Even though it was slow at certain times. The love triangle is over and Carrie has finally settled down, the problem since this is told in first person the writer has her thoughts all over the place. Otherwise it was a well written mystery

I enjoy Linda O. Johnston's new series very much. Set in a small mountain town that reminds me of Lake Arrowhead, California, Carrie is a dog lover who owns a "barkery" and a bakery. She may be hitting the big time by selling her recipes to a pet chain store but before she can decide, she must solve a murder and get suspicion off her friend. I love the atmosphere, the premise and the relationships in this book. I definitely will adopt it and recommend it.

This is book three in the Barkery and Biscuits mystery series. This is a wonderful series sure to please every dog lover. Our protagonist is Veterinary technician Carrie Kennersly, owner of the Barkery & Biscuits bakery for dogs and a separate bakery for people. She has created many exciting recipes for dog treats and the dog bakery is very successful. . In this next in series she is considering selling her recipes for dogs to a anxious buyer of a pet food company and the sale is fraught with problems. She is successful on her own and wants to retain the rights to her work. The buyer is pressuring her while dating one of her friends for leverage. When he is found dead her friend falls under suspicion and Carrier must solve the case before her friend is arrested for the crime.
I love this series and each installment gets better and better. Each key character has a dog and all the dogs are fun to read about. The clues are always very well crafted and it is always a great sleuth for any seasoned mystery reader. Carries grows her two businesses in each book, is a smart brave protagonist and good at solving clues that abound throughout the story. All books in this wonderful series are delightful to read.
I look forward to the next in series and Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

This is a classic cozy-it features an intrepid female amateur detective with a fun day job and a not too twisty murder mystery of a person no one likes. I had not read the first two books in the series but that wasn't a problem for me as I felt Carrie was well developed and engaging enough to get me right into the story. It's well written, a quick read, and worth your time. Thanks to net galley for the ARC- I'm going to look for more from Johnston.

Just looking at the title you have to know that this is a doggie cozy series. I'm a sucker for animal-centric series. This is book 3 in the series. I haven't read the first two, but that didn't cause me any problems. I will admit that reading this book made me want to go ahead and read the first books, because of the relationships that had developed already and the ones that formed and changed prior to the events in the book, especially the Jack and Carrie and then Jack and Billi thing.

I really liked Carrie she was a fun character and when a book is told from the first person, that character has to be fun. She is a typical cozy mystery heroine, but she's also one that cares about her job. (If you read cozies like I do, you know that a lot of these characters drop everything to solve the murder, that's not quite the case here). Carrie loves her bakery and barkery and her work at the vet clinic where her boyfriend Reed works as a vet.

The other thing that really feels different to me with this book, is how focused on the relationships Linda is. You quickly see how close Carrie is with Reed, even though they technically aren't totally committed, but there's a lot of dinner dates and some sex, though that is alluded to rather than shown, so anyone with delicate sensibilities won't be offended.

Another thing that I found unusual was the real lack of sleuthing that went on. The book was close to half over when Carrie started to look into Wanda's death. (Let me just say, Wanda is the character that most deserves to be offed in any cozy I've ever read) There was a lot of push for her to keep her nose out of things, which is expected, but the way the story was going it was pretty easy to believe that Carrie, might not investigate on her own

I liked that she wanted to find the killer because both suspects were friends, though she didn't rule them out.

I did want more from the mystery though, especially since there were so many people that had good reason to dislike the victim, including possibly a person from VimPets that Wanda, may or may not have been involved with, in her quest to get to the top. Speaking of VimPets, I really hope down the line, Carrie decides not to sell that company a recipe from her shop, I didn't get a good vibe from any of the execs we met in the story.

When the ending came around I was really surprised at who killed her, and a little bit let down. There were signs that something wasn't right with this character, but nothing that made you think, wow, they have a good reason to kill Wanda.

This was a cute mystery that will pass an afternoon easily.

After pondering this book for a few days, I've had to change my rating but don't worry, that doesn't mean that it's not an enjoyable read and it's still a cozy series I will continue to follow. In "Bad to the Bone," Carrie is still being courted by VimPet, an elite pet food manufacturer, to share some of her healthy recipes which will not only help her pay off her business loan sooner, but which will also provide added publicity for her newly opened "barkery." However, the deal is quickly put on hold because one of the execs, who happens to be a mean and manipulative woman no one really likes, turns up dead. Fortunately for Carrie, she isn't a prime suspect in this murder but two of her friends are so once again, she gets right in the middle of her third murder investigation.

