As an avid lover of fur babies, I was drawn to this cozy mystery because the book highlighted the love of pets throughout the book. In fact, just about every character in the book either owned a pet or came into contact with one. The whole town was considered "pet crazy." This alone gave the book an interesting read.

Getting into the mystery part of the book, I felt it took a little time to get going but with the nice little twists and turns, I kept on reading and glad I did. I absolutely thought I knew who the killer might be and found out in the end how wrong I was. This says a lot for the author as she obviously is capable of weaving words together well.

I found out that this book is a series and this is my first time reading from this author but I enjoyed her very much and look forward to possibly reading more.

4 stars.

Disclosure: I received a copy via NetGalley to facilitate my review. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.
~M.M.

I love a good mystery with animals and this story delivers in spades! I love that the main character at times is so endearing and delightfully clueless. You could almost read each installment in this series as a stand alone and not really get lost which is a definite bonus. The character development progressed nicely, the mystery well written and complex. A satisfyingly good read.

A delightful read! Pawprints & Predicaments by Bethany Blake is the 3rd book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series. This book can read as a stand alone but the series is so wonderful I do recommend you read the entire series.
In this next in series the lovely pet friendly town of Sylvan Creek is having a Wagfest and Winter carnival event. Our protagonist Daphne is back with her pet sitting business as a great success and she is also about to open her own pet bakery. She is taking part in the winter fest with a cast of adorable canines , a drooling St. Bernard, a feisty Chihuahua and a Bassett Hound. The fun of these mysteries is reading about all the animals and makes each book more of a delight.
As the carnival takes off with a polar plunge, a body is discovered and Daphne is on the case. She proves to be a excellent sleuth as she unearths clue after clue. She has help from her police detective interest along the way. who she has a tenuous romance with.
Each book is a delight to read. The animals, the setting of a pet friendly town and the quirky cast of human characters. I love the well crafted sleuth and how the protagonist finds clues along her path. I always enjoy a revisit to this series and look forward to the next in series.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

Pawprints & Predicaments by Bethany Blake is the 3rd book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series, and another great addition. Daphne Templeton keeps busy with her pet sitting business, Lucky Paws and getting ready to open her pet bakery, Flour Power. To kick off the annual Sylvan Creek Tail Waggin Winterfest, Daphne participates in the Polar Bear Plunge, where she finds a body and almost drowns. This book has more twists and turns, that kept me reading page after page. I love the unique people and situations in this book. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book/series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love this story. It has all the ingredients for a great cozy mystery. It is well written with relatable characters and a mystery that remains a mystery until the very end. Add to that an unique cast of animals and a touch of romance and it becomes a five star book.

It is time for the Thirtieth Annual Sylvan Creek Tail Waggin' Winterfest. Pet sitter and soon-to-be pet bakery owner/operator Daphne Templeton is participating in the polar bear plunge to help a local charity. The plunge becomes chaotic and Daphne finds herself struggling to stay above water but an even bigger shock is what she discovers in the water.

This book also includes some yummy recipes for pet treats. It is the third book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series but could easily be read as a stand alone. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sylvan Creek is being touted as a pet-friendly destination and there is television crew in town to film their Tail Waggin’ Winterfest. Locals are hoping the exposure will bring more tourists to the town. Petsitter Daphne Templeton is trying to get her new pet bakery open and included in the production but contractors are hard to come by due to another huge home renovation. So right now she is concentrating on Winterfest and all it entails including a polar bear plunge. Turns out this part of the festival was a bit unorganized and with over 80 people rushing into the frigid water and trying to hurry back out was a little chaotic. Especially when Daphne takes a little fall and winds up underwater tangled with another body. Daphne is rescued by industrious St. Bernard but the other person, the television producer, Lauren Savidge, was not so lucky, Her body is ice cold and she is dead. Daphne knows Detective Jonathan Black isn’t going to like it but she and her sleuthing assistant basset hound, Socrates are plunging into their own investigation.

I so enjoyed this story. Daphne has quickly become one of my favorite protagonists. I am excited about her new pet bakery even though she needed a little shove and a little push to set up her grand opening. Her mind was clearly on everything else happening that the store hit the backburner for awhile. Her friend Moxie always makes me smile, great attitude and her love for the great film actresses of yesterday. Daphne’s mother is quite a woman, pushy and demanding, but she truly loves her daughter and Daphne gets to know how to handle her better every day.

The pets again add so much to the story. They are unique and mostly lovable. One new pet addition made me squirm, definitely not my idea for a pet, but to each his own 🙂 Of course, basset hound Socrates is still my favorite. Laugh out loud funny and able to turn even the worst day around.

