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Dog Groomer Mysteries #1-5
Dog Groomer Mysteries: Books 1-5
Murder can be ruff...
...especially in small towns.
When Amy Stewart gets dumped and moves back home to open a dog grooming shop with her Granny, she expects cute puppies and long walks on the beach…
…what she gets is murder, mystery, and, well, yeah, lots of cute puppies.
With every nosey neighbor in town watching her, this plucky 20-something does her best to rebuild her life and run her business without losing money. But far from enjoying the beautiful SoCal sunshine — hanging with her pups and eating good food — Amy pokes her nose where it is most definitely not wanted.
Into a murder investigation.
It’s not long before Amy gets targeted as a major suspect. But Amy and her grumpy Granny are smart and determined to solve the mystery. They won’t rest until the killer is behind bars, and they won’t stop no matter how dangerous their lives become.
(That’s really, really dangerous.)
Dog Groomer Mysteries, Books 1-5
A New Leash on Life
Ruff and Tumble
To Fetch a Killer
Tail of Two Killers
Howl to Get Away With Murder
and Big Apple Pie - A Bonus Crossover Story
...especially in small towns.
When Amy Stewart gets dumped and moves back home to open a dog grooming shop with her Granny, she expects cute puppies and long walks on the beach…
…what she gets is murder, mystery, and, well, yeah, lots of cute puppies.
With every nosey neighbor in town watching her, this plucky 20-something does her best to rebuild her life and run her business without losing money. But far from enjoying the beautiful SoCal sunshine — hanging with her pups and eating good food — Amy pokes her nose where it is most definitely not wanted.
Into a murder investigation.
It’s not long before Amy gets targeted as a major suspect. But Amy and her grumpy Granny are smart and determined to solve the mystery. They won’t rest until the killer is behind bars, and they won’t stop no matter how dangerous their lives become.
(That’s really, really dangerous.)
Dog Groomer Mysteries, Books 1-5
A New Leash on Life
Ruff and Tumble
To Fetch a Killer
Tail of Two Killers
Howl to Get Away With Murder
and Big Apple Pie - A Bonus Crossover Story
1325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2021
566 people are currently reading
246 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 35 reviews
January 21, 2022
This is a good cozy mystery. Any and her grandma open a pet grooming business. Amateur sleuths, they seem to find dead bodies and solve the crime. Easy reading and entertaining.
February 2, 2022
unusual
Here we have three characters who run around catching murderers. Amy and Granny own and operate a grooming salon for dogs. They seem to accomplish appointments and walk ins in half the time my groomer takes, because there’s more than enough time each day to run around the greater LA area searching for clues. Betsy, a wannabe writer, also works there and helps the searches. The three always accuse and rule out several suspects before landing on the one person they least suspect. The police, of course, are totally inept. Quite frankly, the dog and cat seem to be more intelligent than the people in these stories. Yet, among the ridiculous behavior, there is some wisdom and exceptional philosophy.
As seems to be the norm lately, there are a lot of errors, especially in punctuation. However, Thomas is a master of alliteration.
Here we have three characters who run around catching murderers. Amy and Granny own and operate a grooming salon for dogs. They seem to accomplish appointments and walk ins in half the time my groomer takes, because there’s more than enough time each day to run around the greater LA area searching for clues. Betsy, a wannabe writer, also works there and helps the searches. The three always accuse and rule out several suspects before landing on the one person they least suspect. The police, of course, are totally inept. Quite frankly, the dog and cat seem to be more intelligent than the people in these stories. Yet, among the ridiculous behavior, there is some wisdom and exceptional philosophy.
As seems to be the norm lately, there are a lot of errors, especially in punctuation. However, Thomas is a master of alliteration.
June 18, 2022
DNF… I tried. I just couldn’t muster enough to care. Tried going to the last three chapters of book 3 and couldn’t even finish that. So, I knew it was time to let it go.
