This is such a heart warming story. With persistence things can come full circle. They may not be what you were looking for but they will bring you peace. Just a wonderful story.

Santa Puppy by Lynn Cahoon is a short story which is part of the Tourist Trap Mystery series. Jilly, owner of Coffee, Books, & More, has volunteered to host a pet adoption Christmas party. Among the dogs looking for home is Baby whose nameless owner recently passed away. Jill is determined to find someone who knew the deceased man and give Baby a new home for the holidays. This is a touching holiday themed book that can easily be read in one sitting.

SANTA PUPPY is a true delight! A California Christmas Cozy mystery with dogs and cats, in prolific and wonderful author Lynn Cahoon's TOURIST TRAP MYSTERY Series, SANTA PUPPY warms any heart, even my own Scrooge-ish one. Jill is an admirable protagonist: she owns a book-and-coffee-shop and encourages reading at work! She is also a dedicated amateur sleuth (despite that her boyfriend is police chief), and a dog-owner. When she offers to host a shelter adoption party for the nearby no-kill shelter, she discovers a ten-year-old terrier whose owner died of a heart attack on the beach; and wouldn't you know it, there's a decades-old mystery attached?

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38618740-santa-puppy" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Santa Puppy (A Tourist Trap Mystery #9.75)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1533076969m/38618740.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38618740-santa-puppy">Santa Puppy</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_Cahoon">Lynn Cahoon</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2398224803">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Jill Gardner has volunteered her shop Coffee, Books, and More to host a Christmas adopt-a-pet party. Among the potential forever friends is a male terrier named Baby, whose owner died of a heart attack alone on the beach. With few clues to go on, even finding the name of Baby’s human is a daunting task. But there’s no challenge too big for Jill this holiday season. Playing Santa’s Little Helper, Jill is determined to find out what happened and to fulfill a long time coming Christmas wish.<br /><br />The author has once again gives the reader a great story in this novella. The book may be short but it's not short on the emotion. The story doesn't revolve around a murder this time but instead Jill finds herself trying to find out the dead man's identity and what his life's story was. The books happy ending is the perfect give to the reader.<br /><br />I have been a fan of this series since book one and I'm looking forward to the next books in this series. I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books for my honest opinion in the form of a book review.
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A short, cute holiday tale, Santa Puppy finds Jill and Greg trying to identify a homeless man who died leaving only a dog and a safe deposit key… while simultaneously running an event to aid a local animal shelter and getting ready for Christmas. Despite the book’s series number (9.75), the story is set somewhere between books 4 and 6, since Sasha is working at the bookstore but not yet dating Toby.

While the novella is pleasant overall, there’s not a lot for Jill to get her teeth into here. The solution to the puzzle surrounding the man and his long-lost love was pretty clear to me early on; the ending comes quickly and feels a bit anticlimactic. A mysterious Santa-like character appears occasionally, making cryptic remarks; he is never explained or identified, leaving the reader to wonder if he’s intended to be the ‘real’ Santa Claus or just a figment of Jill’s imagination.

My verdict: Enjoyable for fans of the series, but not a great place to dive in if you’ve never visited South Cove before.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

If you're looking for a cute cozy mystery to read in the lead up to Christmas, then this book might be the one! It's only a quick read at 130 pages, but somehow plenty was packed into that short amount and I felt like I not only enjoyed what I got, but that I wanted to read more of this series and discover more about the characters. Any character that reads is a plus with me, and add in animals and recue and I was completely sold.

A really cute cozy with a Christmas/Book theme. Five stars.

This Christmas, Jill is hosting an adopt-a-pet event at her coffee/bookstore. When bathing a sweet pup whose owner has recently passed away reveals a safety deposit box key Jill is on the hunt to find out what is in the box and to find the pup a "furever" home for Christmas.


For me, this was the perfect introduction to the Tourist Trap cozy mystery series by Lynn Cahoon. I was captivated by Jill and her love for reading and animals.

You can read this novella out of order as your first introduction with no problems at all. There are plenty of mentions of things in the past but all the mentions do is make you want to drop everything and read the series from the beginning.

