Love love love this book -- and series! Daphne and Socrates find themselves trying to stay one step ahead of Jonathan Black... and trying to figure out where and how they fit. It's an interesting mystery -- especially with all of Daphne's unfortunate missteps... one due to clown shoes. This is a fantastic series and I can't wait for more adventures from Daphne and her crew. Did I mention her Mom's haircut? :-)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

This is book two in the series, but like with most cozy mysteries, it doesn't take long to immerse yourself in the small town world. Daphne blazes through, sprouting out introductions and situations with ease. Obviously with a title like that we're going to see pets, but I was surprised to see the Petsitting barely featured. Mainly we saw Socrates and Tinkleston (whom I loved BTW, who doesn't love a grumpy cat?)

I felt like the actual writing needed work; I just felt like sometimes the grammar was off or a sentence could be improved. It didn't fully impact the story, but at times I was thrown out and had to read again to grasp full meaning.

The mystery was a fun, full one. You were never REALLY sure who had committed what, and I was satisfied by the final reveal. I'm also intrigued by the romance; where will it go in the future?

All in all this was a good but not great mystery for me. Because the subject matter is pets and mystery I will definitely read more from this author. Three stars for this book alone though.

I read the 1st book in the series and I loved it.
When I saw that NetGalley was giving away an ARC copy of the 2nd book in the series, in exchange for an honest review, I had to request a copy.
This was the perfect cozy mystery, it had interesting characters, it took place in a location that anyone would love to live in and it contained a really good murder mystery.
The story flowed perfectly from the 1st book but, you could still read this book and be able to follow it even if you didn't read the 1st book in the series.
There were parts of this book that were so funny, that I almost choked to death from laughing so hard.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Dial Meow For Murder
Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery, Book #2
Bethany Blake
5+ Stars

Synopsis:

Even an experienced pet sitter like Daphne Templeton can be fooled by animal behavior: how can an adorably tiny fuzz ball named Tinkleston be capable of sudden flying leaps with cat claws bared? But human behavior remains even more mysterious, especially when Tinkleston's owner is murdered on the night of a gala fundraiser for Fur-ever Friends Pet Rescue.

Accompanied by her unflappable basset hound, Socrates, Daphne plans to take charge of Tinks the Terror and leave the crime-solving to handsome detective Jonathan Black. But while luring the prickly Persian out of hiding, she uncovers clues that might take suspicion off her own mother. Maeve Templeton already has a reputation as a killer--in real estate. How far would she go to bag Sylvan Creek's most coveted property, the Flynt Mansion?

To expose the truth, Daphne finds herself donning a deranged clown costume on an autumnal adventure that might just be crazy enough to work--if it doesn't get her killed.

Includes recipes for homemade pet treats!

"Doggone charming from start to finish!" --Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author on Death by Chocolate Lab (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Daphne is a fun, loving, smart, and feisty woman who is not afraid of sticking her nose into things that she should not be looking into. I enjoyed the relationship between her and Jonathan, a pesky detective. I really enjoyed the squabbling that goes on between the two of them. Moxie is her best friend and you can tell they have been friends for a long time, they understand each other completely. The animals add so much to this book, I think they steal the show. They all have very distinct personalities and I enjoyed getting to spend more time with them. I think it is funny the way Daphne talks to them and asks their opinions on things. All of the characters are great and they all came to life in the pages of this book.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I felt like I was right there, watching all the action take place. In my mind’s eye, I could picture Tink lurking on top of the refrigerator, ready to pounce.

The mystery was well crafted and there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the reveal at the end. There were enough red herrings thrown in that it made me unable to figure out the culprit until the reveal at the end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I have read both of the books in this series, and I think they are both topnotch. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is such a fun cozy mystery. Daphne Templeton is a strong, lovable character, and her sidekick Socrates is just adorable.
Halloween is fast approaching in Sylvan Lake, and when Daphne once again discovers a dead body, everyone tells her not to get involved.
Naturally, Daphne can't help but ask questions and do some digging, especially when her mother is a suspect!

This book is sure to get the attraction of all cozy mystery lovers, after all, who can resist the cast of colorful characters.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

I just love Daphne Templeton! Her way with words had me laughing out loud, as well as touched by her zany and sweet insights. She once again is involved with a murder in which she ends up again with homicide detective Jonathan Black. This time it is complicated by an angry cat, a possible murder suspect in her mother, an elusive 'ghost' and said detective's elegant ex-wife. The mystery is sharp, the town is worth visiting and Daphne is delightful. I can't wait for more!

I haven’t read the first in this series by Bethany Blake but will definitely go looking for it now. I thoroughly enjoyed the quirky cast of characters both two legged and four legged in the small town of Sylvan Creek. My problem is not with this book but with the present slant of cozy writers/publishers. Recently there seems to be a glut of small town, single female business owner, four-legged sidekick, law enforcement boyfriend/friend, oddball friends and difficult mother books being published. I really enjoyed the twists and turns that make this one stand out from the rest and will be looking for the third one in the series. In the meantime, I think I need to take a break from the genre before all the books meld into one big “cozy” in my mind.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it

Earlier this year I read the first book in this series and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw book two on Netgalley I immediately hit request and started it shortly after I got approved for a copy. Dial meow for Murder is a lot of fun and I really enjoyed this book. I was excited to return to the town of Sylvan Greek and get to spend some time with Daphne, Socrates and all the fun side characters.