January 27, 2022
Ugh, I slogged through all 5 books. The characters are really not nice people. They seem to have no business sense, locking their shop's doors and going where ever, when ever. They have a dog grooming van that they only use for chasing hunches (pretty sure the IRS would object to any mileage they submit). They think nothing of breaking and entering, accusing totally innocent folks of all sorts of heinous crimes. And, the local police force knows what they are doing and doesn't simply arrest them, just tells them to stop. None of their innocent victims have either gotten a restraining order or sued for libel, but they should. Let's add to that Amy is a dreadful pet owner. Her dog (a Golden Lab? Yellow Lab or Golden Retriever, or Goldador?) is place in a pen by itself when she first gets him (yeah, Tommy needs help "training him" and she just offers to take the dog herself). Then still called a puppy he is allowed to loll around the house all day by himself. He's called "small, tiny, little" (dwarf Lab?) and she does no training with him at all. Lucky for her he doesn't engage in the usual Lab puppy antics -chewing on the furniture, having accidents, racing around the house. Her cat is seen outside the house and she isn't even curious enough about that mystery to track down how he is escaping (not to mention the cat sized hole he is escaping through).
Then there are "Fluffy's tales" stuck in the middle of the books. These are pointless Cat narrated asides with no relevance to the basic stories. At first, I assumed they would be drawn into the plot. Nope, they are just page fillers. While the cat was almost believable in the first book, his credibility plummeted with each book. I gave up reading those chapters -life is too short and they add nothing to the tales.
Editing got worse toward the end of the books as well. Words stuck together, mistakes with names and a few factual errors. Those types of errors slow down the reading and make it less enjoyable.
The only redeeming part was the inclusion of Big Apple Pie Bonus Crossover Story, far better characters from another two cozy series and while these are the same incredible unappealing type of people, at least they were different.
Then there are "Fluffy's tales" stuck in the middle of the books. These are pointless Cat narrated asides with no relevance to the basic stories. At first, I assumed they would be drawn into the plot. Nope, they are just page fillers. While the cat was almost believable in the first book, his credibility plummeted with each book. I gave up reading those chapters -life is too short and they add nothing to the tales.
Editing got worse toward the end of the books as well. Words stuck together, mistakes with names and a few factual errors. Those types of errors slow down the reading and make it less enjoyable.
The only redeeming part was the inclusion of Big Apple Pie Bonus Crossover Story, far better characters from another two cozy series and while these are the same incredible unappealing type of people, at least they were different.
November 23, 2021
Dog Groomer Mysteries #1-5 . . .
Amy Stewart gets dumped and moves back home to open a dog grooming shop with her Granny, but it keeps turning into murder, mystery, and a ton of adorable puppies. This collection gives us the first 5 books of the series, and they are fantastic! Below is a review of one of the stories to give you an idea of what you’ll have available in this set.
Titles included are:
♥ A New Leash on Life (Book 1)
♥ Ruff and Tumble (Book 2)
♥ To Fetch a Killer (Book 3)
♥ Tail of Two Killers (Book 4)
♥ Howl to Get Away with Murder (Book 5)
*** Reviewing “A NEW LEASH ON LIFE (#1)” ***
Fresh Start to a New Series . . .
Pet groomer Amy Stewart 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! Then if you are still energetic, continue on through the rest of the stories! And don’t forget to hug the puppies!
Amy Stewart gets dumped and moves back home to open a dog grooming shop with her Granny, but it keeps turning into murder, mystery, and a ton of adorable puppies. This collection gives us the first 5 books of the series, and they are fantastic! Below is a review of one of the stories to give you an idea of what you’ll have available in this set.
Titles included are:
♥ A New Leash on Life (Book 1)
♥ Ruff and Tumble (Book 2)
♥ To Fetch a Killer (Book 3)
♥ Tail of Two Killers (Book 4)
♥ Howl to Get Away with Murder (Book 5)
*** Reviewing “A NEW LEASH ON LIFE (#1)” ***
Fresh Start to a New Series . . .
Pet groomer Amy Stewart 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! Then if you are still energetic, continue on through the rest of the stories! And don’t forget to hug the puppies!
January 8, 2022
This fine set of family-friendly cozies featuring Amy and Petunia Stewart and Teeny, have Fluffy's Tail interwoven and can easily fill a week.
A New Leash on Life: Remember poker-playing Petunia and her pet-groomer granddaughter Amy from Pine Grove, New York? Well, they have returned to Toluca Lake, California where they came from and their past association with the Pine Grove sleuths has rubbed off on them. Allow a full day for this family-friendly cozy featuring Fluffy's Tail.
Ruff and Tumble: Spend a family-friendly afternoon in Toluca Lake, California with Amy, her Granny Petunia, and their employee Betsy, of *Creature Comforts* as they set forth on their mission of grooming Majesty the Afghan hound of Margo Edmonds
To Fetch a Killer: Allow most of a day for this family-friendly cozy set around Toluca Lake, California in a summer cooler than the current one, when Betsy enters her red 1967 Mustang in the local car show. I started at lunchtime and stayed up past my bedtime to finish it."