I still enjoy the small town setting and many of the characters in this series. I can also say that Carrie no longer seems to be the "man magnet" I mentioned in my review of the first book and her love life has settled down some. That alone was cause for relief on my part because I hate love triangles (or maybe square was the more appropriate analogy). Carrie's dog Biscuit is still a prominent fixture in the book as is Hugo, her boyfriend's dog which is always a plus. However, I'm still having difficulty with the way this book is written. It's told from Carrie's first person perspective and perhaps because of that, I find some of Carrie's thoughts annoying. For example, she keeps wanting to give her employees a raise, which is totally commendable and understandable, but this thought keeps entering her mind and often at times when I feel she should be focusing on other things. It really is hard to explain but if you look at my reviews of the other two books, you might get a clearer idea of the writing style I find problematic. Also, I was able to deduce the identity of the killer early on in the book and while that normally doesn't bother me, I felt it was such a no-brainer that I just wanted everyone else to catch up so it could be over.

I'm sure I'll continue on with this series which I still consider a cute read. However, I didn't feel this installment was as strong as the other two which is why I bumped the rating down to 3/5.

Bad to the Bone by Linda O. Johnston is book three in the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series. Carrie is the owner of a bakery (for humans) and a barkery (for dogs) and works at a vet tech. She is considering creating some recipes for a pet food company. A rather nasty employee of the company is found murdered, and Carrie adds solving the murder to her to do list. I liked the book, but I have no idea where Carrie gets her energy. In addition to working two jobs and solving the mystery, she is able to stay out late every evening. I guessed early in the book who the murderer was. The characters and animals were entertaining enough that I would read more of this series.

The best part of this book for me was the cover! The best cover I have seen in a while.
I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed getting to know the characters.
Carrie the main character and her brother Neal and boyfriend
Reed. And the dog's! Carrie's dog Biscuit a rescue pug and Reed's dog Hugo are all a big part of the story as they go almost everywhere with their respective owners.

Wanda the poor victim was a 'piece of work' it's no wonder the
police and Carrie have a difficult time finding the murderer because there was a potentially Huge suspect list.

Bad To The Bone is book 3 in the Bakery and Biscuits series.
Although I didn't feel lost picking up the series in book 3 I felt that I might have enjoyed the story a bit more if I had read the other two books first.

As the main character woman sleuth that Carrie is she has endeavored to solve crimes in the previous books that have gotten her into some hot spots causing her brother and boyfriend and some friends to be concerned about her investigating.

Her sleuthing almost causes a wedge between Carrie and Reed in book 3. Reed's attitude put me off a little at first. But as the story progressed he became a little more understanding not actually supporting Carrie's attempts at solving crimes. I enjoyed Reed's character and I think I would like to sit and have a beer or cup of coffee and pick his brain a little. Reed Carrie's veterinary boyfriend is my pick for Coffee with a Character.

Bad To The Bone is a story that has a steady pace and is filled with a few twists and turns. I had a suspicion who the villain was but I didn't figure out the reason for the crime(s).

I really enjoyed reading this book. I look forward to purchasing the earlier books.

I received a complimentary copy of Bad To The Bone from
Great Escape Book Tours.

Business and Pleasure are going to the dogs, and not in a good way. Carrie Kennersly is back in her bakery and cooking up a fine mystery for readers! Having become a fan of Linda’s in the past year, I was delighted to read this book.

Carrie is such a fun character and I love her passion for animals. In fact, if there was ever a book that certainly has the best intentions for the animals in it, this book does. Jack sounds like a shady character and trust me the alarms sounds off. I find the fact that his corporation could help the charming bakery to be comical. Which leads to my favorite part of the book.

The love triangle, boy does Linda write this well. I really loved the passion and heat with disagreements and then of course the murder, not saying a victim deserves to die, but this was certainly one of the best written this year. I also loved that Carrie felt as though she should rescue both Billi and Jack, not just one. That speaks a lot about the character that is our delightful sleuth.

Overall, Linda hit this one out of the park. It was delightfully catty in some spots, and Carrie was the perfect sleuth in this case. I look forward to my next trip to this bakery and mystery series!

I have enjoyed reading this series. Carrie is a great character and I live the two shops she owns. What a treat for customers to get goodies for themselves and go next door and grab some great healthy treats for their dogs. The author makes the shops sound so inviting and I would love to try one out for my little dogs.

Carrie has been approached by a big company to add her treats to their line of products. It would be a great boost for her company but she is just a bit hesitant to say yes . I liked her brother Neal and her boyfriend Reed. They seemed to be protective of Carrie. If you have read the first two books in the series, you know Carrie seems to find herself embroiled in murder and "helping" the police catch the killer.

When one of the employees from the company that wants to carry Carrie's product is found dead, the book starts really delving into several people who could easily have killed the poor murder victim. I wasn't surprised that the woman killed was not well liked. She was pushy, mean and down right unfriendly. I really got a great laugh out of the murder weapon used. I though the author was genius using a poop scooper as a way to kill someone. Carrie can't seem to stay out of the investigation and soon finds herself with a list of suspects. I know there were hints throughout the book of who the killer was, but for some reason I was still a little surprised at who it was. The story was good and I'm glad we got to know more about Carrie and Reed's relationship. I wonder if there will be wedding bells soon for these two?

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.

Bad to the Bone by Linda O. Johnston is the third book in A Barkery and Biscuits Mystery series. Carrie Kennersly is the owner of Barkery and Biscuits a bakery that caters to canine clientele in Knobcone Heights, California. She also owns Icing on the Cake in the adjoining space that has delectable delights for humans. Carrie creates her own recipes so she can offer healthy treats for dogs. Jack Loroco, a rep for VimPets (a pet food manufacturer), has been trying to get Carrie to sell one of two of her unique recipes to VimPets. Carrie knows this would provide good promotion for Bakery and Biscuits, but she is reluctant to sell. Jack who is dating Billi Matlock, friend of Carrie’s and city councilwoman, has return to town and invited Carrie and friends to dinner. Jack brings an additional guest to dinner. Wanda Addler works at VimPets with Jack, and she is very ambitious. Wanda has set her sights on Jack’s job, and she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goal. Early one morning Carrie receives a call from Jack. He was out walking his dog when they discovered Wanda stabbed behind his apartment building. Jack and Billi end up prime suspects in Wanda’s murder. Carrie knows that neither of them would harm a person, and she starts exploring other suspects. Once Carrie starts her investigation, she is like a dog with a bone—she does not give up.

Bad to the Bone is easy to read, and I like the various dogs in the story. Each person in the story seems to own a dog (I am not exaggerating). Bad to the Bone is the third book in A Barkery and Biscuits Mystery series, but it can be read alone. You would not be lost if you started with Bad to the Bone. I give Bad to the Bone 3 out of 5 stars. The murder mystery is straightforward. I wish, though, that more of the sleuthing had taken place in the book instead of the reader’s being told about it at the reveal. I wanted more mystery in this cozy mystery (instead of food descriptions). You must pay sharp attention to find the clues, but I thought the killer’s identity was obvious. I did love the unique murder weapon. It goes perfectly with the story. I did get tired of people constantly telling Carrie to stay out of the murder investigation (and to be careful if she did not listen). It was repeated over and over. The story focuses more on Carrie’s shops, her work as a vet tech, her love life, friends, and the pets. A significant amount of time is spent on Carrie thinking and her internal questions (book written in the first person with Carrie as narrator). I wish there had been more focus on the mystery than on Carrie’s life. Bad to the Bone is an easy breezy type of story (light and fluffy). I felt it lacked substance and depth. There are two recipes at the end of the book (one for humans and one for dogs). I kept hoping that the series would improve, but, for me, it has not. I will be skipping future books in A Bakery and Biscuits Mystery series.

Another wonderful installment to this fun series. Author Linda O. Johnston never disappoints. Looking forward to the next book in this series!

This book is a great example as to why I have a newfound love for cozy mysteries. When a local business owner, Carrie, has the bright idea to bring dog treat recipes to a manufacturing business, she has no idea the storm that is coming her way; including a murder.

This was a really fun yet mysterious and a little romantic read that kept me wondering who was the mastermind behind the whole thing.. And the ending was quite the surprise too! The author did not disappoint in this book.

