What do you think?
Rate this book
Sharp Investigations #1
Barking for Business
Cynthia Sharp and her partner, Sgt. Winnifred Pupperson, K-9, have retired. The Army sent them home to Sweet Pea, OH where they plan to rest and recover from four years of being a walking disaster.
Now she's caught up in a mystery and revolving trips to the ER while fighting the urge to devour her former K-9 training Sgt, who seems to have followed her home.
You'll laugh, cringe and wonder when you can visit Sweet Pea again.
Now she's caught up in a mystery and revolving trips to the ER while fighting the urge to devour her former K-9 training Sgt, who seems to have followed her home.
You'll laugh, cringe and wonder when you can visit Sweet Pea again.
331 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
27 people are currently reading
738 people want to read
About the author
E.N. Crane
14 books46 followersPerry Dog Publishing Presents: E. N. Crane... aka the woman who has the doggo named Perry and made it her publishing imprint and then adopted another dog and now there is nothing to name after him...
My first series: The Ampersand Series, is a dark, moody thriller. Coming next is the Cálida Solano series which will be an extension of Bridgettes world.
The ever growing series is Cynthia Sharp. These books are meant to be fun romps that leave you laughing, blushing and waiting for your next visit to Sweet Pea, OH.
Join my email list and get A Bite in Afghanistan eBook free as well as all the Cyn and Winnie Shorts as they are delivered! You'll also receive news about my romance pen name, Noelle Rider.
https://e-n-crane_perrydogpublishing....
My first series: The Ampersand Series, is a dark, moody thriller. Coming next is the Cálida Solano series which will be an extension of Bridgettes world.
The ever growing series is Cynthia Sharp. These books are meant to be fun romps that leave you laughing, blushing and waiting for your next visit to Sweet Pea, OH.
Join my email list and get A Bite in Afghanistan eBook free as well as all the Cyn and Winnie Shorts as they are delivered! You'll also receive news about my romance pen name, Noelle Rider.
https://e-n-crane_perrydogpublishing....
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 28, 2021
Barking for Business was very entertaining. It actually had me laughing out loud. The characters were engaging and funny.
August 11, 2023
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
I apologize in advance for all the references to Stephanie Plum that follow. This is sort of like all the people who mention Adams or Pratchett when talking about humor in Science Fiction or Fantasy, even if the styles don't match. It's just hard to talk about a character like this and a book like this without mentioning Stephanie.
Also, Crane did that herself when I met her. So she stuck it in my head.
WHAT'S BARKING FOR BUSINESS ABOUT?
After the latest in a series of successful investigations that double as calamities (you'll have to read the first couple of chapters to see), Specialist Cynthia Sharp, MP, and her partner, Sgt. Pupperson, are discharged from the Army and return to Cyn's hometown of Sweet Pea, OH—a very small town that should provide some peace and quiet while they decide their next move.
Before they can even enter the Sharp residence, a neighbor approaches Cyn with a job—someone has been taking money from the church bingo funds and she wants Cyn to put an end to it. Mostly because she can't say no to this older woman—and because she has nothing else to do—she agrees.
This puts Cyn on a collision course with a military crime, a murderer, some serious gangsters, identity thieves, and more. She also has to deal with a love (lust?) triangle and reuniting with a best friend whose fantastic baked goods could probably prove dangerous to anyone with a weakness for sweets.
SGT. WINNIFRED PUPPERSON
Winnie, as she prefers to be called, is a Belgian Malinois dog that found her match in her K-9 handler. She's reckless enough to make Chet the Jet look disciplined, is very food motivated (sure, she's a dog, so that's a given—but as most dog people know, there are levels—she can sniff out junk food faster than Brenda Leigh Johnson, and is the perfect combination of canine athleticism, furry chaos, and unintentional hilarity.
My only complaint is that there's not quite enough of her. Cyn leaves her at home too often. Probably a realistic amount—but too much for my taste. Hopefully, in time the people of Sweet Pea accept her presence in places they shouldn't so she can be in on more of the action.
AND YOU THINK STEPHANIE PLUM IS HARD ON CARS?
Hopefully, this isn't too much of a spoiler, but it's so good I have to talk about it.
Early on, Cyn breaks her arm in an understandable mishap. And over the next 240 or so pages, has to keep replacing the cast after catastrophe after catastrophe befalls it.
Somehow, every time, the reaction of the medical staff and the predicament she finds herself in makes me laugh. Every time. I cannot believe how well this recurring joke worked for me (that's not a slight on Crane—it's about my sense of humor/patience). You think she's done with it—and she's not. In fact, you find yourself wondering how it'll happen again and looking forward to it.
