This is the third book in a series, but it could be read as a standalone also (which I did). The plot moves along at a good speed and held my interest. Jazz is a great protagonist and a thoroughly well developed character. I found this to be not only intriguing and well plotted but entertaining as well.

As the third book in a series, A Trail of Lies is a solid addition to Kiley Logan's series. In this book, we get better acquainted with Nick's mother, Kim, who seems certain that there's a dead body in her backyard. When Jazz and Wally, cadaver dog trainee, arrive, there is no sign of a body. Jazz sets out to solve the mystery after a body is found not far from Kim's home. I enjoyed the mystery and the relationship growth between Jazz and Nick, and look forward to seeing what comes next for them.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

136 A Trail of Lies

Hey folks, daddy Steve here again with some more doggiebook talk. This one is the third book in the Jazz Ramsey series, A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan.

Some of you might remember that I reviewed the first two books of the series, The Scent of Murder and The Secret of Bones, in one big review last year, in July 2020 to be more precise. I’ll provide a link to that review at the end of this post.

This book is very much in line with the first two which is a pretty good cosy mystery. This third installment builds on the first two and ads quite a bit of background story to Jazz and her boyfriend Nick. While it could easily be read as a standalone, I’d recommend reading them in order.

Reminder that Jazz is a handler/trainer of cadaver dogs. That’s not something we see that often on books of this type. In my previous review of this series I’d mentionned that there could have been a little more dog action. I’d say there is a little more of it in this book.

This book, and the series as a whole, is a recommended read for me. It’s clear that the main character lives for her dog(s). Just as with the first two books, no dog is injured in this one.

Huge thanks to NetGalley who provided a free eBook advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This is as honest as it gets... This book is currently available for sale.

#Malcolmstories #doggiebooks
#NetGalley #ATrailOfLies

Here’s the link to my review of the first two books in the series:
https://www.facebook.com/malcolmstories/posts/647494262526547/

Jazz is a great protagonist and gets to deal with her new-ish beau's mother this time, when Kim calls and says a body is in her backyard. Well, not anymore, but it is soon found and the investigating begins. I like the progression of the relationships as the books have gone on.

Jazz gets a call from her boyfriend Nick's alcoholic mother, Kim, in the middle of the night when he is away on assignment. She claims there is a dead man in her backyard. Jazz arrives at Kim's with her dog Wally, who she is training to be a human remains detection dog. Wally finds no evidence of a body in the backyard but when a man is found dead a couple of miles away from Kim's with a photo of Kim and her son in his pocket, there are more questions than answers. This is the third book of the series and I feel it is always best to read them in order to see how the relationships between the main characters develop over time. As the story evolves we see how Kim's alcoholism affected Nick growing up and continues to shape their relationship as well as her relationship with Jazz and how it affects her memory and perception. The characters are realistic and the story is well written with plenty of suspects and teasers until Jazz begins to solve the mystery.
I will definitely check out the other books in the series. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Jazz Ramsey’s main job is working at the school. While her boyfriend Nick is out of town, it also includes checking on his mom, Kim. That’s more of a monumental task than a job. Kim is an alcoholic.

When Jazz gets a call from Kim demanding she come over right away, the story is there’s a dead guy in her back yard. Of course, when Jazz gets there, no body. However, that is disputed by Jazz’s own dog and a backup dog—a cadaver dog in training and a retired cadaver dog who both say, there was a body. The questions become who was it and where the heck is he now.

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Everything is more complicated when Jazz finds out Kim knew the dead man. With Kim’s mind so fogged with booze, it’s hard to say what she remembers and what’s she’s seen in a liquored up dream.

Just out of prison after thirty years, the dead man hardly had time to get used to his freedom before it was taken away permanently. Jazz is determined to find the truth. With Nick out of town, she’s on her own and taking risks she shouldn’t.

This is book three of the series. I love reading about the cadaver dogs and all they can do, and wish there was more about them. Jazz is a character you’d like to know but wouldn’t want to go along with as she confronts suspects. With romance going strong between Jazz and Nick, Kim is going to be in their lives. It’s do or die time. Literally.

This is a great read. It can be enjoyed as part of the series or a standalone. The protagonist Jazz is a strong, well-developed character. The mystery is full of suspense, surprises, and moves at a great pace. This is a great addition to the series and I eagerly await more.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

In A TRAIL OF LIES, the third mystery featuring cadaver dog trainer Jazz Ramsey, Jazz faces another murder while dealing with her boyfriend Nick’s alcoholic mother Kim. Full of suspense, secrets, and revelations, it is sure to please fans of author Kylie Logan and traditional mystery readers alike.

Nick is tied up with a gang task force, and, though Jazz does not care for his mother Kim, she feels obligated to keep an eye on her while Nick is out of pocket. When Kim calls in the middle of the night claiming Nick is dead in her backyard, Jazz rushes right over. However, there is no body to be found, and her human remains trainee dog finds no trace of anyone. When a body is found the next day in a nearby park in possession of a photo of Kim and Nick, Kim changes her story then clams up. Jazz digs deep in to the victim’s, and Kim’s, past to get to the truth…even though Nick is afraid of what she might find.

I have enjoyed author Kylie Logan’s cozy mysteries over the years, and this excellent series is a bit darker. That said it does still have plenty of lighter moments to counter the heavier bits. Logan handles Kim’s alcohol addiction with a deft hand and does not shy away from its ugliness and devastating effect of others. Readers learn a great deal about Nick within these pages, and I appreciate this honest look at how his past shaped the man he has become. Jazz is a strong, intelligent protagonist, and I think we could be friends in real life. Logan surrounds her with vivid coworkers and friends that add variety and interest to the story. There are lots of clues and red herrings to work through, and though I figured some things out before Jazz I did not work it all out until the end.

A TRAIL OF LIES is a great mystery with quality writing and endearing characters. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC of this title from Minotaur Books through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

This series has gotten better with each book, & a 3.5 star rating might be most accurate.... I especially like the kind of unusual setting in Cleveland & the protagonist working in a parochial girl's school.... & I like the continuing characters in her private life & at work. It all seems kind of realistic. It's a good book, a pretty easy read that moves right along. The series offers a little bit of several aspects, a mystery & a little romance, some family & work drama, something for the dog lovers. It's all done with no overt violence & gore, no sex or bad language.........yeah, it's a good read! I'd recommend this series to everyone!
I received an e-ARC from publisher St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley, after offering to read it & post my own fair/honest review.

A Trail of Lies is the third in the series with Jazz Ramsey as its main character. Jazz is training her dog to be a cadaver dog. She is also an administrative assistant. for St. Catherine’s Preparatory Academy, an all-girls school.

The story starts with Kim, her boyfriend's mother also an alcoholic, calls Jazz in the middle of the night that there is a dead body in the back yard and she killed him. But by the time Jazz arrives there is no evidence that this is true. Kim treats Jazz badly when she questions what Kim thinks she saw. Jazz will continue to try to get to the bottom of the missing dead man which turns up in another part of town. It will take Jazz a lot of patience trying to get Kim to tell her the truth before she will be able to put all the pieces together.

This book can definitely be a stand alone read. I was hoping for more information on the training and the dog to be more a part of solving the mystery. It is a quick read that holds your interest until the end.

This is the 3rd in a Cleveland mystery series starring Jazz Ramsey and her cadaver dog in training, Wally.

With her boyfriend out of town, his alcoholic mother calls Kim in the middle of the night about a dead man in her backyard. A body is soon found, but not in the backyard.

As always, Jazz persists investigating, despite threats, and follows leads to a shocking conclusion.

A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan Third book in the Jazz Ramsey series. Faced paced, cozy mystery with some interesting twists. Would like to have seen Wally more involved instead of being crated most of the time. Learned more of Jazz and Nick's relationship and Jazz's interactions with Kim, Nick's mother.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Not quite the "cozy" mystery I thought it would be, that I am use to from author Kylie Logan, A TRAIL OF LIES was an intriguing story that left me breathless by the end. The author packed a lot into the 320 pages of this mystery, and had me turning the pages quicker and quicker as I reached the I-never-saw-it-coming conclusion.

Jazz is back and gets involved in a mystery that nobody wants her involved in. We find out more about Nick and his mother and their past as the victim has a picture of them in his pocket. Jazz has an insatiable curiosity and is as stubborn as her Airedale, Wally. This is a terrific mystery with enough twists to keep you guessing without overwhelming you.

Princess Fuzzypants here: the title of this book is anything but a lie. It all starts with a frantic call from Nick’s alcoholic mother. Nick is dead in her backyard according to her hysterical call and when Jazz rushes over, she finds neither Nick, who is on assignment, nor any other body in the yard. This is but the beginning of a rollercoaster ride of hazy alcoholic memories and the death of someone who may, or may not, have a great deal to do with both Nick and his mother. Trying to sort through what is fantasy and what is real, Jazz brings in cadaver dogs, including her own trainee, Wally to see if the scent is there. She is surprised when she realizes that the recently discovered corpse and the scent belong to the same person.

But by asking questions, Jazz puts herself in the crosshairs of a killer and a desperate one at that. There is more to the mystery than the identity of the murderer and as the story begins to fall into place, it is going to lead Jazz to a very unexpected and disturbing conclusion where both the reader and Jazz are shocked by the revelation of the villain.. it is well told and keeps the reader gripped to the end.

Five purrs and two paws up.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Jazz Ramsey works at St. Catherine’s Preparatory Academy, an all-girls school as an administrative assistant. She handles the day-to-day details to keep the school running smoothly. Right now her focus is on the Fall Formal which she will be attending without her boyfriend Nick because he is on assignment with a gang task force. It’s a dangerous job that causes Jazz constant worry. So when she gets a call in the middle of the night from Nick’s mother, Kim, saying she needs Jazz right away because “it’s Nick . . . Nick, he’s . . . he’s dead in my backyard”, she rushes to Kim’s house while trying to reach Nick but her call goes to voice mail. She arrives at Kim’s house and hurries to the backyard but after a quick search, she doesn’t find a body. Nick or anyone else. Kim is a “raging alcoholic” so not the most reliable witness so Jazz is not totally surprised. Kim also changes her story, saying it wasn’t Nick but a different man and that she killed him. Jazz stays long enough to calm Kim down and then goes home thinking Kim’s story is a drunken illusion.

Then Dan Mansfield is found dead in a park near Kim’s house. He has a photo of a younger Kim and Nick in his pocket. Kim claims not to know the man but clues leads Jazz to believe Kim is lying. Now Jazz has more questions than answers and she fears there will be a whole trail of lies before this case is solved.

Jazz is an excellent protagonist. She is smart, strong but tenderhearted too. She has tried to stay away from Kim but with Nick out of town, she feels she needs to stay present in Kim’s life not only to solve a murder but because she starts to see Nick’s life growing up. She realizes he was more parent than child in the relationship with his mom. I appreciated the way the author dealt with Kim’s alcoholism. It was very realistically portrayed, and it does give the story a more serious tone than what we usually find in a cozy mystery. Ms. Logan does a great job though of balancing the darker tone with some fun things too. I love the relationship Jazz has with her co-workers. They are truly friends and support each other. Sister Eileen does something surprising in this story and it makes me like her even more. Of course, a certain Airedale named Wally lightens the story up too. Still, in training his antics bring the humor when needed. I thought all the core characters developed over the course of the story but I was really caught up in what we learned about Nick’s life.

The mystery was extremely well-plotted. It really focused on Kim’s life and the people in it over the years. With some nice twists and suspenseful moments the book really held my attention. Ms. Logan gave us plenty of suspects but several red herrings too that made it very hard to pin down the actual killer. Jazz truly was like a dog with a bone. Even when her own life was in peril she did not give up. That made for a very exciting story from beginning to end.

The title A Trail of A Lies fits this story so well. While it can be read as a stand-alone, I encourage reading the series from the start in order for maximum enjoyment.