Tail of Two Killers: Allow two days for these three family-friendly cozy mysteries, two of which have a lot of action, while Fluffy's Tail is slower-paced.
Howl to Get Away With Murder: Spend an interesting, family-friendly day in Toluca Lake, California near Los Angeles in September with Amy Stewart and her crew on one mystery while her cat, Fluffy, purrsues his own.
A New Leash on Life: Remember poker-playing Petunia and her pet-groomer granddaughter Amy from Pine Grove, New York? Well, they have returned to Toluca Lake, California where they came from and their past association with the Pine Grove sleuths has rubbed off on them. Allow a full day for this family-friendly cozy featuring Fluffy's Tail.
Ruff and Tumble: Spend a family-friendly afternoon in Toluca Lake, California with Amy, her Granny Petunia, and their employee Betsy, of *Creature Comforts* as they set forth on their mission of grooming Majesty the Afghan hound of Margo Edmonds
To Fetch a Killer: Allow most of a day for this family-friendly cozy set around Toluca Lake, California in a summer cooler than the current one, when Betsy enters her red 1967 Mustang in the local car show. I started at lunchtime and stayed up past my bedtime to finish it."
Tail of Two Killers: Allow two days for these three family-friendly cozy mysteries, two of which have a lot of action, while Fluffy's Tail is slower-paced.
Howl to Get Away With Murder: Spend an interesting, family-friendly day in Toluca Lake, California near Los Angeles in September with Amy Stewart and her crew on one mystery while her cat, Fluffy, purrsues his own.
March 7, 2022
Loved the fact that pets were involved
Amy and Granny moved back to Toluca Lake, CA from Pine Grove to open their grooming business and away from Amy's disastrous relationship. They did not expect that the move would involve them jumping back into solving murders. With the help of Betsy, Amy's best friend. A series of murders will keep the ladies busy in between running a business, playing copious amounts of poker, and Amy's juggling of two new admirers. Lucky for them, one is a police officer who comes in handy just when the ladies need most. Confronting suspecting murders will eventually lead to your deaths if you aren't careful and you didn't have that in with Toluca's finest.
The little side stories with Fluffy were an added bonus. I've never had a cat, but he was a character and I enjoyed his little adventures.
The great part of the stories is that the ladies worked hard to live their separate lives, but also solve the murders. They were smart, looked at clues and bounced ideas off each other, but it took time and solving the cases was not a simple thing. However, they always took risks that could mean getting killed, so not too smart.
I enjoyed the stories and the one cross over book gave me insight into another author to try.
Amy and Granny moved back to Toluca Lake, CA from Pine Grove to open their grooming business and away from Amy's disastrous relationship. They did not expect that the move would involve them jumping back into solving murders. With the help of Betsy, Amy's best friend. A series of murders will keep the ladies busy in between running a business, playing copious amounts of poker, and Amy's juggling of two new admirers. Lucky for them, one is a police officer who comes in handy just when the ladies need most. Confronting suspecting murders will eventually lead to your deaths if you aren't careful and you didn't have that in with Toluca's finest.
The little side stories with Fluffy were an added bonus. I've never had a cat, but he was a character and I enjoyed his little adventures.
The great part of the stories is that the ladies worked hard to live their separate lives, but also solve the murders. They were smart, looked at clues and bounced ideas off each other, but it took time and solving the cases was not a simple thing. However, they always took risks that could mean getting killed, so not too smart.
I enjoyed the stories and the one cross over book gave me insight into another author to try.
December 9, 2021
The Dog Groomers Mysteries is a delightful series based around Creature Comforts, a dog grooming salon. The 2nd book in the series, Ruff and Tumble, is a sure winner! Margo Edmonds, a retired Hollywood mogul, is now a recluse with a reputation of being a very evil lady who continually mistreats her household staff. Amy, who is part owner of Creature Comforts, and her employee Betsy go to Margo’s mansion to try to convince her to allow them to groom her dog, an Afghan hound, who hasn’t been cared for in quite a while. Instead, they arrive in time to find Margo on the floor right before she dies. Convinced she had been murdered, Amy, her grandmother Petunia, and Betsy begin investigating. Be prepared for lots of twists and turns, lots of colorful characters, some wonderful pets and plenty of laughs across all of the books! You'll never be able to take your pet to get groomed again without thinking about these wonderful books!
