I remember reading the first book in this series and being hesitant. But here I am reading second entry and enjoying just as much as the first one!

The story moves at a good pace, and the author has created characters that you just can’t walk away from. Each entry so far has been absolutely engaging in the mystery. Kept me guessing until the end both times. Can’t wait for the third entry in the series.

This was a very unique story that sent me searching for book 1 which is going on my TBR pile. Grace is a complex character wearing so many hats from mother to lawyer to wife to assassin. Normal moms have a lot of balance without throwing in an ancient society of women assassins who right wrongs and stop evil men. The best part which also plays well in this story as Grace's mentor is experiencing something similar is this double life is top secret.
Having dispatched with husband one of her first legal client since childbirth, Grace feels drawn to learning what part she may have played in helping a black widow. The book does a very nice job of weaving in flashbacks to help the reader get some backstory on the first husband of the client accused of killing her second husband. The client, a Karen to the power of 10, is a character the author wants us to dislike adding another dimension to the already stressful trial. I enjoyed watching how well Grace and her husband worked together to build a defense. It made their dynamic very interesting and made their flirting feel natural and cute. Of course, all the flirting takes a back seat to the dogs in this story which gives us the name. Grace's dog and Sharri's dog could not be more different but they each play their part with style. Maybe Grace's dog can even join the assassins as a mascot since she loves killing "Grinches."
The ancient society was unique and brought a completely different feel to this story which i completely enjoyed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Turner Publishing Company | Keylight Booksfor the opportunity to read this ARC.

"Hound of the Bonnevilles (A Grace the Hit Mom Mysteries #2)" by Nikki Knighy is a fairly standalone read set at the Christmas Season with mentions of Winter Equinox and Hanukkah. Grace is a highly skilled lawyer returning back to court for the first time since her son was born. The case/client is giving her complicated feelings about her secret life as a hit woman for an ancient society of women assassins.

Grace has to figure out if her client mislead the sisterhood she belongs too and if she can keep her client out of jail for the death of the client's second husband. There's also the situation of her handler being engaged and the fiancé needing to be cleared to be a suitable partner. All this while normal family holiday stuff is going on. Not to mention her dog's continual destruction of Grinch inflatables around her neighborhood.

If you're a fan of the "Pies Before Guy's" mysteries you'll probably like this series. Similar in that the main character isn't totally innocent on their own, other than the typical obstruction of justice and a little B&E you get in your typical cozy mysteries. These ladies are lethal but with a bit of a moral compass for it.

This book had a bit extra with the "hit mom" aspect. It worked really well and the story moved along swiftly. I found the mystery interesting and the side plots added to the book overall. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I love the premise of this series, it is very different from most cozy mysteries. Grace is a great character, and extremely likable; especially for a hired killer!!
I love how the plot flows effortlessly from scene to scene and the reader feels engaged in the story from the start. I had not read the first book in the series and had no problem following along. Highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Hound of the Bonnevilles by Nikki Knight is the second in the Hit Mom series. I really am a fan of Ms. Knight and her alter ego Kathleen Marple Kalb. Her writing style is so comfortable that you just slip right in and get involved in the book right on page 1 and feel like you really know the characters and can mostly relate to their lives. I say mostly, because most of us are not assassins for a quasi-religious order, but otherwise the characters are very relatable and lots of fun! This book was fun to read, had a great mystery and made me very anxious for another book in this series to come out! Please keep writing Ms. Knight! Your books are just the distraction I need from the real world!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Nikki Knight does a fantastic job in writing this mystery novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed getting to go on this journey with the characters. It was everything that I was looking for from a sequel in the Grace "the Hit Mom" mysteries series. I thought it worked well and was excited to read more.

#HoundoftheBonnevilles #NetGalley is a fresh, new cozy mystery that I instantly loved.
Grace is a different type of character, and her story is so interesting that I could not stop reading this book.
Grace helps her husband defend an obnoxious client in the death of her husband, but only Grace and a select few know her secrets, and it's up to Grace to make sure justice is served.
I highly recommend this book to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.