Today we are joined by Senior Reviewer Deb
Wiley, with an article all about
charismatic pets as side characters in cozy mysteries, contemporary romance, and other
fiction genres. Enjoy!
Stories featuring pets are always a popular draw for me.
Whether it involves a man borrowing someone’s dog to capture the interest of a woman, such
as in Sarah Morgan’s NEW
YORK, ACTUALLY, or a mysterious cat who keeps
popping up at the most opportune times, such as in FINAL SHADOWS by Kay Hooper, dog and cat stories are almost guaranteed to be on
my TBR shelf. But what about stories featuring some more unusual animals rather than the
expected dog or cat? Here are a few of the more intriguing stories I’ve read with pets outside
the norm.
Kym Roberts is hands-down the winner for having the most
unusual and most entertaining pet! Her Book Barn series features a
bookstore owner, which already draws my attention. However, Charli Rae Warren’s pet pink
armadillo, Princess, steals the show in almost every book. In KILLER CLASSICS, Princess gets a boyfriend. I’m not going to spoil anything by
saying more but if you love pets and other animals getting involved in the storylines, then I can
guarantee you’ll love
KILLER CLASSICS as Princess is a hoot!
A pig is another animal that doesn’t readily come to mind as
a pet I would be fond of. However, Amanda Flower has changed that perspective quickly with
PREMEDITATED
PEPPERMINT in which Bailey King gets roped into
taking Jethro the potbellied pig with her as she tries to uncover a murderer. Jethro doesn’t say
a word throughout
PREMEDITATED PEPPERMINT, after all, he is a
pig, but Amanda Flower manages to convey so many silent expressions throughout the
storyline. I love Jethro and hope to see this pampered support pig in future books.
And finally, Seanan McGuire’s InCryptid series featuring the Aeslin mice. While the mice aren’t strictly pets,
they are an integral part of the series as they keep the history of the family through time. The
Aeslin mice also have intricate worship rituals revolving around the Price family. TRICKS FOR FREE includes a short story entirely about the Aeslin mice although they
aren’t a part of the actual novel itself. I love the Aeslin mice and relish every moment they pop
into the InCryptid
storyline!
Many other books featuring pets are out there and I’m
always looking for my next new favorite book or series. Whether it’s cats with a magical twist,
like Sofie Kelly’s
Magical Cats series, or a teacher with a love
for dogs and dog shows, as in Laurien Berenson’s Melanie Travis series, there’s something for everyone. What are some of your
favorite books featuring pets or other animals?
BOOKS FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE:
From Manhattan with
Love
One man. One woman. Two dogs.Meet Molly—New York's most famous advice columnist, she considers herself an
expert at relationships…as long as they're other people's. Still bruised from her last breakup,
Molly is in no rush to find happily-ever-after—the only love of her life is her dalmatian,
Valentine.
Meet Daniel—A cynical divorce lawyer, he's hardwired to think relationships are a bad
idea. If you don't get involved, nomone can get hurt. Until he finds himself borrowing a dog to
meet the gorgeous woman he sees running in Central Park every morning…
Molly and Daniel both think they know everything about relationships. But as they try—and fail
—to resist their undeniable chemistry, they'll soon discover they just might have a lot left to
learn…
Romance Contemporary [HQN, On Sale: May
30, 2017, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780373804108 / eISBN: 9781488023453]
They are
determined not to fall in love...
***
Bishop Files
A desperate underground war with the survival of millions at stake looms in the
electrifying conclusion of the New York Times bestselling Bishop Files Trilogy.Tasha Solomon's world turned upside-down when the psychic abilities she had tried so hard to
live within secret suddenly made her a target stalked by unseen enemies.
John Brodie is by nature, by training, and by instinct a Guardian. He is a member of an
intricate and secretive network of individuals who have devoted their lives to the deadly
struggle of saving psychics in danger of being taken or being killed. It is a war very few other
people even know exists, and yet its tentacles stretch deeply and dangerously into every
aspect of society.
Tasha has abilities not even she is aware of, abilities that the other side would give virtually all
they possess to destroy. And if being hunted like an animal were not bad enough she has to
learn how to become a warrior in a battle she did not choose, to save people she does not
know, and possibly even the very world around her.
If John Brodie can keep her alive long enough.
