Charming and funny, this is a solid first book in a new cozy series.

A jolly good cozy romp! A debut I absolutely loved and found written with flair for pet lover's and mystery fans.

Likeable protagonist, Sue Patrick, co-owner of Buckingham Pet Palace--a full service pet spa--is a bit nervous about meeting her British partner, Lady Anthea Fitzwalter, for the first time. Sue's pleasantly surprised to find that Anthea (whose character has me picturing actress Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote) is quite down-to-earth and hands-on regarding any aspects of the pet business she's not already familiar with. The moment she arrives, however; she's swept away with Sue as one of the employees appears to have absconded with 3 dogs, a company van, and gotten himself murdered! Lady Anthea fits right in, and helps Sue search for clues as to what Henry was involved in that endangered some of their precious pet customers! The mystery is very good!

I found this story hard to put down because Sue and Anthea are such entertaining lead characters. The supporting cast fits the mystery well, also. I chuckled out loud throughout the pages as the two ladies go about their business of sleuthing and pet pampering! Amidst the clues and crime suspects, Lady Anthea's background story is slowly revealed, and she and Sue become fast friends. Abby, Sue's standard schnauzer, is a smart cutie-pie along with all the other pets in the story. I eagerly look forward to reading book two.

I voluntarily reviewed a digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Stands above many of the cozies because of the smart humor and depth of characters. Enjoy!