November 26, 2021
This is a set of 5 cozy mystery books. The stories are set in Toluca Lake where the main character, Amy, grew up. She lived in New York for awhile and came back to her hometown after a bad breakup. Her grandmother is also a main character and the two own a pet grooming salon together. Their employee, Betsy, is a rather quirky character and adds a lot of wackiness to the stories. There is an inept small town police department also so Amy, Granny and Betsy end up as sleuths and figuring out murders that occur in town. The mysteries aren't too involved but are entertaining. Some of the things they do are a little outrageous and Granny can be a bit irritating at times. There is a continuing side story with Fluffy the cat which is fun.
These are all quick reads and move along at a good pace.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
These are all quick reads and move along at a good pace.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 24, 2021
Are you looking for a series with quirky, snarky and a bit over the top characters? If so, this may just be the series for you! The characterization is humorous, sometimes silly and fun. The mysteries aren’t terribly intricate but the solving of them is entertaining. Fluffy’s (the cat) mini mysteries add something different and unique. I think my favorite character is Betsy. She’s just so ‘out there’! There are so many OMG moments with her! You just have to laugh!
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.
September 11, 2022
Cozy mystery series with a likable heroine, Amy Stewart, who runs Creature Comforts, a pet grooming business, by day and solves murders the inept local police department can't solve after hours. Add that to her poker-loving Granny, Petunia, and Betsy, her best friend from high school.
Formula writing but well done and lots of acerbic banter from the sidekicks. Plus Granny runs a life skills class for young men. And there's Fluffy, the Persian, who has his own side story. Honestly, that's a little out there for me, but otherwise it's a nice little series.
Formula writing but well done and lots of acerbic banter from the sidekicks. Plus Granny runs a life skills class for young men. And there's Fluffy, the Persian, who has his own side story. Honestly, that's a little out there for me, but otherwise it's a nice little series.
March 5, 2022
Howling good read
Liked the main characters. They stayed the same throughout the books. Each brought something different to the stories. The plots themselves were easy to follow, not so difficult to work out but I enjoyed seeing how Amy, Granny and Betsy came to the culprits.
A few mistakes, not caught by the copyreader, but on the whole nothing that put me off.
A good beach set of books.
Liked the main characters. They stayed the same throughout the books. Each brought something different to the stories. The plots themselves were easy to follow, not so difficult to work out but I enjoyed seeing how Amy, Granny and Betsy came to the culprits.
A few mistakes, not caught by the copyreader, but on the whole nothing that put me off.
A good beach set of books.
July 14, 2022
Murder and human were not, in my experience, natural partners - until I read these books. I found myself constantly chuckling at the interaction between the three main characters, and the stories were, for me, difficult to put down.
However, between Boks 5 & 6 there was a single story that introduced a whole new series. I did not enjoy that one. The British/American quartet never 'grabbed' me, and I would not be interested in reading another of those stories!
However, between Boks 5 & 6 there was a single story that introduced a whole new series. I did not enjoy that one. The British/American quartet never 'grabbed' me, and I would not be interested in reading another of those stories!
April 3, 2024
Dogs!
Love this series with dogs and three quirky ladies. Granny is so crass at times but has a good heart. Betsy is out there at times but a great part of the team. Poor Amy caught between two men who are both great. Chelsea has a great way of weaving these girls into some interesting situations that usually end in dangerous situations. Can’t wait to get started on the next book. You definitely want to read these books , you won’t want to put them down.
Love this series with dogs and three quirky ladies. Granny is so crass at times but has a good heart. Betsy is out there at times but a great part of the team. Poor Amy caught between two men who are both great. Chelsea has a great way of weaving these girls into some interesting situations that usually end in dangerous situations. Can’t wait to get started on the next book. You definitely want to read these books , you won’t want to put them down.
January 25, 2022
Stories ok.
The characters are very simple. The honey Granny who spends a lot of time playing poker, the chubby best friend who is determined to be a writer but no agent wants her, the grumpy diner owner who doesn't want to be successful and the heroine who is very childish yet not a kid.
The characters are very simple. The honey Granny who spends a lot of time playing poker, the chubby best friend who is determined to be a writer but no agent wants her, the grumpy diner owner who doesn't want to be successful and the heroine who is very childish yet not a kid.
February 22, 2022
If you are looking for series of light, easy-reading mysteries, this is a good series to pick up. The people and animals are fun, easy to relate to, and make for good "cozy" reading. If you prefer gritty mysteries with lots of plot twists and turns, these books probably won't satisfy you. I enjoyed them. Great for pure relaxation.
