Off the Chain

I feel everyone deserves this cute, little mystery read. Yes, more for the cuteness and the cute characters. And happy news! This is Book 1. Yep ✔️

Hello, Netflix. Can you hear me? This needs an adaptation!

It's so cute and well done! A story of two youngsters trying to rescue strays but also in quite a dilemma as to solve why their vet clinic has been attacked.

I fell in love with the characters and their interactions. It's the dialogues and the fun way the story is written! Works so well. You know I have just discovered a favourite author!

The writing is so good. You will smile throughout the book, more specially towards the end. Oh, I just cannot handle the cuteness there...

Of course, I feel so lucky to have the advance review copy from Barbour Publishing.

I love the cover and everything about this book!

What a great start to a new series! This book is a fun mystery that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. If you enjoy a book that has a cast of wonderful characters, an adorable dog and is a fun read, grab this book. I loved it!
I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

** “Just have faith, Mari. A teensy-tiny seed of faith the size of a mustard seed. God will take care of the rest.” **

Janice Thompson delivers a delightfully fun and sweet book with “Off the Chain,” the first novel in the “Gone to the Dogs Mysteries” series.

Vet technician Mari has a dream to start a Second Chance Ranch for lost dogs. But when she attempts to conduct her first rescue — a dog in a drainage pipe — trouble finds her and the veterinary office where she works.

With the help of her coworkers, especially fellow vet tech Parker, can she find enough faith to chase after her dream?

Thompson fills “Off the Chain” with moments of laughter, tears and pure joy. She creates a world filled with great characters, especially the quirky Mari and compassionate Parker. Emphasizing faith, she also includes several great themes like God gives us the desires of our heart; being a rescuer for others; God is our rescuer (“He can go to the low places to drag us out, we can do the same for His creatures”); dealing with grief; and God works out circumstances for us.

Told with an almost Mitford-like tone, readers of small town stories, cozy mysteries and animal stories will love “Off the Chain,” which is due out July 1. The second installment, “Dog Days of Summer” by Kathleen Y’Barbo, is set to release in October.

Five stars out of five.

Barbour Fiction provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Marigold will do anything to rescue a dog, including crawling into a drainage pipe. She’s a veterinary technician who hopes to start a dog rescue. The vet clinic deals with saboteurs, angry neighbors, hostile clients, and threatening ex-boyfriends. Mari’s Grandma Peach sews dog costumes.
Not a lot of mystery here. My favorite character is Beau Jangles, the dog rescued from the pipe. I sneaked a look at the ending before going back and reading the middle. Light and light-hearted.

A book after my own heart, delightful, and full of good banter. Our main character is a girl who wants nothing more than to spend her life rescuing animals, and our first meeting is in the sewer, or drainage ditch. Mari, or Marigold, is still missing her recently deceased mom, but we meet more of her family and her Grandmother, the pie baker!

We have a mystery, with damage to the Lone Star Vet Clinic, there are a variety of characters and my suspicions went from one to the other, but was surprised when the answers start to fall.

Assumptions, yes, we all do that, and your going to find yourself doing just that, and maybe changing your mind!

Will Mari see what is in front of her eyes? Besides, the delightful pooch she rescued?

Such an enjoyable read!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

Off the Chain
Book One - Gone to the Dogs series
by Janice Thompson
Pub Date 01 Jul 2022
Barbour Publishing, Barbour Fiction
Christian | Mystery & Thrillers | Women's Fiction





I am reviewing a copy of Off the Chain through Barbour Publishing and Netgalley:



Get ready to curl up with your pup and sink into a delightful small-town mystery as riddles and rescues stack up in book one of a new cozy mystery series.





Marigold Evans’ first attempt at rescuing an abandoned pooch lands her in a drainage pipe in Brenham Texas. . .and almost in jail, until Parker Jenson comes to her rescue. But a bad day only gets worse as the Lone Star Vet Clinic, where they both work, is vandalized and the list of suspects starts to climb.





With the help of her fellow employees, Marigold sets out to simultaneously solve the crime, rehab the rescued dog, and help more dogs in crisis. But why would anyone continue to work against all their good efforts?




I give Off the Chain, five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This was a fantastic read! Kept me hanging turning pages with all of Marigold’s quirkiness. Great characters, I loved them all and thought the clinic would be a fun place to work at. The camaraderie amongst the employees was more like family. I had fun trying to figure out who the bad guys was and seeing how things would all turn out. Enjoyed the different animals and how they all were characters that contributed to the story. The romance between two of the characters kept me glued to the pages to see if they would begin a relationship. So many things to like about this story. Definitely a fun read, looking forward to the next book!

Heartwarming cozy mystery with sweet characters who work in a vet office, help each other out, help rescue dogs and cats, etc. Highly recommend to animal lovers, fans of Christian reading, etc.

Off the Chain by Janice Thompson was the first book I have read by this author, and it was so cute! 4 stars. If you love a good dog rescue story, cozy mysteries and just a fun light-hearted Christian read, this is the one!

There is a lot going on here! The story begins with Marigold Evans trying to rescue an abandoned dog from a drainage pipe in Texas with her friend when she almost ends up arrested from a misunderstanding from the situation. Parker Jenson comes to her rescue, as usual!

This was a crazy start to a fun story! The day continues down this wild ride when their Veterinarian Clinic, where Park and Marigold both work, is vandalized and the list of suspects start to climb. Who did this and why? The team sets out to solve the crime and help more dogs in need.

