A new series from one of my favorite cozy mystery authors (V.M. Burns). Loved the canine companion and the sleuth’s experiences as a children’s book author.

This is book 1 one a new series, Bailey the Bloodhound . Pris has written a very successful children's book about her pet bloodhound, Bailey. She is quitting her teaching job and prepared to make Bailey into a series that kids love. Her last parent teacher conference is with Whitney Kelley and it ends in a shouting match. Soon Whitney is found dead and Pris ad Bailey must solve the murder. A good story with lots of cute info on Bloodhouds. I especially liked it because we had bloodhounds in our home when I was growing up. Can't wait for the second book in the series.

Pris is on her last day of school—as a teacher—and at her last parent/teacher meeting. What a way to end the year, talking to Whitney, the mean girl who tormented everyone in high school. Whitney hasn’t changed a bit. Life in Crosbyville is a step back in time for Pris. She’s written a children’s book, sales are good, and she’s able to turn in her chalk and erasers for good at the end of the school year.

The subject of the conference is Clarice, a bright girl who hasn’t applied herself during the year and should be held back. Whitney’s having none of that. A woman of her standing in town does not have her child held back! She is on the school board after all and her focus is on teaching the hard subjects, not the fluff like music and art. Test scores are what matters.

Not content to only cause a scene at the school, Whitney runs into Pris at the diner during breakfast and starts with more screaming accusations, this one more public than the first. Pris thinks she’ll never have to talk to Whitney again. What a relief! The next morning, she takes a walk with her bloodhound, Bailey. He catches a scent and is hot on the trail, dragging Pris with him to the ultimate destination. Pris would have given anything to have walked him elsewhere that morning because if she had, she wouldn’t be looking at a very dead body in the begonias.

Pris wrote a children’s book titled The Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound Pet Detective which sold well enough that she could quit her teaching job to write full time. Now, as suspect number one, she’ll have to use any detective skills she can borrow from the book to solve the murder.

This is the first in a new series. Although Pris is a likable character, Bailey steals every scene he’s in, and that’s a lot of them. The mystery is a good one with plenty of suspects to choose from due to Whitney’s personality, or lack of one. The side characters are diverse, entertaining, and are good friends to have around. I look forward to reading more about them.

Just like the description said - this was the perfect combination of Schitts Creeks meets Only Murders in the Building. The main character was hopelessly immature and completely incompetent so it was funny watching her stumble through trying to run the inn. She was the perfect millenial to leave this investigation. And perfec thtat they threw in a hunky cop to help her!

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

First in the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery Series, Sniffing Out Murder is a delightfully easy read by Kallie E. Benjamin. The characters are interesting, especially Bailey the bloodhound. In fact – I liked the dog the best!

Priscilla Renee Cummings (known as Pris) is a writer of a children’s series titled “The Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound” as well as a soon-to-be former teacher. Of course the inspiration for the series is from her three-year-old bloodhound. Currently, Pris is plagued with a case of writer’s block. Penning the second book in her series is tough:

These eight-to-twelve-year-old middle-grade readers have high standards. They expect books to be well written, funny, and relevant, even if they can’t articulate that’s what they want.

To complicate this hopefully temporary writers block, Pris is having trials and tribulations with the newly elected school board trustee, Whitney Kelley. Whitney was a high school mean girl back in the day. She wants to do away with vital programs in the school; like the pet-assisted reading program which is Priscilla’s pet project – pun intended. Furthermore, Pris is dead set against its elimination. So, when Whitney turns up planted in the daisy’s (figuratively with respect to the type of flowers as the flowers were actually begonia’s) face down and dead…Pris is a prime suspect. So Pris and Bailey set out to discover the identity of the actual killer, putting her writing endeavours on hold temporarily.

As the reader is lead through the life of Whitney and who is/was a part of this life, we get a sense of who she really is. Not a great person and this of course leads to many potential suspects. The journey is fraught with leads that lead to even more suspects. But never fear, Pris and Bailey gather gossip, passing it on to the police and eventually the correct culprit is caught… whew.