This is not your typical happy ending so you will find yourself a tad teary at times. Unfortunately, I think there are more stories like this in the real world.

I received a complimentary copy of this novella from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I have a real soft spot for the Tourist Trap books both the long form and the novellas. This one is a quick read with a Christmas theme. What makes these stories endearing are the characters and how they have developed over the series. Jill is surrounded by love and friendship. They are people with whom the reader can relate. It makes their stories so much more touching..
This story has a magical splash at the heart of it. Before the happy ending, it is a sad story of love and loss. A homeless man is found dead on the beach. HIs devoted senior dog has not left his side. He is in the shelter where Jill meets him. She hopes that by learning more about the man, she may find someone who can cherish the dog. On more than one occasion the eyes became moist while reading.
It is a bittersweet story that was a satisfying read. My only objection is the description of shelter cats. Not all of them sit back and observe humans who come to view them. It is an unfair generalization. We kitties want forever homes as much as dogs.
I will still give it five purrs and two paws up.

What a wonderful addition to the Tourist Trap series. This novella tells us about baby a dog waiting to be adopted at Christmas. This book is charming and fun. I can't wait to read the next installment. Thanks netgalley for the arc. The opinions are mine.

There have been several novellas in the Tourist Trap series this year. And while I'm anxiously awaiting a full length novel the novellas are a nice little taste while I'm waiting. Honestly, this wasn't my favorite. I'm not sure if it was because I was reading while somewhat distracted or the book itself was somewhat disjointed. The mystery takes place off page - the death before the book even starts and there's a discovery we only learn about 2nd hand. I also didn't love the ending. There was a sweet moment or two but it wasn't the more tied with a bow, unicorns and rainbows kind of endings that I want from a Christmas book. As well I really enjoyed her Halloween novella so my expectations were very high. This wasn't a favorite but it was enjoyable. If you're a long time reader of the series than I'd pick it up. If you haven't read anything in this series I'd start with something else.

What a heartwarming novella, perfect for the season! Protag Jill is back with her boyfriend Greg, her aunt and friends at South Cove preparing for the holidays with a dog adoption event underway. They discover a stray whose owner died on the beach and was a homeless veteran. Jill gets busy trying to find out who the man's long lost love was, so she can place the dog and have the woman get in touch with law enforcement. Complete with a few appearances from St.Nick.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Santa Puppy
A Tourist Trap Mystery, Book #9.75
Lynn Cahoon
5 Stars

Synopsis:

’Twas the season of Christmas, and all through South Cove, California, Santa is working overtime to deliver a special gift . . .

Jill Gardner has volunteered her Coffee, Books, and More to host a Christmas adopt-a-pet party. Among the potential forever friends is a male terrier named Baby, whose owner died of a heart attack. With few clues to go on, even finding the name of Baby’s human is a daunting task. But there’s no challenge too big for Jill this holiday season.

Playing Santa’s Little Helper, Jill is determined to find out what happened —and to fulfill a long-time coming Christmas wish . . . (Goodreads)

Review:

This is a great novella and perfect for a quick Christmas read. I enjoyed getting to spend more time with Jill, her family and friends. Jill is so kind and caring and has a really big heart. I enjoy reading about her interactions with the other characters, including the animals.

Although someone does die, I found the fact the Jill did not discover a dead body refreshing. There is a mystery to solve, but it was not who the killer was. I enjoyed this change of pace. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and she brought South Cove, California, alive in my mind. The writing style flows smoothly and this novella is a quick easy read.

I would recommend this novella, and whole series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. There is a message of caring and sharing, and helping others, that we can all be reminded of. If you are looking for a quick Christmas read, pick this book up.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

This Christmas theme Novella is the perfect Christmas time addition to this wonderful beloved series. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and have read the entire series.
I highly recommend the entire series. . Thank you for the ARC for review. My opinion is my own.
What is so charming about this next in series is the Christmas and friend them. I enjoyed it as the perfect introduction to the holiday season complete with a holiday party and puppies !
Jill Gardner owns a popular bookshop. She is not interested in Christmas usually but she has volunteered to host a Christmas party to help get pets adopted from the shelter. One of the dogs Jill is drawn to as its sad story is its owner was homeless and found dead. Jill, wants to adopt the dog and begins to find out if he had family who might take the dog. The puppy has a happy ending and new home. The Christmas party is a success and other dogs have found homes.
This is a feel good story with a mystery that will please every reader. I really enjoyed reading this and the aspect of dog rescue always touches my dog loving heart. I loved it and thank you to the author for this endearing Christmas theme story with a happy ending.

