This is the fourth book by the author in the Emily Kincaid mystery series. It is a delightful read . Emily is not your average protagonist. She lives in small town Michigan where she struggles as a independent woman and a writer to make a living. She suffers many setbacks and some intended by nature. She is not doing well and everything seemingly goes wrong in her life. I love that the author writes about real life and not a trust fund brat. Emily is determined to make it on her own no matter how hard things get. She has a interesting cast of friends and small town life agrees with her. I will say the book has some creepy elements to it and the matter of the dead dogs was impossible for me to read, I had to skip those pages. If your a animal lover beware that it may be disturbing. However the sleuth will surprise you and is full of twist and turns.
I always enjoy this series and this one did not disappoint. The sleuth is very well crafted . I look forward to the next in series.

At turns chilling and macabre, the Emily Kincaid books are an excellent addition to the cozy mystery thriller. I love the gruff Dolly, who somehow worms her way into your heart even though she starts out so unlikeable. Jackson and Harry, Bill and Lucky, Eugenia and EATS... the cast of characters is excellent and definitely out of the usual cast you get in this genre. I look forward to more. (Though good lord, yuck to the tent worms.)

Synopsis

A boy and his pet dragon enjoy winter activities and prepare for a very merry Christmas. This book uses high frequency words and repetition, within the book so that the readers gain confidence as they read the book. The student really enjoy the every day experiences with a boy and his imaginary pet dragon. There are educator resources which include reading reinforcement activities and a word list in the back. The activities focus on foundational, language and reading skills, in addition, the resources include phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. There are teacher notes available on publisher's website which will help with the lesson planning and small groups.





Summary and rating of 4.7

This series was first introduced to me in 2014. It was one of the first books I reviewed and I have really enjoyed them. I have read them to my students who have really enjoyed them. The illustration, text and addition pop up words are really wonderful. I highly recommend this book.

4 stars

This is a very good book. It’s about small town Michigan. Emily Kincaid is a recent transplant to this small town, along with her dog, Sorrow. She is a struggling mystery writer and part-time newspaper writer. He friend and neighbor, Henry Mockerman, collects dead things from the road, grows his old garden, and occasionally shares his secret recipes with Emily.

Then there is Deputy Dolly. She is a feisty, “the law is the law” type of deputy. She is one of a two person police department. She arrives without warning and doesn’t take no for an answer.

This book is well written and plotted. It keeps you guessing – and sometimes guessing wrong. It’s all part of the fun. The book has its moments though. There are seances, shots in the dark and so on.

I want to thank Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read.