Book 101, 2023
Kibbles and Death by S.A. Kazlo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Finished reading Kibbles and Death last night. It's the first book in author S A Kazlo's "Samantha Davies" mystery series. The main character is Samantha 'Sam' Davies.
Recently divorced, Sam spends her days indulging in her hobby of rug hooking. Although she earns income from the funeral home she and her ex still co-own, Sam has also been trying to get a children's book published--one she wrote based on her Dacshund, Porkchop. After Porkchop turns his nose up at a bag of kibble, Sam takes the remaining dog food to the local shelter to donate. There she finds the proprietor, Calvin Perkins, murdered. Calvin was a curmudgeon and the list of suspects is long. Unfortunately, Sam finds herself on that list. The primary suspect, however, is her elderly neighbor's boyfriend. The woman begs Sam to put her research skills to work proving that her Pookie Bear is innocent. Sam reluctantly agrees, and with the help of her cousin, Candie, she launches her own investigation, much to the chagrin of the handsome new detective in town.
The story was enjoyable, Sam and Candie were likable, and the plot was reasonable. Other than that, nothing set it apart from the millions of other cozies on the market.
Favorite lines:
♦ "I'm not having a hissy fit. It's escalating to a duck fit."
♦ I loved riding in a convertible with the top down, but the end result was hair looking like it lost a fight with an electric mixer.
♦ If he'd ever raised a hand to me, Lorena Bobbitt would have looked like Mother Teresa when I got done with him.
An okay read, but just okay. Three stars.
1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? No, she doesn't really have a job, per se.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? No
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Yes, she has the hots for the handsome new detective. Yawn.
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she has a dog.
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? Yes, Candie is a bit of a ditz.
6. Did the mc find the body? Yes
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? No
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? No
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes