The plot was interesting and the characters were engaging. It was a fun and easy read ad I look forward to the next book in the series.

Cozy mysteries have been a staple of my reading diet for many years. My mother would collect cozies from a variety of sources, especially thrift shops, and both she and my grandmother would read them. Then my mother would tuck them into birthday and Christmas packages to me. Our attic has boxes and boxes of cozies and many were read multiple times because I lacked reading material in English. So this genre is one I’ve read and analyzed thoroughly in the past and have some very definite opinions on what does and doesn’t work for me as a reader.

This book opens with the murder scene. Some readers enjoy that, but I’m not one of them. I want to obtain my information as the sleuth does so I can pit myself against them in the race to figure out whodunnit. This scene doesn’t reveal the killer, which I do find happens occasionally and would completely ruin the book for me. If you’re like me and don’t want to see the murder at all, I recommend skipping the prologue and starting on chapter one, which is from the sleuth’s POV.

Once you’re past the prologue, the mystery is pretty solid. I’d expect the average reader to enjoy it. The pacing is appropriate to the genre and there are both clues and red herrings.

I haven’t read the earlier books on the series. I didn’t feel left out in terms of plot, but I think not knowing the characters and relationships contributed to them feeling flat to me. The author likely relied on depth established in the earlier books, leaving them feeling a bit more like cardboard to a new reader and keeping me from investing as much in the characters as I prefer. Someone who reads the entire series will likely have an extra layer of enjoyment and higher rating, as they’ll have more sense of the characters and investment in their relationships.

For me it passed the time and providing an enjoyable mental puzzle, but it doesn’t make me want to hound the author for more. But given the opportunity to read more, I would do so.

Additionally some aspects of the writing style contributed to my sense of distance, but these aspects are unlikely to register consciously on the average reader. Sometimes I really wish I were normal so I could just disconnect and enjoy without picking things to pieces so much.

Since I was reading an ARC that may have been created before final proofreading, etc., was completed, I ignored some trivial things that I expect were cleaned up prior to release.

Overall I give this book 3.5 stars.

I love this series and everytime I'm happy to meet again the cast of characters, both humans and animals.
This was a good mystery, it kept me guessing till the end, and wasn't able to put it down.
The story is well written and the plot was engaging and entertaining.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Relay Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC

Stella St. Claire is a new author for this reader. The booked was picked up for review by the luck of the draw — and it was good luck.

As I started with the Prologue, I became concerned that I had made a poor choice for a relaxing cozy mystery. It appeared that I had picked up a darker book than I usually enjoy. I soon learned, however, that, except for the Prologue, the book had everything that might draw one to a new cozy mystery.

Willow Wells would soon find herself in the midst of a double mystery that seemed to put all the blame onto her sister, Wednesday. Because the two sisters’ father was the chief of police, he was quickly removed from the case. And the detective who was assigned to the case wanted a quick resolution by arresting Wednesday at the first opportunity. The evidence was there for a quick resolution — Wednesday was found at the scene of both crimes, she had each of the victims’ blood on her hands, and she had a motive. Willow would follow the evidence being ignored by the detective.

My only disappointment in the book was that the dogs were not the detectives — but only served as Willow Wells’ occupational interests. Regardless, the book was well-written and enjoyed. Most cozy mystery writers would find the book an enjoyable weekend of reading.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Bark of the Town by Stella St. Claire is the 3rd book in the Paws Fur Play Mystery series. I really enjoyed the Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries series by this author, so far this series does not disappointed. Willow Wells dog gym business is doing great, until two mean girls are found murdered and Willow's sister Wednesday is the prime suspect. Willow is determined to find the real killer before it's too late. I love all the characters in this book, and I hope this is not the last book in the series. If you like cozy mysteries, I recommend you give this book a try. 

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

Willow found herself in a jam and if she didn’t find the answers quickly her sister would be charged for a murder she didn’t commit and her father's career would be ruined. She was very close to this murder mystery and she needed to think fast or all will be lost. With her relationship with Griffith getting into deeper more sexy waters, he was able to lend a hand in managing her new business for a short while, giving her all the time she needs, so she could concentrate her all on saving her family. A wonderful and delightful story, the storyline is a strong and excellent one along with the characters they are really great. The intrigue factor is definitely roaring and the excitement level way up there.

Like the rest of the series, this book is very well written and an enjoyable cozy mystery. It's very straight, with no dead meat and a clear line of events. The characters (including the animals) are very believable, so even if this is a stand alone novel you will probably want to read the other books.