This is such a fun series and while I am seriously glad Phee's mother is not my mother her antics continuously entertain me! Sun City West is jammed full of action this holiday season with a dog costume contest taking top billing and a murder and a few other things filling in the rest. Phee and the PI firm she works for is mostly interested in the murder but they can't help but get sucked into the rest of the drama. I found the mystery solid and well done even if it did feel a touch convoluted at times. I really enjoyed seeing Phee and Marshall's relationship in this next stage and I really enjoyed that mystery unravels over the course of months. While St. Patrick's Day does feature at the very tail end of the book there's also quite a bit of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas - and you do not want to miss Thanksgiving in Sun City West! This is a well done and thoroughly entertaining series and I can't wait to find out what happens next! While this is the 6th book in the series I think this can be read as a stand alone though you are missing 5 other really entertaining mysteries if you go that route.

The holiday season has arrived and bookkeeper/amateur sleuth, Sophie “Phee” Kimball, would love nothing more than to enjoy the comforts of her new home with her detective boyfriend near Arizona’s Sun City West. Instead, her mother Harriet wants to showcase her chiweenie Streetman in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza costume events. The festivities begin in October and end on St. Patrick’s Day, with the winner starring in the St. Pat’s Day parade. But things quickly turn an awful shade of green when Streetman uncovers a dead body under a tarp-covered grill in the neighbor’s yard.

The victim is Cameron Tully, a seafood distributor working out of Phoenix, who died from ingesting a toxic sago palm leaf. Before the police can even find a motive and suspect, another Precious Pooch owner nearly dies from the same poison. With Harriet believing someone’s targeting her and Streetman because of the costume contests, Phee will need a potful of Irish luck to sniff out a killer.

I found myself laughing at all the hilarious situations that Phee finds herself in thanks to Harriet and her friends because of the costume parades. I have enjoyed watching the relationship between Phee and Marshall develop since the beginning, and like that they are taking it to the next step by moving into together. I wish that the author had included sketches of Streetman in his different costumes, she did do a nice job of describing the costumes but sometimes a picture is just better than a description. I did like that Phee's daughter can for a visit for the holidays but would have liked her to be in the story longer so we could get to know her a little bit better than just a quick hello and goodbye. I look forward to reading the next book in the series Broadcast 4 Murder to see what the kind of situations the characters find themselves involved in.

I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley for my honest book review.

Dressed Up 4 Murder

by J.C. Eaton

Sun City West, a retirement community in Arizona, is the setting for a cozy mystery series featuring Sophie Kimball, an accountant for Williams Investigations. Sophie uses her deductive reasoning skills to help with cases that her boss Nate and boyfriend Marshall are called upon to investigate, often by the county sheriff’s office.

Dressed Up 4 Murder is a combination of humor, thanks to Sophie’s persistent mother Harriet and her gossipy friends, and mystery involving murder, affairs, and seafood. The star of the book in so many ways is Harriet’s chiweenie, Streetman. He competes in a series of doggy parades dressed in themed costumes designed especially for him by Harriet’s friend Shirley. When Streetman literally uncovers a body, Sophie and Marshall are on the scene. Harriet depends on Sophie to solve the case and, meanwhile, keeps Sophie regularly updated on the developments of Streetman’s costumes.

The doggy parade and the banter of Harriet and her friends will leave you smiling and chuckling, while the red herrings will keep you turning pages to solve the mysteries. Do all the threads tie together or are there actually several cases and multiple villains?

I would like to extend my thanks to Netgalley 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: #6 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone.

Publication: February 25, 2020—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

…my mother used all of her available time to drive me nuts. Endless phone calls about doggie designer clothes and the Halloween pet parade. I was looking forward to this first spectacle of the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza as much as a root canal.

…I got to enjoy three or four minutes of blissful silence. Until my mother opened her mouth. “Phee is investigating those poisonings. It’s very hush-hush.” If it’s so hush-hush, why is she announcing it at gossip’s epicenter?”

By now I was getting really antsy, and apparently I wasn’t the only one. “Dish the dirt, Myrna,” Louise said, “while most of us still have our hearing.”

This is book 6 in the Sophie Kimball series and it's a good one. Sophie gets roped into helping her mother with a series of dog shows for the holidays. She is busy with her job as bookkeeper, part time investigator for the PI she works for and moving into her new digs with boyfriend detective in Arizona. Pet lovers will enjoy this series and won't want to miss the adventures of Streetman, mom's Dachshund/ chihuahua mix. The costumes sound divine. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Dressed Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is the sixth book in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. Phee's mother is focused on the retirement community's pet costume contest, a three part event that she is determined Streetman will win. Streetman has other ideas when he sniffs out a dead body in the neighbor's back yard. Phee tries to keep her mother's focus on the contest while Phee keeps her focus on the murder. The mystery portion is not as strong with plenty of obvious clues left along the way. Still I love the characters so much that it was not a deal breaker. I can hardly wait to see what Phee's mother gets into next.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

his complex, hilarious cozy mystery is a great read! I have enjoyed this series from the beginning, and each one is better than the previous. The setting in the senior-living community of Sun City West, Arizona, is familiar to me and represents the SW desert well. While most of the seniors I’ve met are a bit less…over-the-top than the ones in the Booked 4 Murder book club, the characters simply make this novel what it is. They are lovable even if a bit eccentric. The mystery has many strands reaching throughout the Greater Phoenix area and is nearly impossible to solve.

It is almost Halloween, and Sun City West is beginning a Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza. It is a series of three parades of pampered pets. The pups will wear custom-made costumes for each of the upcoming holidays, the first one for Halloween, then one for Thanksgiving, with the final one for Hanukkah/ Christmas. Whoever accumulates the most winning points from the three will win a special spa vacation, and Harriet Plunkett is going to any lengths to win. Streetman, her Chiweenie, is like a second child to Harriet, and nothing is too good for the boy.

Phee is Harriet’s daughter who came to Arizona a couple years ago when the Booked 4 Murder group stumbled over their first real-life murder. She was offered a job by Nate, of Williams Investigations, who had been a detective in the Mankato MN police department where she was an accountant. Since then, Marshall, another detective from Mankato, has moved to work for Nate. Marshall and Phee since learned how each had a crush on the other for years, began dating, and are now moving in together.

Phee was at Harriet’s to see one of Streetman’s costumes when he had to go outside. Since the day before, the pup had been sniffing around the tarp on the neighbors’ outdoor grill. Again, he raced to the tarp and tries to tug it off. Streetman has gained a nose for adventure, as under the tarp is a body. As in, a dead man who clearly is not a resident of Sun City West, as he is well under 55 years old.

Harriet is beside herself, especially when seeing who the deputies/ detectives on the case are. She wants Williams Investigations involved, patrols stepped up, because after all, a killer was just outside her back patio! The Sheriff’s department does call in Williams as a consultant, especially when they learn the unusual cause of death. And when another woman walking her dog through the costume parade, Elaine, is taken seriously ill, resulting from the same thing that killed Cameron, things get really weird.

The good news is that Streetman won 2nd place in the Halloween-costume contest, thanks to the talented designing and needle-wielding skills of Harriet’s friend, Shirley. The first-place winner, Phyllis Gruber with her pedigreed pooch has a potential for causing problems, especially when Streetman takes first prize in the Thanksgiving-themed contest. She issues a threat to Phee regarding her mother and Streetman. Seriously? The woman who thankfully hadn’t died from the unusual poisoning thought Mrs. Gruber to be the cause of it.

There seems to be no connection between Cameron or Elaine, but the detectives and PI’s find several connections around the Phoenix area. Seafood, high-end restaurants and natural dog food, even a couple affairs and a naked runner in Sun City West on Halloween bring challenges and laughter.

The characters are very well-defined, especially Phee, Marshall, and Harriet. I like Phee in many ways as well as Harriet, even though Harriet is best in small doses. Phee is great at gathering information and putting it together into theories of possible motives. She and Marshall compliment each other, working well together. Marshall is a saint to be as kind and accommodating to Harriet and her friends so well!

Enough backstory is included so this can be read as a standalone, but once you read one, you will want to read the rest! Plot twists and turns kept me on my toes! One thing I appreciated was how the mystery wasn’t solved in a day or two but over a period of weeks. Just when I thought I figured out one thing, something else came up to change my mind. Of all the various pieces, I figured out only one part of it. The end is very satisfactory, especially the December costume parade, with no loose ends outstanding. I highly recommend it!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

This was my first read in this series and now I want to start at the beginning. Phee was a fun character as is Streetman. Loved reading about the different costumes each dog wore in this mystery, had a good chuckle over some of them.

The mystery was good with plenty of twists and turns, the characters were likeable and the animals were adorable. A great read

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

Sophie is visiting her mom when the adorable Streetman goes crazy over a tarp covered grill in the neighbors yard. When he us is it off they quickly find a dead body underneath. Concerned for her safety her mom demands Sophie investigates so with the help of her boyfriend and boss she does just that. The problem is that she finds answers to just About everything but what she is looking for. This is all mixed around some fantastic pet festivals, a move to new shared home with the boyfriend, and life in retirement community. Makes for a wonderful book that housing want to put down. A must read for cozy fans and dog lovers. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

Dressed Up 4 Murder” by J.C. Eaton is the 6th instalment in the "Sophie Kimball Mystery" series. I really enjoy this series and have bought all of them in paperback.

Last one standing is the winner . . .

The holiday season has arrived and bookkeeper/amateur sleuth, Sophie “Phee” Kimball, would love nothing more than to enjoy the comforts of her new home with her detective boyfriend near Arizona’s Sun City West. Instead, her mother Harriet wants to showcase her chiweenie-chihuahua-dachshund Streetman in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza costume events. The festivities begin in October and end on St. Patrick’s Day—with the winner starring in the St. Pat’s Day parade. But things quickly turn an awful shade of green when Streetman uncovers a dead body under a tarp-covered grill in the neighbor’s yard.

The victim is Cameron Tully, a seafood distributor working out of Phoenix, who died from ingesting a toxic sago palm leaf. Before the police can even find a motive and suspect, another Precious Pooch owner nearly dies from the same poison. With Harriet believing someone’s targeting her and Streetman because of the costume contests, Phee will need a potful of Irish luck to sniff out a killer . .

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one sitting. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. There is plenty of humour, too with Harriet and Streetman her Chiweenie and the rest of her crew from the Sun City Retirement Community.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

There is always something happening at Sun City West. The new thing is the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza and Harriet Plunkett plans to enter her chiweenie-chihuahua-dachshund Streetman in the event for each holiday starting with Halloween right through St. Patrick’s Day. Her friend Shirley is making his costumes and she knows he is going to win big. Streetman is not thrilled with the costumes at all, he is more concerned with a tarp in the neighbor’s yard.

When Sophie “Phee” Kimball arrives at her mother’s the dog is frantic to go outside. They open the backdoor and Streetman lunges out pulling the leash and Harriet right to the tarp-covered grill where they notice a pair of shoes. When Phee carefully pulls the tarp back they find a man attached to the shoes, but he won’t be grilling anytime soon. Neither woman recognizes the man. He is later identified as Cameron Tully from Phoenix. He is a seafood distributor and he was poisoned by a toxic sago palm leaf.

Police are having a hard time solving the murder but then a woman at a Precious Pooches event almost dies from the same thing. Harriet is afraid she and Streetman could be next. The police finally admit they need help and request Williams Investigations to assist on the case. This means Marshall and Phee are investigating but even they are having trouble. With Harriet nagging them at every move they know they need to solve this case and fast.

These characters are so much fun. You have Harriet and her friends and they are a hoot! You also have the team at Williams Investigations, Nate Williams is a retired detective from Mankato, Minnesota. Augusta keeps the office running and helps with cases too. Phee works for him as a bookkeeper but is turning out to be a great amateur sleuth. When business picked up he lured Marshall, another Mankato detective down to Arizona. Phee was thrilled because she had had a crush on him for years and now they are moving in together. All these characters are so well developed, I can easily picture each one in my mind clearly. The places and events are described wonderfully too. It was so easy to imagine all the dogs and their owners parading around the park and all the chaos that erupts all around them.

Dog lover that I am Streetman does steal the show for me.

The mystery was a puzzler, with several red herrings. It took some serious digging for Phee to start bring things into focus and then the rest of the clues started to fall into place. I love the couple Marshall and Phee are becoming. They make a great team in all aspects of their life. I really enjoyed they worked together on this case, knowing each other’s strengths. It was a lot of fun following them step by step because I was completely in the dark right up to the reveal.

I have to take a moment to compliment the creativeness of the costumes the authors dreamed up for Shirley to create. Detailed and well-crafted and much more complicated than the one Streetman is wearing on the cover. Each described in vivid detail. The attention to detail the authors bring to these costumes and the whole book overall is what really makes this story and the others in this series must-reads for me.

Dressed Up 4 Murder is entertaining and captivating. The characters are strong and relatable and I can’t wait to see what they get themselves into next.

If you like your cozy mysteries to be filled with humor and a complex mystery that will have you really thinking, this is the perfect book for you.

Sophie “Phee” Kimball has just moved into a new house with her private detective boyfriend, Marshall. She is visiting her mother Harriet in nearby Sun City West, Arizona when her mom's dog discovers a dead body under the neighbor's barbecue grill. They learn the victim is Cameron Tully, a distributor for a local seafood company. Although Sophie is an accountant and not a detective for the agency in which Marshall work, she gets involved in trying to solve the case before the killer strikes again.

This is the sixth book in this fun series. I enjoyed the first book but somehow missed the others. I enjoyed this book so much I plan to go back and read some of the books I've missed. There are a lot of details about life in Sun City as well as the investigation. I like that Phee, Marshall, and their boss Nate work together to find evidence and then share what they've found with each other and trade theories. The book is fast-paced and entertaining. There are more suspects and possible motives than it looked like at first, but Phee refuses to give up.

In addition to the search for the killer, there are light moments with Harriet's dog Streetman that supply plenty of humor. Harriet insists on entering Streetman in a series of holiday-themed dog costume contests. The parade of dogs wearing their elaborate costumes would put a New York runway show to shame! Streetman gets into trouble but the parades as well a trips to the dog park provide Phee with the perfect venues to question witnesses and gather clues.

The investigation gets complicated, but through perseverance, Phee, Marshall, and Nate are able to put all the clues together to solve the case. The book has a cute ending with the mischievous but adorable Streetman getting the last laugh.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

I love Phee, her mom, Streetman (the dog), and all the secondary characters. Together, they make for a fun and wonderful cozy series. I look forward to reading every book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

Dressed Up 4 Murder is a cozy mystery set in Arizona. Phee Kimball is settling in at her new home with her boyfriend, Marshall, who is a detective. She gets involved in detecting herself after her mother's dog Streetman discovers a body under a neighbor's tarpaulin covered grill. He has been poisoned. Streetman, a mischievous chiweenie, is scheduled to compete in several holiday theme pet costume contests. When one of the other pet owners ingests the same poison that the neighbor did, Phee and Marshall look for clues to connect the two cases.

I wanted to read Dressed Up 4 Murder because I enjoyed a previous book in this series. I especially love reading about Streetman the chiweenie (dachshund - chihuahua mix), since I love dachshunds and dogs in general.

Phee is a likable and smart character. I enjoy seeing her work to solve cases, especially alongside Marshall. Their relationship adds another layer to the story.

I also liked the holiday pet parades that were featured through the book. They were a lot of fun. Streetman has a real knack for finding mischief wherever he goes! I have to admit I laughed out loud with his adventure involving a giant inflatable turkey at one of the events.

There were little touches of humor (usually involving Streetman) like this description of the walking map Phee's mother made for him:

"I had completely forgotten about the walking map. My mother put more effort into Streetman's map than National Geographic did with any of theirs. She had painstakingly noted every rock, bush, pole, and mailbox he liked to lift his leg on. In addition, she had circled all of the yards that were off-limits to him and had included anecdotal notes on the bottom of the map with such tidbits as 'Crazy screaming lady will come out of the house if the dog so much as steps foot on her gravel.'" (Kindle location 671)

The mystery in this story was particularly interesting since there were connections between pet parade participants and also a seafood company. Having two strong mystery leads led to extra detecting for Phee.

I recommend Dressed Up 4 Murder, and this series, for fans of cozy mysteries featuring dogs. This is a fun series and I already look forward to the next book by J.C. Eaton.

It’s another zany adventure for Phee, her mother Harriet, and her private detective co-workers in Dressed Up 4 Murder.

You would expect retirement to be a time of quiet reflection on a life well-lived. But in Sun City West, the giant planned retirement community in Arizona, you would be wrong. Strongman, Harriet’s Chiweenie, finds a dead body in the absent neighbor’s yard. At least he is from out-of-town. But his murder method is uniquely Arizonian. [Since I live close by, I looked it up and the method used is valid.] In the meantime, a snobby purebred dog owner is ruining the local dog show for Streetman. In addition, Phee and her boyfriend are moving into their first house together.

Harriet and Phee’s lives are a whirlwind of zany adventures. Harriet and Streetman are so realistic that I want to move to Sun City West to hang out with them. It is also nice to see Phee moving forward with her life with Marshall. The mystery was a real challenge to solve too. Dressed Up 4 Murder is a 5-star must read for cozy fans looking for an outstanding combination of mystery, romance and humor!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ohh this was just too stinking cute with the Holiday Extravaganza costumes and parade and the dogs being involved in the body mystery. I almost always adore any story with a doggie in it but this one was just over the top fun and I enjoyed that the culprit wasn't as obvious as most are.

Phee is an accountant and that isn't the kind of job that would seem to be all that exciting. When the job is being the accountant for a PI it might be a bit more interesting. In the world of Phee, dead bodies come her way with too much frequency. This time, her mother's pup, a Chiweenie, Streetman, is the one to find the dead body. It's under the neighbor's BBQ tarp and he was poisoned. When a second person, a woman from the dog park, is also poisoned but survives, Phee is asked to see what she can find out. As the poisonings are being investigated, Phee's mother, Harriett, is laser focused on getting Streetman entered in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza - a contest in three parts complete with elaborate costuming. Harriett is determined that Streetman will be the winner.
Between the homicide investigating and the antics of the pooch extravaganza entrants the laughs are plentiful. The senior ladies of the Booked 4 Murder book club are a hoot. The puzzle is full of red herrings, twists and turns and it all makes for a great read. The perfect escape on a cold wet winter day.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is Book six in the "Sophie Kimball Mystery Series . I have read the entire series and found each book delightful and fun to read. I love returning to this series to Sophie, her hysterically funny Mother and the retirement community they live in. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own. I love that the author features seniors in this series as part of the narrative and important to the community. Very appreciated by this senior reader.

In this next in series we find our intripd protagonist Sophie working for a investigative firm alongside her adorable boyfriend Marshall who is a former police officer. When her Mother's adorable Chiweenie, Streetman takes off across a street and finds a dead body Sophie and Marshall are asked to assist the local police on the case as they have a good reputation for solving murders. The fun begins with her Mom and seniors involved and Sophie on the case determined to find the answers.

i love this series for the great charcters, the setting of a senior community and Sophie who is the heart of the series with humor, fun and great investigation skills. I hope this series will continue for many years to come. .Well done to the author. I look forward to the next in series.

Sketchy seafood and a canine costumes is a backdrop for the latest Sophie "Phee" Kimball mystery. This series has me laughing out loud, between Phee's Mom (Harriet Plunkett) and her dog Streetman and the Booked 4 Murder book group ladies these books are definite page-turners. It starts out with Streetman finding a dead body under the grill in the neighbor's yard, so now Harriet is sure that Streetman is well on his way to being a cadaver dog. Not to mention that Harriet is going to drive Phee crazy until Nate Williams (Phee's former coworker from Minnesota) and Marshall Gregory (also a former coworker and now her boyfriend) of William's Investigations sort the matter out since Harriet is sure the local police detectives are no different than the Keystone Cops. Truth be told, it does seem that they need to consult with William's Investigations more often than not. There are multiple suspects and multiple plots and in the middle of it all is a series of three canine holiday-related fashion shows that could rival the pomp and circumstance of Milan, not to mention the attitudes of the competitors. Thank goodness Phee is level headed and has a very supportive boyfriend to live with who is completely open to her brainstorming the case and coming up with very viable leads. I very much like the different qualities of the characters as well as the interpersonal interactions. This is a light-hearted and fun book much like the ones that came before it.

Amusing and charming cozy mystery. The dog contest adds to the fun. Several possible culprits and reasons for the crimes. Not all is as obvious as one thinks. I look forward to reading the next one in this delightful series.