In the Doghouse
In the Dog House by V.M. Burns Kensington Books Lyrical Underground Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 21 Aug 2018
Review
Normally you would want to avoid being in the doghouse, but in the case of this fun, laugh out loud mystery, you will definitely want to make an exception.
With its perfectly balanced blend of suspense, action and laugh out loud humor, In the Doghouse makes for a fantastic read. It is easy to cheer for Lily and her slightly overwhelming friend Dixie (Not to mention fall in love with Aggie <Lily’s new toy poodle> and Chyna and Leia <Dixie’s standard poodles fresh from the show circuit>), as they search for who killed her soon to be ex- husband, Albert. The investigation quickly becomes a family affair, with her daughter, a defense attorney, and her son, an actor joining in. Lily even has the chance to do a little matchmaking when a certain blue eyed policeman agrees to help.
Albert’s antics are more than enough for any self respecting woman to WANT to kill him (cheating with bimbo, telling his family they were divorcing because Lily is a lesbian, still expecting Lily to hold a party for his grandmother’s birthday), but Lily certainly didn’t give in to temptation. That means Lily and the gang need to look at other aspects of Albert’s life.
I enjoyed the humor that permeated In the Doghouse. It was the kind that arises naturally when people are thrown together in unusual situations. The dogs were a wonderful addition, and little Aggie in particular had quite the personality. It was a nice to see Lily, her children and Dixie working together. I also liked V M Burns’s portrayal of the police. Even though Lily was the main suspect, they treated her with compassion and respect. The police were professionals focused on discovering the truth, as opposed to stopping once they found a suspect. Put those aspects together, along with a well plotted mystery, you get a winner. In the Doghouse is an excellent cozy mystery that will appeal to those who enjoy humorous cozies as well as animal lovers.
5 / 5
I received a copy of In the Doghouse from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
— Crittermom
Description A killer wants Lilly Echosby to roll over and play dead . . . Lilly may be losing a husband but she's gaining a toy poodle. That could be seen as a win-win, since her new adopted pooch Aggie (named after Agatha Christie) is cute and adorable, and Lilly's dirty dog of a spouse is cheating on her with a blond bimbo—except for one problem: Albert Echosby’s just been murdered, and Lilly is the number-one suspect. With the cops barking up the wrong tree, it's a good thing her best friend Scarlett "Dixie" Jefferson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, decided to take a break from the dog club circuit to pay a visit, along with her own prize pair of poodles. With help from Dixie, her defense attorney daughter, and a blue-eyed man in blue with a K-9 partner, Lilly is determined to collar the real killer. But when a second murder occurs, it's clear they're dealing with one sick puppy . . .
