Davis Way Cole is waiting for her sister Meredith's visit. Meredith and her best friend Vreeland Howard are coming for a dog show that's been booked at the Bellissimo, where Davis works as a super secret spy/security expert. But when she answers her door, it's not Meredith but Vree, and she explains that Meredith and Bubbles - Vree's dog, who is going to be entered in the show - are arriving a little later.

But Meredith doesn't arrive. Neither does the dog. Instead, Vree's sort-of mother-in-law Bootsy shows up. Bootsy is mean enough to be a witch, and people have accused her of such. Bootsy is also there because Meredith isn't coming unless Davis gives her one million dollars. Davis, of course, doesn't have a million dollars, but if she doesn't get it, then Pastor Gully (who apparently has kidnapped both Meredith and Bubbles) threatens to leave them on a street corner in Guadalajara, Mexico.

But the troubles don't end there - Davis's boss 'No Hair' shows up at her door with what appears to be some kind of snarling dog and tells her to take care of it. The owners - lottery winners who are also hicks - have checked in and are spending money and creating havoc. When the dog decides to 'leak' on Davis's floor, she calls housekeeping, and they send up two burly men to clean up who look more like they should be in security detail.

So Davis calls her best friend Fantasy to come help get Bootsy out of her home, and into Fantasy's bonus room above her garage. Which isn't easy - and then still has to decide how to rescue her sister and find out who the dog belongs to; not to mention the 'schmucks' who are running amok in the casino causing problems.

At least Bradley is out of town on business, so she has one less thing to worry about; but just when things can't get any worse, they do. Suddenly there's a dead body, a doctor who doesn't know what he's doing, and now she has two dogs to contend with. Will Davis be able to save her sister and her marriage before Bradley returns? Can Davis and Fantasy keep No Hair from finding out what they're doing? And how will she find a million dollars without robbing the Bellisimo in time to save her sister?

Yes, it's just another day in the world of Davis Way Cole, Super Spy and security expert for the Bellissimo. And I can't say too much about this book without giving too much away. But I will say that the characters are indeed fun to be around. Sometimes I feel sorry for Fantasy, but then again, she walks right into it, so it's really hard to do so.

But Davis has her hands full with twin daughters and a near-hysterical woman from small-town Pine Apple where she grew up, who faints at anything and everything; and a physician (?) who's lascivious to the max and doesn't know a wart from a mole (or cares). But we have a case of a missing body, missing people, missing cars, a missing sister and missing dogs - I don't think I'm missing anything here (but I could be).

At any rate, this book is both suspense and hilarious, if it can be such, at the same time. Davis is one smart cookie, and she needs to be to deal with these looney tunes - which includes her boss Bianca, who expects Davis to impersonate her wearing the most ridiculous outfits yet. But then again, we've all known Bianca isn't all there anyway...

In the end, this book is definitely on my list of one of the best this year. Ms. Archer's writing is impressive, the characters are well-defined and full of life, and the plot highly believable. When we come to the end and it is all sorted out, I was sorry it ended so soon. A book I will reread more than once. Highly recommended.

A delightful bit of escapism. I don't gamble. I don't have a dog. I don't have children. I do have family and friends. None are as challenging as those of Davis Way. Thank goodness! Clever bit of financial chicanery. With Davis, anything is possible. I put off starting this book as I knew I would not get any of my chores done...too busy reading. Easy to ignore the chaos around me when the chaos surrounding Davis was much more fun.

This,is only the second book of the series that has have read. I loved the last book, but this one was just so so for me. First of all, Vree annoyed the heck out of me. I had,to skim her sections. Secondly, I found the whole situation to be a little too much. Too far fetched. Too rediculous. Finally, I was annoyed by how much and often Davis lied or omitted the truth. Had she been more honest/open a lot of her problems would have been solved or be non issues. So I wasn't thrilled with this book, but I will still read the next one.

I read this ARC of Double Dog Dare by Gretchen Archer from Netgalley and really enjoyed it. At one point I was laughing out loud. My husband wanted to know what was so funny, but by the time I finished telling him..Davis lives in a casino and has twin toddlers, her sister has been kidnapped on her way to dog show that is taking place in casino hotel, the sister’s friend is there, but her dog has been kidnapped too,... they hack the hotel’s web page to allow dogs to check in hoping to borrow a dog so friend can enter poker tournament which is only for dog show contestants, that way they can win enough money to pay the kidnappers,...he stopped listening! I hadn’t even gotten to the funny part yet. There was a lot going on, but good quick writing that held my interest even with all the crazy. I would definitely read more by this author.

Double Dog Dare: A Davis Way Crime Caper
By Gretchen Archer
Henery Press
March 20, 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

As a spy and elite security agent for the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, Davis Way Cole has prevented and outsmarted an endless number of schemes to steal and scam not just the casino, but thousands of its guests. When the attack comes towards her family though, Davis finds herself at wit’s end and without her usual resources at hand. Looking forward to a long-overdue from her sister, Davis instead meets Meredith’s best friend Vreeland Howard, who has the continuous verbal stream-of-consciousness of a crack addict with ADHD. She is soon followed not just by a ransom call demanding a million dollars for Meredith’s safe return, but by Bootsy Howard, Vree’s sort-of mother-in-law whom all of their hometown of Pine Apple believes to be a witch.

With Bootsy squatting in a resort room until they fork over the money, Davis must scramble in order to hide the kidnapping from her by-the-book husband Bradley, an attorney and the Bellissimo CEO. That’s not going to be easy as Davis juggles her duties as a body-double for the casino owner Bianca, who uses Davis for all public appearances, including that as a judge for the Southern Canine Association dog show. Missing dogs, destructive lottery winners, corpse moving, and five days to find a million dollars will have Davis ready to mow down anyone in her way; especially if that makes Vree finally stop talking.

When a series bills itself as “A Davis Way Crime Caper,” one should expect a novel that involves a good amount of scheming and nimble plot shenanigans. This seventh in the series exceeds all expectations by delivering so many twists and turns, nimbly tying together elements into an absolutely delightful conclusion. My fears that Davis would be bulldozed and outmaneuvered were quickly put to rest as she marshalled her forces, namely Fantasy Erb, an Amazon with flexible morality and terror of the witch being housed in her husband’s den. One can only imagine the joy the author had in crafting the tangents of Vree’s mind-numbing monologues, which are as hilarious as they are exhausting. What proves to be both unexpected and outstanding are developments that reveal the complexities of characters that make even the most unlikable characters ultimately sympathetic. One should only expect to be surprised by skillful plot twists that fill this seventh of the series, which remains as fresh and delightful as the first. Davis continues to shine with her intelligence, loyalty to her family, and extraordinary sense of humor, and she is given an outstanding supporting cast to match.

Double Dog Dare is deliciously chaotic. Davis and her family and friends swoop from one misadventure to the next with scarcely enough time for the reader to take a breath.  Throw in a huge cast of larger and weirder than life characters - including a dog that looks like a hairless mutant and is half as friendly (only eats cannelloni and thumbprint cookies) and smells like garlic - and readers definitely have a winner.

In this wacky caper, Davis’s sister , Meredith and Meredith’s best friend’s pooch, has been kidnapped by the pastor of Pine Apple and is being held for a million in ransom.  On top of this, Davis has to deal with Vree who gives even the most talented talkers a run for their money, a smelly dog with a fascination for Madeline Albright, and a pair of lottery winners with an immense capacity for destruction - and that doesn’t even begin to cover a disappearing corpse, a doctor with more quack than tact, and a wrathful would-be witch.

Davis has a lot to do before her hubby gets home.

Double Dog Dare is frightfully funny, wildly chaotic, and ultimately unforgettable. Be prepared for one wild ride.

4 / 5

I received a copy of Double Dog Dare from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

— Crittermom

Davis Way and her casino cohorts find themselves skirting the law and damaging people to reach their goal. I am truly surprised the gambling commission has not shut down this casino with all the violations. Character names are ridiculous such as Fantasy and No Hair. I did not enjoy this book and will not read others in this series.

I need a higher rating system for Davis! Hysterically funny, technologically fascinating, delightful characterizations - this book is glorious! I can't say enough wonderful things about 'Double Dog Dare', in fact the whole series. Do yourself a treat and get them all, you'll be entertained thoroughly.

As usual, in #7 of the Davis Way Crime Spree series, we find a funny, and wild at time unbelievable, entertaining story. Opening her door expecting to see her sister, Meredith she found Vreeland Howard. All morning waiting for sister to show up. Meredith is a no-show. However, Bootsy Howard appears and tell her that in order to see her sister and Vree's dog she must pay a million dollars, Pastor Gully. At this point, the tale takes so many turns you are flipping the pages as fast you can. Davis has no way of dining a million dollars and her efforts to find the money without stealing it from the conduct will amuse you. Yes, the twins and dogs are in attendance, Bradley is not. Did Davis succeed? Read the book to find out why and how. I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Henery Press for a copy of this book for review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Always a pleasant escape reading Archer. Characters are fun and plot well thought out

I received this book from NetGalley.

One of the things that makes me really looking forward to Gretchen Archers’ books is, that despite all that is happening, and all the laughs you get out of it, there is indeed a crime story. And by the end of the book(s), the crime is solved and the guilty parties get what they deserve.
This time, it all revolves around a kidnapping, a very sick person, a murder or two and the disappearing of something very valuable. At the end, everything comes together nicely and we can, like Davis, go on with our lives. Not for long, I secretly hope Gretchen Archer will come up with a new adventure for Davis and her family/friends/enemies with the sometimes absolutely ridiculous names. I’m almost, but not quite, getting used to the strange habit of naming girls with boy’s names and the other way around, or giving family names as first names or giving someone no more than what looks like a string of carelessly chosen letters… but in this series it works better than in other books.
I’m very happy to have received the ARC and I’m already looking forward to the next book in this series.

Gretchen Archer guarantees to take her readers on another wild ride with Davis Way Cole and her sidekicks. Living in the Bellissimo, a casino located in Biloxi, Mississippi; married to the Casino President, Bradley Cole; raising twin twenty-month-old baby girls, Bexley and Quinn; body double for Bianca Sanders, the wife of the owner of the Bellissimo; also, a member of an elite internal security team at the Bellissimo, Davis was already on overload. Looking forward to a weekend with her sister, Meredith and her friend, Vreeland, Davis is surprised when Vreeland arrives but no Meredith. Shortly after Vreeland arrived, Davis is notified by security that she has another visitor on the way up. Again, it isn’t Meredith but Vreeland’s husband’s aunt, Bootsy Howard, who is believed to be a witch. Bootsy provides Davis with information that Davis needs to come up with $1,000,000.00 dollar for the return of her sister, Meredith and Vreeland’s pup, Bubbles. Meredith is being held by Pine Apple’s local minister, Rev. Gully. He is demanding the money to help his brother get the treatment for a rare illness. Bootsy has warned Davis that she isn’t to say anything to anyone. Davis is fit to be tied between trying to care for her twin daughters, replace Bianca Sanders as a judge in the dog show being held at the casino, figure out how to raise $1,000,000.00 so her sister will be released and still stay on the right side of the law. You will find a real adventure between the covers of this book and each character’s personality will delight your funny bone. Having not read any of the previous six books, I was able to read this one and know who each character was and the general background of the book.

Double Dog Dare (A Davis Way Crime Caper Book7) by Gretchen Archer was a quick and easy read. The Bellissimo is gearing up for a dog show. Davis expecting her sister Meredith and Meredith's friend Vreeland are coming to stay with Davis while Meredith's dog Bubbles in entered in the dog show. As happens so often things do not go as planned. Meredith and the dog don't show up. They are being held for ransom by a pastor no less. There are multiple scams and crimes happening simultaneously. Davis must figure out a way to keep her husband and Bellissimo from finding out what is going on. She must also protect her friends and family and figure out a way to get her sister and Vreeland's dog back without being locked up. Lots of hilarity in this story.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinions on said book.

I have missed Davis, and was glad to be reacquainted with her. While this last book started off a bit slower than most of Gretchen s books, it did not disappoint. By the end there was so much going on I couldn't put it down.
Double Dog Dare is part of a series and I do recommend reading them in order before reading this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Henery Press for allowing me to read a digital galley of this highly entertaining novel.

I will try not to be overly effusive in my reaction to this novel. That will probably be a battle I will lose. It was just so darn funny in places that I laughed hard enough to bring tears to my eyes. My funny bone was tickled and then some!

I've been following the madcap exploits of Davis Way Cole from the start of this series and I have enjoyed all seven of the books - some a little more than others, but this is an author who is sure to give me an entertaining read. This time Davis is expecting a visit from her sister Meredith and Meredith's best friend Vreeland who are visiting the Bellissimo casino in Biloxi, Mississippi because of the dog show competition. Vree shows up but her dog and Meredith don't. That's when Davis gets the ransom demand. Before it's all over with we have kidnapping, dognapping, a witch, Jesus Water, a blind sheik, cyber theft, crazy lottery winners, Bianca judging the dog show (if you read these books you know how that actually pans out!) and Bradley in Nashville for a conference. Just another normal week in the life of Davis Way Cole. And did I mention the twins are now twenty months old?

As I said before, this one had me in tears. My husband even came to check on me because I was laughing so hard. I'm not someone who likes my mystery novels to be humorous, but this author's writing style made a connection with me from the very first book and I've been hooked ever since. No - the situations aren't realistic, of course they aren't. But what they are is good escapism reading. The troubles Davis and her crew get into are the ultimate good versus evil situations and I just plain like these characters. Maybe it's because I'm Southern to the bone and so is Gretchen Archer. I have friends just like some of her characters. I often WAS one of her characters when I was younger and I still have a friend who is absolutely, exactly like Vree so I connect with these books. You can certainly begin reading right here with book number seven. Then you can get book number one and read them all because chances are you will want to do that very thing.

Kindle Copy for Review

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review,

Davis Way Cole tries to lead a normal life with her twin daughters and husband living above a casino in Missouri but trouble tends to follow her. What was supposed to be a semi tranquil visit from her sister and a friend during the casino dog show turned into kidnapping, ransom and a trail of dead bodies.

Thing s go awry as her sister and her friend’s dog gets kidnapped and the people want a million dollars. She must find away to pay the ransom billion dollars. She must find a way to pay the ransom before her husband returns from his business trip.

A fun and humorous read with lots of action and awkward situations. The characters are engaging and hilarious.

Another laugh-out-loud Davis Way Crime Caper by Gretchen Archer that had me smiling even after I finished reading Double Dog Dare.
More zany Pine Apple, AL characters invade Davis' home along with billionaire lottery winners in the casino and the boss' wife Bianca's demands of her publicity double David (Davis!).
There are multiple capers requiring Davis and Fantasy's security expertise that all wrap up in the cozy.
What will Gretchen think of next?

The laughs do not stop, not even after the last page is read. In the life that is Davis, we are caught in the middle of a fiasco of hilarity that starts with a chatterbox, a kidnapping, a disgruntle pooch, a witch and a quack of a doctor. All this sets the stage for an immersion of laughter, calamity and downright fun times as Davis does what she does best and that is fix the problem without being thrown in the clinker.

Once again, Gretchen has engaged and entertained me with the antics from the cast of characters in this well-written and well-executed caper that had me immersed in all that was happening. The narrative was visually descriptive putting me in the middle of this fast-paced, action-packed drama where anything is possible if you use your ingenuity and specialized talent. With Fantasy (OMG, I cracked up at the lip scene), Vree (her praying while interspersed with a Fantasy and Davis dialogue had me laughing), Bradley (poor man as he’s married to Davis) and the adorable twins (woof, woof, woof) by her side, nothing will stop her from what needs to be done. How the author keeps this series fresh is a testament to her talent in telling a story that will keep you glued to the pages and in stitches. This is one of my favorite books in this delightfully terrific series.

Davis Way Cole is back and better than ever in DOUBLE DOG DARE (A Davis Way Crime Caper Book 7)! Davis is busier than ever with her twenty-month old twins, husband Bradley, returning to work on the Security Staff at the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, MS and of course, being the body double for Bianca Sanders.

Archer continues to entertain her readers with the liveliest tales (tails?) of life in Davis’ spacious living area on the 29th floor of the Bellissimo as well as throughout the rest of the Casino and surrounding areas. Our favorite Davis Way characters are back along with special guests - Vree (Davis’ sister’s BFF), Bootsy Howard (a possible witch), Princess Smucker (Pampered Canine - oh what a looker she is!) and Leverette Urleen, MD (how did he get that medical license?) When you add the Southern Canine Association’s annual dog show into the mix can you imagine the mischief that can occur?

The masterful blending of hilarious character descriptions and the most creative storylines on the way to crime solving always make Archer’s books Prime Reading!

I was provided an ARC by Henery Press and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own and without influence.

Right out of the gate the stage is set to keep you hooked through to the end...the Davis Way series has been addicting from its debut. There's one thing, among many more, you can expect from Ms Archer, the complete and utterly unexpected...not to mention hilarity abounds. Her writing is a fresh voice in a sea of monotony from other authors.

In this latest installment of a Davis Way escapade the hilarity involves characters of the canine kind, (the imagination that created a creature with such disjointed ugliness of Princess, yet make her lovable in her own way, is genius) among a whole host of human characters of the zany and unsavory variety. Witnessing the workings of Davis' inner monologue gives you the prompt to turn the pages rapidly to discover where the quirky that surrounds her is headed...with a casino as a backdrop, there is no telling who may emerge from the ethers.

The addition of Davis's long awaited twin daughters have added another element of freshness, and who leave you chuckling at what can only be described as little Davises in waiting. Toss in her husband Bradley who never ceases to astound at his total acceptance of the wacky that surrounds Davis, most often unbeknownst to him, and you have the straight man to her wackiness.

The only disappointment that I ever experience when reading the latest Davis Way story is the end...waiting for the next story is not for the impatient...it can never come soon enough.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.