Thriller Paranormal - Supernatural | Romance Paranormal | Romance Suspense [Berkley, On Sale: December 31, 2018, Mass Market Paperback / e-
Book, ISBN: 9780515153354 / eISBN: 9781101589816]
Fascinating, out
of this world, finale
A Captivating
and Shocking Conclusion to the Bishop Files Trilogy
A stunning
thriller -- can the war on psychics be won?
***
Book Barn #5
Small-town life in Hazel Rock becomes a Texas-size crime scene when murder takes a
page from Charli Rae Warren’s book club’s latest mystery . . .Charli takes great pride in running one of the few independent, family-owned bookstores in
small-town Texas. She vets everything carefully, with an eye to the eclectic tastes of the
locals. That includes the Book Barn’s weekly book club selection. This time out it’s a mystery
whose characters bear a striking resemblance to local citizens, including Charli’s friend Sugar
. . . who’s the prime suspect when her real-life nemesis is found dead in a hotel’s water tank.
With help from her pet armadillo Princess, Charli campaigns to clear Sugar’s sweet name—
literally—when the up-for-election mayor becomes a killer’s next target. Murder and politics
make scandalous bedfellows as Charli discovers that fiction may be fatal, but reality could be
just as deadly . . .
Mystery
Cozy [Lyrical Press Underground, On Sale: December 4,
2018, e-Book, ISBN: 9781516106592 / eISBN: 9781516106592]
The best
installment yet in the series!
Murder and
mayhem in small-town Texas
***
Amish Candy Shop Mystery
#3
Someone’s sweet on revenge . . .Christmas is Bailey King’s favorite time of year. For her first Yuletide in Harvest, Ohio, the
former big-city chocolatier is recreating a cherished holiday treat: peppermint combined with
molten white chocolate. But her sugar high plummets when her former boyfriend walks into
the candy shop she now runs with her Amish grandmother. New York celebrity chef Eric Sharp
and his TV crew have arrived to film an authentic Amish Christmas. Bailey’s not about to let
her beloved town—and Swissmen Sweets—be turned into a sound bite. Unfortunately, she
gets more publicity than she bargained for when Eric’s executive producer is found strangled
to death—and Eric’s the prime suspect.
With Bailey’s sheriff deputy boyfriend out to prove Eric’s guilt, her bad-boy ex tries to sweet-
talk her into helping him clear his name . . . and rekindle their romance to boost ratings for his
show. Now, between a surplus of suspects and a victim who wasn’t who she seemed, Bailey’s
edging dangerously close to a killer who isn’t looking to bring joy to the world—or to Bailey—
this deadly Noel . . .
Mystery
Cozy | Holiday | Amish [Kensington, On Sale: September 25, 2018, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN:
9781496706430 / eISBN: 9781496706447]
A solid mystery,
fabulous characters, and darned good humor!
***
InCryptid #7
The seventh book in the funny and fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to
the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of
magical creatures living in secret among humans.Penance, noun:
1. Punishment for past actions.
2. An attempt to pay for what can't be bought.
3. See also "exile."
Antimony Price is on the run. With the Covenant on her tail and her family still in danger, she
needs to get far, far away from anyone who might recognize her--including her own mice. For
the first time in a long time, a Price is flying without a safety net. Where do you go when you
need to disappear into a crowd without worrying about attracting attention? An amusement
park, of course.
Some people would call Lowryland the amusement park. It's one of the largest in Florida, the
keystone of the Lowry entertainment empire...but for Annie, it's a place to hide. She's just
trying to keep her head down long enough to come up with a plan that will get her home
without getting anyone killed. No small order when she's rooming with gorgons and sylphs,
trying to placate frustrated ghosts, and rushing to get to work on time.
Then the accidents begin. The discovery of a dead man brings Annie to the attention of the
secret cabal of magic users running Lowryland from behind the scenes. They want the fire
that sleeps in her fingers. They want her on their side. They want to help her--although their
help, like everything else, comes with a price.
No plan. Minimal backup. No way out. Annie's about to get a crash course in the reality behind
the pretty facade. If she's lucky, she'll survive the experience.
Fantasy Urban [DAW, On Sale: March 6, 2018,
Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780756410407 / eISBN: 9780698183582]
Marvelous Book,
Plenty of Fun and Excitement
An amusement
park should be a safe place to hide...
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