Laura Scott has launched her Furry Friends mysteries with Dogged by Death. Ally Winter has moved back home after her vet business was destroyed by her fiance absconded with her savings and her female employee. Business is slow in her new local vet office and she returns one dog to his master only to find the master dead., murdered. With the help of her feisty grandfather and assorted pets she sleuths to find the perp, butting into police business and putting herself at risk. Cute cozy with friendly animals.

4.5 Stars

This is the first book in the Furry Friends Mystery series by Laura Scott.

Ally has bought out a local vet clinic after the previous vet left town. She is in town to be near her father after hip replacement surgery. She discovers an underhanded lawyer slain in his office and it kind of puts a black spot on her new vet venture.

She garners the interest of Noah, a local officer, who helps her and they have a history together since they knew each other back in the day. She has a bit of a reputation from her school days that still follows her and she has a challenge getting people to take her new venture seriously.

I totally enjoyed this new cozy series and look forward to reading more from this author. Just a fun romp with a bit of a challenging edge that just keeps you on your toes. Loved it!

If you love a cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. Great series too!

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. Opinions are completely my own.

The first in a series, Dogged by Death by Laura Scott is a WINNER!

Such a great cozy mystery, I truly enjoyed reading this novel. Here we find Ally Winter going through a "rough" patch in her life. Her life is in turmoil after losing her fiance, her clinic, and her savings.

She's given a chance to move back to Willow Bluff after her grandfather has undergone surgery. Of course, the moment she arrives she is confronted with a murder.

The plot is interesting and the characters are well-crafted. A must-read! Can't wait for book 2.

Ally Winter, DVM, moved home to Willow Bluff, Wisconsin, to restart her life after her fiancé and business partner imploded their successful practice. He emptied their joint accounts, skipped to Mexico with their veterinary assistant, and left Ally holding the bag. Now she’s sitting in her new office, hoping the phone will ring.

Gramps broke his hip and is living in a residential home while recuperating. Harriet is a wonderful cook, Tillie plays cribbage and poker, and Lydia knits. All three keep him busy.

Ally advertises she has the veterinary practice but also boards, and/or grooms dogs, and is a pet sitter. No job too small is her motto to keep her bank account in the black. Her first assignment is to walk Roxy, a boxer, every day for a week. When she arrives, Roxy is barking up a storm. Who wouldn’t if a murder had just taken place? Roxy is the only witness.

Ally is caught between two men—Gramps who loves true crime stories and wants to investigate and Noah, the police detective she last saw as a high schooler who teased her. Gramps is able to charm the female suspects and learns more information than Noah does—at least as far as they know. Noah is tight lipped about it.

When a second murder occurs and Ally’s business is vandalized, Ally realizes she’s on the killer’s To Do List, as in Kill Ally.

I enjoyed the antics of the three women living in the residential home with Gramps as each tried to outdo the other to get his attention. Sadly, Harriet did not include recipes for her tasty dishes. Roxy, the Boxer, is a big help in solving the case. Amanda, the neighborhood kid who rescues all kinds of animals, makes frequent appearances that are always good for a laugh.

This is the first of two books so far. Description and back story were a little heavy at the beginning, but the story soon hit its stride and moved along well from then on. Look for Tailing Trouble in January 2022.

Dogged by Death by Laura Scott is the first in the A Furry Friends Mystery. I am already waiting for book two to come out!
This is a well written Cozy with plenty of plot twists and suspects. I loved the main characters. Ally is relatable and likeable. I love her grandfather and his housemates. There is plenty of humor (I laughed out loud a couple/few times) . A little flirtiing through out An overall fun, easy to read Cozy you won't want to put down.
I was given an ARC by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley for an honest review. .

A fun premise for a new cozy series! I really enjoyed this series opener featuring a veterinarian and her grandfather trying to help solve a murder in their small town. The mystery was very good and the characters were fun and likable. Excited to see more of this series!

This is the first book in a new cozy series, Furry friends Mystery. Ali is a veterinarian who is in a major dilemma. She just lost her practice, her fiance and her savings. She moves back home to take care of her grandfather who has just had a hip replacement. When a lawyer turns up dead after an argument with the residents of Grandpa's care home Ali decides she needs to help the police before Grandpa is arrested. The dead lawyer's dog, boxer Roxy is given to her to take care of and s instrumental in solving the case. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a fun first installment in a new cozy mystery series. Ally Winter is our protagonist, and she is the new owner of Furry Friends Vet Clinic. I loved her relationship with her grandfather and his roommates. The setting of the vet clinic was unique, and I loved seeing Ally interact with all of her patients. The mystery was well paced and had a great twist. I cannot wait for the next book!

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay.

Book one in a new series.

It was a decent start to a new series, but some things were a bit too unbelievable. They characters could use some more development. Allie comes off as a total dingbat, and because of it, not super likeable.

Hopefully the next book in the series will be better.

This was such a fun cozy mystery debut ! You cannot go wrong with a charming small town setting, a veterinary and wonderful animals. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinions are my own.

In the furry friend mystery #1 we are introduced to a vet Ally who has moved home after her boyfriend stole her savings. She closed her vet clinic and moved back to small town Willow Bluff Wisconsin to care for her Grandfather . Ally is a realistic protagnist who I immediately liked. Kudos to the author for portraying her as a real person of strength, independence and integrity. Ally is determined to get back on her feet by herself and make her own living. She takes over the local vet clinic and is struggling to make it successful. To bring in extra income she grooms pets on the side and does dog walking. Ally has a great relationship with her Grandfather who is a delightful part of this series. The merry widows chasing him add laughs and fun to the story.

Soon after moving home she finds a dead man with his faithful dog nearby. She takes on care of the grieving boxer and with Grandfather's help she is soon solving clues as red herrings abound and suspects add up. The suspect is found to be nefarious and many suspects are adding to the case.

I loved this new series and it is a series I highly recommend. Ally is a great protagnist. the support charcters are fun and add to the atmosphere . The premise of a vet clinic and animals is always fun and enjoyable. The sleuth kept me guessing and I was pleased with the conclusion. All in all this is a "hit" cozy series and I look forward to the next in series.

Dogged by Death (Furry Friends 1) by Laura Scott



Ally (Hotpants) Winter is back in small town Willow Bluff as the town veterinarian after her fiance stole from her and their big city clinic before running off with another woman.
I wanted to love this story, sadly I’m on the fence about Ally. I loved the animals in the story, her grandfather Oscar and their relationship is just the feels! I’m just not sure how I feel about her, personally, especially when around detective Noah (aka the Boyfriend) as her grandpa has everyone calling him!
The book is funny in parts, mainly the grandfather and his ladies. It is well written and tells a clear story, with good hints but not too many (totally had the wrong killer!) which made me keep flipping pages past my sleepy time. Overall I enjoyed the story as a whole, Oscar and Roxy (yes the dog!) is my favorite characters. I will definitely read the next book Tailing Trouble (01/11/22).

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the ARC.

Dogged by Death by Laura Scott
Book #1: A Furry Friends Mystery
Source: NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

The Bottom Line: From the beginning, it is clear Ally Winter is in trouble and if her fortunes and luck don’t turn soon, she’s going to be down to her last dollar and living with her beloved grandfather in his already cramped senior living situation. With no interest in going backward in her life, Ally sets her sights on the future and growing her burgeoning veterinary clinic.

With a stack of bills and little pride, Ally takes on all including dog-walking, grooming, and standard veterinary care. It’s one of her dog walking clients, the uber-creepy Marty Shawlin that draws Ally and her true crime obsessed grandfather into a mess that threatens to bring down Ally and her new clinic. Marty Shawlin may have excellent taste in dogs, but his business ethics are lacking and lands him in the morgue and Ally with a doggy witness with no home.

When Ally’s grandfather gets involved, things go from somewhat manageable to downright crazy and reigning him in is a bit like herding cats. To make matters worse, Ally and her grandfather seem to keep uncovering information the police need, but the police – Noah in particular – is not interested in the help or the tips. Every uncovered bit of information only encourages Ally’s grandfather and makes him even more difficult to contain.

With the exception of Ally’s constant musings about money and credit cards clearing, I found this book to be fun and quite entertaining. Ally clearly cares for the animals she helps, her grandfather is relentless and hilarious (the cell phone calls!), and the elderly women he lives with are pure sunshine. There is a lot about this first in a series book to like and keep me interested in what the future holds for Ally, Roxy, and her grandfather. This one will appeal to fans of cozy mystery as well as fans of books with a heavy animal presence.

Dogged by Death is a promising start to a new cozy mystery series. Like most good cozy mysteries, there is some romance, very little gore, and only a little suspense. I enjoyed premise of a vet taking over a practice in a small town. Ally's lack of clientele at the start of the book gave her plenty of time to snoop around. The story drew me in and I ended up listening more for enjoyment than critique.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. However, I got behind on my reading and the book was published before I could finish the ARC. So this review is based on the audiobook version that I purchased. The narrator was a good fit for the character and the story.

This was such a fun cozy mystery! It has great characters and a dog that adds a lot to the story. The mystery was well done and engaging. The writing was great and flowed nicely. I am very excited to read the next book in the series!

