Monday, November 10, 2014

A Dog Gone Murder {+ Giveaway}


A Dog Gone Murder coverI’m delighted to be participating in author Elaine Viets’ virtual tour for her release, A DOG GONE MURDER, the latest installment in her Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper series.

I’m sharing my thoughts on this fun cozy murder mystery and thanks to the lovely Danielle at Penguin Group, I have a print copy of A DOG GONE MURDER to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more giveaway details. Now, my thoughts.

A DOG GONE MURDER by Elaine Viets

Author Elaine Viets has a way of bringing humor and mystery together for an entertaining read that keeps you guessing until the end.

Her latest release, A DOG GONE MURDER, is a great example of her talents. In this 10th installment in her Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper series, Viets tackles the world of doggie day care.

Mystery shopper Josie Marcus has had some unusual jobs, but this time around she is checking out three doggie day care to see which one is worthy of a coveted seal of approval. On the list is Uncle Bob’s Doggy Day Camp. Uncle Bob has become a local celebrity doing garish commercials for his business with the help of Ralph the Talking Dog.

Josie quickly finds out Uncle Bob is not the pleasant man he appears to be on TV nor is he the pet lover he pretends to be. With an unhappy client and a disgruntled employee, the suspect list grows when Bob is murdered. When the employee, a tenant of Josie’s mother’s, becomes the prime suspect, it’s up Josie to find who the real killer is.

The characters in this delightful book are well developed, likable and realistic. The secondary characters add depth to the story. With twists and turns, Viets keeps readers on the edge of their seats anticipating the killer’s identity. 

The story flows smoothly with a blend of humor, mystery and family interaction. As an added bonus, the author includes shopping tips. This book is a dog-gone good reading.

A Dog Gone Murder by Elaine Viets, Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper Series Book #10, Signet, @2014, ISBN: 978-0451465986, Paperback, 304 Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one print copy of A DOG GONE MURDER. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Tuesday, Nov. 18. 

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Elaine Viets’ Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope I’ve enticed you to check out this charming cozy. Don’t you just love the book cover? Did you notice, there’s no cats on it? 

*This post contains affiliate links. a Rafflecopter giveaway

22 comments:

  1. This sounds so good thanks for the review.
    Penney

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  2. I've never been a mystery shopper but this series is terrific! Doggie day care - who knew!?
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

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  3. Doggie day care is one thing - but can you imagine the carnage if anyone tried to set up cat care?
    The book sounds like a heap of fun. Thanks.

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  4. Never trust someone named Uncle Bob.
    Elephant Child's comment is funny. I think someone tried and that's where the term 'wrangling cats' came from.

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  5. This looks like another winner from Elaine Viets. Fun series!

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  6. Her cozies are great; love animal inspired cozies; thanks for the chance to win it :)

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  7. This sounds like a good book, I love the cover

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  8. Mason - Thanks for sharing this. A mystery combined with a look at the animal day care world is a really effective context for a story.

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  9. I love mysteries that have animals in them—thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of this book!

    skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

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  10. I would like to know more about Ralph the talking dog.

    lag110 at mchsi dot com

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  11. This cozy sounds delightful and unique. Love the animals. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  12. Elaine Viets is one of my favorite cozy writers, She really knows how to make me laugh! I treasure each of her books.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

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  13. I like cozies with dogs and cats. This sounds like a good one! Thank you for the giveaway!

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  14. "This book is a dog-gone good reading." I know you had to go there!

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  15. As of this moment I have not read anything by this author. Sounds like a good book to read.
    CABWNANA1@bellsouth.net

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  16. Been reading a lot of cat COZIES recently, so it's about time to read about the dogs. This looks like a good one to read and review😊. Ronnalord(at)msn(dot)com

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  17. Sounds like another fun read! Thanks for the review and giveaway.

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  18. I've enjoyed Josie's adventures in a variety of positions. Looking forward to this one too! Thanks! JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  19. i am huge fan of her dead end job series. this has to be a winner too. mardox(at)consolidated(dot)net

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  20. I've always wanted to be a mystery shopper. I think it would be fun. Thanks for sharing about this book.

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  21. I was a mystery shopper. Can't have a dog, so it is fun to read about one.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.