I enjoyed this read! It has some good faith content such as a few scriptures, prayers, discussions of faith, church, and God. This was more of a real-life story of the dog rescue/veterinarian lifestyle than a mystery, but I liked seeing their daily lifestyle at work, with different animals and how Marigold’s passion for dogs shown through as she worked through her interest in building a dog rescue non-profit organization.

It had some great southern references too, and ya’ll know I love a good southern reference! 😊 It had humor, characters, faith, mystery and all the cozy vibes of a small town!

If you are a dog lover, you are going to LOVE this story! Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy to honestly read and review.

A fun read for sure that will keep you turning the pages and that will have you giggling in some places of this sweet novel.
I hadn't heard or read anything from this author in quite awhile so I was excited to see this novel by her.
Delightful characters that seem realistic enough that you will want to make friends with.
I thought the plot was wonderful! A bit too far fetched at times but it was what I loved about it.
The protagonist will make u laugh at times. I liked her. She was my 2nd favorite just bc of who and how she is. Everyone can be judgemental at times. This character is no different.
The author gives her to us as a reminder that no one is perfect. That's was what I liked about her.
In my opinion however it was the little dog that stole my heart and the show.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

From the moment I read the first page, I could feel the author’s personality shine. She has a gift for writing funny stories that are nothing short of pure and clean entertainment with a clever wit and characters that I want to be best friends with. I love the setting of the story since I am very familiar with it. I was thrilled about the storyline and how the author incorporated a passion she has for rescuing dogs into a book that I couldn’t put down.

Mari is everything you would want in a friend. She is kind, sweet, caring, faith filled and has a special compassion for animals. It does not go unnoticed by her friend Cassidy that Mari has this gift of cheering up others . Being friends has helped both of them come to rely on each other. Who better to take on a rescue than your best friend? After their first rescue I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s not everyday you crawl into a drain pipe and find an officer waiting on you as you exit with a sad and stinky looking dog. The more Mari tried to explain what was going on the more the officer was convinced she was homeless. The circumstances did seem a bit questionable but it only gets better as the clinic she works at has just been broken into. The author gives us a very honest look at how a veterinary clinic operates as all types of animals are seen. There are the aggressive animals that no one is thrilled to see and then there is this sweet little rescue named Beau Jangles that melted my heart.

The suspects start adding up as the break in at the clinic starts to reach a danger for some. Is it the cranky man next door who is a CPA? He is not nice and is not shy about letting people know that he is not a fan of animals. Could it be the ex boyfriend of someone who works at the clinic? My interest was piqued as more strange things started happening.

My review would not be complete without mentioning Grandma Peach. Mari has a special relationship with her grandmother and I loved when they would get together and share about their lives. Grandma Peach has this knack for saying what needs to be said and she is always encouraging Mari with her dream of opening a rescue shelter. Mari is still grieving the death of her mother and being around Grandma Peach helps her in moments of remembering the good memories of her sweet mom.

The author gives readers a look at characters who have big hearts for animals. It was easy for me to picture myself visiting the clinic and become part of Mari’s rescue group. There are some funny moments in the story and a taste of Texas that made me want to grab a Dr. Pepper and a big bowl of Blue Bell Ice cream. What I really enjoyed about the story was the group of characters that came to depend on each other and reach out to a few that needed friendship. The theme of trusting God flows throughout the story. I am thrilled to know that there is a new book coming in this series because I feel like I have found a new family to follow and grow spiritually with.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

A chain reaction of misunderstandings and mishaps only gets worse when the vet clinic that Marigold and Parker work at is vandalized.

Marigold is passionate about her job and helping animals, her dream is to open a pet rescue to help animals in need. She is determined to find the perpetrator as she works toward her dream with her dependable friend Parker by her side at every turn. I loved how this experience helps Marigold step out of her comfort zone and make new friends and connections, with humor and a community full of wonderful characters along the way. I liked the close knit workplace, community of faith, and the adorable animal friends, especially Mr. Bojangles.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery, getting to know the townfolk, as well as following Mari throughout her days as she works to solve the case, find Mr. Bojangles a home, and make her dream a reality. A fun-filled, light-hearted read that brought a smile to my face.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A cozy dog mystery
Janice Thompson is the author of a variety of books (Christian romances, devotionals,...). She presents her book "Off the Chain. Book One - Gone to the Dogs series", the first one in the "Gone to the Dogs Mysteries" series, published by Barbour Publishing. The book starts out with Marigold trying to rescue a dog from a drainage pipe, getting nearly arrested, and losing her car. The burglary at Lone Star Vet where she works is not the only challenge that she has to face while trying to rehabilitate the dog and find its owner. But Marigold's dream is also to create Second Chance Ranch, a place where she can offer medical care for rescue dogs. So who will help her solve the burglary?
I have read various of Thompson's romance novels and one of her devotionals, but this was the first book that included mystery and suspense. I like the clean story line and the clean characters. I highly appreciated the book and recommend it to all readers who are interested in Christian novels that include mystery and suspense.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#OffTheChain #Netgalley

Fun, clean easy read book. Christian references but not "in your face". Characters are warm and show their Christianity and living by faith in their conversations and works. That it is dealing with stray animals and their plight is a bonus. The cover gives good synopsis, just get the book! Read and enjoyl ! I was provided an advanced reader copy of this book at my request. I was under no obligation to provide a review. Many thanks to the author Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Looking forward to reading the sequels.

Great well written cozy, but exciting mystery! Starts off exciting and ends exciting. Annnddd it’s funny too and very faith-based. So that is great to me! Loved this one by Janice Thompson. It’s also a series and has two more books ready for you to read, but written by different authors. I recommend Off The Chain to everyone, especially those who like inspirational, faith-based , cozy mysteries. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review #OffTheChain with my honest thoughts and opinions.