The first in a new mystery series, "Digging Up Trouble" is a quick, face-paced read. Set in the town of Confection, Oregon, known for its festivals and the residents' amazing gardens, resident gardener Gil Cloutier is discovered murdered, right before the town's annual gardening competition. His neighbor, Lexi, owner of the Sweet Fiction bookshop in town, is one of the suspects after having recently been witnessed having an argument with Gil, so along with her best friends Tara and Cat, her uncles Jimmy and Elvis, Tara's brother Dash, her adorable dog, Cookie, and her book club book, the Macaroons, she sets out to try to discover who the real murderer is. Unfortunately, Gil, besides being known as an amazing gardener, was also well-known for not being the most pleasant individual, leaving a trail of quite a few potential suspects, including Gil's three sons.

"Digging Up Trouble" is a cute, cozy mystery that was a fast, and enjoyable read, and Lexi, her friends, uncles, and the Macaroons make for a fun sleuthing group for future novels in the series. Besides the mystery aspect, it offers a little romance (with Tara's brother Dash and Detective Berg both potential love interests for Lexi), and enjoyable characters throughout the book.

Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for providing an honest review. "Digging Up Trouble" is scheduled to be released on 10/12/21.

I really enjoyed the first in this series. Lexi and her dog cookie are always getting in trouble. Lexi mainly cleanup after cookie acts out. Her neighbor is murdered next door and Cookie is in the middle of everything. This was a fast paced fun cozy.
#DiggingUpTrouble #NetGalley

Lexi and her rescue dog Cookie have less then a good relationship with their neighbor. Then one morning Lezi finds Cookie sitting over his dead body with what appears to be the murder weapon in her mouth. Can Lexi, Cookie and the book club friends find the real killer. A great start to a new series! I can't wait to read more.

This was the first in a new series. I thought it was a good intro to a new series. I liked the main character and found her appealing. I wasn't sure what was going on with her and the two male characters in the story. The conclusion was a bit predictable but if you are looking for a book that is solid you can't go wrong with this one.

This is a charming, cozy mystery. Confection, Oregon is the setting. The main character, Lexi, has moved back to her home town. Her parents left for a long vacation, and they leave Lexi in charge of their book store, Sweet Fiction. Her best friends are Teri and Cat. Her dog has been digging up rose brushes, maybe. There is a best garden contest in which there will be a very large cash award. Between Lexi’s dog, Cookie, and her horrible, nasty neighbor’s murder, Lexi is under suspicion. She and her friends start an investigation to prove her innocence.
I recommended this book. It is a little slow at first, but the pace picks up. It is a quick, fun read.

First book in the series.

Confection, Oregon is supposed to be a quaint place where people can enjoy the picturesque mountains, and the beautiful flowers including the Confection Rose. They didn’t come to see a dead body dug up by dog.

Lexi finds her dog Cookie who loves to dig in the dirt with a pipe in her mouth and sitting by the dead body who Lexi was seen fighting with the day before. But come to find out it wasn’t the pipe but a garden stake that was the murder weapon, so where did the pipe fit into the death.

Everyone from the Sweet Fiction Bookshop and Eats n’ Treats aren’t helping Lexi find any solutions. But her buddy cookie isn’t done digging up clues, will he be the one to save Lexi from being buried alive.

I loved the characters in this book but my favorite was Cookie. Who wouldn’t love a dog that can solve murders by digging in the dirt..

I can’t wait for the next book in this series to see what Lexi and cookie get into.
Great new series!!

Digging Up Trouble by Kitt Crowe is a delightful #1 installment on a new cozy mystery series. Lexi and her precocious dog Cookie were so much fun. I found myself empathizing with Lexi over Cookie’s crazy behavior. At times frustrated, apprehensive, and embarrassed! I love these type of books that I can lose myself in. This was a great story. I am certainly looking forward to the next book. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

#DiggingUpTrouble #NetGalley

Digging up Trouble by Kitt Crowe is a winner!

In this book, Lexi's dog Cookie unearths a dead body. The story takes a twist as Cookies is holding a pipe between her teeth, however, the real murder weapon was a garden state.

Nothing is at it seems in Confection, Oregon. Come along and find out who the real killer is and why there is a body in the garden.

Great read, and well-crafted characters. Loved the book.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DIGGING UP TROUBLE (Book 1 of the Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mysteries) by Kitt Crowe in exchange for an honest review. Dissatisfied with corporate life, Lexi returns to her hometown Confection, Oregon to mind her parents’ shop. The town seems to be ruled by the garden club, known locally as the garden mafia. It’s a beautiful town where businesses and residents compete to have the best food crops, best flowers, and best overall gardens. Since Lexi has a dog that loves to dig, it took little time for Lexi’s Cookie to become public enemy number one. So, when someone begins digging up the local flora and damaging those prize-winning flowers and gardens, the police and townspeople blame Lexi and her sweet dog Cookie. Even though Lexi keeps telling the police that Cookie is innocent and has alibis, local law enforcement and the townsfolk are determined to blame Cookie instead of finding the real culprit. When the local curmudgeon, who was Lexi’s next-door neighbor, is murdered with a garden implement shortly after publicly berating Lexi for Cookie’s digging, it seems like the town wants to apply that same blame to Lexi as well as same the unwillingness to investigate. Lexi, along with Cookie and a few steadfast friends, begins her own investigation in order to prove her and Cookie’s innocence. However, tracking a killer is a risky endeavor.

I thought this was a good start to a new series. I liked the characters and the quirky setting. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, homecoming, quirky towns, small businesses, and too-smart canines.

#DiggingUpTrouble #NetGalley

A lovely, engaging and well written book. The characters - human and otherwise - are completely charming and the mystery itself is just challenging enough to keep the pace flowing well.

This is a fantastic debut cozy. Kitt Crowe does a brilliant job of taking the reader into the world of Confection, Oregon. This is a place you wish existed in real life. Perhaps, it does. The author paints this "sweet" little town as a sort of Candyland (the children's game) meets Charlie & The Chocolate Factory with places like Soda Creek, Lemon Loop, and Cinnamon Avenue. I wanted to be there.
Digging Up Trouble is a wittily written mystery with plenty of LOL moments. Our main character Lexi is a sassy borderline obnoxious but likable hot mess who fortunately has a great group of friends and relatives to help her "simmer down now". However, Lexi's dog, Cookie, is really the star of the story. My only caveat with this book is Lexi's use of the terms "idiot" and "doofus" when talking to Cookie. For me personally, I found that in poor taste. DON'T. DISS. YOUR. DOG. Especially when your dog smarter than you. Although, I did chalk this up to Lexi being "filter challenged". I hope this is remedied in the next book which I will definitely read. I loved Lexi's sass when it came to various characters in the story. Overall, a really fun read!

Sorry, I kept picking up, reading a bit then putting down my ereader. I just could not get interested in this story and, at times, Lexi was unlikeable which is a real downer in a cozy.

I finally gave up at 66%

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Kitt Crowe’s charming debut, Digging up Trouble, is the first installment in the Sweet Fiction Bookshop mystery series. This is a sassy cozy with plenty of giggle-worthy scenes thanks to main character Lexi’s adorable pooch, Cookie.

Set in the sweet, small town of Confection, Oregon, Lexi runs her family’s bookstore, the Sweet Fiction Bookshop. The town is full of quirky, fun residents - several of whom are avid gardeners. I especially loved Lexi’s gay uncles with the penchant for scooters and delicious brunch dishes.

Lexi’s neighbor Gil is the one exception. He’s the town curmudgeon who gets along with no one including his sons. Gil, an award-winning gardener, particularly dislikes Cookie who can’t seem to dig enough holes in his yard. When Cookie discovers Gil’s corpse in his backyard, it doesn’t look good for her Lexi. It’s up to the mystery-loving friends and members of the Macaroons book group to clear Lexi and Cookie.

This perfect quick read scratches all of those cozy mystery itches. Plenty of humor, hints of romance, lots of suspects, and a great twist of an ending. If you’re a fan of bookshop/book group mysteries – think Paige Shelton, Olivia Blacke, or Maddie Day – this is the book for you! I’m really excited for the next book in the series so I can revisit Confection and its inhabitants, especially Cookie!

I really enjoyed this book and the new characters I was introduced to.
It seems that Lexie Jones and her canine companion are causing quite a stir among the residents of small town Confection. Someone is digging random holes around the neighborhood, and it seems everyone is pointing their finger at Cookie. While Lexie takes some responsibility for her dog, things take a drastic turn when Cookie and Lexie find a dead body. It's up to Lexie to clear her name, and prove that Cookie isn't the only one digging up trouble.
If you enjoy a fast paced cozy mystery, add Digging Up Trouble to the top of your list.

Digging up Trouble is the debut of the Sweet Fiction Bookshop series set in Confection, Oregon and featuring Lexi Jones and her furry, troublemaking canine, Cookie. Lexi is living in her grandmother's house and managing her family bookstore while her parents are touring the country.

The Confection Garden Club is gearing up for their annual contest and all the competing gardeners are vying for the Best Gardener of the Summer grand prize of $15,000 and tensions are running high. Unfortunately for Lexi, Cookie has developed a bad habit of digging holes wherever she goes and people are getting mad. But, is Cookie really the one digging random holes around the neighborhood?

Lexi's grouchy neighbor Gil Cloutier doesn't like Lexi but he likes Cookie even less. So, when Cookie escapes into his yard and reappears with a pipe, Lexi isn't looking forward to going to apologize to Gil. Another nasty argument between the two is witnessed by several of their neighbors and when Cookie once again escapes into Gil's yard and is found standing over a shallow grave containing the body of the man, all fingers are quick to point to Lexi as a killer.

Anxious to clear her name, Lexi sets out to find the real murderer and soon realizes that Gil has a lot of enemies in the form of competing gardeners and his own children. Going head to head against Detective Berg who is determined to proved Lexi and her dog are responsible, Lexi digs up a mystery of hidden treasures.

A fast paced plot, colorful characters and a furry canine make for a delightful afternoon read. A perfect blend of friendships and a touch of romance will leave you yearning for more adventures in Confection.

I received an advanced copy of Digging Up Trouble from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

This is the first book of a new series and the first book I have read by this author. Lexie runs a bookstore in Confection Oregon. When she becomes a murder suspect she sets out to clear her name and solve the crime with the help of her book club the macaroons. I very much enjoyed this book full of fun characters, mystery and one very smart dog. I am looking forward to more of this series.

I loved this book. The characters are a lot of fun and I enjoyed the soon to be love triangle. I hope this is just the first in many books in this series. A great cozy for me is when I am invested in the character development and I loved Lexi and Cookie.

Fun quick easy cozy! Super cute story that I found very enjoyable. Lots of twists and turns! Thanks #netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

DIGGING UP TROUBLE by Kitt Krowe... I was able to read this sweet fiction/mystery through @Netgalley and I truly enjoyed it. It was a cute,easy and funny read. It had a teaser of romance hidden in there where it got me excited and wishing it dug deeper in that sense haha and the relationships the main character had with her friends and family wastruly beautiful. Not to mention her spunk was relatively adorable . There wasn't a single character in the book I didn't like especially Lexi's dog ( Lexi being the main character) who is the hero of the story 🥰🐾 BUT the twist in the end had me mouth open to find out who did the killing ! That's all I will say 🙊 since I don't want to give spoilers BUT if you're in the mood for a quick read that just gets you in a good mood and had a hint of mystery this is definitely it 😉

A quick, fun read with plenty of twists to keep it interesting with the mischievous Cookie and the digging. Good start to a new series.