Krista Davis

I chose this book for a challenge for all the wrong reasons to choose a book. The cover had a snow scene which I needed for the challenge...but it also had a pair of cute little critters a dog and a cat gracing the cover...Trixie and Twinkletoes. Holly, the human in the story, was excited about the "Christkindl Market" that she knows well, thanks to her grandmother's German heritage. Sounds like fun to me with food, beverages and all types of goodies being for sale in a series of little Swiss chalet like booths. The town even has a cute name, Wagtail. It's now covered with several inches of fresh-fallen snow and all the houses are decorated with cheerful colorful Christmas lights. That is all but Rupert Grimpley's house. In the early hours of the morning, Rupert's Christmas spirit shows it's itself uncheerful self with ear-splitting music and a 45-foot towering, blow-up Grinch. This was funny as it reminded me of a neighbor we had when I was a child that always tried to tell us kids that the venison in his freezer was one of Santa's reindeer. Festivities come to a halt when Trixie's nose goes into action and sniffs out a dead person. Holly and police officer Dave start an investigation. Then we have Holly's old flame, Holmes, who is also back in Wagtail...he points out that it IS his hometown, and with his fashionable "city-girl" fiancee much to Holly's disappointment. The entire Thackleberry family...don't you love these names?... is holding their Christmas at the inn and Holmes's fiancee is part of this family of business owners. The book is so full of small-town America Christmas spirit, complete with parties, enough food to feed a third-world country, decorations and, even fun despite it being a murder mystery. The author did an outstanding job with the characters, continuity, dialogue, and atmosphere.… (mer)

Sophie Winston is an event planner that lives in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, with her dog and cat. While walking her dog one morning she spots a car on fire and calls it in. She has no idea who did it, or why. It seems odd, but life goes on...while visiting with her best friend Nina, her frenemy Natasha Smith, who has been in competition with Sophie most of her life, arrives in a dither. It seems her mother Wanda is getting married -- to Orson Chatsworth, who doesn't seem like Wanda's type, but Sophie offers to help Natasha with the engagement party. Part of that is hiring Orson's daughter Stella to make charcuterie boards, which are becoming a trend and Stella's new business.

While all seems to be going well at the party, Orson suddenly drops to the floor and at first appears to be having a heart attack. But Sophie thinks that he was murdered, even though her police detective friend Wolf doesn't. Another surprise comes when Orson's will is read and he leaves Sophie his antique business and all it entails, including the bank account. In his strange video will he tells her that 'you will know what to do.'

But Sophie has no idea what to do. At least not at first. And with half the town thinking there was something going on with her and Orson (why else would he leave her the business instead of to his daughter?) or Sophie being a gold digger, there's problems with trying to find out who killed Orson. When the police finally do reveal that it was murder, Sophie's problems just got bigger. Now she not only has to find the murderer, but she has to discover why he had the secret room in his store and what he wanted her to do with the information. With the help of Nina, her ex-husband Mars and friend Bernie, she's about to learn what Orson wanted to tell her, and hope she'll be able to prevent another murder...

This is the 17th book in the series, and I have read most of them. In my opinion, each one gets better than the last. In this one, Sophie is up to her ears in intrigue, secrets, and lies. All her suspects are keeping them, and it's up to her to ferret them out. But with everyone suspecting her of swaying Orson in her favor, she needs the help of her friends to get to the bottom of it.

But when Sophie learns what Orson really wanted her to do, she's stunned. It's something no one could have suspected, and when she discreetly shares some of the information, others don't think it's possible. After discovering an item that gives her the link she needs, Sophie can begin to put everything together. And watching her do so is like watching a clock being assembled. The parts are there, and it is up to the clockmaker to put them into the proper order and make sure that it works. This Sophie does beautifully.

The ending has another surprise in store, and when it is all woven together, Sophie manages to show us once again why she is our favorite Domestic Diva. This book is so entertaining that I read it in one sitting (whew!) because I wanted to find out how it all came about and I don't like to peek! There are also some delicious recipes at the back that I intend to make (and you should, too!). I eagerly await the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.… (mer)

Thank you to the author and Joanna's Readers FB page and the publisher.

As much as I hate to admit it, and I do love animals (dogs and cats especially), I don't read too many books with them in them, and for that matter cozy mysteries.

This was a fun book to read in spite of a murder or two. Imagine a small town that caters to dogs and cats and an Inn that Holly's grandmother owns that also invites them in to stay with their owners with rooms catered to both and amenities for both. Fun and clever. The whole town was animal themed with mostly stores for them.

I knew this was going to be a character driven book when I saw a page and a half of characters! I did have to look back once in a while.

I also loved the title Murder, She Barked which references the tv show Murder, She Wrote.… (mer)

The Dog Across The Lake is the ninth book in the Paws And Claws Mystery series by Krista Davis.

Hollie Miller has been busy organizing a birthday party for her Oma, Liesel Miller, at their Sugar Maple Inn. Her father, Sam; mother, Nell; her aunt, Margaret; and Margaret's son, Josh, will attend the birthday party at Sugar Maple Inn.

One morning, Holly awakes to find a strange dog in bed with her, her dog Trixie, and her cat Twinkletoes. Oma is sure that it belongs to Josh, and Hollie takes Radar, the dog, to a campsite on a campsite on the other side of the lake where she had seen it the prior day. On the way to the campsite, she encounters a fisherman who asks where he can find a boat to go fishing. When Hollie arrives at the tent where she had seen Radar, she finds her cousin Josh and his girlfriend, Dana. The following day, when Hollie awakes, Radar is in her ned again. Hollie returns to Radar, but this time, she finds the fisherman's body in Josh’s tent and Jash and Dana nowhere around.

With Joah and Dana missing and seemingly on the run, they become prime suspects in the murder of the man in the tent. Hollie will begin to ask questions to learn the killer's identity, thereby clearing her cousin's name. Hollie will find several suspects to question.

I love this series. I would enjoy being able to visit a community like Wagtail. The story is well-written and plotted and has a cast of excellent, believable, enjoyable characters. The story had many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end and the killer's reveal. I particularly enjoy reading about the interaction of the animals. The book was hard to put down.

There are delicious-sounding recipes included in the book.

I am looking forward to the book in this delightful series.… (mer)