The quote below made me chuckle and remember that Bailey is a standard dog, with likes and dislikes that are predictable:

“Bailey wasn’t keen on wallowing, unless it involved mud, freshly cut grass, or his favorite, eau de parfum-deer poop.”

I was not particularly fond of Pris as a main character. She was not a confident woman and seemed very insecure and conscious of what other people thought of her. But I quite enjoyed the character Tabby, the beautician. She helped Pris with a new hairstyle and showed her how to care for her unruly hair.

However, for all my “not loving the main character”, I did find the story charming (thanks to Bailey of course). As well, there were plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing until the end as to who the actual murderer was. Just the way I like my “whodunits”.

A good effort for a first in series by Kallie E. Benjamin. I may just pick up the second in the series, should one be forthcoming.

Sniffing Out Murder
A Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery, Book #1
Kallie E. Benjamin
5 Stars

Synopsis:

When a murder unleashes a widespread investigation through Crosbyville, children’s book author Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, must sniff out the truth before the whole town goes to the dogs.

After deciding that life as a teacher wasn’t right for her, Priscilla found inspiration for her first children’s book in her three-year-old bloodhound’s nose for truth, and so The Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound was born. After the book’s massively pawsitive response led Pris to move back to her hometown of Crosbyville, Indiana, to continue the series, she’s surprised by how things have changed in the town, but even more so how they haven’t.

Pris is frustrated to discover that newly elected school board trustee Whitney Kelley—a former high school mean girl—is intent on making Crosbyville more competitive by eliminating “frivolous spending” on the arts and social programs, including Pris and Bailey’s beloved pet-assisted reading program. A minor altercation between them isn’t anything unusual, but after Bailey sniffs out Whitney’s body in a bed of begonias, locals start hounding Pris and Bailey as suspects for the crime.

With Bailey’s sharp senses and Pris’s hometown know-how, can they prove to the community that they’re all barking up the wrong tree?

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. After having an argument with a person she went to highschool with, the woman was found dead. Pris is a person of interest in the death. She will have to find the real killer . Her and her bloodhound, Bailey will have their work cut out for them.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions helped pull me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written cozy mystery. This book was very good and I cannot wait to read the next one in the series.


I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher,Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin is about a children’s book author trying to solve a mystery and writing one as well.

Will Priscilla and Bailey clear their names for the killing of Whitney Kelley?

Priscilla Cummings and Bailey the Bloodhound
Priscilla Cummings is a retired elementary school teacher who is now the author of a book series called The Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound, Pet Detective. Honestly, that sounds so awesome. Pris is back in her hometown, where she taught her last year before switching to full-time author. Let’s say that puts a perspective on Priscilla about how far she has come and not allow anyone to make her feel like her old self again. I liked Priscilla as a main character; her devotion to her dog is lovely, and I liked how she became the reluctant sleuth.

Bailey the Bloodhound is such a hoot of a character. I loved him very much. The one thing I like the most is that as a bloodhound, one wouldn’t think much about him, but he is a fiercely loyal dog who will protect anyone he cares about. Bailey is also a trained therapy dog, which I find so sweet, and I like that he is using his talents to help kids read.

Of these two characters, I couldn’t decide which is my favorite as they are a team, and it truly shows.

The Victim
Whitney Kelley was a beautiful young woman who just had a nasty personality. She acted like she was rich when she wasn’t, and Whitney was a terrible bully. She never grew out of that characteristic. Whitney probably had good intentions about cutting the art programs from schooling. Still, she didn’t care about her adopted daughter’s education, except for how it would look if her daughter weren’t “perfect” like the rest of the family.

I have to say that I was surprised she wasn’t killed sooner than she was. I guessed who the killer was.

