Lyrical Press Underground
Featuring: Lady Anthea Fitzwalter; Sue Patrick
170 pages ISBN: 151610191X EAN: 9781516101917 Kindle: B06VV29NQ4 Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
I found another instance of trying to catch markets in UK
and USA by mixing characters from each in a story. I prefer
to find a genuine reason to blend the characters, contrast
their life experiences and build a plot accordingly. STAY
CALM AND COLLIE ON is a dog-lovers' mystery which does work
hard to meet these goals.
The Buckingham Pet Palace is a business in historic Lewes,
Delaware. Sue Patrick, dedicated owner and manager of the
pet day care is a thorough Anglophile and has gained posh
patronage from Lady Anthea Fitzwalter... through a charity
aiming at putting women around the world in contact. We
enter as this co-owner is on her way for a visit, with a
parade and fun day planned to boost publicity. In keeping
with her theme Sue regularly provides Earl Grey tea and
suitable snacks. When Anthea arrives, though, there's no
time for tea as Sue has to rush to an emergency.
The van delivering dogs to their homes has been found
abandoned at a ferry terminal, blocking the queue, with no
sign of the driver. Hoping Anthea can soothe officialdom,
Sue brings her along and they rescue three dogs locked in
the van on a warm day. The driver Henry is in the back of
the vehicle, beyond help. The police and ferry port
operators are security conscious, so investigations are
immediately under way. Sue and Anthea have to restore the
reputation of the pet care centre from lurid gossip about
murder and dog thieves. They also want to find justice for
Henry. Even if he was lying to the staff, and his fiancée.
The two women are well portrayed and I was chuckling as I
racked up unorthodox issues for the widowed Amanda -- who
does actually say "Carry on." I like that the dogs are fed
hormone-free chicken, grass-fed beef and organic veg from
BPA-free containers, showing that a lot of research went
into the tale. Lane Stone the author is from Atlanta but
lives in Lewes on weekends. She supports a dog foster care
group and is on the Political Science Advisory Board of
Georgia State University. STAY CALM AND COLLIE ON, her
third book, is a highly entertaining read with characters
we come to like a lot. I hope to read more in the Pet
Palace Mystery series.
Buckingham Pet Palace is known for treating dogs like
royalty—until murder dethrones its good reputation!
As owner of an upscale doggy daycare and spa,
animal-lover Sue Patrick pampers pooches for the most elite
clients in Lewes, Delaware. Surely she can survive a
weeklong visit from Lady Anthea Fitzwalter, her well-to-do
business partner from England. But before Sue can serve her
guest a spot of tea, she discovers more-than-a-spot of blood
inside the company van—and all over the driver’s dead body .
. .
Someone abandoned the van full of dogs
at the Lewes ferry terminal and got away with murder,
leaving Sue and Lady Anthea pawing for clues. With a
fundraising gala approaching and Buckingham Pet Palace
facing scandal, can two very different women work together
to fetch the culprit from a list of dodgy suspects—or are
they heading toward a proper disaster?