The Case of the Invisible Dog by Diane Stingley

320 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Alibi, Alibi
Release Date: May 19, 2015

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Cozy, Sherlock Holmes

Tammy Norman is a mess. She can’t keep a job or a relationship. She recently came back from Los Angeles after a failed attempt at acting. She applies for a job with Shirley Homes. There is no job description and submitting a resume is instant disqualification. After an unusual interview, Tammy is hired and starts work the following day. To say Shirley Homes is eccentric is mild. She may be downright crazy.

Matt Peterman tells Shirley about his trouble sleeping. Every night he hears a dog barking. He went to the new neighbors, the Browns, and asked them about their dog but they claimed they did not have a dog. Except for Matt and the Browns, there is one house with an elderly couple and two vacant houses. Shirley and Tammy go out investigating. Believing Matt is in danger, Shirley breaks in the door. Mr. Brown sees Tammy and goes to call the police. The next day, the police come to Shirley’s office asking about the breaking and entering at Matt’s house. He is fine but has lodged a complaint against Shirley. Later that day, Matt is found dead behind his insurance office. He has been shot.

The story is fast paced, the characters are developed and quirky. It is written in the first-person point of view. I love quirky characters and this book is filled with them. I was laughing at their antics throughout the book. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Although this book had a fairly good plot, I just couldn't get into it. I usually read psychological thrillers,so this story was just too 'coy' for me.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I downloaded this one when I was on a cosier reading spree but in the end I just couldn't get into it. I think my own tastes have changed so that's not a problem with the book

This is a cosy mystery without a clear conclusion. The main character Tammy becomes assistant to P.I. Shirley Holmes who thinks she is a relative of Sherlock Holmes, and is very eccentric and totally deluded. Entertaining read but not to be taken seriously.

No longer interested in reading this. Clearing out old galleys.

I hate to say that I was disappointed in this one. I'm a fan of cozies and was very excited to read this one. I thought the character of Shirley was way overblown, in a way that really detracted from the story. The storyline was okay, but was overshadowed by Shirley's weird personality, and I wasn't satisfied with the resolution to the mystery.