If you like a good cozy mystery you will love this book. The mystery kept me guessing almost until the end and the animals were adorable

Murder at the Falls is the third installment in the Creature Comforts series, but I was able to fully enjoy this book without having read the first two. I really enjoyed the main character, Perri, and her dogs. I found her to be a likeable hero in the story. The rest of the characters, however, seemed to be flat to me. I felt like I really only got to know Perri, and there wasn’t any deeper look into the other characters. Beyond that, the conclusion to the mystery left me with some unanswered questions. Yes, we found out who the culprit was. But I felt like there were some loose ends that were not tied up, and some unanswered questions. Overall, this was an alright cozy mystery, but I don’t know that I will be continuing with the series.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

My favorite part of this is the therapy dog angle! Perri's side hustle training them leads her to a senior living facility, with quite a cast of characters, including a woman who seems to be targeted for being related to Oscar Wilde. Could there be another story somewhere? Very engaging!

I love this book! The moment I got the egalley, i can't contain my happiness. The mystery vibes of this book is so satisfying to the point that I reread it trice. The characterization is good and i love every pages.

An interesting cozy with an interesting setting I don’t think I’ve ever read set in a senior living facility. It was different, but not to the point that I couldn’t enjoy. However I don’t think I will read anything else in this series. But I do think cozy readers who just enjoy reading cozies will probably love this one. But cozy readers who are picky about their cozy settings might not like this one. But that’s alright not every book is for every reader.

A vet, dogs, and a terrific mystery all rolled up into one quick and easy read for a late August afternoon. It made me smile which is always an excellent sign of a book I loved.

Murder at the Falls: A Creature Comforts Mystery
By Arlene Kay
Lyrical
July 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

Former army veteran Persephone “Perri” Morgan is more than content with her life in Great Marsh, Virginia. Her business crafting leather products for dogs and horses is booming, and her personal life is similarly at an all-time-high due to her relationship with hot journalist Wing Pruett. In the spirit of sharing some of her happiness with others, Perri and her two Belgian Malinoises are volunteering in a Therapy Dog program. While Perri’s ideal assignment would be to comfort children in hospitals or schools, their newbie status instead has them sent to an assisted living facility. Perri’s unfamiliarity with seniors is soon overshadowed by the boisterous residents, although Magdalen Melmoth has an intriguing non-dog request of her own. Rather than canine counsel, Magdalen wants Perri’s help in validating an unpublished manuscript passed down from one of her relatives; namely Oscar Wilde.

When one of the healthier residents dies, Magdalen is certain that it was related to her family’s manuscript. Always on the lookout for another story, Pruett is willing to accept the possibility that the death has a nefarious connection. When a nurse succumbs to candy meant for Magdalen, Perri admits that she too has worries for the safety of her dog therapy client. More than eager to get a jump on the investigation and solve the mystery before the police is Perri’s bestie Babette Croy, a four-time married (and merry) widow always on the lookout for her next target. Glammed up and accepting no prisoners, Babette drags Perri into escapades that will either reveal the crimes ensuing in the facility or lead them to a probably embarrassing doom.

Perri’s is an admirable veteran whose dogs have medals of valor themselves, being war dogs who protected soldiers in the midst of battle. They more than earned their Canine Good Citizens certifications and clearances to be a part of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, and this series triumphantly highlights the worthiness of their deeds. From helping children in the Read to a Dog programs to providing companionship in a hospital, these beloved canines outshine the flawed humans who commit so many greedy crimes. Perri and the dogs of Great Marsh are the stars of this series, and their vulnerability and strength make them true heroes. This third in the series will delight animal lovers, Oscar Wilde fans, and anyone looking for a light-hearted read to escape into for the weekend.

