I was delighted to have the chance to read the brand new release, MISSION IMPAWSIBLE, by Krista Davis! I always enjoy a visit to Wagtail, Virginia and a chance to catch up with Holly Miller at the Sugar Maple Inn. This new adventure did not disappoint! Starting out with the Animal Attraction Matchmaking event, Krista allows the reader to immerse themselves in the festivities and enjoy the atmosphere. She paints colorful characters and charming scenes, drawing you in, making you a part of the town. I loved the fun events such as the Yappy Hour Parade! However, it’s not long before Holly’s darling dog, Trixie, who has quite the reputation for finding dead bodies, lives up to that reputation. From there the story moves at a quick pace taking the reader on a ride of murder and mayhem. Along with the murder plot, there’s the secondary mystery of trying to figure out who the victim really is and who keeps letting the dogs out in the dead of night? Humor ensues with Holly catching the hotel’s pets raiding the pantry for midnight snacks.

The Animal Attraction Matchmaking event also provides plenty of entertainment on its own and the author provides interesting, fun facts about love and romance…really! Holly’s grandmother, Oma, tries to set her up for love during the event, but Holly seems content to sit on the sidelines and be an onlooker. Will Oma succeed or will Holly be sidetracked by another dead body? In addition to a delightful tale, Krista provides plenty of mouth-watering recipes at the back of the book, including some for your furry friends. I tried her recipe for Fried Chicken. I think I’ve only made fried chicken once in my life and that was a lifetime ago…for some reason it intimidates me. But Krista’s recipe for Fried Chicken proved to be easy to make resulting in crispy, perfectly seasoned chicken!

Mission Impawsible: A Paws & Claws Mystery
By Krista Davis
Berkley
February 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

Holly Miller is spending her first summer since childhood in Wagtail, Virginia, where she has taken up her grandmother Oma’s offer to become a partner in the Sugar Maple Inn. Now that the resort town has rebranded itself as a pet-centric and very pet-loving tourist destination, they are hosting Wagtail’s first Animal Attraction matchmaking event. Singles who have been luckier finding love with pets will be bringing them along to hopefully increase the chances of meeting the perfect (human) partner. Oma has even hired a professional celebrity matchmaker to help out with the event, paving the way through pet-focused surveys and apps. Wagtail’s unique twist is that if a couple’s pets get along, perhaps their owners will as well.

The town and Sugar Maple Inn quickly fill up with the lovelorn, including Holly’s ex-boyfriend Ben Hathaway. Despite his former distain for dogs, Ben now seems willing to adopt, although perhaps he did not expect a challenging German shepherd mix. As much as Holly declares to be a non-participant in the matchmaking events, she can’t help but notice John Adele and his adorable Labrador Cooper. A series of miscommunications and accusations seem destined to keep them apart, but that’s nothing compared to an uninvited doomsayer of love. A psychiatrist who believes in neither true love nor affection from pets, his presence at Animal Attraction casts a dark cloud until Holly and her Jack Russell terrier Trixie once again encounter murder.

Love is the theme of this relentlessly entertaining mystery, the fourth in a series that focuses on the complete appreciation of pets by their humans. The assigned romances have their ups and downs, with the humans doing all they can to sabotage themselves and each other despite the efforts of their far wiser companions. Murder does less to interrupt their happiness than spying helicopter mothers and stalking exes, but Holly is determined to investigate in order to ensure that her Oma’s first event as the mayor goes well. The charm of this series is undeniable, but what should never be overlooked is the sheer cleverness and originality of the writing. Readers can expect the unexpected with these novels, but the one guarantee will be the devotion towards and catering to the animals who become family. Genuine laughs, plot twists, and delicious recipes for all will delight in a series that continues to only get better.