I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. A great mystery with engaging characters and adorable animals.

Dog-Gone Dead is a true cozy mystery. Murder✔️ Small town✔️ Hint of romance✔️ Amateur Sleuth finding the real murderer✔️✔️ Add in a bed and breakfast and dogs, and Dog-Gone Dead had all the elements of a delightful read. I found the characters in the story very likable and there are plenty of quirky side characters. I didn’t find Andi Grace too pushy as an investigator and the reveal of the murder was a surprise for me. If you like a cozy mystery I would recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc. This is my honest review.

murder, murder-investigation, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, lawyers, family, family-dynamics, friendship, pets, infidelity, small-business, small-town*****

Andi Grace is rather more than a dog walker but also does dog rescue placement and obedience training and is still feels responsible for her siblings that she raised after their parents died in an auto wreck (even though they are now adults). The brother who is a landscaper has been concussed but is the chief suspect for a murder as he was at the scene and without verifiable alibi. Let the sleuthing begin! This book comfortably stands alone.
The characters are wonderful, the world building is great, and the dogs are really special.
I really loved it and had to finish it in one day!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Bell Bridge Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Dog-Gone Dead by Jackie Layton
Book #2: A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery
Source: NetGalley and Bell Bridge Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

**CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOOK ONE**


In the span of a few weeks’ time, Andi Grace Scott has gone from being the proud and very happy owner of a small yet comfortable seaside home to the wary and uncertain owner of a large, old southern plantation. With the help of her best-friend, Andi Grace has decided to convert the big house into a bed and breakfast and some of the outer buildings into sites appropriate for her own ever-expanding dog walking/care business.

Andi Grace has no intention of running the B & B, but she is the ultimate owner and that means making sure everything is up to snuff for the grand opening. With just a few days remaining and a tight budget, Andi Grace has bought her landscaping supplies from her brother’s business and intends to do the heavy lifting herself. However, before Andi Grace can get to work shoveling mulch, she has to deal with the very dead body she’s stumbled upon and her completely disoriented and concussed brother.

With her new boyfriend by her side, Andi Grace dives into another murder investigation. To be fair, Andi Grace didn’t go looking for the dead guy, but she certainly found him and, unfortunately all the evidence points to her younger brother being the killer. With no doubt in her heart or mind about her brother’s innocence, Andi Grace has no choice but to get him out of the sheriff’s line of sight. Given the identity of the victim, finding a football field’s worth of evidence shouldn’t be all that hard to do. All Andi Grace must do is narrow down the suspect pool.

As Andi Grace and entourage investigate, they discover all kinds of dirty little secrets. On top of the investigation, Andi Grace also has a business to run and expand and that’s taking up a tremendous amount of her time. She’s burning the candle at both ends and that makes her deductive skills a bit sluggish which inevitably leads to Andi Grace being knee-deep in trouble.

The Bottom Line: The second installment of this series brought an ironing out of the rough patches from book one and I liked this story even more than the first. The greatest distinction for me is the addition of the plantation to Andi Grace’s world. The expansion of her life and businesses is going to make a great backdrop to later installments of the series. What’s more, with every crime she solves, Andi Grace becomes a little better at sleuthing. I see a ton of potential in this series and sincerely hope the next installments can meet my expectations.

Dog-Gone Dead by Jackie Layton

Low country dog walker, Andi Grace vScott, is happy to score some free mulch from one of her brother’s landscaping jobs - until she discovers the dead body beneath the bark. Worse, her brother’s landscaping tools were used to commit the murder.

