I have been a fan of Krista Davis’s “Diva” novel series for years, so thought I would give this one a try. I was reluctant, at first, wondering if this would be one of those cases where the animals helped solve the mystery. Fortunately it wasn’t, and for the most part I enjoyed the story. The mystery is good, the setting is fantastic, the town charming. This was the first in the series that I’ve read, and it was clear to me that previous books would have provided answers to some questions I had in this one. It does work as a standalone, but not entirely. The only thing I found annoying was lead character Holly’s failure to stand up for herself against Ben, her tedious, narcissistic ex-boyfriend, whom she allowed to repeatedly control and manipulate her, so much so that it kind of ruined the book for me. It’s difficult to fully enjoy a book when you have absolutely no respect for the main character. If you can put that aspect aside, you may enjoy the book. While I largely enjoyed it, I was so put off by the Ben character that I doubt I’ll read another in the series.

Thanks for the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Krista Davis, and publishers for gifting me of copy of The Wagtail Murder Club in return for my honest opinion.

5 stars out of 5

Ben is back in Wagtail and he has brought a whole bunch of trouble with him. Between two murders and him proposing Holly is in for some excitement, and not in a good way. Throw in a convicted murder moving to town and things are about to get interesting. Will Holly be able to solve the murders before someone else losses their life.

I’ve loved all of the books in the Paws and Claws series so far and this one did not disappoint. There’s always some twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout the whole book. Each book is unique to itself, bringing in new characters and different story lines.

What I loved
-The community aspect of the series has always been great, and this book didn’t disappoint.
- It kept me guessing throughout the whole book, I loved all the twists and turns.
- Squishy was such a nice breath of fresh air, it was a new dog brought into the bunch and added an interesting twist to the story time.

What I didn’t like
-Some aspects of the book were rushed, I wanted more at some aspects.
-ugh I’m over Ben, so over his pushiness and obliviousness.
-Holly accepting Ben’s proposal… why would you do that, you are with Holmes so why would you accept it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this e-arc! Wagtail Murder Club is a spin on the fake-dating trope with a little murder mystery. Holly is the owner of the Sugar Maple Inn and returns to discover her ex-boyfriend and his co-workers are staying at the Inn. Soon, a murder occurs, and then another. While Holly and Ben have to pretend to be still dating, they are trying to figure out a murder. Overall, the book was a fun, easy, and cozy fall read. Some aspects of the mystery were confusing and took a while for me to grasp. I.e., Holmes.

The town itself gave me Gilmore Girl vibes! I imagine myself visiting a cute town like this. I would recommend this to a friend for a fall read!

~Murder-Mystery, Plot-Twists, Secrets, Small-Town, and more!~

The Wagtail Murder Club by Krista Davis follows Holly Miller and her new foster dog, Squishy. When Holly returns home to the Sugar Maple Inn, which she owns with her grandmother, she discovers her ex-boyfriend, Ben, is checking in unannounced. Holly discovers Ben's attorney colleagues, who are also staying in the inn, are under the impression Ben and her are still together. When one of them ends up dead, it could be chalked up to an accident until yet another murder occurs. Will Holly be able to discover what's happening before more tragedy happens?

4| This book was quite a cozy and enjoyable read. The town of Wagtail is beautifully described, allowing me to understand how it operates. The townspeople had a lot of personality that really came through. Holly's character is intelligent and determined, which is always a joy to see in any FMC. Her actions were frustrating at times, yet still understandable. This is the first book I've read in the series, and I definitely felt I was missing some context in certain parts. While I eventually picked up on certain aspects, my experience would have been enhanced with a tad more explanation. The murder mystery aspect was great and had me guessing who it was til the end. I would have preferred a few more clues just to give me a chance to guess the culprit. I loved seeing Holly’s relationship with her mom and grandmother. It was very endearing. One relationship I wish I saw more of was Holly and Holmes. The whole thing fell a little flat for me. More scenes and mention of him would have made more sense. His character and their relationship weren’t mentioned or shown enough to make the ending plausible. I assume it would make more sense if I had read the previous books, but it just seemed odd in this book alone.

I loved the description of Holly's day-to-day responsibilities at the Inn. It helped me imagine her life outside of the bizarre circumstances at play. While fun at first, the description of the dog's meals got to be a little much. I loved learning about the town of Wagtail and how devoted everyone is to their animals. One part of the book that wasn't my favorite was the number of characters. While it added depth, it was too many names and information about each individual character at once that it got overwhelming. I felt confused about who was who at times. Because there were so many characters, some of them got lost. Either they were mentioned constantly chapter after chapter or barely brought up. By the time they were mentioned again, I had completely forgotten who they were, causing me to go back and check. This is partly because all the characters were new to me, not just a select few who were new to this particular book.

Overall, this was a quick and cozy read. It was captivating and hard to put down. The recipes at the end are adorable and an excellent touch for the end of the book. I loved the role the animals played in the story. The town of Wagtail is adorable, and I definitely plan to read future and past books in this series.