February 27, 2022
Good Characters and more
I love the strong women characters. The writing of the characters is so well done, that you want to be friends with them.
And then there are the dogs! I absolutely love dogs! That made this series even more special.
And of course, the mysteries. It's my favorite genre.
I love the strong women characters. The writing of the characters is so well done, that you want to be friends with them.
And then there are the dogs! I absolutely love dogs! That made this series even more special.
And of course, the mysteries. It's my favorite genre.
July 5, 2023
Perfect for reading in free time. You love dog's, cat's, cozy mysteries, don't look further, this book is for you. In this bookset 📚 is everything you need. Chelsea Thomas is an author who don't disappoint. Recommend.
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.
July 10, 2023
DNF. Got through 2 of the 5 books in the set although they didn't keep me interested.
I could not relate to the characters at all and not being fond of cats, those chapters were worthless. I expected more about dogs in a series about "Dog Groomers". The mysteries themselves just were not interesting enough.
I could not relate to the characters at all and not being fond of cats, those chapters were worthless. I expected more about dogs in a series about "Dog Groomers". The mysteries themselves just were not interesting enough.
January 12, 2022
This book was non-stop excitement. It was well written and left me hungry for more
Well done! The excitement never stopped, and the ending was a pleasant surprise
I am looking forward to reading your next book.
Well done! The excitement never stopped, and the ending was a pleasant surprise
I am looking forward to reading your next book.
March 2, 2022
cute
I liked it, the bad ass grandma, kooky friend and a ray of sunshine amateur detectives. Just not my cup of tea. Like animals, just not their own story intermingled with people. Loved the familiarity of Los Angeles. Having only visited it made the city come alive.
I liked it, the bad ass grandma, kooky friend and a ray of sunshine amateur detectives. Just not my cup of tea. Like animals, just not their own story intermingled with people. Loved the familiarity of Los Angeles. Having only visited it made the city come alive.
March 14, 2022
Canadian murder victim
A visitor from Canada is murdered, the girls try to discover ny whom. There's a jeweler, a cabbie and drug dealers. Who will it be and can the girls figure it out.
A visitor from Canada is murdered, the girls try to discover ny whom. There's a jeweler, a cabbie and drug dealers. Who will it be and can the girls figure it out.
November 17, 2022
great cozy mystery
Sweet little mysteries with quirky dialogue. I enjoyed this set. The mysteries were fun to try and some and the romance kept things interesting. I didn’t love Fluffy’s tails, but they were ok.
Sweet little mysteries with quirky dialogue. I enjoyed this set. The mysteries were fun to try and some and the romance kept things interesting. I didn’t love Fluffy’s tails, but they were ok.
July 3, 2023
Dog Groomer Mysteries
This five book cozy mystery bundle was a fun read. I love all the characters and their antics. Solving murders takes them on some dangerous adventures. I look forward to reading more of this series.
This five book cozy mystery bundle was a fun read. I love all the characters and their antics. Solving murders takes them on some dangerous adventures. I look forward to reading more of this series.
January 11, 2022
Dogmatic detectives,
Amazing, totally fun with great mysteries but what makes these so good is the background stories and the humour, what a wonderful set of characters
Amazing, totally fun with great mysteries but what makes these so good is the background stories and the humour, what a wonderful set of characters
January 12, 2022
Good books
I thought it was very good I will tell all friends b about it its kept my interest from page one till the end I didn't want to put it down hi
I thought it was very good I will tell all friends b about it its kept my interest from page one till the end I didn't want to put it down hi
January 19, 2022
Good read!
I enjoyed these books very much! They kept me interested through out all of them! They were very entertaining and lots of fun to read.
I enjoyed these books very much! They kept me interested through out all of them! They were very entertaining and lots of fun to read.
January 26, 2022
Wow
This is another great series that Chelsea Thomas has accomplished. Great reading and fast. Love the animals.,…get reading you wont regret it……….
This is another great series that Chelsea Thomas has accomplished. Great reading and fast. Love the animals.,…get reading you wont regret it……….
January 27, 2022
Nice read!
January 27, 2022
Lots of talking
Did not like the chapters about Fluffy's life. Ended just reading those chapters. Too much jabbering amongst the three women.
Did not like the chapters about Fluffy's life. Ended just reading those chapters. Too much jabbering amongst the three women.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews