation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews