This reminds me of the Hallmark mystery movies where the ladies are better at solving crimes than the police. Like them, Andi Grace’s determination to find the killer borders on being rash. When she finds her business mentor/dog walking client dead in his home, she’s immediately a suspect. Since her parents’ hit-and-run killer was never found, and the sheriff is under-staffed and overworked, she’ll solve Peter’s murder herself. Helping her is hunky lawyer-turned-boatbuilder Marc Williams, who sensibly keeps her safe and helps her investigation.
Aurora Teagarden would be proud.

I found this first book in the new series which if set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina to be Ccharming and a quick, fun read. The characters were fairly well fleshed out and I look forward to see them develop further. The plot was done well. I was able to guess who had done it by about midpoint but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book. Andi Grace is a great protagonist and I felt that the cast of characters were very entertaining. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I would like to thank Jackie Layton, BelleBooks, Inc. - Bell Bridge Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Cute chick it story loaded with twists, turns and surprises about a dogwalker being accused of murder. The story makes you smile and it will be a delightful summer read. Captivating whodunit.

I encountered a moral dilemma while reading this book:

I've received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. To give the most honest (best informed) review I should read the entire book. But I honestly don't want to continue reading at about 25% of the story.

I don't like how all the characters are responding. It doesn't come off realistic. It would be all right if one of the characters was a bit odd (and the others thought them odd), but all of them? And everyone around them seems to think this is a perfectly normal response? No, that irks my suspension of disbelief.

I don't like how Andi kept referring to her brother and sister as "the kids". At the five year anniverdary of their parents' passing her brother drunk. He was of legal drinking age, so he must have been 16 at the time of death. Only two years younger than Andi. The way she kept saying kids made me think she was at least ten years their senior.

And it irks me that Andi thinks she can do a beter job solving Peter's murder because the police were unable to solve her parents' hit-and-run. Oh, has she solved her parents' hit-and-run? Then what are her credentials?

No, I can't continue reading this story: I don't like the main character and I don't really care about who killed her friend. And that's my honest opinion of this book (so at least the moral dilemma was solved).

Bite the Dust, the first in Jackie Layton’s Low Country Dog Walker series, offers a protagonist with substance, heart and personality. When dog walker Andi Grace discovers the body of her friend and mentor, Peter Roth, little did she know that she would be the prime suspect. Andi enlists boatbuilder Marc Williams as her somewhat reluctant partner in solving the crime.

The characters were engaging and realistic. I enjoyed reading a book with strong family relationships, rather than angst ridden interactions. The plot and the dialogue held my interest throughout. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

South Carolina Cozy Mystery
This is a very good story. It is a cozy mystery that takes place in small-town South Carolina. Our heroine is a dog walker so there are lots of dogs throughout the story. The mystery is very good and has lots of red herrings that get in the way. The back story is heartwarming and tight. There is a religious undertone which is completely in keeping with the story and locale. It is also very refreshing not to hear authors going on about the universe as a sentient being when anyone else would say, God. It was such a good story that I didn't want to put it down. I can't wait to read the next in the series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Brimming with southern charm , Andi Grace is a lovable character, full of determination and spirit. Orphaned when her parents were killed by a driver who didn't stop to help them, Andi Grace abandons her college plans to raise her brother and sister. She is happily running a pet service which she set up with the help of her neighbour, Peter. Now, Peter has been found murdered and partly in order to bring her friend's killer to justice and partly to remove herself from the list of suspects, she embarks on a quest to find the killer. I won't issue any spoilers but there are many interesting twists and turns before we reach a satisfactory conclusion. I really enjoyed this book

An excellent and engrossing cozy mystery that made me discover a new to me series.
I liked the style of writing, the setting, the well thought cast of characters and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading another instalment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Andi Grace raised her two siblings after their parents were killed in a hit and run. Andi Grace strikes up a friendship with Peter, he helps her navigate her new reality. One day she finds him dead in his house while she is there to pick up his dog for walking.
She becomes a murder suspect and tries to find the killer herself and clear her own name.
Marc, Peter’s neighbour, becomes her trusted helper and protector, and maybe even more.

So that’s the story, they find suspects, get attacked, scared and threatened. I don’t really like the writing style and I struggled to get through the book. I have no idea why the double names remain, I find it annoying, just like the phrase counting to ten in French in her head. Why in French?
Also there is a lot of mention of religion that I felt is forced and maybe even a bit out of place.

The story is ok, but the writing didn’t do it for me.

As a first in a new series, I found this book to be quite good.
Andi is a solid character, who has been raising her siblings since the death of their parents.
Putting her life on hold, she’s now a dog walker, but when she stumbles over a dead body, things go bad quickly.
I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for Andi.

I enjoyed the story. I liked the characters and particularly the dogs Chubby and Sunny. I don't particularly like the writing style, it feels abrupt and jerky. The reveal of the murderer was interesting and a surprise although the main character Andi Grace had narrowed down the suspects to mostly the murderer. #BitetheDust #NetGalley

This is a well written cozy mystery with great characters, but the pace is a little slow and there are some minor logical errors. It's very good entertainment, and I look forward to the next book.

This was hard to put down once I started reading it. The storyline was great and fast moving and really kept you turning the pages. The mystery was great and the ending was a neat twist. Love the sense of family in this book.

This is a fun cozy mystery mashup with a low country southern story. Our plucky heroine has a distinctive background, having raised her brother and sister after they are orphaned. This loss, compounded by the murder of a close friend, provokes her to avenge a close friend's death. All of this effort is with the help of the local hunky boat builder. I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery, my only request is MORE dogs as part of the story tapestry. I look forward to more in this series.

After the hit and run death of her parents, eighteen-year old Andi Grace Scott raised her two younger siblings. Twelve years later and now the owner of a dog walking business, Andi arrives at her friend Peter’s house and finds him dead on the floor. Worried that the police will think she killed him, Andi searches for clues with the unwilling help of Peter’s neighbor, lawyer and boat builder Marc Williams. All in all, a pleasant first book in the series, but I felt there was too much intrusive questioning of the people in the town. Also, the repetitiveness of Andi being told to stay out of the investigation made the story seem to drag on. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)