Five Stars
Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin is an excellent start to a new series by Ms. Benjamin. I loved every minute of being in this book. I am giving five stars to Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin and recommending it to anyone who likes a good, cozy animal mystery.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Meet writer Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, they are just getting started on a new path in life when small town drama threatens to ruin everything before it’s even started. When Bailey finds a body in the local park it spells nothing but trouble for Pris as it turns out to be her old high school bully with whom she had a rather loud argument in public with just the night before.
This was a delightful start to a new cozy mystery series. All of the characters are well flushed out and add just the right amount of color to the town without crossing the line into stereotypes, however Bailey is definitely the star of this story. Since this was the first book in a series I expected a lot of world building and establishing of relationships but in the second half of the novel it was starting to feel more like a cozy romance as the relationship took center stage and the murder began to feel like an afterthought. Overall, a great start to a new series I just hope that in future installments the murder mystery stays front and center all the way through.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

Pris is frustrated to discover that newly elected school board trustee Whitney Kelley a former high school mean girl is intent on making Crosbyville more competitive by eliminating “frivolous spending” on the arts and social programs, including Pris and Bailey’s beloved pet-assisted reading program. A minor altercation between them isn’t anything unusual, but after Bailey sniffs out Whitney’s body in a bed of begonias, locals start hounding Pris and Bailey as suspects for the crime.With Bailey’s sharp senses and Pris’s hometown know-how, can they prove to the community that they’re all barking up the wrong tree?
This is a good mystery. Bailey can sniff out anything and Pris is just inquisitive enough to be on the lookout for a murderer. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

Sniffing Out Murder is the first book in the Bailey the Bloodhound mystery series. Pris, a children’s book author, and her dog, Bailey, help solve a murder. Pris and the deceased did not get along, so Pris is a suspect, but there is a long list of suspects.

A diverse group of characters in a quaint, small town. This is a delightful new cozy mystery series. Recommended for fans of cozies that have dogs as a main character.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I always love this author’s books, no matter what name she’s writing under, and I especially love how she writes dogs. So I was very excited to dive into this first book in a new series about Bailey the Bloodhound and his human, Priscilla. Bailey is such a fun dog with expressive reactions, a protective spirit when needed, a nose for clues, and a gentle patience with children. The scenes with Chief Morgan’s daughter, Hannah, finally reading with confidence while snuggled up with Bailey are so precious and heartwarming!

Priscilla is very likable as a protagonist, and I enjoyed her personality as well as her new career path as a children’s book author. Her take on teaching these days (what she had been doing) is totally accurate, but I also appreciated that she was still going to be involved in the pet-assisted reading program. I didn’t know there was such a thing but I LOVE IT! Her BFF Marcie and Aunt Agatha are the perfect support network for her, and they had me chuckling out loud more than once. And then there is Chief Gil Morgan (aforementioned father of Hannah) – he’s handsome and muscular and smart and kind…. and his chemistry with Pris is off the charts. I loved the sparks between them, and I look forward to seeing their relationship progress in future books.

The mystery was full of suspects – and a vicitim – that were truly loathsome people, so I almost hate that not all of them were behind it haha! I had my suspicions about the culprit(s) early on but couldn’t put my figure on why … just a gut reaction … and while I was ultimately proven right, I definitely wasn’t confident in my answer until it was actually revealed. The author skillfully weaves clues among the red herrings and a couple of surprising twists, and it’s just a lot of fun hanging out with Pris as she tries to figure out whodunit and why.

Bottom Line: A new cozy mystery (and pseudonym) by one of my fave authors – with a relatable protagonist, a great dog (who has a fantastic personality), and a clever plot? Yes please! The combo of Pris and Bailey is lots of fun, and the supporting cast is equally so. I particularly enjoyed BFF Marcie and Aunt Agatha as well as their relationships with Pris – and of course I loved swoony Gil and his endearing daughter Hannah. The murder victim is a character you’ll love to hate so there’s no shortage of suspects, a fact that keeps Pris and Bailey — and readers — on their toes!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

SNIFFING OUT MURDER by Kallie E. Benjamin
The First Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery

With the success of her first children's book, Priscilla Cummings has returned home to Crosbyville, Indiana with the hero of her story, her bloodhound, Bailey. The thought that she'd have plenty of time to write after quitting her teaching job goes out the window when she and Bailey find the body of Whitney Kelley. The same Whitney Kelley with whom Pris had a very public confrontation with the day before. Pris will have to convince the new Chief of Police that she's innocent and there are plenty of more viable suspects out there. Will she be successful or will she and Bailey have to sniff out the killer themselves?

There's a lot of conflict and drama as SNIFFING OUT MURDER begins. Whitney and her sister are two absolutely awful people! And what Whitney did to Bailey in the diner?!?! Fortunately, there are some wonderful people in the book too, namely Pris's best friend, Marcie, and her Aunt Agatha. And of course, Bailey! I enjoyed Pris's clumsiness and how it led to several humorous moments, I also loved her intelligence and how she was able to take care of herself, with a little help from her BFF. While I knew the identity of a villain early on, I didn't know the whole story and it didn't diminish my enjoyment as I watched things play out.

With strong characters, plenty of wit, and an amazing bloodhound SNIFFING OUT MURDER is an enjoyable start to a new series.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Priscilla Cummings has found success as an author with her first children's book, The Case of the Missing Maltese, an Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound, Pet Detective story. So successful that she is giving up her career as a teacher. She has saved what she knows is going to be the hardest parent-teacher conference as the last thing to do before she leaves the school as a member of the staff. Joe and Whitney Kelly's adopted daughter, Clarice is very smart but hasn't applied herself and Pris believes she needs to be held back. The parents blame her as a teacher and her bloodhound who is part of a reading program at the school for distracting their daughter.

Later Pris and Bailey go to the Blue Plate  Special Cafe owned by her aunt Agatha for some chowder and a BLT without the T but plenty of B. Her meal is ruined when the Kelly's make an appearance and cause trouble.  Whitney vows to use her position as chairwoman of the school board to ruin Pris and cancel the reading program along with the art and music classes, calling them unneeded "fluff". Pris attempts to tell her how important these programs are and they have a minor argument that gets blown all out of proportion when the new Chief of Police Gilbert Morgan walks in with his daughter. Not everyone saw what Whitney did to start the chaos but the drama queen acted all innocent trying to blame Pris and her dog.

Pris then finds herself in the hot seat when an early morning walk has Bailey the Bloodhound sniffing out a murder, and digging up the body of none other than Whitney Kelly.

______

Prepare to have your heart stolen by Bailey the Bloodhound. It is a stubborn breed especially when they catch a scent. Nose to the ground the hound is at work but when he is ready to play he is a gentle 100-pound giant with a whole lot of drool. A loyal inquisitive dog he always seems to be ready for his next adventure. His person Pricilla, was inspired by him to not only write stories featuring him but she also started a pet-assisted reading program letting children read to Bailey. She also takes him to library, to show off his special skills. She is inquisitive herself which comes in handy to do a little amateur sleuthing. Her Aunt Agatha has her back no matter what and I loved that. Her best friend, Marcie, is also a teacher and a lot of fun. I was not a fan of Chief of Police Gilbert Morgan until I got to know some of his backstory and his delightful daughter Hannah. He is a by-the-books kind of guy from Chicago so he needs to find his place and understand the ways of small-town life. I enjoyed meeting all these characters and like that even for the first book in a series, they have depth.

Set in the small town of Crosbyville, Indiana, we meet several of its residents that are all tied in different ways to what is happening in the story. The cast is very diverse and typical of what you would find in any midwestern small town. The good, the bad, and sometimes the creepy or entitled. I hope to see the good ones in future stories.

Ms. Benjamin sets a brisk pace with short chapters and she plotted out a sharp mystery. Pris is on the suspect list but there are several other viable suspects. Whitney Kelly was an awful person and had made some enemies. I was suspicious of all of them. As Pris investigated she did put a target on her own back but then clues for me started to fall into place. One character stood out but I wasn't sure about their motive until it was all spelled out. The killer did make a big mistake when they tried to get rid of some loose ends. The showdown was tense. A unique lesson came into play and some high school talents saved the day. I absolutely loved the way the ending played out.

Sniffing Out Murder is a delightful lighthearted mystery with appealing characters and a sweet adorable bloodhound. I am excited to see what Ms. Benjamin has planned for her characters next and what kind of trouble Bailey's sniffer finds.

I enjoyed this fun cozy mystery with great characters including a wonderful bloodhound. I loved Pris and Bailey. I loved all the laughs throughout the story. I am looking forward to more adventures that Pris and Bailey might get into. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin is the debut of A Bailey the Bloodhound Mysteries. I had trouble getting through Sniffing Out Murder. Pris is an insecure woman. She cares a great deal about what other people think about her. When Pris is embarrassed, she blushes (which happens frequently). Anger has Pris’s face and neck flushing red (again, it is a frequent occurrence). Pris is also clumsy. I wish the description of Pris had been more complete. I am guessing that she is fair skinned based on the obvious blushing (we know her sweet aunt is dark skinned). I do not understand why Pris has had hair trouble all her life. I would have expected her aunt to have filled Pris in or take her to a beauty shop. I like that the story features a diverse cast of characters. Unfortunately, the story is also filled with several unlikeable characters (it made a person wish for a serial killer to hit town). The mystery was simple. The killer can easily be identified (as subtle as a wrecking ball). Pris spends little time sleuthing. She does gather gossip and passes it along to the police. Bailey is good at sniffing out clues. The case is neatly wrapped up at the end. There were some aspects of the mystery that were not suitable for a cozy mystery. I found there to be way too much romance in the story. It overshadowed the mystery. I was not a fan of Pris’s dating style. I felt there was too much repetition (I got it the first time). Pris’ Bailey mystery sounded cute. However, in one part it sounds like it is aimed at middle school children (a chapter book), but some of the descriptions make it sound like a picture book. I did tire of her thinking about writing. I wanted her to just get on with it. I liked Tabby, the beautician who gives Pris a new hair style and teaches her how to care for her hair. The best part of Sniffing Out Murder is Bailey, Pris’ goofy yet lovable bloodhound. While Sniffing Out Murder was not for me, I suggest you download a sample to see if it suits you. Sniffing Out Murder is a playful tale with unruly hair, a dead woman in a maze, writing troubles, a lovable aunt, pet reading program, dating dilemma, and a lovable bloodhound.

Pris has decided to focus her full attention on her children’s book series, featuring her beloved bloodhound as a detective. What she hadn’t counted on was some romance, and even murder!

This is a fun cozy series. Bailey the bloodhound is a great character in his own right, and reads as a very sweet and realistic dog. Pris has some great bonds with some of the townspeople, and I was a big fan of the developing romance. The mystery was also a good one, with a lot of twists, and a final twist I didn’t call until right before it happened. I would recommend this book.

If ever a cozy mystery victim deserved to be murdered it's Whitney Kelley. She's hateful, spiteful, mean and just doesn't like dogs. And unfortunately has a very loud altercation with our main character, Pris, the night before Pris and Bailey stumble upon her body.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I loved Bailey and Pris's friends. The mystery was an interesting one. There was no shortage of people who hated Whitney so narrowing it down to who actually wanted to kill her was interesting. I loved the community that Pris lives in and her aunt and best friend Marcie. The dog information was really interesting - especially since I've worked with scent hounds before. I do wish the author would have specified that only a front fastening harness reduces pulling versus a harness in general but that's just a sore point for me in general!

There were a few things that kept me from rating this higher. While I liked Pris at times her behavior was just ridiculous. I get wanting to help but she was frequently hurting more than she was helping. The pacing at times was a bit uneven and there were a few times where it felt like it was dragging. I also guessed the bulk of the mystery fairly early on.

That said overall, I did really enjoy this book and the world this author created. While this wasn't flawless it is definitely a series I am going to revisit.