This book is set around Halloween, which was a fun touch and features a few Halloween themed events as well. And some Halloween themed pet treats for which the recipes are at the back of the book. It was fun to see this town during Halloween and ofcourse the animals all play a role as well. I love how big a part the animals play in this series. There are many scenes with animals in them and a lot of the focus is one the animals, which is great. Socrates is great to read about and I like how we get to see him a lot and what he thinks of this by how Daphne interprets his expressions. There's also a new pet we get to meet and I have to admit Tinkleston grew on me as the book progressed.

The murder mystery was so well done. For a long time I really had no clue who the murderer was, I just followed Daphne along checking out her latest hunch. I think the mystery was smartly written with how almost no suspects gets cleared of the list fast if at all. And even when the murderer came to light I had to admit I didn't see that coming, but suddenly everything fell into place and made sense. Besides the actual murder mystery, there are some other secrets and twists as well surrounding some of the characters and it made for a great read.

I really like Daphe as a main character, she seems like a real person and I like how much she cares about animals. There is an interesting change in Daphne's life at the start of the book which nicely ties in with the last book and at the end there's another change and I can't wait to see how that plays out. I enjoyed reading about Daphne, although she is a bit too curious for her own good.

I also liked how there was a surprising amount of continuity in this book. In this book I liked seeing how some things changed, both in Daphne's life, but also in the lives of side characters and we actually see some things that happened in book 1 play a role here as well or progress here. There's also a bit of a set-up for a possible romance that continues here and I am still hoping Daphne and Jonathan will get together eventually, but for now I am just happy to read about their banter.

To summarize: This book is just a lot of fun to read and kept my attention the whole time. I like how the pets play such an important role in this series and many scenes involve a pet or two or three. Daphne is a great main character with an unique outlook on life if a bit too curious for her own good. I liked reading about how she got involved in the murder and how she eventually solved it. It was a great mystery and I had no clue who the murderer was. There were some potential suspects, but things didn't fell on it's place for a long time. It felt like we were missing a piece of the puzzle, until toward the end when everything falls on it's place. I liked seeing more of Socrates, Daphne's dog and there's a cat Finkleston that plays a role too. There is a set-up for a big change at the end of the book and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. This is quickly turning into one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I would recommend this to both pet lovers and cozie lovers!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the mystery, loved the quirky characters, loved the slowly developing relationships. This was a fun read. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

Intriguing Mystery
Dial Meow for Murder is the second book in Bethany Blake’s Lucky Paws Pet Sitting Mystery series. The storyline is well plotted and the characters are well developed. Although the book started out a little slowly, it turned into a page-turner. There are lots of twists and turns and potential suspects to keep the reader engaged. I was quite surprised by the final reveal. This book was an enjoyable, clean read, with an interesting mystery and touches of humor. Ms. Blake provides sufficient background information that this book can easily be read as a standalone. I highly recommend it to cozy mystery fans.

Daphne Templeton is the financially struggling owner of Lucky Paws Pet Sitting in the quaint village of Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. She has a Basset Hound, Socrates, who is her loyal companion, and she loves baking healthy treats for cats and dogs. She’s been living with her sister, Piper, who is a veterinarian and owner of Templeton Animal Hospital, but recently moved into the cottage on her sister’s farm, Winding Hill. Daphne is participating Halloween fundraiser for Fur-ever Friends’ Pet Rescue at Lillian Flynt’s mansion and is quite surprised when she finds her mother, Maeve Templeton who is a realtor, preparing the mansion for a showing. The power is out and Lillian, who is hosting the event, is nowhere to be found. Maeve asks her to remove a litter box and Lillian’s Persian cat, Tinkleston, who had escaped earlier, rushes into the house and Maeve wants her daughter to find and get the cat out of the house. Daphne finds the cat hiding under Lillian’s bed and she finds the missing Lillian in the bathroom. Unfortunately, she’s in the bathtub along with a missing CD player. Evidence points to Maeve and it looks like she’s the prime suspect. Detective Jonathan Black is assigned to the case and no matter how many times he instructs Daphne to keep out of the investigation, she is determined to clear her mother’s name and find Lillian’s murderer.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This was a good second book but it felt a bit lacking in suspense or excitement. I can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't compel me or interest me the way the first book did. However, there was a lot of world-building, so maybe that was why it fell short for me. I will read book three when it's available and make a series judgement then.

It's Halloween in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania - and the ghosts are real! Dial Meow for Murder, the second book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery Series by author Bethany Blake is a funny, riveting and suspenseful cozy mystery. This well-crafted story takes us back into the history of Sylvan Creek....and hidden secrets which may have some bearing on the cause of the recent murder of "professional volunteer" Lillian Flynt. Daphne's philosophical take on life, and her unwavering love of all animals as well as her (and basset hound Socrates') nose for solving crimes, make Dial Meow for Murder a simply delightful book, and a true pleasure to read. Once again, yummy dog treat recipes are included! A+++

Daphne Templeton is the owner of a pet sitting business. She and her best friend Moxie are bringing dog treats to Flynt Manor, a historic home, where an animal charity is holding a fund raising event. She sees her mother, a local real estate agent, lighting candles inside since the power has gone out and goes to check on her. Her mother tells Daphne that she is showing the house and asks her to find the owner's cat so that it does not scare the client. Daphne goes to look for the cat but finds the owner, Miss Flynt, dead in the bathtub, having been electrocuted. Then her mother's client shows up and turns out to be Elyse Black, the ex-wife of the local police detective who was also a possible love interest of Daphne. When it turns out the Miss Flynt was murdered Daphne once again finds herself enmeshed in investigating the crime. This is a well written and fun story with interesting characters, a quirky town setting and plenty of suspects to keep you guessing all the way through. It's the first book in the series that I have read and I am planning on going back to volume one while I look forward to the next book in the series.