THE FUN TWIST OF CHARACTER
Yes, she's clumsy. Sure, she's easily distracted. Her dog handling skills are, um, sub-par. But I tell you what...when it's crunch time? When things matter? Cyn is sharp.* She is more competent than you expect—piecing together clues, dealing with dangerous situations, and saving the day like the seasoned pro you'd expect from someone just out of the MPs. When that aspect started to really show itself I was impressed. This isn't about someone flailing about and somehow stumbling on to the truth of the matter (like a certain NJ bond enforcement officer or Inspector Gadget)—it's about an accident-prone woman who can shine when given the opportunity.
* I know. I know. I'm sorry.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT BARKING FOR BUSINESS?
This was just ridiculously fun. It's hard to come up with more to say than that (obviously, I've found a way, but the temptation to just write that sentence and move on was strong).
There's a little too much peril and action for this to technically be a cozy, I think. But I could be wrong about that. Regardless, it's in that same zip code. The focus is never really on that—it's about the puzzle, it's about the antics of Cyn and Winnie. Cozy fans should feel very at home with it. More than anything, Barking for Business is a comedy—there are few pages that go by without something—a little slapstick, a nice bit of humor in the narration, Cyn saying something she'll regret, or worse, learning something about her parents that she'll regret.
Do I worry that the town is too small to keep things happening? Sure. But when their first case starts with money missing from the church's bingo earnings, it's obvious that Crane can make much from little. Do I worry that the schtick of the series will get old by book 5 or 6? A little. But I worry that about the premise of several series, and it means that I have at least 4 or 5 more books to enjoy before that happens. For now? I'm just going to shut my pie hole and enjoy the ride.
This is a fast, breezy read that's full of excitement and humor. It's the perfect book for people who fondly remember the first few Stephanie Plum books or have ever wondered what it would be like if Miranda Hart or Mindy Kaling wrote crime fiction (possibly co-writing it). I've got the second novel on my shelf already and am trying to figure out how to get it read quickly.
---
I apologize in advance for all the references to Stephanie Plum that follow. This is sort of like all the people who mention Adams or Pratchett when talking about humor in Science Fiction or Fantasy, even if the styles don't match. It's just hard to talk about a character like this and a book like this without mentioning Stephanie.
Also, Crane did that herself when I met her. So she stuck it in my head.
WHAT'S BARKING FOR BUSINESS ABOUT?
After the latest in a series of successful investigations that double as calamities (you'll have to read the first couple of chapters to see), Specialist Cynthia Sharp, MP, and her partner, Sgt. Pupperson, are discharged from the Army and return to Cyn's hometown of Sweet Pea, OH—a very small town that should provide some peace and quiet while they decide their next move.
Before they can even enter the Sharp residence, a neighbor approaches Cyn with a job—someone has been taking money from the church bingo funds and she wants Cyn to put an end to it. Mostly because she can't say no to this older woman—and because she has nothing else to do—she agrees.
This puts Cyn on a collision course with a military crime, a murderer, some serious gangsters, identity thieves, and more. She also has to deal with a love (lust?) triangle and reuniting with a best friend whose fantastic baked goods could probably prove dangerous to anyone with a weakness for sweets.
SGT. WINNIFRED PUPPERSON
Winnie, as she prefers to be called, is a Belgian Malinois dog that found her match in her K-9 handler. She's reckless enough to make Chet the Jet look disciplined, is very food motivated (sure, she's a dog, so that's a given—but as most dog people know, there are levels—she can sniff out junk food faster than Brenda Leigh Johnson, and is the perfect combination of canine athleticism, furry chaos, and unintentional hilarity.
My only complaint is that there's not quite enough of her. Cyn leaves her at home too often. Probably a realistic amount—but too much for my taste. Hopefully, in time the people of Sweet Pea accept her presence in places they shouldn't so she can be in on more of the action.
AND YOU THINK STEPHANIE PLUM IS HARD ON CARS?
Hopefully, this isn't too much of a spoiler, but it's so good I have to talk about it.
Early on, Cyn breaks her arm in an understandable mishap. And over the next 240 or so pages, has to keep replacing the cast after catastrophe after catastrophe befalls it.
Somehow, every time, the reaction of the medical staff and the predicament she finds herself in makes me laugh. Every time. I cannot believe how well this recurring joke worked for me (that's not a slight on Crane—it's about my sense of humor/patience). You think she's done with it—and she's not. In fact, you find yourself wondering how it'll happen again and looking forward to it.
THE FUN TWIST OF CHARACTER
Yes, she's clumsy. Sure, she's easily distracted. Her dog handling skills are, um, sub-par. But I tell you what...when it's crunch time? When things matter? Cyn is sharp.* She is more competent than you expect—piecing together clues, dealing with dangerous situations, and saving the day like the seasoned pro you'd expect from someone just out of the MPs. When that aspect started to really show itself I was impressed. This isn't about someone flailing about and somehow stumbling on to the truth of the matter (like a certain NJ bond enforcement officer or Inspector Gadget)—it's about an accident-prone woman who can shine when given the opportunity.
