I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

well. i guess i came into it knowing it was mostly a thin man knockoff. doesn't make it any less disappointing. mostly silly and frivolous. time to rewatch after the thin man

I really enjoyed most of this book and was going to rate it a solid 4 stars until they got on the boat. Then the scenes and plot got terribly disjointed.

The female detective Babs and her side-kick Guy are very likable and believable and I appreciated all the movie film references and the research done in writing the book. But the author started to cram too much into the latter part of the book. It was hard to follow how the detectives determined the subsequent facts and it seemed all chance and confusion. The author was trying too hard to be funny - the famous Marx brothers sketch only works visually in the movies!

Maybe the author's second book in this series will be better! I obtained an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

I felt like this book was trying to do too many things at once and It didn't really work for me or maybe it just wasn't to my taste.

This is the first book in a new historical cozy series, and I had a lot of fun as it's witty and fast paced. There's a lot of historical details and I learned a lot about Golden Age Hollywood, the main stars, and the lifestyle.
Sherlock Holmes aka Basil Rathbone dog disappeared and Asta, the Twin Man dog, is missing too. Big rewards are offered for anyone who find them.
Enter Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, a couple of private detectives who badly need money, who will start investigating and trying to find clue about the dogs’ whereabouts. They will discover secrets and something more sinister than a dog missing.
This is a good mystery, unusual and entertaining.
The plot is a bit too complex at times and it alternates very fast parts with some slower and these issues made the storytelling less effective.
As it's the first in a series I'm sure the next one will surely be a very intriguing and the storytelling excellent
Cannot wait to read the next one as this one is compelling, witty and entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Level Books, Partners in Crime Tours, and Elizabeth Crowens this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a mystery steeped in the 1940s world of Hollywood. Many of the stars of the day make an appearance and there are many references to movies of the time. Babs is an unusual PI, getting into all kinds of trouble trying to find the missing dogs. She manages to alienate her partner then get him back. She is relentless in her bumbling investigation, however, leading to a suspenseful final confrontation.

The plot contains many layers as more than one mystery is included. The story line wanders a bit between the missing dogs and other possible nefarious deeds of war so the narrative becomes a bit confusing. Readers learn some about animals in movies and how they are trained along with many interesting facts about movies and the books upon which they are based.

Crowens' writing style requires concentration as the dialogue is frequently a bit unusual and the plot movement is sometimes fragmented. I often wondered how a scene fit in to the overall movement of the action. I was impressed with the amount of research that must have done to provide all the references to period people, movies and events.

This is a novel for readers who appreciate an unusual mystery set in the golden time of Hollywood movies. Readers of Sherlock Holmes will also like this historical romp.

I received a complimentary egalley through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Fan of old classic movies? Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles is a fun, cozy mystery with cameos from some of 1940’s biggest Hollywood stars. It’s nostalgic, humorous, and full of twists. There’re a lot of cute famous dogs too!

After an abusive marriage & dreams of being an actress fizzled, Babs Norman started her own detective agency with her friend Guy Brandt. When she meets Basil Rathbone star of the Sherlock Holmes movies offering a reward for his missing dog, she begs to be put on the case. But, Basil’s dog isn’t the only one missing, Astra from the famous Thin Man movies, Toto from the Wizard of Oz, and others have been dog napped too. It’s up to Babs, Guy, and Basil, taking on his Sherlock Holmes role, to find the suspects.

This book was really quite unique. I love old movies and so it was fun to see so many stars from that era in the story including Myrna Loy, William Powell, Nigel Bruce, Errol Flynn, the Marx Brothers, and even Humphrey Bogart. The author did a fantastic job capturing their on and off screen personalities.

The mystery is far deeper than a simple dog napping. At times, it was a bit confusing with all the storylines going on at once. There are a host of suspects and red herrings. It all comes down to a nail biting conclusion on the Queen Mary.

Definitely a fun, unique start to a new cozy mystery series. It’ll be fun to see what Elizabeth Crowens comes up with next. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author via Partners in Crime Tours. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. 3-3.5 stars

CW: Mild, infrequent swearing & innuendo.

Hollywood 1940's

A delightful start to a new series full of movie stars galore and an engaging premise!

B Norman Agency is struggling for business and Babs and Guy are happy to help find a couple of missing Hollywood dogs! What could be easier?

Entertaining and fun with the name drops, Looking forward to more in this series!

I love the feel of the Sherlock Holmes elements to this novel. I thought it was really cool to have Hollywood, be the main plot point of the book, it had a great overall feel with the old style of Hollywood. I enjoyed the detective elements to this and thought the characters were everything that I was hoping for. I enjoyed the comedy-mystery element to it and worked in this series. Elizabeth Crowens does a great job in using the Hollywood elements and making the characters feel like the real people. It left me wanting more from this world and from the author.

I absolutely loved this book! If you love mysteries and you love old time Hollywood, this book is for you. I love old movies and the stars that made Hollywood great. This book was such a treat. I loved the story and all the background of each character. It was a lovely time spent reading. I highly recommend it and I cannot wait to read the next one. Excellent!!

This was a fun read about a female detective and her partner trying to make it in Hollywood as private detectives. There is an insidious plot seemingly going on of someone kidnapping famous dogs. So they leap into the investigation as they partner up with Basil Rathbone of the Sherlock Holmes movies and William Powell of the Thin Man movies. There is a lot of witty banter and references to other stars of 1940. By the end, lots of stars have made their appearances including the Marx Brothers and Errol Flynn.

The plot gets a bit convoluted and becomes a bit farcical, but I still enjoyed the story and setting and would happily read a second entry in this new series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Cute story with a missing dog and a lot (A LOT) of famous Hollywood names dropped into it. May be easier to follow if you recognize the actors mentioned and know something about them. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I knew this was going to be a cozy mystery, and I love old Hollywood, so I had to read it. Overall, it's not bad. Not sure if the actors personified in the book were like this, but I could deal with it. Storyline was good, it kept me interested. After a while, the puns were a bit much. Would I buy it? Hmmm. Maybe. Probably be more of a library book for me.

This story is too scattered for me—it seems like the purpose is to drop in as many old Hollywood names as possible, and I just couldn’t keep track of the characters. The plot seems random, without much cause and effect.

Thanks to Elizabeth Crowens, Level Best Books and Netgalley for access to the advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fun story which involves Hollywood celebrities of the early 1940’s in a mystery involving stolen dogs. Definite vibe similar to the Thin Man books and movies and I was also reminded of Stuart M. Kaminsky’s many books. I enjoyed the story and the involvement of people from classical Hollywood.

Review posted manually to Goodreads due to a technical issue.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6249406248

I love reading about old Hollywood and the characters in the book were more than familiar to me. And I loved the take on the Sherlock Holmes story "Hound of the Baskervilles" to provide the plotline. However, I am sorry to say that this one just did not engage with me. I could not get into the character of "Babs" and there was just too many "names dropped" to make this an even enjoyable read for me. As I mentioned in previous reviews of books from this author - the cramped narrative trips over itself. I will not be pursuing the next in the series.

This was an interesting premise, but the author attempted to add too many different plot swings and twists that left it confusing and hurried. The main storyline would have interesting by itself, without adding the other lines. I also found the inclusion of so many Hollywood stars and some of the byplay they engaged in, led to confusion and unnecessary side stories, Overall, it was disappointing, but some may find it enjoyable.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Asta, the dog from the popular Thin Man series, has vanished, and production for his next film is pending. MGM Studios offers a huge reward, and that's exactly what young private detectives Babs Norman and Guy Brandt need for their struggling business to survive. Celebrity dognapping now a growing trend, when the police and city pound ridicule Basil Rathbone and ask, "Sherlock Holmes has lost his dog?" Basil also hires the B. Norman Agency to find his missing Cocker Spaniel.

The three concoct a plan for Basil to assume his on-screen persona and round up possible suspects, including Myrna Loy and William Powell; Dashiell Hammett, creator of The Thin Man; Nigel Bruce, Basil's on-screen Doctor Watson; Hollywood-newcomer, German philanthropist and film financier Countess Velma von Rache, and the top animal trainers in Tinseltown. Yet everyone will be in for a shock when the real reason behind the canine disappearances is even more sinister than imagined.

Jump into Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles, Book One of the Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery series. Finalist in the Killer Nashville Claymore Awards for Comedy and First Prize winner in the Chanticleer Review's Mark Twain Awards for Comedy and Satire. Get ready for its sequel, Bye, Bye, Blackbird, featuring Humphrey Bogart and the cast of The Maltese Falcon."

I love this new twist on classic Hollywood, especially because Asta is here.

A book any reader will remember for its original plot line and creation of a context, mixing real life characters with fictious ones without being boring on the edge of a historic novel. Elisabeth Crowens, once more, has shown her great talent to innovate in literature. For those "blasés" who tell endlessly that there is nothing new in arts, well, this is a striking demonstration that the human mind has no limit.. This is definitely a cosy murder story, very cosy and very intriguing.
Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for the Advanced copy. All opinions are mine.

When Asta, the beloved dog from the renowned Thin Man series, goes missing, young sleuths Babs Norman and Guy Brandt seize the opportunity presented by MGM Studios, which has announced a substantial reward for Asta's safe return. The dog-napping trend among celebrities is on the rise, leading to the absurd situation where even the police and city pound scoff at the notion that Basil Rathbone, playing Sherlock Holmes, has lost his canine companion.
Basil Rathbone, eager to find his missing Cocker Spaniel, engages the services of the B. Norman Agency. The trio devises a clever plan, with Basil adopting his on-screen persona to interrogate potential suspects.
However, as the investigation unfolds, the assembled suspects are in for a shock when they discover that the true reason behind the rash of canine disappearances is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined.
This book was a delightful mystery. Elizabeth Crowens expertly unfolds an enjoyable mystery, offering a peek behind the scenes of MGM and the glamour of old Hollywood. The book has clever banter, making this book unique in the world of mystery and entertainment.