The murder mystery is quite a tangled up mess when Detective Black’s ex-wife becomes a suspect and another detective takes over the investigation. There are plenty of suspects to weed through and eliminate as we follow each and every piece of the puzzle that gets locked into place. I love the way the author takes a reader right into the story. She makes it so easy to see everything like we are right on her character’s shoulders.

Bethany Blake has written a fun story with engaging characters, human, and animal, that captivated this reader from beginning to end. Small town life converged with an excellent mystery was so entertaining. I can’t wait to visit Sylvan Creek again soon!

Blake has done it again by writing an absolutely incredible cozy mystery novel that I was unable to put down. Daphne is gearing up to open her pet great bakery just as the winter festival is due to start. She signs up to do the polar plunge but things go horrible wrong when a women turns up dead. What follows is an excellent investigation into what happened that includes not only the awesome sidekick Socrates but a new canine friend of legends as well. The characters are easy to get attached to and the writing is smooth. The animals had a tough of whimsy that made me giggle (especially the costumes). This is a must read for fans of animal cozy msyteries. I loved every minute so I give it 5/5 stars.

This is my first experience with this series, but it most definitely won't be my last. I am a big fan of Daphne and all of the animals in her life. Her personality is appealing--she's very fun-loving and eager to help her friends, both human and animal.



Winterfest is a big part of life in Sylvan Creek, especially this year with a television crew filming all the festivities. Unfortunately, the producer winds up dead, putting a damper on things, and re-igniting Daphne's enthusiasm for solving crimes.



I most enjoyed the interactions between Daphne and her basset hound, Socrates. She holds conversations with him and is able to recognize what his different expressions and mannerisms mean. He makes for a great supporting character.



The story is very well written, and the final reveal was a pretty big surprise, especially since I had fallen for some of the red herrings the author wrote into the plot.

It is time for the 13th annual Sylvan Creek Tail Waggin' Winterfest! Complete with hot chocolate, ice sculptures, vendors, and a Polar Plunge. Oh, lets not forget the folklore that the ghost of a St. Bernard in the woods around the town. All is happy and upbeat until the Polar Plunge becomes the scene of a grisly murder. Lauren Savidge, a tv producer in Sylvan Creek filming the charming little town, is discovered by none other than Daphne, tangled in the weeds at the bottom of the little lake hosting the Plunge. Deader than dead, the mysterious St. Bernard dashes out of the woods and pulls Lauren out of the water before quickly disappearing hence the way he came.

Now the town is on full alert knowing there is a killer on the loose and that the fabled St. Bernard appears to, in fact, be very real.

Pawprints and Predicaments is a fantastic third book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series. The cozy mystery is full of action, suspense, drama, and animals. I love Artie, the chihuahua Daphne rescued in book 1 and convinced Jonathan to adopt. He is such scene stealer. I adore how he absolutely loves clothes - especially the sweater that Daphne gets for him. Tinks is a feisty cat with a mischievous and cantankerous personality, and Socrates is quite a long suffering basset.

Daphne is a wonderful character. She is snarky, compassionate, without too many cares in the world. Some may think she's a flake since her cell never works and she's never on time for anything, but she's a strong protagonist that doesn't live by the timeline of others. She even has a PhD in philosophy but doesn't use her degree. She's down-to-earth, kind, and gentle. She loves her pet sitting business and continues to prosper.

My only complaint is the lack of romance. I love my cozies to have a bit of romance in them when there are a couple viable heroes present; not graphic but at least a little bit to show relationships are moving in that direction. The sparks between Daphne and Jonathan are still there in book 3 but I'm getting tired of the dance. The potential for romance in this series is high, yet I've felt a little let down in that department. I would like to see a bit more between Daphne and someone else. I'm leaning toward a certain detective (hint hint)...

The author does a spectacular job with the continued character development and world building. I love Sylvan Creek and how alive the author writes the town and characters (that is, unless you happen to be the latest murder victim). The book is engaging from the very beginning and kept me entertained throughout. There was never a dull moment and some of Daphne's antics had me smiling. The author's writing style is phenomenal. All dialogue was smooth, thought out, and conversational. The twists and turns kept me guessing all the way until the end. This book's ending actually shocked me a bit. I had no clue who the one was responsible for the mayhem in book 3.

Pawprints & Predicaments by Bethany Blake is the third book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery. Daphne is the owner of Lucky Paws Petsitting and the soon to be owner of Flour Power (pet bakery) in the pet loving town of Sylvan Creek. The Tail Waggin' Winterfest is in full swing and that includes a polar bear plunge. Daphne ends up taking part in the plunge which quickly dissolves into chaos when one of the participants is dies. This book easily stands on its own. I love this series for the animal characters just as much as the human ones. The mystery features several twists and turns which kept me guessing until the end.

