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Dog Groomer Mysteries #1
A New Leash on Life
Redemption. Mystery. Cute animals.
Could this be the perfect cozy?
Amy Stewart gets cheated on. Twice. So she packs up her things and moves back to her hometown of Toluca Lake, CA, to open a cute pet salon with her Granny.
Amy's been living off the grid in upstate NY for so long, California is like a whole new world. But she enjoys re-connecting with old friends and family. And she especially enjoys linking up with the chiseled local cop. Mike Fine.
Mike was the uber-jock prom king in high school. But it turns out he had a crush on Amy the whole time...and he still does!!
Then there’s a murder...
...and Amy’s life changes forever.
Granny and Amy are accused of the crime, so Granny wants to solve the mystery to clear their names, naturally. But she needs Amy’s help to find the clues and put the bad guy behind bars.
This is Amy’s chance make a name for herself in Toluca Lake, and to prove she can thrive without her crummy ex.
But will she be able to put her heartbreak aside and catch the killer?
Could this be the perfect cozy?
Amy Stewart gets cheated on. Twice. So she packs up her things and moves back to her hometown of Toluca Lake, CA, to open a cute pet salon with her Granny.
Amy's been living off the grid in upstate NY for so long, California is like a whole new world. But she enjoys re-connecting with old friends and family. And she especially enjoys linking up with the chiseled local cop. Mike Fine.
Mike was the uber-jock prom king in high school. But it turns out he had a crush on Amy the whole time...and he still does!!
Then there’s a murder...
...and Amy’s life changes forever.
Granny and Amy are accused of the crime, so Granny wants to solve the mystery to clear their names, naturally. But she needs Amy’s help to find the clues and put the bad guy behind bars.
This is Amy’s chance make a name for herself in Toluca Lake, and to prove she can thrive without her crummy ex.
But will she be able to put her heartbreak aside and catch the killer?
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2021
328 people are currently reading
260 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Thomas
56 books807 followersEveryone loves a secret.
So here's a good one...
...Chelsea Thomas is technically two people, married writing team Chelsea and Matthew Thomas.
Matt and Chelsea write cozy mysteries set on an apple orchard in upstate New York. They also write television and film. As screenwriters, they have worked with several studios, including Nickelodeon, SONY and CBS.
Chelsea and Matt are graduates of Duke University and they are members of the Writers Guild of America. And they are USA Today Bestselling authors.
Chelsea enjoys spending time with animals and practicing yoga. Matt loves playing music. They both enjoy spending time near the water.
Want a free novella PLUS a free cozy mystery cookbook?
Join the Chelsea Thomas Reader Club at www.chelseathomasauthor.com.
So here's a good one...
...Chelsea Thomas is technically two people, married writing team Chelsea and Matthew Thomas.
Matt and Chelsea write cozy mysteries set on an apple orchard in upstate New York. They also write television and film. As screenwriters, they have worked with several studios, including Nickelodeon, SONY and CBS.
Chelsea and Matt are graduates of Duke University and they are members of the Writers Guild of America. And they are USA Today Bestselling authors.
Chelsea enjoys spending time with animals and practicing yoga. Matt loves playing music. They both enjoy spending time near the water.
Want a free novella PLUS a free cozy mystery cookbook?
Join the Chelsea Thomas Reader Club at www.chelseathomasauthor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
June 10, 2021
I enjoyed the cat, Fluffy, most of all. He has his own chapters, and let me say, he is a plotter! I laughed and laughed at him and his missing food, and the little mouse. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
May 26, 2021
I was given an advance review copy from BookSprout. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway.
2.55 stars- almost 3 if the mistakes are corrected
After a nomadic life, a failed marriage and a stay in Pine Grove, New York, Amy and her grandmother, Petunia have returned to their hometown in Toluca Lake in sunny southern California where Amy has opened a pet grooming business. Their first customer is a notorious skinflint who refuses to pay for his cat's haircut. He promises to write a horrible review online to trash the shop's reputation. Amy tries to make amends but it's too late. Faced with a negative review, Amy worries about her business. The next morning, Amy and Petunia try to reason with Gerard Crimper but unfortunately they find him dead bashed in the head with a speaker. The lazy police detective assumes Amy and her gran are guilty. Not even flirting with the hunky rookie cop can change anything so Amy and Petunia set out to solve the case themselves. After all, Chelsea and Miss May do it all the time back in Pine Grove, with some assistance from Petunia. Meanwhile, Fluffy the cat, stuck in Amy's apartment with a psycho puppy, is determined to solve a mystery of his own.
This story is a spinoff of the Apple Orchard series but it stands on its own. The writing style is pretty much identical to the Apple Orchard mysteries. It started off a little sharper but got just as zany and sloppy as it went on. Readers who are not huge cat fans, like myself, probably won't enjoy certain chapters told from the point-of-view of the cat. The mystery adds absolutely nothing to the overall story. It's silly and not charming. I resent the fact that Amy adopts Puppy only to take him out for a walk once a morning and then ignore him all day. She doesn't even bother to name him! No wonder he's crazy and acts high. He needs proper training and socialization. Chelsea and Matt must not be dog lovers. This story is cat-biased. If I had known that, I probably wouldn't have read it.
The mystery is a little uninteresting. Gerard Crimper was such a loser, I didn't care who killed him. There aren't enough suspects and apparently everyone is lying. The second death was horrible and I didn't see that coming. The reveal was a surprise and seemed to come out of left field. While the catch a killer moment wasn't quite as outrageous as Chelsea's karate chopping, it was still pretty silly.
I liked Amy better than Chelsea. Amy is more confident and secure in who she is. She doesn't babble when she's nervous or not as badly as Chelsea. Amy lies better and is a little more on the ball when it comes to figuring out suspects and motives. I loved Petunia in the Apple Orchard series and I'm glad she has a spin-off. She's still sarcastic and wise cracking but she loves her granddaughter and her hometown. Seeing her in her element and not in an old folks home makes her more human and shows a softer side of her. She's still tough-as-nails Petunia but better developed. Fluffy, the cat, has his own mystery to solve that has nothing to do with the murder. *sigh* Cat lovers insist on making cat speech highly developed and intelligent compared to dogs. BLECH! This is a stereotype and totally untrue. Puppy may be young and energetic but that's because no one is working with him and training him. Fluffy is like some hyper aware, vigilant, intelligent old person stuck at home with a strange conspiracy theory. The outcome of his plot is completely ridiculous! My terrier would have taught him what to do and she would have eaten his tuna before he realized it was missing. Skip these sections if you're not obsessed with cats.