Peri is back with her BFF Babette to do some good with their canine companions. What starts out as a service dog social hour at the Falls Senior Residential Apartments becomes a literay legacy cozy with the possible granddaughter of Oscar Wilde and an unpublished manuscript. As usual, Babette the very posh BBF has managed to get the canine crew involved in a mystery and this time there is death by chocolate, poison laced chocolate. But if the supposed target never touches the stuff, who was it really meant to hurt? Peri and her marvelous malinois are on the trail of a murderer and a manuscript. Magdalen is a most unique character with just the right amount of character. This story within a story keeps you guessing as to who or whom the culprit can be and has you on the edge of your seat as the trio (Perri, Babette, and Wing) plus the lawyer, explore Madgalen's family tree before someone tries to prune it. Is the murder about a manuscript or is there somethihng more? The romance between Perri and Wing progresses just a little bit more as the warrior orphan and former military ma'am turned leathersmithing lady lets those walls down just a little bit more. The fact that D.C.'s most eligible is like putty in the small hands of his adorable poppet of a daughter makes Perri melt even more. My guess is that Perri would be sad if this doesn't work out with Wing, but she braces herself in each novel for that possibility, if the relationship she has with his darling daughter Ella went away, she would truly be heartbroken. You don't need to read the two previous stories but you will want to when you finish with The Falls.

I like Perri and her dogs. The story line kept me intrigued. The culprit is caught, but there some areas there are left undone. Some of the names amuse me.

Army vet Persephone ‘Perri’ Morgan has two Belgian Malinois dogs, former service dogs now turned therapy dogs. Given an assignment at an upscale nursing home, Perri meets Magdalen Melmoth, a sprightly old lady who might just have something of incalculable value in her possession. And then the murders begin…

I wanted to like this because of the therapy dogs and the fascinating subplot of an undiscovered Oscar Wilde novel, but the execution is just terrible. We learn literally nothing about what Perri did in the army, for example. Why she has the two dogs who apparently retired uninjured after only three years of service. When and why she became friends with ultra-rich socialite Babette, nearly two decades her senior.

I know this is the third book in the series, but as an author, you HAVE to give some backstory for readers who might pick this one up first. And if, for example, the author cut out just a few incidences of Perri going for a ride on her purebred Arabian mare Raza, there’d have been plenty of wordcount to do it. Seriously, Perri went for a ‘trot and canter’ on Raza nearly every chapter, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. Neither did the two dogs other than providing a reason for Perri to be in the nursing home, which was deeply disappointing. Every animal - and there are a lot - is a purebred something or other, including some rare and very valuable breeds, which only accentuated the rich, elitist feel of the characters. Perri’s supposed to be the ‘everywoman’ of the story but even she has two Belgian Malinois, a Maine Coon, an Arabian horse and enough property to keep them all on. With her love interest a wealthy journalist called Wing Pruett (yes, really) and not a single non-white person making an appearance in the story, this might be the most Rich White People story I’ve ever read. And unless you’re rich and white, I don’t think you’re going to find very much to relate to. Even if you do, you’ll definitely get bored of Perri going for a ride every few pages.

Two stars for a plot which had some promise but is severely let down by the execution.

Murder At The Falls is the third in series of the cozy series "Creature Comforts" by author Arlene Kay. This is such a engaging fun series with great animals, humor and classic sleuthing. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own. Persephone “Perri” Morgan has a second career handcrafting leather pet accessories and trains therapy dogs . She lives with a goat, two dogs, a cat and a horse . I love the animal aspect of this series ! When Perri and her best friend take the therapy dogs to a senior living facility she meets a feisty senior Magdalen Melmoth who believes she is being stalked and harassed by someone wanting a unpublished manuscript by her Grandfather Oscar Wild. Perri is skeptical until candy is sent to here that a nurse eats first and dies. Perri likes Magdalen and believes she is now in danger. She begins to investigate other incidents at the home and hopes to protect Magdalen. Along with her sleuth is funny animal antics, great supporting charcters and humor. I love this series and admit its one I read cover to cover as its so enjoyable. i look forward to further books in the series. This is the perfect cozy mystery series.

Well-written and plotted as with all the books so far in this series. I really liked the idea of the therapy dogs going into the assisted living. Perri and her friends were in for more than just a dog-hugging session when one of the residents ended up being suspected of murder not once, but possibly three times. With reporter Wing Pruett on board, readers are always guaranteed a good sleuthing team. This time they added his friend, an attorney named Micah.

I liked the assisted living resident characters of Irene and Mags a lot. Mags knew her way around tech like a teen and blew away Perri's preconceived idea that older folks wouldn't be tech smart. Well played, Mags. Everything led to an exciting showdown making Perri grateful that her friend Babette was such a drama queen.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Murder at the Falls by Arlene Kay is the 3rd book in A Creature Comforts Mystery series, and my first book by this author. I love cozy mysteries and animals, so I really wanted to like this book, unfortunately it fell flat for me. I plan on giving this author another try on the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When Perri Morgan, a leather goods/accessories designer and part-time therapy dog trainer, & her friend Babbette volunteer to take their therapy dogs to a senior living facility, they have no idea a seemingly fun assignment may be deadly!

I really wanted to get into this book. Perri is an interesting character (a military veteran with a difficult past) who has great possibility. I enjoyed the therapy dog aspects of the book and the interactions with the seniors. I thought she deserved a better boyfriend than Wing Pruett (a reporter who seems to get his best stories from Perri) and a more supportive friend than Babbette. The mystery was entertaining with twists and turns.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed are my own.

First book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
I enjoyed and think it's quite engrossing. I appreciated the setting and the mystery but I think it needs some more character development.
It's recommended if you want a fun read.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I really, really wanted to like Murder at the Falls, especially as I learned more about Persephone "Perri" Morgan. An orphan, foster child, and army veteran, her voice drew me right into the story. I also liked the working dog aspect and how Keats and Poe (both war heroes with the medals to prove it) could be retrained as therapy dogs to work with seniors and in such programs as Children Reading to Dogs. But... there were problems.

One resident at The Falls, the upscale senior living facility, described what Perri and her friends were doing as "Murder, She Wrote with dogs." That's a superficial fit all right, but Jessica Fletcher wouldn't write such a disjointed story. Too many aspects were trotted out and then disappeared for many chapters. Magdalen Melmoth? Here for a few chapters and then gone. The hunt for the Oscar Wilde manuscript? A hot topic, and then it, too, disappears. The whodunit wasn't particularly difficult either once I began tallying up which characters vanished for a while and which ones didn't.

However, when all is said and done, there are two things that got right up my nose more than the disjointed plot: the characters of Wing Pruett and Babette Croy. Wing Pruett did help out from time to time, but his main function seemed to be window dressing-- as if Perri was supposed to have a handsome boyfriend so-- ta dah!-- here he is. As for Babette Croy... I'm afraid that, once I get started on her, I won't know when to stop. Suffice it to say that she's a "diva-Zilla," the one type of character guaranteed to make me want to throw a book against the wall. Southern-deep-fried, beauty pageant winner, Miss Congeniality winner, she calls in airstrikes on any gray hair or wrinkle that comes within ten miles. Naturally, her clothes and makeup must always be perfect. It goes without saying that she must also be the center of attention at all times, and... gack! Consider that subject closed, y'all!

This is the first Creature Comforts mystery that I've read, and although there are things about Murder at the Falls that I liked, I won't be returning. I'm afraid of what I would do to Babette.

4.5 stars

This is the third book in the Creature Comforts series by Arlene Kay.

I read the second book in this series and I have to say that the author is really just getting better and better. I like how she paired the leather making with the therapy dogs at the nursing home. I felt like that dynamic made so much more sense for these gals.

I thought the nursing home mystery made so much sense in this day and age. I was enthralled with Magdalen’s fascination about being related to Oscar Wilde. Such a cool concept for a story that just had so much meat to it.

Definitely enjoyed this one a lot. The main character was instantly relatable and the story just made me not want to stop turning pages. Definitely recommend this one.

If you love a good cozy mystery, check this one out. What a fun read!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Murder at the Falls is an engaging cosy mystery with several red herrings to throw you off a bit. I liked Perri and her dogs, but I felt some of the other characters could need a bit of depth to them. To me, some of them were a bit simplistic and one-dimensional at times.

First read in this series for me and the therapy dog intrigued me. An interesting mystery with plenty of suspects red herrings and dogs. The setting in Virginia was a plus.

My sister has a therapy dog, and I wanted to like this book more than I did. But the writing is only okay in this. The characterizations are over the top (Babette, seriously? I don't think Perri would ever be best friends with Babette.), and the resolution feels...a little ridiculous. And there are way too many mentions of restraint being Perri's superpower. We get it, already. So I liked the set-up, but the writing just felt clunky to me.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.