This is a great book; this is the third book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series and is written by Bethany Blake. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Pawprints and Predicaments

by Bethany Blake

Pawprints and Predicaments continues the story of Daphne, a petsitter with a PhD in philosophy, who is preparing to open a bakery to sell healthy pet treats. Her small town of Sylvan Creek is hosting its Thirtieth Annual Tail Waggin’ Winterfest. Daphne joins in the fun of the first polar bear plunge in Lake Wallapawakee, but unfortunately she encounters more than icy waters.

There are several murders in this cozy mystery, and Daphne is determined to get to the bottom of them. The humor in the tale comes from an assortment of furry friends—especially Daphne’s interactions with her basset hound Socrates. There are lots of interesting characters including her friend Moxie, a vintage clothes lover who runs a spa for humans and their pets. Daphne has two love interests who are also involved in trying to solve the crimes: handsome detective Jonathan Black and newspaper owner, Gabriel Graham.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #3 in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery Series, but works as a standalone

Publication: February 27, 2018—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

My longtime sidekick nevertheless seemed to grasp that I was growing curious about a homicide and he lowered his freckled muzzle and buried it under his large paws, groaning softly, like he wished I would just mind my own business.

His mane was like a thick brown thundercloud swirling around his massive head, and he blinked at us with eyes that reminded me of the strange yellow color the sky had turned, right before I’d nearly been caught in a tornado while crossing Oklahoma on the back of a motorcycle.

Moxie picked up her own cell and swung it around, so for a second, I got queasy when the colorful, mismatched décor in her eclectic apartment swirled like paint dumped on an old spin art toy.

I predicted from the first book in this series that this was going to become a favorite and still at book three I have not changed my mind. The relationship between Daphne and her sister, mom and friends is still prone to ups and downs that keep things interesting. In the previous book we learn that a television network is interested in sharing how pet FRIENDLY Sylvan Creek is, but the producer of that program has a different slant or view.
Much of the action again centers around a festival and it is fun to see how the pets are as involved as the people. There are romantic moments and jealousy rears its head more than once, but the romance is far behind the fun of sleuthing keeping this a fun and clean series. Socrates adds his own charm and expertise to the tale. I totally relate to how Daphne holds conversations with him.
I enjoy the way Bethany Blake uses words and turns a phrase. At the end of each chapter she makes us eager to continue. A difficult to put down book.

Could someone please make the Tail Waggin' Winterfest real? Minus the murder, it sounds like a wonderful festival, and it is a beautiful setting for the mystery. There are some amazingly quirky characters and pets. I found the mystery to be a bit surprising.

Fun classic cozy with a cool protagonist in Daphne and.....recipes for pet treats! This time around, Daphne is dealing with the murder of Lauren, a rotten TV producer who ends up in the lake during a festival in Sylvan Creek. There are lots of suspects (Lauren was a real pain) but Daphne, along with her loyal Bassett Socrates works her way through them to the solution. The mystery isn't too complicated, there's a good back and forth with Detective Jonathan Black, and the characters are good. Next time around, maybe a little more romance? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's light, it's fun, and it's a good read.

Pawprints and Predicaments is full of humor, delightful pets (especially the dogs) and a great plot!

You will find yourself chuckling often throughout this read. At the vivid personalities that Bethany Blake gives the animals (Artie the one-eared Chihuahua and Socrates the basset hound slay me). At Daphne’s eccentrically endearing personality (she was banned from Kenya & accidentally took Krav Maga classes in Israel). And just at the witty way in which the author weaves her words – wry & sometimes a little bit snarky.

I gotta admit that I thought I had it figured out right from the beginning. Nope. Not even close. Blake constructs the mystery in such a way that you anticipate the predictability, are even fine with it because the story is so delightful… and then you’re pleasantly surprised by the actual unpredictability of the story when all is said and done.

Bottom Line: If you have ever insisted your dog was laughing at you, tried to force his appalled self into a cute doggy sweater and/or talked to him like he was human, then Pawprints and Predicaments by Bethany Blake is right up your alley! A dash of romantic possibilities (#teamJonathan), loads of quirky humor, and a well-plotted murder mystery round out the tale. A great choice for fans of cozy mysteries, clean reads and dogs!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)

Returning to the town of Sylvan Creek might just be a hazard.
As much as the towns folks and political leaders want to get
Sylvan Creek on the map it's the crimes that keep happening that tend to get it noticed. That and the wonderful pet-friendly environment.
When Sylvan Creek is chosen for a new pet-themed reality series everyone is excited.
But the fun stops suddenly when one of the t.v. crew dies in an
accident (?) that turns out not to be accidental.

At the same time Daphne almost drowns and is saved by none other than Detective Black. Just sayin' I am rootin' for Black

Things get 'dicey' when Black realizes is ex might just be a suspect he has to remove himself from the investigation. Which is easier said than done.