Carries is the owner of a bakery and another bakery that caters to animals. Barkery and Biscuits is doing a great business and it is all due to Carrie and her staff coming up with healthy food for dogs and cats. She even comes up with food to help with health issues. That draws the attention of a large company, VimPets. They have been trying to get her to sell them her recipes of pet treats. When Jack comes to town, he brings an assistant that is a bit too pushy and self centered as far as other people are concerned. Then she is killed. Now just about everyone in the "business" is a suspect, including Councilwoman Billi. The biggest problem is her body was found behind Jack's apartment. Can Carrie clear Jack's name and figure out who is responsible? The answer will surprise you! I received a copy of this book from Net Galley. The review is voluntary and my own opinions.

Book three in the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series though I was unaware of that fact until I was about half way through it. The several references to the events of the previous two books just reminded me why I never read books in a series out of order. Oh well guess it could be worse though now I fully intend to catch up with the previous two to see what all I missed. For this one Carrie finds herself involved in solving a murder in order to help a couple of friends of hers though she is not actually a suspect in the women's murder herself. Family and friends beg her not to intervene but she just cannot seem to help herself. She has an interesting way of solving things and I loved the addition of all the animals along the way. This is a great cozy mystery and I really look forward to reading the previous books as well as any new ones that come out. It gets 4/5 stars.

It was a delight to be able to read an early copy of BAD TO THE BONE, by Linda O. Johnston! The protagonist, Carrie Kennersley, is not only a vet technician but also owns a charming bakery, Barkery & Biscuits…actually 2 bakeries on the same premises: one for humans and one for pets. You’ll be drooling over the delightful treats Carrie and her employees bake and it’s probably a good thing your furry friends can’t read because they’d be begging for some special treats as well!

Word has gotten out about Carrie’s special pet treats and a large pet food manufacturer, VimPets, is interested in buying some of her recipes. When one of the obnoxious sales reps for VimPets is found murdered, (with a pooper-scooper no less!) two of Carrie’s friends are suspects. One of them begs her to clear his name only she’s not so sure of his innocence. A large number of her friends, along with her brother, beg her to not get involved in the murder investigation this time but Carrie just can’t seem to help herself.

The premise of this storyline is cute. I loved all the pets and their owners who frequent Barkery & Biscuits and Carrie has endeared herself to the townspeople. The author brings to the forefront the need for people to adopt rescue animals and the plight that can befall these unfortunate creatures. The location is in the mountains of Southern California, close to where I live, so I could completely envision the descriptions of the town and its surrounding areas…making me feel at home. Carrie’s romance with veterinarian, Reed, is progressing and is very sweet. I like seeing growth in characters in series, and the author provides that both with the main protagonist and with the close characters surrounding her. The reader will get a good feel for what it takes to run two bakeries and still work part time at the vet’s office. Carrie doesn’t shirk her duties yet manages to find the time to ask questions and try to find out who the murderer is. The grand finale caught me by surprise and wrapped up the plot and subplots in a satisfactory manner.

Thankfully after you’ve finished drooling on the pages, Linda has provided a recipe for your dog along with a recipe for yourself. I tried her recipe for Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies for People...and they were so yummy! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. In my opinion, pumpkin flavors aren't just for autumn but, like these cookies, are a delicious treat to be enjoyed year round.

This book just wasn't for me, unfortunately. Wanda's character really bothered me. She displayed some pretty disgusting behavior and it didn't feel like there was a real purpose for it. It gave the impression that she was just a mean person. When the murderer was revealed at the end of the story, the motive behind the murder just didn't really make a lot of sense to me. There wasn't a lot of talk about the murder or the investigation, and I really would have liked to have read more of that. I liked Carrie's character and the idea of her shops. The combination of the Barkery and the Bakery was a really neat idea and I enjoyed the scenes that took place there.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bad to the Bone is a wonderful addition to the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series. The crew of regulars both human and furry are back and the victim is truly a horrible person, someone no one will miss. But the cops still have to find the murderer and in Knobcone that means Vet Tech Bakery owner Carrie Kennersly is going to poke her nose in especially when the two prime suspects are friends of hers. I loved the interactions with the fur babies and that Carrie and Vet Reed are moving closer in their relationship. I am going to give the recipes at the end of the book a try. If you enjoy dogs and mysteries enjoy this doggone good tale.
I received a digital ARC of this novel courtesy of NetGalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for a honest and voluntary review.

This was an interesting book, but it dragged a little at times. The mystery itself was good, with an ending that seriously shocked me.