I was happy to dive into Dogged by Death, the début of the Furry Friends Mystery series set in Willow Bluff, Wisconsin, featuring veterinarian, Ally Winter. I got to meet Ally who has recently had a challenging time, losing her fiancé, Tim Mathai, and her co-owned vets practice. Protagonist Ally had been living in Madison but moved back to Willow Bluff. Her granddad, Oscar has had surgery and needs some aftercare, so Ally has stepped in. Ally is in the process of building up her new practice, Furry Friends Veterinary Clinic in Willow Bluff only this time she will be its sole owner. Ally is concerned about the lack of clients for her business, but although she has a bit of spare time on her hands she turns down the chance to knit or play cribbage with her granddad and the Willow Bluff Widows (a small group of women who constantly vie for Oscar's attention). Ally returns to the vet clinic and finds Marty Shawlin, a lawyer waiting for her along with boxer dog Roxy. Marty wants Ally to do a spot of dog walking but when she arrives at his place the next day she is greeted by Roxy and a terrible smell, which turns out to be Marty, dead with his head bashed in.

This was an excellent, absorbing cozy mystery. Ally and her chirpy granddad, in particular, were great characters and excellent in their respective roles and of course, Roxy deserves a mention. With its injections of humour and splashes of romance, I enjoyed my time trying to solve the crime alongside Ally right up until the finale. I will be watching out for book two and look forward to spending more time with Ally, Oscar and the Willow Bluff Widows in Wisconsin.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is the first in a new series. Ally Winter has moved back to Willow Bluffs Wisconsin to help her Gramps Oscar who recently had hip surgery and get over a betrayal by her fiancé and business partner. Ally is a veterinarian and she bought the business on main street from the retiring vet and business has been slow. Gramps is living in a house with 3 other widows (Harriet, Lydia and Tillie) who Ally affectionately refers to the Willow Bluff Widows (WBWs) and all seem to be vying for Gramps attention. Ally is living above the vet office as she is barely getting by after closing her practice and paying off all the debts racked up by her ex who took off with their vet tech. Ally goes to visit her Gramps and hears him yelling at someone to leave and not come back. Out comes Marty Shawlin who is lawyer who was trying to sell Lydia services to change her will. Gramps think he is a crook and he brushes by Ally with barely a glance. As it turns out, Marty is Ally’s new dog walking client as Marty is taking care of a beautiful boxer named Roxy while his ex-wife is out of town. When Ally arrives the next day to walk Roxy she is surprised by her barking and smell she notices when she enters the garage. As soon as she lets Roxy out of her crate, Roxy takes off and Ally and Roxy find the dead body of Marty. She gets Roxy under control and calls the police. She is shocked when the detective who arrives is Noah Jorgensen who was a football player and gave Ally the nickname “hot pants” after she sat on a fire ant hill in high school. He calls her hot pants which does not endear Noah to her at the moment but she is so traumatized by the murder and surprised she is attracted to him. Roxy is left in Ally’s hands until the police can get in contact with Marty’s ex-wife who is out of town on business. As soon as Gramps hears of the murder he is gung ho to investigate as he is Dateline and true crime fan. When Ally goes over to Legacy House (the house he shares with the Widows), she is disturbed to see Noah there wanting to ask her Gramps about his fight with Marty the day before. Gramps refuses to answer any questions without a lawyer and Ally is forced to take him down to the police station. Ally is forced into helping her Gramps with his investigation just to keep him out of trouble and keep an eye on him. They learn a neighbor is the one who referred Marty to Lydia so that is who they start out with and begin to try and find suspects. Ally gets a couple of close calls with a rock thrown thru her vet clinic door and her car getting run off the road. Noah continues to investigate but keeps warning Ally and her Gramps to stop their investigation. I really enjoyed this mystery and loved the relationship with Gramps and Ally and the possible love interest with Noah. Can’t wait to read the next installment. This was a fast and enjoyable read.

Fun and fast-paced cozy mystery. I love books with animals in them. They just add so much to the story. There were a couple of "hmmm..." moments in this book, but since it's a cozy, I usually suspend belief and just enjoy the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

What an exciting start for a new cozy series: gripping, fast paced and full of lovely characters (human and canine).
The mystery is full of twists and turns, it kept me guessing and hooked.
I liked the fleshed out characters, Gramps and the widows over all.
I had a lot of fun as it's highly entertaining, can't wait for the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a delightful cozy. The main protagonist is a likable, relatable, and a survivor (Breast Cancer). There is a good bit of humor woven into the storyline with the quirky fun cast of characters. The mystery is full of twists and turns up until the surprise ending.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone. own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

I have to say that I'm a sucker for cozy mysteries that have a dog in them and this one was no different. It was a fast read and the dogs antics kept me turning the page.