All the while a new suitor has set his eyes on Daphne and tries to win her over with wining and dining and flowers.

There is a myriad of suspects or at least persons of interest.
From the assistant Joy who gets promoted when the t.v. producer Lauren gets clobbered and dies in the freezing town lake.
Then of course there is Blacks ex who is seems to leave her water bottles laying around at crime scenes.
Then there is the town recluse who 'knows something' but isn't
fessing up. I suspected that once Daphne figured out what was going own and convinced him to 'tell all' he would get 'offed' before he could implicate the real criminal. But he manages
to make it out alive and spills a few beans.

Pasw & Predicaments is book 3 in a fun and entertaining series.
I received a complimentary copy

When Netgalley offered this book,I had to request it. This is the third in the series. I have read book one and did not feel lost by missing book two. The setting is the friendly town of Sylvan Creek set in the Pocono Mountains. Daphne is our sleuth who can easily be written off as a ditz. She is a unique character that under the bohemian exterior is extremely intelligent. She has a penchant for finding bodies, don’t most sleuths in a cozy mystery? She makes me laugh out loud to the extent that my husband often asks “what’s so funny?”
Daphne’s plans to open a pet bakery are progressing slowly. She partakes in the local polar bear plunge that is part of Winterfest to raise money for animals in need. A rather large dog pulls a body out of Lake Wallapawkee. Whether you like to solve the mystery or go along for the ride, you’ll find this quite entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. Can you tell, I like it! I plan on finding book two and catching up.

In the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains, the pet-loving town of Sylvan Creek is celebrating Winterfest with visitors and furry friends from all over. This year a TV crew is in town to film the events and tell the story of Sylvan Creek and their love for animals. From bonfires, to booths selling goodies and pet items, to events that celebrate the pets, it's going to be a fun time. When the inaugural polar bear plunge takes place, the head of the TV crew filming the events turns up dead and Daphne Templeton found the body!

Daphne, the owner of Lucky Paws Pet Sitting and the soon to open Flour Power Pet Baker, seems to have a knack for finding dead bodies and solving mysteries. Along with her Basset Hound Socrates, Cat Templeton, sisterPiper, BFF Maxie Bloom, Detective Jonathan Black, Town newspaper editor/photographer/writer Gabriel Graham, and a town of eclectic residents, Daphne helps to solve mystery.

While this is the third book in the Lucky Paws Pet Sitting Mystery series, it is the first one I have read and it was a great stand alone story with no gaps from not having read the previous books.

If you’re an animal lover, you’ll find yourself right at home in Sylvan Creek with Big Cats, house cats, Dogs, and even a mouse!

While I love to read and read quite voraciously, certain stressful situations make it difficult for me to concentrate so I typically don’t even try to pick up a book… such as flights and having the flu with a fever. One year ago when Bethany Blake released her first book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series, I just happened to start reading it shortly before I boarded a flight. Imagine my amazement when I continued reading throughout the entire five hour flight and barely noticed my discomfort! I experienced a similar situation earlier this month with Ms. Blake’s newest release, PAWPRINTS & PREDICAMENTS, the third book in the series. I came down with that dreadful flu making the rounds and took two trips to urgent care. Armed with PAWPRINTS & PREDICAMENTS on my iPad, I immersed myself in Sylvan Creek’s festivities and barely took notice of my surroundings or my achy, feverish body! I find the protagonist, Daphne Templeton, highly entertaining and Ms. Blake writes with a terrific sense of humor that had me chuckling out loud on several occasions. People might mistakenly think that Daphne is a ditzy blonde, but beneath her bohemian exterior is a highly intelligent young lady with a generous heart. The predicaments Daphne alludes to throughout the book about her trips that have gone awry during her previous nomadic life have me hoping the author expounds on them in future books… just her small mentions had me laughing at the scenes I envisioned. Not only are the human characters well-developed and entertaining, but the pet characters are equally so. I adore Daphne’s dog, Socrates and her trying cat, Tinkleston. They truly have their own personalities that greatly add to the story.

A strong, smart, funny protagonist is great but the key to a terrific book is a strong plot and Ms. Blake delivers that as well. She ties an old local legend surrounding a Saint Bernard ghost, a recluse living deep in the woods, and a Polar Bear Plunge that ends in murder together into one cohesive story that had me turning pages and ignoring my illness. There are suspects galore but clues to point the vigilant reader in the right direction. I’ll admit I decided to just go along for the entertaining ride and didn’t try to figure it out, but I wasn’t in the least bit disappointed. In fact, I was glued to the book until the very last page was read and then started wondering how soon the next book will be available!

In addition to pet sitting, Daphne is opening a pet bakery called Flour Power. She creates many delicious, healthy treats for her pets and the author has included several recipes at the back of the book.