In Devil's Chew Toy, author Rob Osler has created a mystery that does not surround the typical cozy mystery plot of murder but rather a kidnapping that expands to the smuggling and selling of endangered animals. The protagonist, Hayden McCall is introduced to the reader as a small redheaded gay teacher and blogger who has accidently gotten a black eye at a bar that caters to LGBTQ+ individuals by being kicked by one of the dancers, Camilo Rodriquez. He ends up going home with that dancer and wakes up the next morning with just the dancer's dog commander for company. As he is looking for Camilo, the police knock on the door and give Hayden the information that Camilo's truck has been found running but seemingly abandoned.

As the story unfolds, Hayden decides to take Commander back to his apartment to take care of him just until Camilo is found. This leads to conflicts with one of his neighbors as the apartment complex is a pet-free complex. Hayden also returns to the bar where he met Camilo to see if anyone there knows anything about Camilo's family or friends. As a result of those questions, he meets up with Hollister and Misty who then introduce him to Burley. Hayden and Hollister decide to conduct their own search for Camilo by following up on his activities in the days leading up to his disappearance.

I felt that the mystery solving aspect of this book took a backseat to the underlying social commentaries that were highly prevalent throughout. There were numerous references to police bias with regard to race, sexual orientation and DACA status. While these are important issues in society, I found that there was perhaps too much focus on these issues and not enough on plotline development and the actual resolution of the mystery. It felt to me like it was more a case of incidental discovery rather than solving the crime as the ultimate culprit was an underdeveloped character who was only introduced at the very end of the book.

While the narration of this audiobook was well paced, I found there was little difference established among the various characters so at times I was unable to distinguish between the voices.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Dreamscape in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is something else. I cannot remember the last time I read a contemporary mystery and so it was an odd experience for me. So often any sort of mystery element in a book comes along with magic or sci-fi or fantasy etc but none of those are present here.

This book is on the right side of ridiculous. Hayden is just a really small guy. He is really short and really slim with red hair and his appearance is referenced a lot in the book. He tries to tip a go-go dancer and ends up getting kicked in the face on accident by Camilo. Somehow Hayden and Camilo end up going back to Camilo's place and Hayden stays the night. When Hayden wakes up though Camilo is gone and no one knows where he went. He left his dog, he left Hayden alone in his house etc. So Hayden is invested in figuring out what happened to Camilo.

And in trying to figure out where he went, Hayden comes into contact with with police officers, a dog that he is now feeling responsible for named Commander, a bunch of lesbians including Hollister who is described as Serena Williams with a mohawk and Burley who is exactly as she sounds. He also has a run-in with a gun-toting monster of a man with fierce guard dogs, a boutique pet store owner, an asshole ex-boyfriend, and a nosy neighbor. When I tell you that this book is a trip, I mean it. As soon as I thought I had figured it out I was wrong. That happened multiple times.

While this book is a great mix of hilarious and ridiculous, it does manage to squeeze in some really important themes about immigration and deportation in the US, police brutality, and bullying. I wish we got more from the ending but I did read that this is going to be a series with a companion style books not necessarily a continuation so I look forward to reading those.

I received an audio advanced copy of this book and I don't know that I would have read it on my own but I am glad that I had the chance to listen to this audiobook. As for a rating, I enjoyed this but I didn't love it. The only time I can see myself rereading it is if a sequel comes out where I need a refresher.

White gay MC, Black lesbian SC, white lesbian SC, gay SCs, lesbian SCs, Latino gay LI

There were a lot of positives about this book. It was a cute story with a full cast of funny, entertaining characters. Everyone was unique with strong, endearing personalities, including one of the villains. The storyline was consistent, fast moving and well crafted. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

With all that in mind, there were a few drawbacks. While most of the characters were well-rounded, the two primary villains were very two-dimensional. There was nothing special about their personalities or their motivations. The way they were achieving their unoriginal goal was creative, but the idea didn't feel fully flushed out. I don't even know how they were able to get their hands on the illegal items that they were selling or how they were shipping them. Logically, there were a lot of problems with the overall plot, but those problems can be overlooked so long as readers don't think too deeply.

Overall this was a good cozy mystery. It was definitely LGBTQ+ forward. At times, I felt that was more the focus than the actual mystery. Hayden was likable enough and the dog, Commander, was adorable. In addition to the LGBTQ+ characters, there were characters older characters, characters of color, and a DACA recipient. The writing had me laughing several times and wanting to continue listening to see what would happen. There were times where it lagged a bit, but then the narrative would move the story along. Overall this is a solid 4/5 book. I am looking forward to the next book to see what kind of mystery Hayden and his friends solve next.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Dreamscape Media for this ARC audiobook copy of #DevilsChewToy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this cozy gay mystery! My favorite aspects of the novel are the relationships the characters cultivate and the unique aspects of the cozy. Unlike other cozies, there is no murder, but rather a kidnapping. I never would’ve guessed the motive and it really adds a unique and fresh story that differs from the usual cozy plot and tropes.
I will definitely be waiting for the next book in the series!!!
(Rounding up from 4.5 stars)
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.