Friday, April 17, 2020

Book Review and Giveaway - To Fetch a Scoundrel, Four Fun “Tails” of Scandal and Murder (Mutt Mysteries) by Heather Weidner, Jayne Ormerod, Rosemary Shomaker, Teresa Inge

My Review
To Fetch a Scoundrel is a collection of four short novellas. All the stories are mysteries, and all features dogs in some way. The collection includes:
The Fast and the Furriest - a mystery set at a small race track
Pawsitively Scandalous - a surprising mystery in a quiet suburban neighborhood
Ruff Goodbye - a mystery at a bar and wake involving some shady characters
A Doggone Scandal - a dogwalker becomes involved in solving a murder mystery

I wanted to read this book because the four novella format appealed to me, and of course, I love dogs and cozy mysteries featuring dogs!

I enjoyed reading four short novellas in this book. The authors all did a good job of telling a complete, well plotted mystery story in this short format.

Pawsitively Scandalous and A Doggone Scandal both had strong dog theme storylines, so those were particularly enjoyable reads. I thought Pawsitively Scandalous, with the drama of a little suburban neighborhood, was a particularly fun read and could have been expanded to a full length novel or even the start of a series.

I have not read the earlier book in this series, but this is a fun idea, and the short reads are appealing. I think other dog lovers will enjoy this book.

Book Synopsis
The mystery-solving mutts are back! To Fetch a Scoundrel, the second in the Mutt Mysteries collection, features four tail-wagging novellas. Each story puts pups’ noses to the ground, as scandals are unleashed and killers are collared. Once you’ve finished reading these tall “tails,” you’ll no longer wonder, “Who let the dogs out?” You’ll just be glad somebody did!

Author Bios
Heather Weidner

Originally from Virginia Beach, HEATHER WEIDNER has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers. Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, and Deadly Southern Charm. Secret Lives and Private Eyes, The Tulip Shirt Murders, and Glitter, Glam, and Contraband are her novels in the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, and her novellas appear in the Mutt Mysteries. She is a member of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, Guppies, James River Writers, and International Thriller Writers. Through the years, she has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager.
Jayne Ormerod
JAYNE ORMEROD grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor). She married a naval officer and off they sailed to see the world. After nineteen moves, they, along with their two rescue dogs Tiller and Scout, have settled into a cozy cottage by the sea. Jayne is the author of over a dozen published stories, from novel length to short-short.
Rosemary Shomaker
ROSEMARY SHOMAKER writes about the unexpected in everyday life. She’s the woman you don’t notice in the grocery store or at church but whom you do notice at estate sales and wandering vacant lots. In all these places she’s collecting story ideas. Rosemary writes mystery, women’s fiction, and paranormal short stories. Stay tuned as she takes her first steps toward longer fiction.
Teresa Inge
TERESA INGE grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Combining her love of reading mysteries and writing professional articles led to writing short fiction and novellas. Today, she juggles assisting two busy executives and is the president of the Sisters in Crime, Mystery by the Sea chapter. Teresa is the author of the Virginia is Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, and the Mutt Mysteries series.
MUTT MYSTERIES 
Purchase Links

Giveaway
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3 comments:

Heather Weidner said...

Thanks so much for the review!

mysteryfictionfan said...

Thanks for the review! This is a lovely blog that's easy on the eyes and full of valuable recommendations. So glad you had a chance to read To Fetch a Scoundrel.

Jayne Ormerod said...

A southern girl who loves dogs and mysteries...we are perhaps kindred spirits! Thanks for the great review. These stories are fun to write, and working with the other lovely writers makes this a labor of love!