NO MERE MURDER IS GOING TO MAKE DOG THERAPIST ALLIE BABCOCK ROLL OVER AND PLAY DEAD.
As canine shrink Allie Babcock knows, behind every neurotic dog stands a neurotic human. But the rambunctious golden retriever named Maggie can’t even begin to compete with the nuttiness of her owner. Befuddled millionaire Ken Culberson insists that he killed his wife and that Maggie is channeling her spirit. He talks Allie into becoming the dog’s legal guardian in case he, too, should die—which he promptly does, thanks to a murderer.
Friends and relatives immediately gather to sniff after the fortune that will go to whomever Allie picks to be Maggie’s new owner. Wondering who in the pack did the deed, sleuthhound Allie vows that Maggie and her millions will only go to a killer over her own dead body. . . .
Allie Babcock is startled when a golden retriever rushes into her office and knocks over Russell, who is scared of dogs. Maggie is followed by her owner Ken Culberson. Ken lives in a run-down trailer park and Maggie does whatever she wants and is a problem. Visiting Ken's home to help him with Maggie, who runs off and brings back a bone and buries it in the yard. Allie realized the bone is human and calls the police. The story changes direction and she finds herself fostering Maggie. Maggie has inherited a fortune and Allie must decide who will receive custody of Maggie and her money. The ending will surprise. I highly recommend this book.
I love books that feature dogs and, by chance, saw the cover and bought the book, not realizing that it was book 3 in a series. I enjoyed the therapy explanations explaining the training of Maggie. I do hope that Maggie may be featured in another book. I like Molly Masters although she is too addlepated to be a close friend (sorry, Ms O'Kane). I fully intend to go back to read books number one and two. If you like dogs, you will like the story, the mystery, and the humour.
It's an easy read, a simple mystery in a series. Allie Babcock is a dog trainer with an uncanny ability to solve mysteries. A man comes to her believing that his dog has taken on the personality of his dead wife, a woman the man believes he killed. A fun, simple book. I would be happy to read others.
Good series; a joy for dog lovers! Having had dogs all my life -in multiples- I can tell you Allie's relationship with Russ is not going to work. At least, it wouldn't in real life. Worthwhile mysteries, simple plot lines, plenty of dogs and a fairly likeable MC. You won't regret giving these books a try.
Great light read. Has suspense but not the kind that gives me nightmares! Plus, dogs! 🐾 And minimal romance cheesiness, which was a pleasant surprise.
My husband was like, “you’re gonna put that book on GoodReads?” As if I should be embarrassed for reading a book that entertains without making me work hard? Silly boy.
For all dog lovers- This book is pure joy to read. Great way to relax on a rainy afternoon. A glass of wine, my two Shelties at my feet...chases the blues away!
The story was fun and interesting with some twists and turns i didn’t expect. Unfortunately, some silly editing gaffes really irked me, including typos and odd uses of hyphens.
Give the Dog a Bone. Leslie O'Kane. 2002. Fawcett Books. 232 pages. ISBN 0449007200.
Give the Dog a Bone is the last book in the 'Allie Babcock' series, as well as the last book written under the author's real name. O'Kane now writes under the pseudonym Leslie Caine for her 'Domestic Bliss' series.
In Give the Dog a Bone, expert dog behaviorist and therapist Allie Babcock is back to her routine, nosy sleuthing. This time she helps a crazy man named Ken Culberson (who is a millionaire yet lives in a trailer) train his dog when he thinks its channeling his dead wife's spirit. Soon enough, Ken dies and since Allie is named the dog's legal guardian, becomes smack-dab in the middle of figuring out who whacked him for his money.
Although the plot and mystery leaves much to be desired, we can count on O'Kane providing us with some awesome and effective tips about training and taking care of dogs. Allie's canine expertise is sprinkled throughout the book as we embark (no pun intended) on a journey to pinpoint the murderer.
Considering Give the Dog a Bone was released in 2002, it seems as if it were written before that time. Allie's boyfriend Russell has a waterbed which I thought people stopped using during the late 1980s, and in the midst of many dangerous scenarios, no one ever has a cell phone! I realize I may be nitpicking here, but in an adverse way it does somehow add to the charm of the book.
As I have now officially read everything under the moniker Leslie O'Kane, I am still sticking to my guns that her fax series featuring mom and heroine 'Molly Masters' is the best! Molly Masters is one of the funniest characters I have ever known in the cozy mystery genre.
Before you decide to pick up Give the Dog a Bone, read the first two books in this trilogy: Play Dead and Ruff Way to Go.
I always enjoy the books in this series because they give me insights into dog psychology. They agree with what I have read elsewhere, so I suspect the author consults with a dog trainer.
The mystery is also a good one. It plays fair in that all the clues and actors are on stage from the start. I like the main characters and find their personal lives interesting.
If you like dogs and mysteries, then I think you'll enjoy the series. It is a solid 4.5 star book, but I rounded up simply because I had fun reading it.
This is the third book I have read in the Allie Babcock series. It is very hard to put her books down. They are like ice cream. I gobble them up. The author mixes humor and mystery. The endings for me, have enough surprises to keep me guessing. I love dogs and the author gives them their own personalities so that they have the same importance as the human cast of characters.
Allie Babcock is ready to celebrate when her dog therapy business is finally in the black, but an eccentric dog owner's death sets her back.
This is a nice little cozy mystery of a book and Allie is a likable protagonist. There's enough about her dog therapy business to make it interesting, and the murder setup is believable and not easily solved.
I have enjoyed this series by Leslie O'Kane ... the Allied Babcock Mysteries. Very enjoyable! Receiving a email book list daily with offers from Bookbub has introduced me to many new authors. Of coarse after reading the first book in a series, I'm usually hooked.
Leslie O'Kane is a new author to me, but she writes spellbinding books which are entertaining and delightful. I would have to rate her up with Kathy Reich's, whom I think is also very imaginative. Both are extraordinary writers. Joyce
Allie,sure knows how to find trouble through the love of dogs ..She doesn't go looking for trouble but steps into it just being who she is. Russell her friend doesn't want to rush things between them. Allie is pondering her feelings. What's next?