This novel took a direction I so did not expect! lol

I loved Belinda from the start. She is shamelessly authentic and just very different from the Carringtons.
When Belinda moves to the small house on the luxurious property of the Carrington, she didn't expect to 1) to find a dead body, 2) have a chauffeur at her disposal, 3) fall for the elusive Stone Carrington.

With enough twist and turns and hilarious moments to keep your attention, Heather Day Gilbert has promised to be an intriguing new voice in the mystery genre,

Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass
by Heather Day Gilbert
Kensington Books
Lyrical Underground

Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 25 Jun 2019



I am reviewing a copy of Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass through Kensington Books/Lyrical Underground and Netgalley:




Belinda Blake is a pet sitter whose not easily rattled, but move in day has been eventful. The python in hot care managed to slither away in search of freedom just as she meets her landlords disarmingly handsome son Stone Carrington V. One the snake is back in its cage, she heads out to the garden where she discovers a designer shoe poking out of the boxwood hedge, the designer shoe is attached to a dead woman’s body.



Margo Fenton was the victim and had been a Carrington family friend and everyone in their circle is under suspicion. Between client trips to Manhattan and visits her family in upstate New York, Belinda starts to put the pieces together. Though she I’d falling for Stone’s numerous charms but Belinda can’t help but wonder if she’s cozying up to s killer! Soon daily contact with a deadly reptile may end up being the least of her concerns!


I found Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass to be a fun read and worthy of five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grassis the first in author Heather Day Gilbert's new Exotic Pet-Sitter cozy mystery series. When I first heard of the series, I was drawn in by the description, warmed up to it a bit more by the fantastically fun cover, but hooked because of the author. Having thoroughly enjoyed her Viking historical novels, I was definitely up for giving her new cozy contemporary mystery a try. And what fun I had "trying" it, right up to the very end.

Belinda isn't the happily married, successful Blake sister on the cusp of motherhood. No, she's the Doc Marten-wearing, video game reviewing one who is less socially adept. But she has lucked into a rare rental, a carriage house in upper class Greenwich Connecticut. Perfect for her endeavors as an exotic pet-sitter, but when murder occurs in her back yard, Belinda is quickly out of her element in dealing with the family from the main house.

Investigating the murder with the help of the scion of the Carrington family, Belinda finds that her pluck and doggedness are brought to the fore. Her investigation is interesting and entertaining, as her current exotic charge comes into play and more than one possible romantic interest (and future opportunities to explore those possibilities as the series continues) is introduced.

Belinda is just off-center enough to be awkwardly relatable and the various suspects and other players, including the pets in Belinda's charge, add variety, interest, and keep the plot hopping.
A very enjoyable start to a new series and I'm looking forward to reading more. If you are a fan of contemporary cozy mysteries, the Exotic Pet-Sitter series might well become a new favorite. Along with the fun titles and adorable covers, it’s a light read with just the right amount of depth and heart.

This review refers to a digital galley read through NetGalley, courtesy of Kensington Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

The first book in a new exotic pet sitter cozy mystery series.

Belinda Blake is a quirky, delightful character who works as an exotic pet sitter in Greenwich, Connecticut. She has just rented a carriage house next to a huge estate which is the home of the Carrington family. It won't be long until she meets Stone Carrington the Fifth, the adult son of the family. She immediately melts a little bit.

Belinda is pet sitting a ball python for the moment and this made for some fun encounters. There is a lot of humor, an eccentric cast of characters, and a murder mystery that Belinda is determined to solve ( after all, she did find the body in her garden).

Recommend to fans of cozy mystery stories. I thought it was very entertaining and will definitely want to grab the next in the series.

Snake in the Grass is the first book in the Exotic Pet Sitter Cozy Mystery Series.
This is the first book I have read by this author.

In this book we meet Belinda Blake who has two jobs, she is an exotic pet-sitter and a video game reviewer. Yes I said EXOTIC PET SITTER! I love this unique job for the protagonist. Belinda has just gotten to her new rental house in Connecticut and next thing you know, she discovers a body.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Did I mention the ball python? I will let you discover that one for yourself. The characters are really interesting and well developed. The story was so well written and held my attention. The mystery had some unexpected turns and I was surprised by the ending.

