The Spotted Dog
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published September 10th 2019 by Poisoned Pen Press (first published 2019)
Goodreads synopsis:
Betrayal is a bitter pill to swallow…
Rising at four o'clock every morning isn't Corinna Chapman's favorite part of running her Australian bakery, Earthly Delights, and the glowing light of dawn starts to feel even harsher when a seemingly disturbed man collapses in her shop. When the man, a military veteran, comes around and reveals that his beloved ex-service dog is missing, Corinna and her longtime companion, Daniel, feel compelled to help. It soon becomes clear, though, that they have gotten involved in something much bigger and more complicated than they had bargained for… especially when threatening notes begin to appear in Corinna's apartment.
Along with searching for the kidnapped dog and trying to stay out of range of the gang of drug runners who are probably responsible for his disappearance, Corinna has to make sure the delicious breads, muffins, and treats that she has become known for are still fresh and ready for her eager customers. Can she take the heat?
***
3.5 Stars
This is the seventh book in the Corinna Chapman series by Kerry Greenwood.
The strength of this story is the writer’s ability to make us connect with Corinna and her love for baking and cooking. This really makes her business Earthly Delights shine on the page.
This was a fast read but I had a bit of trouble really getting into it. I couldn’t connect with Corinna and her ability to be an armchair sleuth. Since this was my first foray into this series I was a bit handicapped and was not familiar with all the regular cast and recurring characters and that put me at a disadvantage. I suggest starting this series at the beginning to help make more sense of who is who and what is going on.
Also, I am not sure “The Spotted Dog” is the right title for this. I think that maybe a subtitle might serve in selling it better, a subtitle that will give the reader a better idea of the story within. The way it stands now, the cover reminds me of a middle grade novel instead of an adult cozy mystery. I want people to know this is a cozy and compell to dig into it immediately.
The mystery wasn’t my favorite part of this. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the read. But there were way too many insignificant characters that didn’t seem to have a purpose in the plotline. The more these characters were littered in the story the more confused I came. They threw me off. In a way, that can be good when you want to redirect people’s attention, but there comes a point when that becomes overkill. I had no idea whodunit because of this.
I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that a local baker might in any way be associated with the Spear of Destiny / Lance of Longinus that pierced Jesus’s side during the crucifixion. I wish this concept had been introduced earlier in the story and I think the entire mystery might have made so much more sense. If it was, maybe I overlooked this fact and I apologize for bringing it up.
Overall this was a decent book. Readable and keeps you guessing until the end. In many areas this is a much loved series, so take this review with a grain of salt. Make the decision for yourself. Check it out and give this cozy mystery a go!
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
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