A good start for this series, an engrossing and entertaining novel featuring a fleshed out and unusual heroine and plenty of dogs.
A solid and twisty plot that surprised me and kept me reading, realistic and lovely dog (Maya my fav), a lovely setting and fleshed out characters.
I really appreciated the fact that Charlie suffers from Rheumatoid arthritis, a disabling and progressive illness that makes you perceive chronic pain. My mother was affliced by the illnes and I appreciate that more people get to know about it.
Let's summarise: great dogs, intriguing and interesting heroine. Solid mystery
Please go and read it, it's worth every minute
Many thanks to Level Books and Partner's in Crime for this digital copy, all opinions are mine

Diamond in the ruff. 🐾🐾🐾🐾

a wonderful story.
i have to say I loved everything about this one. A dog hotel. a wiggly butt manor mystery. what's not to love dogs, hotels, mystery. It's murder. all wrapped up into one. Great story.

Charlie Calderbank,
Returning to her small pacific northwest island hometown of orca cove.
a bit of a mystery going on. she will make new friends and not new friends. Enemies discover things that are going on.


But what a story. Simply phenomenal, if I could give this story 8 stars, I would. It was so good.

I love a book with dogs in it. And this was perfect, a dog hotel, perfect story, perfect. Ending suspense.

This could easily become one of my favorite cozy mystery series. The characters a likeable, and the pet hotel theme is fun. The book does contain instances of child abuse which may be triggering to some. The mystery kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more on this series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this new book by Cindy Goyette. It’s a complex mystery, with strategically placed red herrings to keep the reader on their toes.

The author does a fantastic job of describing the scenery of Orca Island - I felt as if I was actually on a NW Pacific island! And I really wish I was there as the summer heats up. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and hope many will be back in the next book in the series.

This author and series are definitely going on my favorites list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for letting me read the arc. I’m happy to give my honest opinion.

Diamond in the Ruff is the first book in a new series by Cindy Goyette. Set on an island in the Pacific Northwest we follow Charlie as she returns to her childhood home to help her Aunt with her pet hotel business after she's in an accident. Charlie has just been diagnosed with a medical condition that has made it unable for her to follow her dreams of becoming a police officer so she is happy for the change of scenery and the distraction from her New Jersey life.
Her first day on the island she meets a feisty dog whose owner is MIA, the local charming cop and her Aunt and her employees. Soon after the missing owner is found and Charlie is swept up in a local mystery surrounding inheritance, teen pregnancy and too many secrets. Lots of action and twists to keep you on your toes, plus cute dogs! Cindy creates a wonderful island setting and some great characters you instantly connect with. I can't wait for the next in this series!

This was a super easy and quick read. Perfect if you're looking for something light and fast-paced. I loved the short chapters, making this a breeze to get through. That said, there was one mention of “GD” that made my stomach turn, and another instance of “damn.” While the book is otherwise clean, the cursing felt unnecessary and out of place, especially since the rest of the tone didn’t call for that kind of language. I’m not sure why it was even included.

I enjoyed this delightful cozy mystery, my first read from Cindy Goyette. The setting of a dog hotel in a quaint small town in the Pacific Northwest made for a perfectly charming and cozy backdrop for the story. I was completely engrossed in following the cleverly plotted mystery to its final conclusion, and I particularly enjoyed getting to know the characters and their backstories along the way.

If you're searching for your next cozy mystery read that offers charming small-town vibes and dogs full of personality, I highly recommend Diamond in the Ruff!

Thank you to Level Best Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun mystery book! I really enjoyed all the characters, especially the dogs like Noah and Maya, with their unique characteristics. The setting was quaint as it rested in a small town on a Pacific Northwest island. The mystery kept building throughout the story and I didn't expect the ending at all. I do recommend this book to anyone looking for a new mystery book to try out.

Diamond in the Ruff by Cindy Goyette This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery but the abuse of a child both physically and mentally/emotionally is hard to take even in a Cozy Mystery. Otherwise the characters are interesting the setting is great and I would read the next if this was a series. Thanks NetGalley for the early read.

A new author to me. The plot was great; starting off quickly with a murder mystery. Dog lovers are sure to enjoy! Looking forward to the next story in the series.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Level Best Books. All opinions are my own.

I really liked Charlie’s character a lot especially when I found out what all she’d gone through that led her to come help at the dog hotel. That was a fresh and different spin on a cozy main character and an eye-opening reality that some things we usually equate with older people do hit younger people if it’s a hereditary thing.

Charlie didn’t seem to let her physical limitations own her and worked on other strengths. That Aunt Jo-Jo was such a hoot! I could just picture her knocking down road cones with her wheelchair at rehab lol. When Charlie and the part-time teen employee found a body, everything seemed to go sideways. I was so sure of the whodunit and was surprised at the twist that came toward the end. What a showdown, but Charlie did a good job controlling the perp. The very ending was pretty sweet and now I can’t wait for the next book!

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

Island, life, secrets, and adorable for me friends make this really cute to me. But it was the well written mystery filled with red herrings and twist and turns that really captured me. I found myself really enjoying this book and cannot wait for more.

Well, this was a surprise!!! I’ve been in a reading slump and chose this as my next read. I was delighted to read Charlie’s story! After a life-altering event, Charlie travels to take care of her aunt after the aunt is injured in a car wreck. When she arrives, Charlie starts digging for more information on the strange things that have been happening. I loved this book. It was just what I needed…light, fun, and mysterious!!!

First in a new series.
When medical issues derail Charlie's hope of becoming a police officer, she decides to help out at her Aunt
Jo-Jo's pet hotel. Her aunt is recovering from a car accident. When Lucy. A client of the hotel and her aunt's friend
neglects to pick up her dog, Charlie visits Lucy's home but finds it empty. When Lucy's body is later found,
questions arise as to who had a reason to kill her and is Jo-Jo's accident connected. Charlie investigates,
determined to clear her aunt. Surprising secrets revealed. Interesting characters - looking forward to reading the
next book.
#DiamondintheRuff #LevelBestBooks #NetGalley

How adorable this book is!! I love love it!! Mayra stole the story and my heart!! I love that she still has spirit even at 15! Wow!!
This such a cute story and I learned how arthritis can steal your life at any age. I really felt sorry for Charley. (By the way that's my nickname)! Charley. Mom used to call me that when I was little lol.
Anyway, my favorite thing was that it was told from her point of view bc I could connect to her more easily.
This book has a little of everything in it even a few surprises too.
I'm sure glad that I picked this one up! It kept calling to ke for some reason.
It's a fun read and one that you'll not want to put down!
5 stars for this adventure! Mayra will steal your heart along with Charley! Two of my favorite characters lol that seemed very real to me.
I didn't want this story to end. I hope there will be more. I really loved this one! It grabbed my attention right away as I said earlier.
5 stars also for a job well done!
My thanks for a copy of this beautiful story.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

#DiamondintheRuff #NetGalley is a fantastic first in a new series that I had the pleasure to read.
Charlie's dream of becoming a police officer come to a sudden stop when medical issues make her rethink her future.
Unsure what to do, Charlie decides to visit her Aunt Jo-Jo, who's recovering from injuries caused by a car accident.
Jo-Jo owns Wiggle Butt Manor, a charming pet hotel in the Pacific Northwest.
When a customer doesn't return to pick up her dog, Charlie becomes concerned and decides to pay her a visit.
Finding strange things at the home, Charlie reaches out to local law enforcement for a wellness check.
No one believes Lucy, the customer, would leave her dog alone, so Charlie starts to ask questions and some of the answers are doozies.
I loved everything about this story, it had all the makings for the perfect cozy mystery and I'm hoping to read a lot more in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.