A GOOD DOG'S GUIDE TO MURDER by Krista Davis

Wagtail, Virginia revamped itself as a tourism destination that is pet-friendly to extremes. This Thanksgiving, a gingerbread house contest has drawn people from near and far. Holly Miller and her Jack Russell terrier Trixie are about to need A GOOD DOG’S GUIDE TO MURDER.

The lively Paws & Claws mystery series continues its theme with a fun contest featuring edible pet houses, not the usual cottages. This is being held in the new convention centre at the Sugar Maple Inn. The land for the modern extension was donated in the will of a cranky local man, Orly Biffle. A large old oak tree unexpectedly sheds a major limb and it’s just luck that nobody was under it. Orly Biffle’s will specified that the town must not cut down the oak, so opinions differ between felling the rotting tree or trimming it. The younger Biffle generation looks hopeful that the land will revert to them. The tree settles the matter by collapsing, and workers cutting into it discover that cement was poured into the hollow tree years earlier, and someone appears to have been hidden in the concrete.

Holly, Trixie, the smart cat Twinkletoes, and the rest of the usual cast explore possibilities of a disappearance twenty years ago. Mainly Holly wants to get on with running the inn and having a good Thanksgiving dinner with her grandmother, Liesel, called Oma, and Holly's boyfriend Holmes. With the town full of tourists, the inn used as a centre for people providing cold case information, and her mother showing up unexpectedly from California with family news, there is no rest for the amateur sleuth.

The old tree with a body in cement inside the trunk is inspired, and it kept a dirty deed hidden for decades. But the truth will be out. The Thanksgiving weather may be cold, but catering is warm and everyone’s dogs and cats are fed fancy dishes alongside their keepers in restaurants. I think it would add a lot to the cost of a visit if guests had to pay restaurant prices for pets, but the guests mainly seem to be retired people who love animals. For instance, golf buggies are in use in town as cars are banned when I would expect bikes, skateboards and scooters for the younger generation.

If you love animals and mysteries, this series is a great combination by Krista Davis who is otherwise known for her crime series about a Domestic Diva. A GOOD DOG’S GUIDE TO MURDER includes a series of scary events such as poisoning and a child disappearing, so by no means are all the crimes in the past. The oak tree means I can safely say the bark is worse than the bite. Enjoy!

Visitors are arriving in droves to spend Thanksgiving in the mountains of pet-friendly Wagtail, Virginia. Many of them are bringing dog and cat gingerbread houses to enter in the contest that will be held in the new convention center. Wagtail resident Orly Biffle bequeathed the land to the town in his will, provided that they not cut down the grand old oak tree on the property. Orly’s children are mighty miffed that they didn’t inherit the prime piece of property overlooking the lake. Holly notices that Trixie and Twinkletoes, her calico kitty, are fixated on the big oak tree. Trixie barks at it as though she thinks it’s a corpse! Just as contestants are spicing up their sweet gingerbread creations, the majestic tree drops an enormous limb. The mayor declares that the tree is dangerous and must come down. When a bulldozer churns up some roots, the tree falls over on its own accord revealing a body inside the trunk! Initially, everyone suspects this unsavory trick was Orly’s doing. But it soon becomes clear that someone is trying to keep the truth under wraps. Trixie and Twinkletoes now have to help Holly sniff out some suspects and leash a conniving killer.