Sniffing Our Murder is the first book in A Bailey The Bloodhound Mystery series by Kallie E Benjamin.

Priscilla(Pris) Cummings has decided, with her children’s book series Adventures of Bailey, Pet Detective based on her Bloodhound, Bailey, hit a Best Sellers list, she decides to buy a house in her hometown of Crosbyville, Indiana, has decided to quit teaching and turn to become a full-time author. Bailey is a trained therapy dog and often attends school with Pris; he frequently goes to the local library to have children read to him and demonstrate his tracking skills.

Pris is not looking forward to the last day of school as she has a parent-teacher meeting with Joe and Whitney Kelley. Whitney was the “bad girl” in high school and was Pris’s nemesis. Joe and Whitney’s niece is not doing well, and Pris will recommend repeating the grade. This does not go over well with the Kelleys, and Whitney, recently appointed school board president, says they will fight this decision. She also says she will cut funding for arts and special education, especially the use of dogs in reading programs.

Pris and Bailey head for the Blue Plate diner, which Pris’s Aunt Agatha owns. A short time later, Joe and Whitney enter, and Whitney engages Pris in an argument. During the argument, Whitney deliberately steps on Bailey’s tail, which causes him to lunge. Police Chief Martin also happens to be the diner and Whitney orders that he have the dog put down and Pris arrested for having a vicious dog.

The following morning, as Pris is walking Bailey in a local park, he breaks loose and ends up partially digging up the body of Whitney. Soon, Chelsea, Whitney’s sister, is accusing Pris of killing Whitney.

Even though Police Chief Martin isn’t making Pris nervous about being the prime suspect, she will start her own investigation into the death of Whitney. Pris will soon find several suspects.

This book is a beautiful start to a new series. The book is light-hearted and provided this reader with several chuckles. The story is well-written and plotted. The characters were well-developed and believable. The story is written, so I was with the various characters. I particularly enjoyed the time spent in The Big Tease, the local hair salon. The owner and the stylist were great characters. And Bailey was very adorable.

I can’t wait for the next book in this wonderful new series.

This was a fantastic story with likable characters and a I loved that the romance plot wasn't wonky and awkward while murders were happening as often happens in cozy mysteries.

"Sniffing Out Murder" is a cozy mystery. Priscilla's extremely insecure and cared a great deal what others thought about her. Add in that she's very clumsy (at least in the first half of the story), and she's flushing in anger or blushing in embarrassment in nearly every scene. When she found the body, she regretted not taking the time while waiting for the police to arrive to primp and put on more makeup. She didn't spend it looking for clues, either. Bailey, the dog, was the one who kept finding clues, which she passed on to the police along with the town gossip she "happened" to hear.

Whodunit was one of my initial two suspects. I was certain of that person when Pris' best friend gushed a major clue to Pris, yet neither recognized it was a clue. They never figured it out. The killer decided to kill Pris and confessed everything to her at that time. At least Pris managed to save herself.

The author tended to omit needed description or gave it too late. For example, Pris found the body and looked around in panic like she couldn't see if the killer was nearby. Only we later learn that the maze hedge was only 3 foot tall and she could pretty easily see and hear that the maze was empty. I'm confused about what Pris looks like. We're only told that she has grey eyes and dark, curly hair. Since the author made such a point that she had a very visible, bright red blush that traveled up her neck and into her face, I assumed she was fair skinned. However, her hair stylist implied she had "Black hair" and her aunt is dark skinned (which could mean anything from someone who tans dark to an ebony skin).

I don't care about fashion, so I wasn't very interested in a mystery hinging on knowledge about fashion designers and such along with discussions about what clothes she should wear, like to impress a date she didn't really care for. She even invited her true crush to join them on their date. She later initiated a kiss with one man and led him on then encouraged a kiss from her crush while everyone thought she was dating the first man. Hmm. Anyway, not really my type of story. I also fail to see how her middle grade mystery (which read like a board book for young readers) became a best seller. There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language.