* I know. I know. I'm sorry.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT BARKING FOR BUSINESS?
This was just ridiculously fun. It's hard to come up with more to say than that (obviously, I've found a way, but the temptation to just write that sentence and move on was strong).
There's a little too much peril and action for this to technically be a cozy, I think. But I could be wrong about that. Regardless, it's in that same zip code. The focus is never really on that—it's about the puzzle, it's about the antics of Cyn and Winnie. Cozy fans should feel very at home with it. More than anything, Barking for Business is a comedy—there are few pages that go by without something—a little slapstick, a nice bit of humor in the narration, Cyn saying something she'll regret, or worse, learning something about her parents that she'll regret.
Do I worry that the town is too small to keep things happening? Sure. But when their first case starts with money missing from the church's bingo earnings, it's obvious that Crane can make much from little. Do I worry that the schtick of the series will get old by book 5 or 6? A little. But I worry that about the premise of several series, and it means that I have at least 4 or 5 more books to enjoy before that happens. For now? I'm just going to shut my pie hole and enjoy the ride.
This is a fast, breezy read that's full of excitement and humor. It's the perfect book for people who fondly remember the first few Stephanie Plum books or have ever wondered what it would be like if Miranda Hart or Mindy Kaling wrote crime fiction (possibly co-writing it). I've got the second novel on my shelf already and am trying to figure out how to get it read quickly.
November 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! Cyn is such a great character, she is so real and relatable. And her K9 companion, Winny, is the BEST! They make a great, although hilarious, team!!
This is what I love about cozy mysteries, they are intriguing mysteries that twist and turn, along with so many laughs, and sometimes there’s a handsome guy. This story has TWO, although my favorite is Ian Cruz. He was Winny’s trainer, he accepts Cyn’s craziness and clumsiness, and he is hot as sin!!
Highly recommended if you enjoy Cozy Mysteries!!
This is what I love about cozy mysteries, they are intriguing mysteries that twist and turn, along with so many laughs, and sometimes there’s a handsome guy. This story has TWO, although my favorite is Ian Cruz. He was Winny’s trainer, he accepts Cyn’s craziness and clumsiness, and he is hot as sin!!
Highly recommended if you enjoy Cozy Mysteries!!
June 5, 2021
If you have read the previous trilogy by E.N. Crane (The Ampersand Trilogy) this is nothing like it. The Ampersand stories are darker with para normal elements. Barking for Business along with the prequel A Bite in Afghanistan still have dogs and an Every woman protagonist but the story is much lighter, more of a feel good book. I really enjoyed this book
July 31, 2022
Barking for business is a fun read and very entertaining. The main character is Cynthia Sharp, she and her German Shepherd (former K-9 partner) Sgt Winifred "Winnie" Pupperson have retired from the military after a disaster. Now they're back in her hometown of Sweet Pea, OH. Trying to find a career for herself, only to get it tangled up in a mystery. It's a real humorous mystery
September 3, 2024
This is my first E.N. Crane book, I will be reading/listening to more for sure. It was light and funny with a Stephanie Plum vibe. I got a little bit confused by the number of characters but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I was pleasantly surprised by Cyn’s abilities and would hope to see more of Winnie as the characters progress. 100% recommend.
September 2, 2025
Small town
I laugh and laugh because Cynthia surely gets
in some crazy situations. When she gets out of the Army with her K-9 partner they get involved in solving money being stolen. This brings so many unknown questions to try to solve including murder, drugs and guns. A funny read.
I laugh and laugh because Cynthia surely gets
in some crazy situations. When she gets out of the Army with her K-9 partner they get involved in solving money being stolen. This brings so many unknown questions to try to solve including murder, drugs and guns. A funny read.
December 23, 2022
Funny and Fun
Hilarious antics mix with sexy chemistry as the mystery unfolds. Cyn and Winnie are awesome and I can’t wait to read the next one. Enjoyable characters and over the top situations.
Hilarious antics mix with sexy chemistry as the mystery unfolds. Cyn and Winnie are awesome and I can’t wait to read the next one. Enjoyable characters and over the top situations.
June 10, 2021
I love this novel. It's hilarious and the mystery is perfectly complex. Come for the funny, stay for the mystery. You won't regret it.
March 24, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. Being a former MP and pup mom ... And loveable quirky characters.
June 16, 2024
How many casts is it going to take??? they traded drugs for munitions??? Feathers??? I Thank you, Winnie!!! I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
April 16, 2024
This is the old cover, I keep changing it. I hope you all love Cyn when you meet her. It’s 4 stars right now, but I’m working to make it 5 by release date.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews