I received this book courtesy of NetGalley.

I was excited because I like mysteries/thrillers and I love dogs, so win/win right?

Wrong. I struggled to finish this book.

The story was predictable and would have been OK, however, the writing style was my biggest turn off.
The way the main character spoke of the people in her life made her seem like a garbage person.
"Men, especially specimens like Pruett"
"Babette was a loyal friend, but any presentable man with a pulse could easily turn her head"

The writing is very antiquated and out of touch, but in a way where there is an attempt to be contemporary that fails miserably. I almost wanted to say, congratulations, you own a thesaurus... but can we have some substance beyond big fancy words?

It's written so that characters use words like bromance, but there's also an antiquated style that is too flowery and not enjoyable like, "For the sake of propriety and propinquity, Pruett had returned to his hotel room in downtown Springfield the prior evening." or "Genna's supercilious smirk could try the patience of a saint. Since I renounced the celestial crown long ago..." Pruett also called Perri a broad. It felt like slang that might have been cool in the 50s, but didn't age well.

Men and women are objectified based on looks alone, the lead character said she finally embraced the role of child nurturer and caregiver at 30 (is that old now?? The maternal ages are steadily climbing every year), the way the protagonist talks about her boyfriend - like they are not committed but they are, and also they way she talks of the non threatening ex partner. She is shallow, jealous, and judgemental.

I don't think I have anything positive to say about the book.

An enjoyable dog show cozy mystery. Not too many details about the dog show, which was appreciated. Enough, but not overwhelming. Many suspects. Some likable characters, some not. Of course I liked the dogs and the little girl. Perri seems to be a capable person. Some surprises.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book it was a page turner

A canine caper featuring female protagonist, Perri Morgan, who’s a leathersmith and makes collars, leashes, etc., for animals and is selling her wares at a dog show. The plot contains a double murder due to shenanigans that apparently go on behind the scenes at dog events. Perri and a couple of friends plus local law enforcement are led on a chase to find the killer during the dog competition. As a dog lover, the menagerie of canines was the main part of this story that interested me.

The pacing is okay; however, I didn’t care for the author’s writing voice which greatly dimmed my enjoyment of the story. The overall tone is harsher than most cozies I read with numerous references to sexual exploits of the human participants at the event which also takes away from the mystery. The frequent use of uncommon adjectives was irritating, too. The only character I could appreciate was a 7 year old girl, Ella, who had a champion pointer, Guinnie, in the dog show. This is my opinion, only, but this story just wasn’t for me.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical Underground. Thank you.

The first in a new series, I have not read this author before. I was attracted to them as dog shows and I know something about and I enjoy reading about our fur friends. I found this an absorbing tale and it held my attention until finished. The book needs more editing. I feel the author went out of her way with odd names causing the flow of the writing to be broken. I wonder about some of the comments about the show procedure. The author is correct about the excessive drinking and rowdy behavior of some of the handlers. I do not consider this a cozy mystery but a suspenseful mystery with a lot of romance.
Persephone “Perri” Morgan, a retired Army veteran and best friend Babette are headed north to Massachusetts for a cluster of dog shows. Babette is driving a luxury RV that sleeps eight. Accompanied them are Wing Purit's seven old daughter and 4 large canines.
Perri has a business selling special handcrafted leads, harnesses and other items for dogs and hoses and plans on selling the field at the shows. Babette has a dog in agility, Ella's dog an English pointer is showing in confirmation. Perri's dogs are Belgian Melonise and are K-9 trained.
There is a major snowstorm in the area keeping the exhibitors locked in the showgrounds. The first night one of the handlers is found stabbed with pink poodle shears. This follows by a second death. Perri is busy keeping her name and friends clear of a charge of MURDER. The ending is a surprise. I will recommend this book for mature adults.

Disclosure: Thanks to Lyrical Underground for a copy through NetGalley The opinions expressed are my own.

A great story line with brilliant main characters.. I read this book in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.

This is an enjoyable, fast paced cozy mystery with a plot filled with many twists, turns and suspects and featuring an unusual heroine in Perri Morgan. Perri is a retired Army sergeant who, with her two retired Army service animals Keats and Poe, now runs a leathersmith business in which she specializes in items for dogs. She is going to a dog show with her BFF Babette and Ella Pruett, the 7 year old daughter of her boyfriend , the Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist Wing Pruett. The first night at the show they witness a fight between Lee Holmes and another man and when Wing finds the body of Lee and is fingered by a witness as having been in the vicinity at the time of the murder, Perri gets involved in trying to figure out who the real culprit is, especially after that witness is also found to be murdered. This is an entertaining story that is sure to hook you from the beginning through to the end, especially for anyone who loves dogs.