Gerard Crimper is a sad sack loser who relishes his past as a rock god-something that never actually happened. He recorded a few songs, played some gigs and still no one likes him or his music. He was way too old to be clinging to his teen years. He had responsibilities he shirked, except to his cat, apparently, and even then he won't pay for the cat's haircut. Badmouthing all the local businesses on a Yelp like site is really lame and petty. Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD. He's like the boy who never grew up but not in a fun, charming way.
Betsy, Amy's best friend and assistant groomer is weird and not in a good way. She has a bizarre preoccupation with her own death and enjoys talking about planning her own funeral. I guess it could be good to think that far ahead but it's in just about every conversation and really bizarre. Amy's sister Megan, is a Type A, workaholic. I don't know why she has a husband, kids and a dog if she never gets off her phone. She's as bad as Crimper with her negative comments. With a sister like her, who needs Crimper?
Other quirky locals include young Tommy Flynn, a 20-something mayor who serves as a sandwich errand boy. I don't find this funny any more than the mimbo comments. Look how far Pete Buttigeg has come. Like everyone else in this town though, it seems Tommy lacks brains and initiative. I feel sorry for him. Eleanor, the bakery owner, is so sweet and loving. Free baked goods for all her friends? Can I be her friend? Yet she seems like she is hiding something and not telling the whole truth. Don't let her be a murderer! Kitty Kat, Sandra's employee, is Amy and Petunia's informant. She seems to know all the gossip and is eager to repeat it. Isn't that unethical? She seems to be a good source of information anyway. She's another oddball in a story filled with oddballs. Jess, a waitress at the local diner, is a younger version of Petunia. She's sarcastic and always has a snappy comment. I'm not sure I like her yet. Dirk, the editor of the town paper, is an elderly man, a dapper dresser and games enthusiast. I think he likes Petunia more than he's willing to let on but his arrogance and selfishness prevent him from thinking too much about someone other than himself.
The police are stereotypically stupid and lazy. Mike Fine, rookie cop, somehow made it through school to become a police officer in spite of barely having any brain cells. I give him a lot of credit for his comments on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone though. That was pretty impressive. I don't really like the term "mimbo" or even "bimbo". It's rude and demeaning, although he is a few pieces of lunch meat short of a sandwich. He's flirtatious and charming though and kind to Amy. Detective Rotund, a wannabe Poirot, doesn't seem to have any little gray cells either. He settles on Amy and Petunia because they found the body. That's easy and quick and gives him more time for drinking or whatever.
The more obvious suspect would be Crimper's estranged wife, Sandra Hirsch. A middle aged hair salon owner, she's suspicious and cranky whenever Amy and Petunia ask questions. She doesn't seem honest or trustworthy to me and she sure has a lot of motives to want Crimper dead. Yet, she also seems to have loved him and genuinely mourn him. Although, her mother is an actress and they live in a community of actors so... you never know. Apollo, the local diner owner, has also received negative reviews from Crimper and others. Could he have killed over that? That seems like a weak motive to me and he doesn't come across as a killer. Who is the mysterious Miss Lovely who wrote love letters to Crimper? EW! She has terrible taste. He was clearly waiting for a woman when he died so perhaps she set a trap and lured him to his death? That's the only way I can think of for a woman to want to be with Crimper. When her identity is revealed, it's a big surprise. I kind of liked that person and their story takes a surprising turn I didn't expect. This person sure hated Crimper but did they have a motive to kill him?
As the book went on, I noticed more and more typos and grammatical errors. My BIG pet peeve, which I have mentioned to Chelsea, is "alright." "Alright" might be "alright" for dialogue and casual conversation but "all right" is standard English for use in writing and it drives me up a wall when authors can't be bothered to use it. Another pet peeve, same idea, is "donut." UGH! People-it's spelled "doughnut" unless you're a "donut" shop needing to fit words on a sign or want to draw attention away from that famous Donut shop on every street corner near me and they just took donut out of their name.
On Page 14, the name of the shop needs to be italicized for both words, not just the first.
P. 37 "No cares but he you" is not grammatical. He doesn't belong in there.
On page 59 "A Hispanic family..." How do we know they're Hispanic? Is that all that defines them? Are they happy? Loving? Having fun? Angry? Arguing? Give me another adjective to describe them other than their supposed ethnicity.
Page 107 accustom should be accustomed
Page 115, the second Betsy should be in single quotes open and close 'Betsy'.
Betsy is referred to as Becky twice on p. 118-119
p. 143 New York should be California, Los Angeles, or here-just not New York
Ch. 41 "Heavens to Betsy's" Betsy's what? It needs a noun. How about just Heavens to Betsy?
P.172 "new" should be "knew"
184 "bot" should be "bot
As the book went on, I noticed more and more typos and grammatical errors. My BIG pet peeve, which I have mentioned to Chelsea, is "alright." "Alright" might be "alright" for dialogue and casual conversation but "all right" is standard English for use in writing and it drives me up a wall when authors can't be bothered to use it. Another pet peeve, same idea, is "donut." UGH! People-it's spelled "doughnut" unless you're a "donut" shop needing to fit words on a sign or want to draw attention away from that famous Donut shop on every street corner near me and they just took donut out of their name.
On Page 14, the name of the shop needs to be italicized for both words, not just the first.
P. 37 "No cares but he you" is not grammatical. He doesn't belong in there.
On page 59 "A Hispanic family..." How do we know they're Hispanic? Is that all that defines them? Are they happy? Loving? Having fun? Angry? Arguing? Give me another adjective to describe them other than their supposed ethnicity.
Page 107 accustom should be accustomed
Page 115, the second Betsy should be in single quotes open and close 'Betsy'.
Betsy is referred to as Becky twice on p. 118-119
p. 143 New York should be California, Los Angeles, or here-just not New York
Ch. 41 "Heavens to Betsy's" Betsy's what? It needs a noun. How about just Heavens to Betsy?
