BOOK ONE in the ALL-NEW BARKS & BEANS CAFE cozy mystery series!!
Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java…and where murder sometimes pays a visit.
Fed up with her go-nowhere job, newly single Macy Hatfield moves back to her small hometown in West Virginia. She joins forces with her brother Bo in his crazy new venture—the Barks & Beans Cafe, which caters to dog lovers and coffee drinkers alike.
When a golf instructor is murdered at the nearby spiritual center, Macy winds up adopting his Great Dane. Just after Macy finds a mysterious message sewn under the dog’s collar, her Dane is dognapped. She launches into a relentless search for her newfound canine friend, but along the way, she digs up a cruel and confident killer.
Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown…with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.
Macy is such a sweet heroine, and I couldn’t help liking her and all her unique characteristics.
In some ways, I was reminded of Tess in Ms. Gilbert’s earlier series, Murder in the Mountains. (maybe it’s just me, but I feel like their personalities are a little similar. Or maybe it’s just that they’re both determined to track down any little clues…. ;0) )
Macy is a gal that is determined to chase after clues and search for answers without stopping to think about the danger she might be putting herself in. (and no, she’s not a detective, or law enforcement, or anything, just a normal human…) I think this is mostly why I liked her. Although I found myself being a bit scared for her…I had an idea of what might be coming… 🙂
I found their business enterprise unique and unusual – a coffee shop with a dog petting area. Because I’m not just a huge dog person, I found myself questioning the logistics of all of this, but it all came together quite nicely! 🙂
Heather Gilbert has a way of writing mysteries that only hint towards solutions, while keeping you guessing. This story left me entirely in the dark until the last few pages–I had all kinds of suspicions churning around in my head, as I quickly tried to figure out who the most likely suspects might be, and no clear idea of how it might all turn out. The ending was every bit as satisfactory as the rest of the story.I found this an all around delightful cozy mystery, and eagerly look forward to reading the second in the series.
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All-of-a-kind Mom 