I loved this book. It had everything: murder, suspense, romance and running a B&B plus a doggy day care. Can’t wait to to read another one of this author’s books. Andi Grace was a lovely and curious character. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

Dog-Gone Dead is the second book in the series A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery by Jackie Layton.
I read the book thinking that I had it all figured out who committed the murder. But there were several who could have done the deed.
Andi-Grace and her friend Juliet were picking up mulch that her brother Nate got for her to use. While they did find the mulch, they also found a dead body but could not find Nate anywhere. Nate comes stumbling out of the woods and he had been beaten. The combination of the body and how Nate looks sure points the finger at Nate having killed the man.
This is exactly what the police think but Andi-Grace is determined to find out exactly what happen because she knows Nate could not have committed the crime.
This was a cozy mystery that kept me reading but did not draw me in to the story.
Thank you NetGalley, Jackie Layton and BelleBooks, Inc for the book. This is my personal review.

I loved this small coastal town and the characters as well. The mystery was good and well written. I enjoyed an afternoon escape reading this book.
Many thanks to BelleBooks and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Dog-Gone Dead is the second installment in the A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series set in South Carolina and featuring dog walker/plantation owner Andi Grace Scott. Andi Grace is working to convert her recently inherited Kennady Planation into a Bed and Breakfast and Doggie Daycare alongside her best friend, Juliet Reed. An early morning trip to a neighboring plantation to pick up a load of mulch from her brother, Nate leads to the discovery of the body of Corey Lane. Nate is found badly beaten and unconscious nearby.

Police believe that bad blood between Corey and Nate led to a vicious fight between the two men and Nate murdered Corey in a fit of rage. Andi Grace knows that her brother is not a killer and sets out with the help of her friend and lawyer, Marc Williams to track down the real murderer.

Andi Grace quickly learns that Corey has a history of blackmailing members of the tight knit community, an out of control gambling addiction and has also been engaged in an extramarital affair. With a long list of suspects, Andi Grace and her canine partner, Sunny have their work cut out to clear her brother's name.

A well written plot that combines a murder/mystery with a touching family dynamic and burgeoning relationships. Pet lovers will delight at the interaction between Andi Grace and Sunny and Andi Grace's continued efforts to match people with their forever furry friends. A series that will bring a smile to your face.

I received an advanced copy of Dog-Gone Dead from Bell Bridge Books via NetGalley. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Andi Grace is a breath of fresh air. She is kind, compassionate and curious! She and her best friend Juliet begin to add final touches to the B&B. Her brother Nate finds himself in hot water after being attacked. Andi Grace is determined to prove her brothers innocents. All the while opening a new business, finding a love interest and keeping up with her current dog walking clients. This was a fun and well written mystery.
#DogGoneDead #NetGalley

Dog-Gone Dead by Jackie Layton has Andi Grace Scott and her best friend, Juliet Reed out early to pick up mulch from her brother, Nate. They arrive to find Corey Lane dead under a pile of mulch and her brother who looks like he has gone three rounds in the fighting ring. Nate’s tools had been used to kill Corey which has him in handcuffs. Andi Grace has no choice but to dive into the case and track down the real killer. Dog-Gone Dead is the 2nd book in A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery. I had not had the pleasure of reading Bite the Dust, and I found that this did not hinder my reading experience. Everything a reader needs to know is included. There are realistic characters and a small-town feel. I like it when the characters have flaws and struggles. Andi Grace is close to her siblings and her best friend Juliet is like another sister. Andi Grace is busy turning the plantation she inherited into a bed and breakfast with Juliet plus building up her dog walking business. She also has plans for the barn on the estate. But when her brother is accused of a crime, Andi Grace does not hesitate to investigate. There mystery has interesting clues and red herrings that will have you doubting if you arrived at the correct solution. It is fun following Andi Grace along with her family and friends as they work to catch the killer. I was happy that there was a complete wrap up of the case. There are sweet and loyal dogs in this story plus puppies (a little three legged one). I Love how much Andi Grace cares for animals. There is romance in the air in Heyward Beach. Andi Grace is dating a lawyer who makes her heart beat faster. Juliet would love for Nate to see her in a romantic light. Prayer and faith are lightly touched upon in the story. Dog-Gone Dead is a cute cozy with delightful dogs, vibrant VW Bug, murderous mulch, a set-up sibling, curious clues, and a stubborn, sleuthing sister.

This was such a fun cozy! I love the characters, setting, and the ending. The book was well-written, and I enjoyed seeing the family dynamics and supportive friendships.

Andi -Grace has been promised free mulch for her b & b , going to collect it she comes across a dead body. Unfortunately, her brother is the prime suspect and Andi decides to do some sleuthing to clear her brother's name. The characters are believable, there's lots of dogs and it's a good cosy mystery.

DOG-GONE DEAD is the second book in this cozy mystery series. Andi Grace is a sweet southern woman who loves dogs and mysteries. A host of characters who all knew Andi Grace since way back when--friends and enemies alike.
There is a host of red herrings in the story--any one of which could have done it. That made it super hard to figure out who-dun-it.
The characters were super likable and I downloaded book one to find out that story.
There is a sweet beginning romance and a weak faith message.
I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

This was my first Low Country Dog Walker mystery and I do believe that it will not be my last. One thing that stood out to me that makes this cozy different than any other that I have read is the amount of faith that is a part of the central character and her supportive family and friends. It was refreshingly different and was that little something extra that makes me want to read not only the first book but also any future novels that come out as well. Andi Grace, what an unusual name, is a very responsible and caring person who has all the classic cozy character traits. She exhumes grace under pressure as she balances professional pet care, Kennady’s B&B ownership, and building renovations as she works tirelessly to get her brother, Nate, off of the top of the murder suspect list. The victim was a womanizer, a bad gambler, and an embezzler who awarded landscaping and maintenance jobs based on graft. Plenty of people would be happy to see him gone from his wife to a prestigious Richard Rice Plantation board member. This is a tale that twists not unlike a little pug dog’s tail. If there is one thing that Andi Grace has learned from the fatal crash that took her parents is that you must have faith and that the people of Heyward Beach are there for one another through thick and thin, even when the Sheriff’s office would like for Andi Grace to be a little less there in the middle of their investigation.

Dog-Gone Dead by Jackie Layton is the second book in the Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series. Dog walker Andi Grace and her friend Juliet are going to pick up mulch from Andi Grace's brother, Nate, at a job site. They find a body and Andi Grace's injured brother. Even with his injuries, Nate is the police's main suspect. Andi Grace and her friends are determined to solve the mystery. I liked the combination of a B&B (run by Juliet) and a dog business (run by Andi Grace). The southern setting is wonderful, and the mystery kept me waffling back and forth between suspects. I look forward to the next installment.

I love cozy mysteries and was happy to win this one in a Goodreads Giveaway. But I put it down at 34% in. The writing is generally fine, though a little bland. But the plotting just doesn't work for me. The final straw for me is when Andi Grace is questioning a possible witness/suspect, who suddenly confesses to affairs with two married men, gives Andi Grace keys to her house and rendezvous apartment, tells her how afraid she is, but refuses to tell her where the apartment is. She says, "I don't have time to keep talking. I need to hide...Maybe you can find a way to stop him from killing me." When Andi Grace presses her for the location of the apartment (which the woman just GAVE her keys to), the woman says, "It's safer for me if nobody knows, but if you figure it out be careful." What? And it would be one thing if Andi Grace decided the woman was having a breakdown or episode, since none of this makes sense. Instead, she tells her to be careful and that they're there to help her if she changes her mind.

I had been floating along, not totally gripped by the story, but thinking it was okay. But the total lack of logic got to be too much at this point, and I gave up. This book just isn't for me, I guess.

Dog Gone Dead is a terrific cozy mystery. Great plot, characters and setting. Love the main character. A great series. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

An excellent cozy mystery, engrossing and entertaining.
The cast of characters is likable and fleshed out, the setting interesting, and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were complex and relatable, and the addition of dogs made it even more fun. I liked the setting of the book, as well as the plot and storyline which I think was well written.