Suspenseful and entertaining, the third Jazz Ramsey cozy even topped the first two. Couple of things that set this series apart. First locale...set in a city, Cleveland, not in an obscure small town. Jazz, hasn't left and returned home, but been there all the time. Nor is she starting over in a new career or culinary endeavor. She's an administrative assistant at a Catholic school Her beloved father passed away instilled a love of service dogs in her, but instead of training one for search and rescue, she's working with Wally, an Airedale and training him to become s cadaver dog. She's smart and capable...kind too. When her boyfriend's mother, a damaged alcoholic, calls her in the middle of the night saying someone is dead in her yard, she immediately runs over to help. The story leads you through many twists and turns, and I was completely engaged throughout. Excellent series and this book does work as a standalone, why deny yourself the pleasure of reading the other two books.

Even though I guessed the killer very [V E R Y - like chapter 3] early on, this didn't take away from the story at all [hence the 4 star rating]. Watching Jazz and Nick navigate the waters of an alcoholic parent [Nick's mom] with all the emotions [good and bad] that come with that was very well done and I really enjoy how all the supporting players come together to support Jazz and Nick and ultimately, Kim in their quest to find the killer, keep Kim safe and find the truth out about just who Nick's father is. Very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kylie Logan, and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With her boyfriend unavailable due to an assignment with the police, Jazz Ramsey has promised to look in on Kim, Nick’s mother, to make sure she is already. While Kim is an alcoholic, Jazz still wasn’t expecting the frantic middle of the night phone call announcing that Kim killed someone in her backyard. Jazz hurries over to find no body in the backyard, and the cadaver dogs she brings in give a split decision about whether someone died there. Then a body does turn up in a park, and Kim clams up. Can Jazz figure out what is really going on?

I came to author Kylie Logan because of her fun cozies. This book has a more serious tone. It deals with Kim’s alcoholism and its effect on Nick pretty realistically, for example. But those moments are lightened by the dogs that Jazz works with, especially her new puppy. The result are characters that are very rich. I love Jazz, and her family and friends do a wonderful job of rounding out her character while also being real themselves. The mystery is strong with plenty of suspects and events to keep us confused until Jazz finally begins to piece things together at the end. All of the books in this series are wonderful. If you’ve missed them, start them today. If you’re already a fan, you’ll enjoy this one.

Jazz Ramsey gets the sort of call nobody ever wants, the one you get at 2am and you know trouble is ahead. Her boyfriend, Nick, is out of town on police business and her first thought as she answers the phone is about him, It sort of is but it's his mother calling and, in her drunken fog she tells Jazz that she has killed a man and his body is in her back yard. Before Nick left he asked her to keep an eye on Kim but so far Jazz hadn't connected with her. Kim is an alcoholic and is hard to deal with but Jazz gets dressed and heads for Kim's house. Turns out there is no dead body but very soon one is found about three miles away in a park. Needing answers in order to help Kim sort out what she may or may not have done that night, Jazz first turns to her pup, Wally. He's only 7 months old and learning to be a cadaver dog. He is still too young to give her the hit she seeks so she borrows a friends much more experienced dog and gets a solid hit. Now to figure out why the dead man was in Kim's back yard, who moved him to the park and what is the connection between Kim, the dead man and another killing that happened 30 years ago.
This is my new favorite in this outstanding series. I have read all of her series written as Casey Daniels, Kylie Logan and her new persona, Lucy Ness. Not one has ever disappointed me. In A Trail of Lies the tone is more serious, a bit darker but very realistic. Her handling of Kim and her alcoholism and how it impacts her life and her relationship with Nick is familiar and well done. The puzzle is well crafted and Jazz continues to be a very real main protagonist. She balances her job as administrative assistant to the principal of St. Catherine's Preparatory Academy, her dog training and the volunteering work that goes with it, her relationship with Nick and her family and various friends. It makes for a busy life even before she gets involved with another homicide. This is a series that is firmly on my list of must read mysteries.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.