This book follows Jill Gardner and her boyfriend Greg King who are helping gets pets adopted in time for Christmas when Jill finds herself drawn to a dog named Baby. The story behind Baby is one that is sad and bittersweet. Baby's owner died being a homeless vet on the street looking for someone he lost long ago. Will Jill figure out the mystery behind Baby?

This was such a cute novella as Jill unwraps the threads of the story of Baby and her owner. We also watch as Jill celebrates the holiday season and is more welcoming of it when a man approaches her many times and has you wonder if it was Santa or just someone guiding her.

Such a fabulous series. Such fun and the dynamic with everyone is like going to visit a friend you haven't seen in a while. They draw you in so you can walk with them and see where everyone is at now!

Santa Puppy: A Tourist Trap Novella
By Lynn Cahoon
Lyrical
November 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

Jill Gardner may consider herself to be the scrooge of South Cove, California, but that doesn’t mean that the owner of Coffee, Books, and More isn’t doing her part for the tourist-driven community’s holiday season. Not only will she be baking eight dozen cookies for her friend’s cookie exchange, Jill is helping to bathe and groom prospective pets before Bakerstown Shelter’s adoption party. One of those seeking a human “forever friend” is the small terrier Baby, whose previous owner was sadly found dead on the beach. A safety deposit key in Baby’s collar leads them to $58,000 in cash, an inexplicable amount since they all assumed that the owner was homeless.

Unable to allow a mystery to remain unsolved, Jill and her friends being to unravel the puzzle of the lost veteran, a man with ties to the town but with a tragic past and an almost sadder future. Providing a few clues along away is a jolly old man in a red suit, whom only Jill seems to encounter in between baking binges and visits to a cheerful Christmas tree farm. Boyfriend and police detective Greg King is doing his best to nudge her into accepting Christmas cheer, although defining their relationship into something more permanent is proving to be a bigger challenge.

This is a charming novel perfect for the holiday season as it genially creates warm emotional sentiments during what often can be a heartbreaking and lonely time. The story of Baby’s owner veers into a completely unexpected direction but leads to an entirely satisfying conclusion. Along with Jill, readers will be embraced by the welcoming Southern California town as it is swamped by dozens of Christmas cookies, true love takes so many forms, and families are found for needy pets.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading other books by this great author.

Loved this story!
It captures what Christmas is all about.
Heartwarming and a great idea for this holiday: a Cookie exchange event.

Christmas and puppies and a mystery - how could I pass up Santa Puppy? I haven't read any of the others in the series, but I thought this worked fine as a cute standalone. Jill Gardner owns a bookshop (also an awesome thing) and has volunteered to host a Christmas party with the goal of getting pets adopted from the local shelter. One of the dogs, Baby, touches Jill's heart. Its owner, a homeless man, was found dead of a heart attack on the beach and Baby needs a new home. Jill, with the help and approval of her detective boyfriend, does some sleuthing to find out who the man was and if he had family who might take the dog.

It was nice that Jill's boyfriend helped her and approved of her digging. Of course, there wasn't any danger involved, it was a natural death, the mystery was more about who the man was and how he ended up homeless. It was a good story, but a little sad too. The puppy gets a happy ending though, so no fears on its behalf.

There was a hint of the paranormal, but with Santa Claus around that's not unusual. Overall, it was a fun addition to my Christmas reading this year. I don't know that I enjoyed it enough to read the rest of the series, though.

Oh my gosh did I ever enjoy Santa Puppy. It was not at all what I expected! So much better! This Christmas themed novella is the perfect holiday read. Short, sweet and really well written. The story will tug a bit at your heartstrings but in a really good way. I love this series and it was easy to picture the entire setting, the characters and even taste the cookies! I am totally using the recipe at the end of this story too!