
Series: Molly Madison #1
Published by Berkley
Publication Date: February 22nd 2022
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
When Molly Madison, dog-wrangler extraordinaire, stumbles upon a murder in her new hometown, she must track down a killer to save the day.
Ex-police officer and former P.I. Molly Madison is starting over. After the death of her husband, she and her golden retriever, Harlow, move cross-country to California. But as charming and peaceful as the beachside town seems, she soon learns its tranquil tides hold dark secrets.
On her first day in the new house, a large, slobbering Saint Berdoodle wanders in. Molly winds up taking on the responsibility of training Noodle since his owner is too busy to do the job. On one of their daily beachside walks, Noodle digs up a severed hand. Once Molly alerts the police and they run a background check on her, she’s an immediate suspect–after all, Noodle’s testimony to clear her name won’t hold much water in court.
To prove her innocence, Molly must rely on instincts keener than a canine’s to sniff out the real killer. But when Molly’s life is put in danger, will her two very loyal pups be able to rescue her?
Review
I was looking for something different from my regular reading material when this book landed in my inbox and I decided to take a chance, a decision I do not regret.
Once a cop, always a cop is a saying that is true to Molly Madison. After moving cross-country and leaving her career as a K-9 cop to start over, it took less than a week for Molly to have a mystery fall into her lap, thanks to a boisterous and drooly dog.
Unearthed body parts and neighbors dropping dead, along with Molly’s history do not make for a good combination as she lands at the top of the suspect list and must clear her name.
This was an entertaining story set in a charming fictional southern California town that will have you itching to visit, so you can walk on the beach and boardwalk. An interesting cast of characters, lots of dog-training tips and the possibility of a romance with a snazzily dressed detective round out an enjoyable story.
I do have to say there was a profusion of dog-related information that could overwhelm a non-dog lover, but it’s easy to skip most of that and still enjoy the story. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more the series, if only to see where the romance between Molly and the detective goes.
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