Publication Date: 12/02/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 0425262561
ISBN-13: 978-0425262566
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)
Purchase: Amazon, Indiebound, itunes
Krista Davis on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads
Books in the series:
Paws and Claws
1. Murder She Barked
2. The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer
Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from, The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.
Synopsis:
The spirited sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Murder, She Barked
Wagtail, Virginia, the top pet-friendly getaway in the United States, is gearing up for a howling good Halloween—until a spooky murder shakes the town to its core . . .
Holly Miller doesn’t believe in spirits, but the Sugar Maple Inn is filled with guests who do. The TV series in development, Apparition Apprehenders, has descended on Wagtail’s annual Halloween festivities to investigate supernatural local legends, and Holly has her hands full showing the ghost hunters a scary-fun time.
But the frights turn real when Holly’s Jack Russell, Trixie, and kitten, Twinkletoes, find a young woman drowned in the Wagtail Springs Hotel’s bathhouse—the spot of the town’s most infamous haunting. The crime scene is eerily similar to the creepy legend, convincing Holly that the death wasn’t just accidental. Now she’ll have to race to catch a flesh-and-blood killer—before someone else in town gives up the ghost . . .
Thoughts:
It's Halloween in Wagtail and it's time for some ghostly shenanigans! Krista Davis returns with the second book in her Paws and Claws mystery series, featuring Holly and the Sugar Maple Inn. Readers who love a good mystery and are particularly fond of their furry friends with love this series. It is just as pet friendly as the town of Wagtail and readers will love Davis's spin on ghost hunters, as well as, murder!
What I liked:
Krista Davis has always been one of my go-to cozy writers. I loved the Domestic Diva series and I was not really sure she could top that, but the Paws and Claws series, certainly has it's perks. In book one readers were introduced to the town of Wagtail, Virginia. A town that has essentially done a makeover and turned itself into a tourist town for pet lovers. It's an interesting concept. If you are anything like me, your dog or cat is probably considered a member of the family and a place like Wagtail would be a dream come true for any pet lover. We also met Holly and the gang from the Sugar Maple Inn. It's a great place to stay and pets are definitely allowed.
In the second book, The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer it's Halloween and the Sugar Maple Inn has some ghostly visitors. Well, ghost hunter visitor's at least. There has been an influx of television shows and books that have taken up the theme of ghost hunting, all trying to capitalize on the popularity of the paranormal, but Davis puts her own twist on it. She allows the Inn to become the hub for a television program called the Apparition Apprehenders. She doesn't take on the theme for the whole series, but dabbles in it in this installment and I found it a very enjoyable.
Davis is good at writing both her re-occurring characters and those who just stop by for a book or two. Readers get to know more about Holly and her adorable pets, Trixie and Twinkletoes, but they also get to meet characters like Mrs. Mewer and her owner. All of them are so well drawn and believable. If you are going to have an Inn that caters to furry clientele, it's wise to have a few of your own to help solve in murders and such that might occur. The animals are written with just as much care as the humans in this series and that's one of the things that makes it stand out.
When a friend of one of the Apparition Apprehenders ends up dead, Holly needs to help save the reputation of her Inn and her new friend Eva from getting pinned with the crime. There were tons of suspects since it takes an army to film a tv show and it was not clear who was involved. I liked the way Holly gathered her resources and asked for help. It was fun to see how she put it altogether and who the culprit really was. They mystery aspects of the story were spot on.
Bottom Line:
There were several subplots in this one as well. Holly's ex boyfriend is in town trying to win her back. Her friend Clementine is being followed and Oma is up to her usual tricks. I love the combination of mystery and every day life that Davis is so good at writing. I look forward to each one of her books and I love the pet related theme of this series. If you are mystery lover or a pet enthusiast you are sure to find something you like here.
The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer by Krista Davis.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, December 30th.
1. Please leave a comment. What is the most unusual cat or dog name you've ever heard?
2. Please fill out the FORM.
21 comments:
oh my gosh, how cute!
My son's cat' name is "M"
We had a cat named Dusty when I was young. So named because she was always kneading my mother's brand new dust mop.
Our puppy now is Mr. Peppers and our dog that passed away last year was Gyro.
can't remember
Some people seem to think my cat's name is unusual. I named her YumYum after one of the cats in Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who..." series.
My parents had a cat named Missu
We had a cat named Happy Day because it was a happy day when she was born (in our hallway!
I can't remember it now, but it was some long technical name ulike what my DH called one of ours. which was Tom.
Umi
lag110 at mchsi dot com
I can't think of any that were very unusual.
My male kitty had the name of Malachi when I got him at the shelter. He responded to the name, I thought it was different, but kept it anyway.
My son's cat is named Macchiato. My son's favorite drink is a Caramel Macchiato and when Maki was a kitten, he had lots of white and caramel coloring in his coat.
Our bassett hound was named Raisin Lucille Ball Coxon on her paperwork sent in to register her. I guarantee there was not another one named that.
My cousin has a cat name Big B*tt yes that's hinny.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com
Vera Wilson said: Had a large black cat named Winkle. He had the brightest blue eyes.
snoopysnop1 at yahoo dot com
My sister use to have a dog named Rogue (after the Xmen character).
I think I remember hearing about someone (a friend's cousin, maybe) who was actually considering naming their cat Tadpole. Not sure if they really did or not.
When my daughter was little she named her dog Puppy, now she has one named Big Ears. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com
I have a black cat named Vlad.
Thanks for the chance to win!
I think I've heard of a cat named Dog. My cats are named Muffin, Suzie, Wiggles, Brownie, and Tippy.
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