P.172 "new" should be "knew"
p. 184 "bot" should be "both"
If you love the Apple Orchard series, you will love this one too. For me, both are so-so and I read them only when I can get them for free and I'm desperate for something to read!
2.55 stars- almost 3 if the mistakes are corrected
After a nomadic life, a failed marriage and a stay in Pine Grove, New York, Amy and her grandmother, Petunia have returned to their hometown in Toluca Lake in sunny southern California where Amy has opened a pet grooming business. Their first customer is a notorious skinflint who refuses to pay for his cat's haircut. He promises to write a horrible review online to trash the shop's reputation. Amy tries to make amends but it's too late. Faced with a negative review, Amy worries about her business. The next morning, Amy and Petunia try to reason with Gerard Crimper but unfortunately they find him dead bashed in the head with a speaker. The lazy police detective assumes Amy and her gran are guilty. Not even flirting with the hunky rookie cop can change anything so Amy and Petunia set out to solve the case themselves. After all, Chelsea and Miss May do it all the time back in Pine Grove, with some assistance from Petunia. Meanwhile, Fluffy the cat, stuck in Amy's apartment with a psycho puppy, is determined to solve a mystery of his own.
This story is a spinoff of the Apple Orchard series but it stands on its own. The writing style is pretty much identical to the Apple Orchard mysteries. It started off a little sharper but got just as zany and sloppy as it went on. Readers who are not huge cat fans, like myself, probably won't enjoy certain chapters told from the point-of-view of the cat. The mystery adds absolutely nothing to the overall story. It's silly and not charming. I resent the fact that Amy adopts Puppy only to take him out for a walk once a morning and then ignore him all day. She doesn't even bother to name him! No wonder he's crazy and acts high. He needs proper training and socialization. Chelsea and Matt must not be dog lovers. This story is cat-biased. If I had known that, I probably wouldn't have read it.
The mystery is a little uninteresting. Gerard Crimper was such a loser, I didn't care who killed him. There aren't enough suspects and apparently everyone is lying. The second death was horrible and I didn't see that coming. The reveal was a surprise and seemed to come out of left field. While the catch a killer moment wasn't quite as outrageous as Chelsea's karate chopping, it was still pretty silly.
I liked Amy better than Chelsea. Amy is more confident and secure in who she is. She doesn't babble when she's nervous or not as badly as Chelsea. Amy lies better and is a little more on the ball when it comes to figuring out suspects and motives. I loved Petunia in the Apple Orchard series and I'm glad she has a spin-off. She's still sarcastic and wise cracking but she loves her granddaughter and her hometown. Seeing her in her element and not in an old folks home makes her more human and shows a softer side of her. She's still tough-as-nails Petunia but better developed. Fluffy, the cat, has his own mystery to solve that has nothing to do with the murder. *sigh* Cat lovers insist on making cat speech highly developed and intelligent compared to dogs. BLECH! This is a stereotype and totally untrue. Puppy may be young and energetic but that's because no one is working with him and training him. Fluffy is like some hyper aware, vigilant, intelligent old person stuck at home with a strange conspiracy theory. The outcome of his plot is completely ridiculous! My terrier would have taught him what to do and she would have eaten his tuna before he realized it was missing. Skip these sections if you're not obsessed with cats.
Gerard Crimper is a sad sack loser who relishes his past as a rock god-something that never actually happened. He recorded a few songs, played some gigs and still no one likes him or his music. He was way too old to be clinging to his teen years. He had responsibilities he shirked, except to his cat, apparently, and even then he won't pay for the cat's haircut. Badmouthing all the local businesses on a Yelp like site is really lame and petty. Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD. He's like the boy who never grew up but not in a fun, charming way.
Betsy, Amy's best friend and assistant groomer is weird and not in a good way. She has a bizarre preoccupation with her own death and enjoys talking about planning her own funeral. I guess it could be good to think that far ahead but it's in just about every conversation and really bizarre. Amy's sister Megan, is a Type A, workaholic. I don't know why she has a husband, kids and a dog if she never gets off her phone. She's as bad as Crimper with her negative comments. With a sister like her, who needs Crimper?
Other quirky locals include young Tommy Flynn, a 20-something mayor who serves as a sandwich errand boy. I don't find this funny any more than the mimbo comments. Look how far Pete Buttigeg has come. Like everyone else in this town though, it seems Tommy lacks brains and initiative. I feel sorry for him. Eleanor, the bakery owner, is so sweet and loving. Free baked goods for all her friends? Can I be her friend? Yet she seems like she is hiding something and not telling the whole truth. Don't let her be a murderer! Kitty Kat, Sandra's employee, is Amy and Petunia's informant. She seems to know all the gossip and is eager to repeat it. Isn't that unethical? She seems to be a good source of information anyway. She's another oddball in a story filled with oddballs. Jess, a waitress at the local diner, is a younger version of Petunia. She's sarcastic and always has a snappy comment. I'm not sure I like her yet. Dirk, the editor of the town paper, is an elderly man, a dapper dresser and games enthusiast. I think he likes Petunia more than he's willing to let on but his arrogance and selfishness prevent him from thinking too much about someone other than himself.
The police are stereotypically stupid and lazy. Mike Fine, rookie cop, somehow made it through school to become a police officer in spite of barely having any brain cells. I give him a lot of credit for his comments on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone though. That was pretty impressive. I don't really like the term "mimbo" or even "bimbo". It's rude and demeaning, although he is a few pieces of lunch meat short of a sandwich. He's flirtatious and charming though and kind to Amy. Detective Rotund, a wannabe Poirot, doesn't seem to have any little gray cells either. He settles on Amy and Petunia because they found the body. That's easy and quick and gives him more time for drinking or whatever.
The more obvious suspect would be Crimper's estranged wife, Sandra Hirsch. A middle aged hair salon owner, she's suspicious and cranky whenever Amy and Petunia ask questions. She doesn't seem honest or trustworthy to me and she sure has a lot of motives to want Crimper dead. Yet, she also seems to have loved him and genuinely mourn him. Although, her mother is an actress and they live in a community of actors so... you never know. Apollo, the local diner owner, has also received negative reviews from Crimper and others. Could he have killed over that? That seems like a weak motive to me and he doesn't come across as a killer. Who is the mysterious Miss Lovely who wrote love letters to Crimper? EW! She has terrible taste. He was clearly waiting for a woman when he died so perhaps she set a trap and lured him to his death? That's the only way I can think of for a woman to want to be with Crimper. When her identity is revealed, it's a big surprise. I kind of liked that person and their story takes a surprising turn I didn't expect. This person sure hated Crimper but did they have a motive to kill him?
As the book went on, I noticed more and more typos and grammatical errors. My BIG pet peeve, which I have mentioned to Chelsea, is "alright." "Alright" might be "alright" for dialogue and casual conversation but "all right" is standard English for use in writing and it drives me up a wall when authors can't be bothered to use it. Another pet peeve, same idea, is "donut." UGH! People-it's spelled "doughnut" unless you're a "donut" shop needing to fit words on a sign or want to draw attention away from that famous Donut shop on every street corner near me and they just took donut out of their name.
On Page 14, the name of the shop needs to be italicized for both words, not just the first.
P. 37 "No cares but he you" is not grammatical. He doesn't belong in there.
On page 59 "A Hispanic family..." How do we know they're Hispanic? Is that all that defines them? Are they happy? Loving? Having fun? Angry? Arguing? Give me another adjective to describe them other than their supposed ethnicity.
Page 107 accustom should be accustomed
Page 115, the second Betsy should be in single quotes open and close 'Betsy'.
Betsy is referred to as Becky twice on p. 118-119
p. 143 New York should be California, Los Angeles, or here-just not New York
Ch. 41 "Heavens to Betsy's" Betsy's what? It needs a noun. How about just Heavens to Betsy?
P.172 "new" should be "knew"
184 "bot" should be "bot
As the book went on, I noticed more and more typos and grammatical errors. My BIG pet peeve, which I have mentioned to Chelsea, is "alright." "Alright" might be "alright" for dialogue and casual conversation but "all right" is standard English for use in writing and it drives me up a wall when authors can't be bothered to use it. Another pet peeve, same idea, is "donut." UGH! People-it's spelled "doughnut" unless you're a "donut" shop needing to fit words on a sign or want to draw attention away from that famous Donut shop on every street corner near me and they just took donut out of their name.
On Page 14, the name of the shop needs to be italicized for both words, not just the first.
P. 37 "No cares but he you" is not grammatical. He doesn't belong in there.
On page 59 "A Hispanic family..." How do we know they're Hispanic? Is that all that defines them? Are they happy? Loving? Having fun? Angry? Arguing? Give me another adjective to describe them other than their supposed ethnicity.
Page 107 accustom should be accustomed
Page 115, the second Betsy should be in single quotes open and close 'Betsy'.
Betsy is referred to as Becky twice on p. 118-119
p. 143 New York should be California, Los Angeles, or here-just not New York
Ch. 41 "Heavens to Betsy's" Betsy's what? It needs a noun. How about just Heavens to Betsy?
P.172 "new" should be "knew"
p. 184 "bot" should be "both"
If you love the Apple Orchard series, you will love this one too. For me, both are so-so and I read them only when I can get them for free and I'm desperate for something to read!
May 24, 2021
A New Leash on Life by Chelsea Thomas book one in the Dog Groomer Mystery series. This is a spin off from their popular Apple Orchard Mystery series featuring Amy the dog groomer and her poker loving Granny Petunia. I love the apple orchard series so thought I would give this one a try, part of me wondered if I would like Amy and Petunia as much as I do Chelsea, Miss May and Teeny... Let’s just say I wasn’t disappointed.
I really enjoy the main characters and their interactions with each other had me laughing a couple times. I love the relationship that Amy and her Granny have with each other and find it to be very realistic. The new characters like Betsy, I found to be just a quirky and funny.
I also enjoyed hearing fluffy the cat tell his story every other chapter.
The plot is very good it pulled me in right away and moves at a steady pace. I can imagine the character coming to life in my mind as if I was really there.
I thought I had identified the killer early in the book but as I read on there were red herrings galore that I second guessed myself. When the murderer was finally revealed had been right.
I highly recommend this series to all my fellow cozy mystery lovers.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoy the main characters and their interactions with each other had me laughing a couple times. I love the relationship that Amy and her Granny have with each other and find it to be very realistic. The new characters like Betsy, I found to be just a quirky and funny.
I also enjoyed hearing fluffy the cat tell his story every other chapter.
The plot is very good it pulled me in right away and moves at a steady pace. I can imagine the character coming to life in my mind as if I was really there.
I thought I had identified the killer early in the book but as I read on there were red herrings galore that I second guessed myself. When the murderer was finally revealed had been right.
I highly recommend this series to all my fellow cozy mystery lovers.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 23, 2021
Kindle Copy for Review
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a brand new cozy series which features a dog groomer. She moves in with her granny after a broken heart as she tries to move on in a small town.\
Things do not go easy as her only customer is found murder as she finds herself wondering who wanted the customer dead. Not a good start for business as it might just be her only one at this rate.
A charming cozy with an adorable granny to lighten things up.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a brand new cozy series which features a dog groomer. She moves in with her granny after a broken heart as she tries to move on in a small town.\
Things do not go easy as her only customer is found murder as she finds herself wondering who wanted the customer dead. Not a good start for business as it might just be her only one at this rate.
A charming cozy with an adorable granny to lighten things up.
May 28, 2021
This was a fun first book in a new series! A New Leash on Life includes lots of quirky characters and a well-planned mystery that kept me guessing until the end. An especially unique element was that several chapters were narrated by the character Fluffy the cat! It definitely added to the cute and cozy theme of the book. This is the first book that I have read by this author but it won’t be the last!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 30, 2021
Can a card shark granny and her pet loving granddaughter run a successful pet grooming business in their home town? Will murders follow them? And what’s with Amy’s quirky friend, Betsy? Grabs some laughs and try and solve the mystery.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 19, 2022
I made it about a 25% before I quit. The dialogue just didnt hit me right.
June 10, 2021
Amy and her grandmother, Petunia, have said goodbye to Pine Grove, NY and returned home to Toluca Lake, CA. The two partner up in a new pet grooming business, this time in a store front. When one of their customers is found murdered, Amy is a suspect. She and Granny decide to use the skills they learned observing Pine Grove’s trio of amateur detectives to find the man’s killer.
This is the first book in a new series by Chelsea Thomas. Though I was quickly engaged in the story, I wasn’t sure if I liked it until I was several chapters in the book. Also, Amy’s adopted cat also narrates a story within the story. The first appearance of the cat’s story gave me pause. I’ve read stories written with a pet’s point of view before and I struggle with this. In the end I enjoyed the book and I warmed to the cat. I will read the next book in this series and recommend it to other cozy lovers.
This is the first book in a new series by Chelsea Thomas. Though I was quickly engaged in the story, I wasn’t sure if I liked it until I was several chapters in the book. Also, Amy’s adopted cat also narrates a story within the story. The first appearance of the cat’s story gave me pause. I’ve read stories written with a pet’s point of view before and I struggle with this. In the end I enjoyed the book and I warmed to the cat. I will read the next book in this series and recommend it to other cozy lovers.
January 15, 2022
Started slow but picked up fairly quickly. I am really enjoying this series!
Note: Arc containing the first 3 books was given September 4, 2021, with understanding the slow read and pile of TBR accumulated. I truly love these little stories!
Note: Arc containing the first 3 books was given September 4, 2021, with understanding the slow read and pile of TBR accumulated. I truly love these little stories!
October 22, 2022
Absolutely ridiculous from start to finish. Amy is nice but the light bulb is not screwed in enough, Granny is unlikeable, and Betsy is an airhead.
June 3, 2021
3 1/2 stars
This is book two of the Dog Groomer Mysteries series and follows Amy and her Granny as they move back from Pine Grove, of Chelsea Thomas fame, to their former home of Toluca Lake, California. Her Granny has helped her to open her own dog and cat grooming shop, called Creature Comforts. They are co-owners but Granny is living her own life trying to fleece players in her poker games and any other gambling chances she has. Amy’s employee Betsy is definitely a peculiar character and goes out grave hunting with her mother for a pair of plots to be buried in together. The shop has just opened, but one of her very first customers, Gerard Crimper, a former musician in a band called Liquid Staple, who thinks he is still a pop star, has complained that the short cut he asked for was all wrong. His cat Fluffy was well known for their fluffy hair style and Amy had gone too far. Unless she gave him a discount, which soon turns into a full refund, he will write a horrible review about her shop and the fact she is a murderer! He is bringing in the wrong information about her time in the murder capital of Pine Grove, where she helped Chelsea and the others with an investigation, he also maligns her character about her previous relationships as well. If he writes such a review, her new business will be ruined before she can even get it off the ground.
Like in the Pine Grove mysteries, there is a trio of Amy, her Granny and her employee Betsy, who get stuck into a murder investigation, when Amy and Granny are the people who come across the dead body of their complaining customer! Due to his review and them finding the body, the local police force, which consists of a very inexperienced younger police officer who she knew from school, Mike Fine, the almost at retirement age sole detective in town, Rotund, who speaks with a somewhat French accent, and past his time Chief, who should really have retired by now and spends his time sleeping, believe the two of them are prime suspects in the murder. Rookie cop Mike Fine seems to remember Amy in quite a different way than she does from their shared chemistry lessons, but puts across a request for them to stop their own investigation, or else! Quite threatening and disheartening when the crime scene is completely cleared up and it is now suddenly called an accident.
It follows the same way the Apple Orchard series does, with a number of different suspects and possible motives bandied around. Amy and Granny split their time between trying to follow leads, when Amy has free time from her grooming shop. They come up to some amusing antics as they follow each of their leads and possible links to suspects. One leads them to another dead body making it seem that the killer isn’t quite finished with what they are doing! What links each of the victims seems fairly clear, but that would be far too easy a solution. A few red herrings and dead ends are needed first! This storyline also has part of the story told by Fluffy the cat themselves and the ‘tail’ of their missing food! The main characters are getting used to the small town and meeting many people they knew in their past. Somethings have changed and some haven’t, but no doubt there are more murders to come and Amy and Granny will be involved in trying to solve them. I received an ARC of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
This is book two of the Dog Groomer Mysteries series and follows Amy and her Granny as they move back from Pine Grove, of Chelsea Thomas fame, to their former home of Toluca Lake, California. Her Granny has helped her to open her own dog and cat grooming shop, called Creature Comforts. They are co-owners but Granny is living her own life trying to fleece players in her poker games and any other gambling chances she has. Amy’s employee Betsy is definitely a peculiar character and goes out grave hunting with her mother for a pair of plots to be buried in together. The shop has just opened, but one of her very first customers, Gerard Crimper, a former musician in a band called Liquid Staple, who thinks he is still a pop star, has complained that the short cut he asked for was all wrong. His cat Fluffy was well known for their fluffy hair style and Amy had gone too far. Unless she gave him a discount, which soon turns into a full refund, he will write a horrible review about her shop and the fact she is a murderer! He is bringing in the wrong information about her time in the murder capital of Pine Grove, where she helped Chelsea and the others with an investigation, he also maligns her character about her previous relationships as well. If he writes such a review, her new business will be ruined before she can even get it off the ground.
Like in the Pine Grove mysteries, there is a trio of Amy, her Granny and her employee Betsy, who get stuck into a murder investigation, when Amy and Granny are the people who come across the dead body of their complaining customer! Due to his review and them finding the body, the local police force, which consists of a very inexperienced younger police officer who she knew from school, Mike Fine, the almost at retirement age sole detective in town, Rotund, who speaks with a somewhat French accent, and past his time Chief, who should really have retired by now and spends his time sleeping, believe the two of them are prime suspects in the murder. Rookie cop Mike Fine seems to remember Amy in quite a different way than she does from their shared chemistry lessons, but puts across a request for them to stop their own investigation, or else! Quite threatening and disheartening when the crime scene is completely cleared up and it is now suddenly called an accident.
It follows the same way the Apple Orchard series does, with a number of different suspects and possible motives bandied around. Amy and Granny split their time between trying to follow leads, when Amy has free time from her grooming shop. They come up to some amusing antics as they follow each of their leads and possible links to suspects. One leads them to another dead body making it seem that the killer isn’t quite finished with what they are doing! What links each of the victims seems fairly clear, but that would be far too easy a solution. A few red herrings and dead ends are needed first! This storyline also has part of the story told by Fluffy the cat themselves and the ‘tail’ of their missing food! The main characters are getting used to the small town and meeting many people they knew in their past. Somethings have changed and some haven’t, but no doubt there are more murders to come and Amy and Granny will be involved in trying to solve them. I received an ARC of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
June 22, 2021
Synopsis:
Every person, and every pet, loves Amy...
...except the guilty.
In a small town, where dog parks are plenty, every street is tree-lined, and if you throw a frisbee, ten cute puppies chase it down, there are still secrets behind every bend.
Murder echoes loudest in small towns.
Amy’s heartbroken, dead broke and as positive and joyful as they come. She’s opening a pet salon with her grumpy Granny after a stressful stint in Pine Grove. But when Amy’s first and only customer is murdered, she realizes if she doesn't catch the killer, the grand opening of her pet salon could be ruined.
Who would have killed Amy’s customer?
Hot shot rookie cop Michael Fine thinks Amy committed the murder. Amy and Granny know he’s wrong, but they don’t have proof. There’s a killer on the loose in their little slice of heaven and if the ladies don't solve the mystery they could lose their business...or worse.
You’ll adore this clean cozy because everyone loves funny mysteries with tons of cute, tiny animals.
Get it now.
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Amy is a very positive person, even if things around her are falling apart. She has opened a pet salon with her grandmother, Petunia. Her grandmother is a real hoot. When Amy’s customer is killed, she and her grandmother are considered persons of interest so they have to try to figure out the culprit. They are hoping that the cop that is working the case, Michael, will help them, but is he friend or foe?
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. I had a few people that I was considering but I was not sure until the reveal.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Petunia, (and Amy), get into next.
Every person, and every pet, loves Amy...
...except the guilty.
In a small town, where dog parks are plenty, every street is tree-lined, and if you throw a frisbee, ten cute puppies chase it down, there are still secrets behind every bend.
Murder echoes loudest in small towns.
Amy’s heartbroken, dead broke and as positive and joyful as they come. She’s opening a pet salon with her grumpy Granny after a stressful stint in Pine Grove. But when Amy’s first and only customer is murdered, she realizes if she doesn't catch the killer, the grand opening of her pet salon could be ruined.
Who would have killed Amy’s customer?
Hot shot rookie cop Michael Fine thinks Amy committed the murder. Amy and Granny know he’s wrong, but they don’t have proof. There’s a killer on the loose in their little slice of heaven and if the ladies don't solve the mystery they could lose their business...or worse.
You’ll adore this clean cozy because everyone loves funny mysteries with tons of cute, tiny animals.
Get it now.
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Amy is a very positive person, even if things around her are falling apart. She has opened a pet salon with her grandmother, Petunia. Her grandmother is a real hoot. When Amy’s customer is killed, she and her grandmother are considered persons of interest so they have to try to figure out the culprit. They are hoping that the cop that is working the case, Michael, will help them, but is he friend or foe?
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. I had a few people that I was considering but I was not sure until the reveal.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Petunia, (and Amy), get into next.
May 28, 2021
Book one in this new series by Chelsea Thomas is a winner! Granny Petunia is a spin-off character we saw in the Apple Orchard series and she's a hoot! Along with her granddaughter Amy they move back to their hometown of Toluca Lake from the senior home in Pine Grove and opened up an animal grooming business. When one of their first customers, Gerard Crimper returns to the shop to complain about his cat's grooming and demanding his money back. It appears he does this a lot and is one of the most disliked person in town. He also is a prolific writer of bad reviews on the townspeople's businesses. He has an inflated ego since long ago he was once a guitarist in a band. When he writes a bad review of Amy and Petunia's business, they decide the need to talk to him and try to convince him to take the review down. When they get to his apartment, they find him dead. When the totally inept police decide it was an accident, Petunia, Amy and their eccentric employee, Betsy decide they have to get involved just for justice. The police department is not happy and keep telling them to back off, but Officer Handsome, aka Mike who was in a chemistry class with Amy in High school is the low man in the police department of 3 people, so he can't do anything except flirt with Amy. There are so many twists and turns and I love Petunia's personality who loves the casinos and is very good at it, Amy who stands by her convictions and Betsy who makes you laugh at her diatribes as she gets involved with Petunia and Amy in the investigation. AND I can't leave out Fluffy the car with a mind of her own who has a couple of chapters in the book, What a hoot! This is a winning series and I can't wait to see more! I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
May 27, 2021
There are lots of interesting and quirky characters to liven up the town of Toluca Lake. Some of them are Amy, the owner of Creature Comforts a pet grooming shop, her Granny Petunia who loves winning at poker, and employee Betsy who is obsessed with buying her grave.
Things seem pretty peaceful until Amy stumbles on a dead body. She and Petunia make it their mission to investigate and find the murderer since the police department aren’t doing a good job. It’s not long before Amy and Petunia stumble on another body while searching for clues. Petunia and Amy persist in talking to anyone who knew the deceased causing some hard feelings among the people in the town. The suspense grows as they get closer to the real killer.
The story keeps you guessing as they check out each suspect until Amy and Petunia think they finally have the right person.
This is a great beginning of a new series and I look forward to many more to come. It’s definitely one of those books that you can't stop reading until it's done. I highly recommend this book to readers of other Chelsea Thomas books!
Things seem pretty peaceful until Amy stumbles on a dead body. She and Petunia make it their mission to investigate and find the murderer since the police department aren’t doing a good job. It’s not long before Amy and Petunia stumble on another body while searching for clues. Petunia and Amy persist in talking to anyone who knew the deceased causing some hard feelings among the people in the town. The suspense grows as they get closer to the real killer.
The story keeps you guessing as they check out each suspect until Amy and Petunia think they finally have the right person.
This is a great beginning of a new series and I look forward to many more to come. It’s definitely one of those books that you can't stop reading until it's done. I highly recommend this book to readers of other Chelsea Thomas books!
June 5, 2021
Amy and Granny Petunia are getting settled back into life in Toluca Lake after being gone for some years and building their pet grooming business Creature Comforts, unfortunately for them the towns wanna be rock star and serial bad reviewer strikes again and at their business. Bad reviews are bad but a dead body of the bad reviewer is worse especially when it's Amy and Granny that find him now it's up to them to solve the murder and clear their names. For a first murder to solve Amy and Granny are really thrown in the deep end as not only are there a load of suspects but also a police department that leaves a lot to be desired, fortunately Granny knows the who's who and places to go from living there before so we get to meet some fun and quirky characters along the way. This has plenty of laughs, red herrings, twists and a new town and townsfolk to get to know as well as some cute animals and a side story about Fluffy that was fun to add to the mix.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 14, 2023
I am a fan of this author and I wanted to read the first book in the Dog Groomer mystery series. Thirty year old Amy and her eighty year old grandma Petunia left Pine Grove, New York. They now own and operate a pet grooming salon called Creature Comforts. Working for them is Amy's "unique" best friend--Betsy. Amy and Petunia live in Toluca Gardens, an apartment complex for those 55 and up, in Toluca Lake, California. One day a disgruntled customer, retired rock and roll guitarist, Gerard Crimper, posts a bad review of the salon. Making things worse, soon afterward, he is found murdered. Amy and Petunia begin sleuthing to discover who could have done this in their community. Besides Mike Fine--the police officer, and Tommy Flynn--the twenty year old mayor, another secondary character, Fluffy the cat, provides great commentary! I enjoyed reading A New Leash on Life due to the CA setting, interesting and wacky characters (including Fluffy), and the slew of possible murder suspects!
May 27, 2021
Oh my goodness, this was just as hilarious as the Apple Orchard series. That Betsy is such a hoot, she could be related to Teeny! I haven't read enough of the other series to be quite as familiar with Petunia and Amy as I probably should be, but I absolutely loved Granny Petunia and I do remember she was famous for her card shark skills. She made me think of Sophia Petrillo for sure!
I love how after the clues seemed to just go in circles, all of a sudden, Amy got the brainstorm of whodunit. I hadn't guessed that person at all. The showdown was good...and really funny too! It was cute to read five different chapters from Fluffy the cat's point of view. He had his own little mystery going on, and I really liked the outcome of that too. I'm super eager to read the next book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the author via BookSprout, and my opinions are my own.
I love how after the clues seemed to just go in circles, all of a sudden, Amy got the brainstorm of whodunit. I hadn't guessed that person at all. The showdown was good...and really funny too! It was cute to read five different chapters from Fluffy the cat's point of view. He had his own little mystery going on, and I really liked the outcome of that too. I'm super eager to read the next book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the author via BookSprout, and my opinions are my own.
July 23, 2023
A murdering restaurant owner
When Amy groomed Gerard Crimper's cat, she didn't expect Gerard to give her business a bad review. But he did, and soon Amy and her Granny found his dead body in his apartment. This began their investigation into his murder. Then, they found Crimper's sister-in-law murdered. This was too much! Amy finally checked the reviews for the Big Baby diner. There were three bad reviews, and two of the reviewers were dead. This led Amy to the Big Baby diner and the murderer, the owner who was in the process of murdering the 3rd person who had given the diner a bad review. Luckily, Amy and Granny were able to disarm the murderer and tie him up before the police arrived to haul him to jail. This story had lots of great twists & turns before Amy & Granny were able to find the killer. It kept me reading until the story ended. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
When Amy groomed Gerard Crimper's cat, she didn't expect Gerard to give her business a bad review. But he did, and soon Amy and her Granny found his dead body in his apartment. This began their investigation into his murder. Then, they found Crimper's sister-in-law murdered. This was too much! Amy finally checked the reviews for the Big Baby diner. There were three bad reviews, and two of the reviewers were dead. This led Amy to the Big Baby diner and the murderer, the owner who was in the process of murdering the 3rd person who had given the diner a bad review. Luckily, Amy and Granny were able to disarm the murderer and tie him up before the police arrived to haul him to jail. This story had lots of great twists & turns before Amy & Granny were able to find the killer. It kept me reading until the story ended. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
May 29, 2021
Fresh Start to a New Series . . .
Pet groomer Amy is opening the Creature Comforts pet salon in Toluca Lake, CA, with her Granny. They left Pine Grove, New York, and are trying to get their new business started. But Amy’s first client, Gerard Crimper, is murdered, which could be very bad for business! Especially when the cops may be looking at Amy and her grandmother as the prime suspects! Amy and Granny now need to find the killer before they end up behind bars or their new business is ruined before it gets started!
This was a cute cozy mystery with likable characters and a story line that flows well to keep the reader entertained as we try to figure out who the killer is. There are plenty of twists and turns as we examine the murder suspects along with Amy. Grab your copy and join in the chase!
Pet groomer Amy is opening the Creature Comforts pet salon in Toluca Lake, CA, with her Granny. They left Pine Grove, New York, and are trying to get their new business started. But Amy’s first client, Gerard Crimper, is murdered, which could be very bad for business! Especially when the cops may be looking at Amy and her grandmother as the prime suspects! Amy and Granny now need to find the killer before they end up behind bars or their new business is ruined before it gets started!
This was a cute cozy mystery with likable characters and a story line that flows well to keep the reader entertained as we try to figure out who the killer is. There are plenty of twists and turns as we examine the murder suspects along with Amy. Grab your copy and join in the chase!
May 28, 2021
A New Leash on Life is the first book in the Dog Groomer Mysteries series by Chelsea Thomas.
Amy and Petunia, her granny, moved from Pine Grove, NY to Toluca Lake, CA to open a pet salon. Amy and Petunia were characters introduced in the Apple Orchard cozy mystery series, but you don’t have to read those to pick up this series.
All of the characters are quirky. They were a little too over the top and silly or strange for my preference. The ending did surprise me.
There was a separate mystery that Fluffy, the cat, is trying to solve and that was interesting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amy and Petunia, her granny, moved from Pine Grove, NY to Toluca Lake, CA to open a pet salon. Amy and Petunia were characters introduced in the Apple Orchard cozy mystery series, but you don’t have to read those to pick up this series.
All of the characters are quirky. They were a little too over the top and silly or strange for my preference. The ending did surprise me.
There was a separate mystery that Fluffy, the cat, is trying to solve and that was interesting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 30, 2021
This is the first book in a new series. It's a spin-off from the authors Apple Orchard series with two peripheral characters becoming the protagonists. The storyline concept is cute, a dog groomer and her grandmother open a business together and are drawn into being amateur sleuths. There is some good dialogue but the book just fell a bit flat in spots. I'm hoping for good things moving forward.
Amy and her grandma, a wisecracking gambler move back to their hometown and open a pet grooming business. When the local curmudgeon who writes bad reviews about local businesses is killed. The duo steps in to investigate since the small town police are inept at best.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amy and her grandma, a wisecracking gambler move back to their hometown and open a pet grooming business. When the local curmudgeon who writes bad reviews about local businesses is killed. The duo steps in to investigate since the small town police are inept at best.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 31, 2021
Chelsea Thomas’s new Dog Groomer Cozy Mystery series is an excellent read. As a spin off of her Apple Orchard series she highlights one of the quirkiest characters she has created. Petunia, the poker loving, straight talking grandmother who helps her granddaughter, Amy, begin anew with a dog grooming business in their home town of Toluca Lake. When the author of a bad review dies the day after the review is published Amy becomes on of the suspects. Amy, Petunia, and their side-kick Betsy work to solve the murder as the local police department doesn’t seem to be interested in solving it. Included is the saga of the deceased’s cat, who has his own mystery to solve: who is eating his tuna. Another great mystery that lives up to all you expect it to.
June 10, 2021
Amy and Petunia and Betsy are introduced to us in the pet grooming business they opened. Well, Amy and her grandma Petunia own it Betsy is an old school friend of Amy's who she has hired. The characters grow on you and Betsy is really Quirky in her own right. I did grow to like her.
The story does flow and turns and double backs but always interesting. I have seen worse with mistakes especially with some of the reviews I've read for books so the publishers and writers are human. Actually when I think about I read right through as it was supposed to be in my head and only afterwards looked and seen the error lol!!!
Well worth the read and looking forward to more and hope we go back to the orchard sometime as well !!
The story does flow and turns and double backs but always interesting. I have seen worse with mistakes especially with some of the reviews I've read for books so the publishers and writers are human. Actually when I think about I read right through as it was supposed to be in my head and only afterwards looked and seen the error lol!!!
Well worth the read and looking forward to more and hope we go back to the orchard sometime as well !!
May 28, 2021
This is the first book in a new series of cozy mysteries.
Amy and her grandmother Petunia moved back to Toluca Lake, California and opened a dog salon called Creature Comforts. Amy is temporarily living in a 55+ senior community with Petunia. She gets a bad online review from Gerard Crimper, a retired rock & roll quitarist, and the ladies go to see him the next morning to talk to him. They find his dead body and after speaking to the local police realize they will need to solve the mystery if they want to stay out of jail.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amy and her grandmother Petunia moved back to Toluca Lake, California and opened a dog salon called Creature Comforts. Amy is temporarily living in a 55+ senior community with Petunia. She gets a bad online review from Gerard Crimper, a retired rock & roll quitarist, and the ladies go to see him the next morning to talk to him. They find his dead body and after speaking to the local police realize they will need to solve the mystery if they want to stay out of jail.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 2, 2021
I really wanted to like this book. I've read many Chelsea Thomas's books and really enjoyed them. I'm just really having a hard time getting into this one. I find the characters sarcastic and totally ambivalent when it comes to respecting the law. By blatantly breaking and entering, they are thumbing their noses at the police. Do they really consider themselves to be above the law? And then there are the chapters written from the cat's point of view.....I'm not even sure what to say about that. I will try to power through to finish the book. I do want to know who killed Gerard Crimper. But I don't think I'll look for the sequel.
August 5, 2021
Dog grooming detectives..
Not as strong a start as her Pine Grove series which is a shame as readers of that have a head start on getting to know Amy and Petunia. Both, however, seem to have lost something in the move and they feel rougher and far less polished but not in a positive way.
I don't want to write about the new characters.. they were weird rather than funny.. disappointed would be best choice of words.. hopefully it improves in the next one
As for the new characters; Betsy is too weird, Officer Mike dumb as a box of (chocolate?) frogs, Detective Rotund a step too far
Not as strong a start as her Pine Grove series which is a shame as readers of that have a head start on getting to know Amy and Petunia. Both, however, seem to have lost something in the move and they feel rougher and far less polished but not in a positive way.
I don't want to write about the new characters.. they were weird rather than funny.. disappointed would be best choice of words.. hopefully it improves in the next one
As for the new characters; Betsy is too weird, Officer Mike dumb as a box of (chocolate?) frogs, Detective Rotund a step too far
May 26, 2021
This new series, a spinoff of the Apple Orchard books, promises to be charming. Pet groomer Amy and her feisty poker-playing Granny have left New York and moved to California. Her first client is murdered and the police think Amy is the culprit. There are lots of plot twists and plenty of murder suspects. I was surprised when the murderer was revealed. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to seeing the development of these new characters. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
May 30, 2021
This was a fun story with great quirky characters and a murder to be solved. Amy, the new owner of a pet salon called Creature Comforts and her indomitable Granny discover the body of the town trough and are determined to find his killer. There are laugh out loud funny moments, some action and intrigue and a few chapters written by “furry characters” which are super cute. I enjoyed this story and will look for more books by Ms. Thomas.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 30, 2021
Amy, the pet groomer from the Apple Orchard series, has moved back to California with her grandmother. They open Creature Comforts, on main street. Barely getting started and someone leaves a scathing review. The next day that someone is found dead, by Amy. The local police are slow to investigate so Amy and her grandmother tackle the case. Join in as they hunt down clues, motives and suspects, all while taking care of the pets that come into their shop. This is a fun, cozy mystery and the first of a new series.
June 1, 2021
Fun is had by all. Granny and Amy are in for a wild ride trying to solve the mystery of who murdered the most disliked man in town. Everyone is a suspect. Can they succeed in their search for the killer before the police close the case as an accident? A very entertaining story and it made me want to read more in this series. Hoping the next book is out soon. Purchased the paperback and very glad I did. Now I can reread the story again before passing the book off to our free community library. Highly recommend
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