Review: Beaglemania (Pet Rescue Mystery #1)

Lauren Vancouver is the head of HotRescues, a no-kill animal shelter north of Los Angeles, but it’s often human nature that puts her in the path of danger. Just like when she helps rescue four adorable beagle puppies that were dumped down a drainpipe at a nasty puppy mill. One of the mill’s employees has a history of dog abuse-and a bone to pick with Lauren. And when he’s found dead at HotRescues after threatening her, Lauren will have to sniff out the real killer to keep herself out of a cage…

How do I explain my relationship with cozy mysteries? I discovered the cozy mystery genre when I began reading Susan Conant’s Dog Lover’s Mystery series. It is possible that I had read a cozy mystery before that, but the Conant series was when I first put a name to the genre. I love the Dog Lover’s series. I even love the Gourmet Girl Mystery series that she co-writes with her daughter, Jessica Park.

Unfortunately, I often feel that cozies are poorly written and/or edited. I felt this way about Beaglemania by Linda O. Johnston. I wanted to love it. I mean, just look at those cute beagles on the cover! Animals and mysteries are two of my passions. Usually magic happens for me when they are combined in a book, but Beaglemania fell short of my expectations.

1. In the book, it refers to neutering a female cat. This was a big negative for me. Female animals are spayed. Male animals are neutered.
2. HotRescues and HotPets are unlikeable names for an animal shelter and pet supply chain. HotRescues is repeated ad nauseum throughout the book.
3. The victim’s story line really did not make sense to me.
4. Lauren, director of the animal shelter, has zero animals at home. There is an explanation as to why this is the case, but it seems unlikely for a shelter director to not have any animals at home – not even a foster.

This was the first book by Johnston that I have read. I had been intending to read her Pet-Sitter Mystery series, but I got to this one first. Despite the negatives, I plan to read the next book in the series. I think the series has potential, but I wish it had started out stronger.

Book: Beaglemania | Author: Linda O. Johnston | Published: Penguin Books; March 1, 2011 | Format: Paperbook | Source: Library
Rating: 3 out of 5

Review: When the Killing’s Done

The first two chapters of When the Killing’s Done by T.C. Boyle tell the completely engrossing story of a 1946 boat wreck from the perspective of Beverly Boyd. The story switches to present day with a focus on Alma Boyd Takesue, granddaughter of Beverly Boyd, and a biologist for the National Park Service. Alma is working to eradicate invasive rats on an island off the coast of California. Coincidentally, the island is the same one that her grandmother landed on after her 1946 boat wreck.

The reader is soon introduced to Alma’s nemesis, Dave LaJoy, who is an animal rights activist and opposes the extermination of rats on the island. Alma and Dave have quite the antagonistic relationship. One of the things I noticed right away was that Dave LaJoy was eating eggs, and I thought that was pretty contradictory to the image portrayed by Dave. I expected him to be vegan.* I believe several characters were written with the intention of showing hypocrisies. Dave, a character who cares so deeply about saving every animal’s life, is an extremely angry and mean person. He also drives a giant SUV and has a green, water guzzling lawn.

Alma has a few contradictions in her own life, but I’ll save those for the reader to discover. I really liked how the stories of Beverly, Alma, and Alma’s mother are told in some form throughout the book. There are similar notes of love and loss throughout all of their lives.

A reader who likes to find meaning in a story will find a lot to think about in When the Killing’s Done. Many side stories are told within the main story, including the history of the islands and other minor characters in the book. The problem I had with the story was that after those first two chapters, the book was a pretty slow read. I can’t say exactly why I found it so slow. Too many words? Too much description? I’m not sure. I am glad that I read the book. It gave me thinking material about what we expect of people and the natural world around us.

*I had expectations of Dave’s character based on who I stereotyped him to be. In my mind, of course an animal rights activist would be vegan! But then, I am an animal advocate and I am vegetarian. I eat eggs. Maybe I am seeing too much into the story, but I think it was Boyle’s point to show stereotypes and hypocrisies.

Book: When the Killing’s Done | Author: T.C. Boyle | Published: Viking Adult; February 22, 2011 | Format: Hardcover | Source: Library | Rating: 4 out of 5

It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

This is my first week participating in It’s Monday! What are you Reading?, hosted by Book Journey.

I am currently reading the following books:

1. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran. This is an e-galley from the publisher, received via NetGalley. Claire DeWitt is a bit different than your average private investigator found in mystery novels. The concept is fresh, and I look forward to finding out how everything ties together.
2. Spackled and Spooked by Jennie Bentley. I picked this up at the library a week or so ago. My nook needed to charge, so I took a break from Claire DeWitt and started this no-brainer, second book in the DIY mystery series. It is a nice, quick read and was handy for reading at the lake. Yes, I got brave and went swimming in a power plant cooling lake!
3. Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn. This is the second book in the Chet and Bernie series, which is a favorite of mine. Dog as narrator! Chet reminds me of my goofy dog, Sherman, right down to the mismatched ears. I am listening to the audiobook, as I did with the first in the series.

Speaking of dogs, I would like to introduce you to the pack! I made a quickie page for them today. I hope to add the details surrounding their adoptions at a later date. Of course, the pack includes myself and the mister. We are going to start a new dog training class later this week. We might have some stories.

Last week I finished reading and reviewed:

1. The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths – My Review
2. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters – My Review

I also joined the Goodreads Book Club Challenge and plan to read A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. I am excited about this since I don’t belong to any in-person book clubs, and this book has received a lot of hype!

Mini Review: Fundraising the Dead (Museum Mystery #1)

I like to read cozy mysteries from time to time. They are usually quick reads that do not involve a lot of thinking. As such, cozies tend to be good for a quick break between heavier reads. I am also a fan of library, archives and museum settings. Fundraising the Dead by Sheila Connolly fit both my cozy need and my love of collecting institutions.

Connolly is pretty spot on with her description of working in a special collections institution. She nails a lot of the details. The plot is straightforward and the suspect is unveiled fairly quickly in the story. Most of the novel is set around how to capture evidence of the suspect stealing collection materials.

This is the first novel by Sheila Connolly that I have read, but I plan to continue reading this series since the setting is too good to pass up.

Description:

At The Society for the Preservation of Pennsylvania Antiques, fundraiser Eleanor “Nell” Pratt solicits donations-and sometimes solves crimes. When a collection of George Washington’s letters is lost on the same day that an archivist is found dead, it seems strange that the Society president isn’t pushing for an investigation. Nell goes digging herself, and soon uncovers a long, rich history of crime.

Book: Fundraising the Dead | Author: Sheila Connolly | Published: Berkley; October 5, 2010 | Format: Paperback | Source: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review: The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway #1)

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths is the first book in the Ruth Galloway series. I had been planning to read this one for a while, but I was reminded to read it with the recent acquisition of an e-galley for The Janus Stone, which is the second book in the series. I must commend myself for actually beginning with the first book in a series for once!

The Crossing Places takes place in a wet and marshy area of Norway, England. Archaeologist Ruth Galloway is asked to identify some bones that a detective believes may belong to a young girl who has been missing for ten years. Ruth judges the bones to be approximately 2000 years old – not those of the missing girl. Despite the bones being unrelated to the detective’s case, Ruth finds herself intrigued by both Detective Harry Nelson and the missing girl. Another child has gone missing in recent months and Detective Nelson believes that the cases could be connected. He confides to Ruth that he has been receiving letters that reference ancient rituals and sacrifices, taunting him for not finding the missing girls.

I usually like forensic and archaeology-centric mysteries and this series is no exception. I wish there had not been so many references to Ruth being overweight. I realize that it helps develop her character, but does her weight really matter that much? Alternatively, I really enjoyed the setting of a rainy saltmarsh. I am in Texas and it has been incredibly hot and dry. The Crossing Places felt like a nice, rainy escape. And the book ended with a great cliffhanger. I am excited that I have the next Ruth Galloway novel ready to go. I just have to finish one other book first!

A few additional writers with forensic anthropology/archaeology-based mysteries spring to mind: Erin Hart, Beverly Connor, Simon Beckett, Kathy Reichs, Aaron Elkins and Jefferson Bass. Are there any other authors that I absolutely must read in this genre?

Book: The Crossing Places | Author: Elly Griffiths | Published: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; January 5, 2010 | Format: Hardcover
Source: Library | Rating: 4 out of 5