I look forward to the next book in this series to see what Belinda is up to next!

Once again Heather Gilbert shows her readers that she is a dab hand at cozy mysteries. A pet sitter babysitting a huge snake doesn’t deter Belinda Blake one bit. She is living in a small apartment on the estate of a super rich family when she finds a dead body in her yard. From then on, Belinda is in a mission to discover the killer. Readers are as well and Gilbert leads us on a merry chase, for I was completely surprised at the identity of the culprit.

* My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass ( Exotic Pet-Sitter #1 )
By: Heather Day Gilbert
Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass is the first book in a new series Exotic Pet-Sitter . Wow, a snake. I stopped reading a few times , because I do not like snakes. Belinda is an Exotic Pet-sitter and is sitting a Ball Python snake. There is murder, mystery, suspense, and romance in this cozy mystery. The story and the characters both are a little quirky. There are twist and turns by the author that will keep you turning the pages and guessing till the end.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley , publisher, and author, but was not told that I had to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass: An Exotic Pet-Sitter Mystery
By Heather Day Gilbert
Lyrical
June 2019

Review by Cynthia Chow

Having a python wrapped around her neck is not an entirely unusual experience for Belinda Blake. It wasn’t what she planned on wearing for a first-time meeting with her landlord Stone Carrington the fifth, but as a Manhattan exotic pet-sitter she’s learned to expect the unexpected. Belinda is attempting to build up a clientele closer to her new home in Greenwich, Connecticut, but unfortunately the carriage house is looking far less appealing after the discovery of a body in the backyard flowerbed. The Louboutin-donning (the foot Belinda sees, anyway) Margo Fenton was last seen attending the billiard party regularly hosted by the Carrington family, and their protective staff are reluctant to spill information. Stone is more than a little concerned that their discretion might lead to the police further being suspicious of his family, which is why he asks for Belinda’s help in questioning those who last saw the victim. Feeling responsible as the body-finder, and more than a little attracted to the charming Stone the fifth, Belinda is drawn into the investigation and the secrets within the Carrington family manor.

As Belinda finds herself helping Margo’s parents clean out her room, she discovers that Margo was hiding many secrets of her own. The evidence Belinda finds, and wisely shares with both the police and Margo’s family, reveals that the young woman’s propensity for falling for the wrong man may have led to her death. It’s a trait that Belinda shares as well, which is why the trusting and often gullible Belinda grows suspicious of Stone as well. She’s right to be concerned, as Belinda soon learns that Stone the Younger has been telling numerous lies about himself, his connection to Margo, and his family. So it’s a relief when Belinda is able to return home for a family Thanksgiving in upstate New York, where her off-the-grid mother rather alarmingly delves into turkey raising and…their preparation for dinner. It also gives Belinda the chance to see a new side of neighboring farmer Jonas Hawthorne, whose participation in a classics bookclub makes him as intriguing as the wealthy but secretive Stone.

This new debut series introduces an adorably quirky heroine, one whose interests make her unique in the mystery world. Not only is Belinda the willing caretaker for pets most people would prefer to remain behind a glass and far away in a zoo, she is a professional video game reviewer in a field mostly filled by men. There are hints that her adventurousness and gamer skills make her a target for crushes and admiration, and it will be intriguing to see how this could further complicate her life. Her complexity definitely makes readers wanting to know more, along with her adorably supportive and protective family. A surfeit of suspects and plot twists keep the reader guessing to the end, and the vast cast of characters promise for more surprises and adventure in the future.

I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I was sold on the premise of this one. A cozy mystery with an exotic pet sitter as main character. I hit request almost immediately after I read the blurb on Netgalley. Sadly this is one of those books that didn't quite hit the mark for me. It had a lot of potential and parts I did like, but the story as a whole failed to fully grab my attention and keep it. In the end I was curious who had done it, so I continued onward even tough after the first chapter I knew this wasn't going to be a book I would fully enjoy.

Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass follows the story of exotic pet sitter and video game reviewer/ article writer Belinda Blake. Belinda just moved to Greenwich to a carriage house. At the end of the book I still have no clue why she insisted on only wanting a carriage house as her house, but this was important to her for some reason. She meets the son of her landlord Stone the fifth when she's out walking Rasputin the snake. Then later that day she stumbles upon a dead body and Stone the fifth ask for her help to figure out who murdered her.

From the first page there was just something that wasn't quite working for me and I am still not quite sure what. Something about the way it was written and the pace and the way the plot continued. It felt almost rushed, but not quite, but things did progress quite quickly and not always in a way that made sense to me.

And all these little things that just didn't work for me and each thing is small in and of itself, but it adds up over the course of the book. Like how she was an exotic pet sitter without much knowledge in said area so far, she seemed afraid and hesitant about the snake at first. I didn't feel her passion or drive for anything and I had a hard time understanding her actions. Then there's the way she gets involved in this mystery that involves people she hardly knows. And then there are things like Stone the fifth and Stone the fourth, somehow it just got on my nerves to have that number behind their names all the time.

There is a bit of potential romance that developed quite quickly, but then she does get annoyed when he didn't tell her something, while one date and one visit to a friend was hardly enough time to get to know someone enough to divulge the kind of information she wanted. She's a game reviewer, but some of the terminology struck me as odd. Maybe it's an attempt to not date the book, but it just made it sound odd and like the author or character didn't know enough about gaming.

I wanted more about her gaming, her exotic pet business and who she was a character. Only later in the book we get a bit of a feel for what she has done in the past, but I just had a hard time getting a good feel for her character and it made it hard to get invested in the story. I also was a bit surprised how Belinda could make enough money while she hardly worked and rarely spend time building her business or anything. She did take care of the snake and gamed a bit, but she mad more than enough time to focus on other things too. I guess I would've liked a bit more focus on her business as a pet sitter and game reviewer as those were parts I was interested in.

The mystery was actually what kept me reading as I was curious to know who was the murderer. I think this is the reason why I haven't DNF'd a cozie yet as there is still a part of me that wants to know the answer. I thought the way Belinda got involved in the mystery felt a bit off, she doesn't know anyone yet in her new town except maybe Stone the fifth who she just met. Then someone gets murdered next to her house and there is not even talk of the police at first, but Stone the fifth goes off talking to everyone and see what they knew. I am not even sure why he got so involved instead of leaving it to the police. As the police actually did seem mostly capable in this book. Anyway so we have Stone the fifth who wants to figure out who is the murderer and Belinda who sort of goes along with him and finds him charming. It just felt off and I didn't really feel that she cared as much about solving this murderer, until later in the book. She gets more involved with the characters involved in the case and by the end it did feel more clear why she was involved.

Then there is the mystery itself, which was pretty decent. There was a big clue very early on in the book that no character seemed to catch and which ruled out a bunch of people for me. And later on another big hint that Belinda missed which solidified my guesses. But besides that there was some solid progression and they did do some smart things. One of my two guesses turned out to be the murderer. There was a great twist when the murderer gets revealed and when the whole truth comes to light. I also liked that there were some moments when you start doubting everyone, but I think that also was easy to do as I didn't really care for many of the characters.

I liked how some of the characters and relationships developed over the course of the book. It was fun to see Belinda visit her parents and her home town as well, although I think a bit more build-up and depth could've been there. I also liked how Belinda grew to like the snake more throughout the book, although she still didn't really strike me as an animal person somehow. I also though there was an interesting development with some of the characters she met during the murder investigation and some of the characters really surprised me with the characters.

To summarize: Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass didn't fully work for me, but I there were also parts I did enjoy. The set-up was a fun one and I liked the idea of an exotic pet sitter. I had a multitude of small things that didn't work for me as well as the pacing and story progression being a bit off at times. It felt a bit off how Belinda got involved in the murder investigation as she hardly knew anyone in town yet. And she goes to help as someone she hardly knew was investigating the murder and asked for her help. And I am still not clear why he didn't leave things up for the police. The mystery itself was quite well done. By the end I had two suspects and one of those was indeed the murderer, but there was an interesting twists that I hadn't anticipated, that did make sense. There also was a point where I could suspect almost everyone, which was interesting, but partly because I didn't really care about anyone. I liked how some of the characters developed and seeing how Belinda interacted with them. And there were characters who ended up going in a different direction than I had anticipated, which was interesting. I just had trouble getting a good feel for Belinda and caring about any of the characters. The house, her business and the town also didn't fully come to live for me. All in all this was a decent start to this series, but it wasn't quite the book for me, even tough I did enjoy parts of it.

3.5 stars for this clean cozy mystery. I first discovered this author with her Murder in the Mountains series and expected a similar dynamic in this one. They are not at all the same (just in case anyone else goes in with the same expectation). This one, while a clean read, is not one I would classify as Christian Fiction. It also reads more like a young adult novel (though the main character is in her 20s).

Belinda Blake has finally found her wings and has moved in to the perfect little carriage house on Carrington estate in Greenwich Village. She's living her dream job as video game reviewer and exotic pet sitter. The book opens while she is taking her latest charge, a ball python named Rasputin, for a walk. As you might imagine from that tidbit, the book is infused with some humor. We are barely into the next chapter when Belinda finds a dead body in her flower bed. The rest of the book shows her adventures and shenanigans as she attempts to discover who the killer was before he strikes again!

All in all, this was a good book with a decent story-line and a clever whodunit. While I suspected the killer at one point and time, I also suspected every other character in the book (outside of Belinda since it's written in first person from her viewpoint), so it was a well-done mystery. I was not too keen on Belinda's flightiness and her introspection seemed a bit immature to me (which is I why I felt this to be more of a young adult novel), but the story was still good and the ending was satisfying. I'd recommend this one to those who enjoy a quick clean cozy mystery read.

I received an advanced e-copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Even though there are murders...this is a humorous book.dealing with an exotic pet sitter. Enjoyed the characters

Strong plot and tightly woven that delivered an all-around enticing mystery that I could not put down, quickly becoming a page-turner. Belinda has two jobs, a video game reviewer and is an exotic pet sitter. Finding the body on the grounds of her new home propels Belinda to seek out answers in this fast-paced and action-packed drama. Fueled by a quirky and eccentric cast of characters, Belinda’s interactions with Rasputin and murder, I was completely enthralled in what I was reading. The narrative was visually descriptive as I pictured each scene as a moving film with engaging dialogue.

The author did a great job in staging this whodunit with a plenty of suspects, some I didn’t know whether to trust or not, strategically placed twists and turns that added to my reading pleasure. I had an inkling of who was the murderer and it was fun to see how it all came to fruition with clues here and there for Belinda to decipher. And I love Belinda’s sense of humor, especially in some of the situations she finds herself up to her neck in. She cracks me up. I enjoyed the role that her family played in with their own individual knowledge that would eventually lead to the killer’s identity.

This was a fun read and I can’t wait to read the next book in this entertaining new series. Wolves. Gotta love it.

This reviewer quickly fell in love with Belinda. Her quirkiness, her dedication to be independent and pursue her own path quickly endeared her to me.
Stone Carrington V quickly dissolved the image his name conjures—wealthy and arrogant and self-absorbed—turning instead, to Belinda as a friend and cohort in his pursuit of a murderer.

A la Father Brown, Murder She Wrote, and Miss Marple, Belinda Blake stumbles into the middle of a murder mystery. And like Father Brown and Jessica Fletcher and Jane Marple, Belinda goes after the murderer like a dog with a bone.
Or a snake with a rat…

Ms. Gilbert has created an authentic character in Belinda, quirky and insecure, determined and resourceful. As the tension between Belinda and Stone builds, so too, does suspense around the murder. Especially when a second body is found.

The story is crisp and tight, never a dull moment, with nail biting scenes, even.


I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.


#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass, Heather Day Gilbert

Belinda Blake has an unusual career, one of pet sitting exotic pets and another one of writing reviews for video games. She wanted to move out of Manhattan and found the perfect spot in a carriage house on a family estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Things start off bad when she discovers a body of a young woman in her back flower bed as she is moving in. It turns out to be that of a friend of the family. Margo was at a billiards party thrown by the son, Stone Carrington the fifth. In between taking care of a ball python and investigating the murder, Belinda is pretty busy. Since her father is a veterinarian in upstate New York, he can help with Belinda's questions concerning pet care. Her sister Katrina is a counselor and is helpful for bouncing ideas around..
This story is different from most mysteries with a snake for a character (seems like one, anyway) but it also has a cast of quirky, colorful characters and many not to be trusted. With lots of twists and turns, this will keep the pages turning and has a surprising ending that I really did not see coming. I am looking forward to the next book.
I received a complimentary ARC from Lyrical Underground and Kensington Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Its a nice change of pace for a story to not have the typical animal type of animals taking center stage! This story is quirky and checks all the boxes for delightful entertainment. With a great plot, and a cast of characters that are wacky and engaging, and a hint of romance, this is a book that you will want to read again and again.

When Belinda Blake steps outside her small carriage house she is renting, she decides to do a little gardening. A big surprise when she finds strangled young woman in the flowerbed. Getting to know some of the people around her, and asking questions involving the murder, she becomes a target herself. When 2 more women are found dead, the target on her gets bigger. A few possible chances at romance, with a couple different guys, but nothing too serious in this first book of the series. As an exotic pet sitter, she is taking care of a snake in this one, and the end has a brief excerpt of the next book, which has wolves. A fun series, and one I highly enjoyed. First books tend to be a little bogged down with introductions, and this is no exception, but still is worth the read. A fun and easy read for the summer. Highly recommend this book and author.

"Enjoyable Little Cozy"

This is an enjoyable little cozy story. Belinda Blake is a pet-sitter. But no ordinary pet-sitter she sits for exotic pets. Her first client needs her to sit for his boa constrictor.. She rents a beautiful little carriage house behind the Carrington Manson with a cute little flower garden. As she starts to check out the garden she discovers a shoe sticking out of it which is connected to a dead body. She tries to help Stone Carrington V solved the mystery of who killed his friend. As the list of possible suspects grow, she and others question whether Stone V's name might need to be on the list. Seems he has some secrets to hide and another of his friend's turn up died in the same place. But it seems Stone V isn't the only one on the Carrinton property with secrets to hide. Will Belinda find herself lain out in the garden?

I enjoyed this little mystery and I think others will too.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher, these are my thoughts on the book.

Interesting story. I have never read a story that included a snake. The author kept me turning the page with details of the mystery and the relationships. I will read more by this author.

Fun start to a new series. Belinda Blake rents a carriage house on the spacious Carrington estate, but she’s a casual country girl at heart. Her relaxed clothing and gamer tee-shirts don’t exactly match the designer shoes on the corpse she finds in the garden.

The Carringtons’ son, Stone the fifth, persuades Belinda to help him investigate because the dead woman was his friend. But is the charming heir using Belinda to hide his guilt?

Between the mystery, the challenges of pet-sitting a large tropical snake, and Belinda’s sense of humour, the pages fly past. And although this is a light-toned cozy mystery, there are some thoughtful observations of human nature. Nothing’s simple, and not much is as it seems.

The book includes a sneak peek at the second installment in the series. Belinda’s next pet-sitting assignment? Wolves. I’ll be in line to read it when it releases.

Heather Day Gilbert is an award-winning author of Viking historical fiction and contemporary suspense as well as the Belinda Blake, Exotic Pet Sitter cozy mystery series.

[Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.]

I love this fun read! Belinda was such a different, quirky girl! She'd be the kind of person I'd want to hang out with, lol!
This was such a fun, light hearted read that kept me guessing till the end. I love a good mystery! Thanks Heather for another good read and thank you Net Gallery for the chance for the free early read!