Genre: Mystery
Mass Market Paperback; [Audio CD]; Digital Book
ISBN #" 9781464212710; [9781662047855
Poisoned Pen Press; [Dreamscape Media]
416 Pages
$7.99[ $21.43]; $6.15 Amazon
October 27, 2020
⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's the Christmas season and veterinarian Kate Turner is not feeling very jolly. She's overworked, underappreciated, and dealing with two dissatisfied clients. Throw in a very complicated personal life and Kate's definitely got a case of the holiday blues.
To make matters worse, Kate's ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, is mugged and robbed after they have a heated argument in the hospital parking lot. Then, two of her dissatisfied clients turn up dead (which really gets Kate's tinsel in a tangle). All of these events seem like coincidences, but they add up to something much more venomous.
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
Dr. Kate Turner is a veterinarian who is working on a one-year contract for a vet who decided to take a year off. She's been settling into her new position nicely, but now it's the Christmas season, which has always been difficult for her due to a very personal tragedy. When one of her employees asks everyone to make a selfish Christmas wish, she reluctantly joins in, not realizing that her 'wish' to make a couple of her patients' owners 'disappear.' When the video starts to go viral, it seems that her wish is coming true, and now she's in the middle of a murder investigation.
But when she has an argument with her ex-boyfriend Jeremy in the parking lot of the hospital, he's soon attacked and she wonders if someone is stalking her. But with a new maybe-boyfriend hovering occasionally, and suspects nearby, Kate starts to think someone specific was targeted and she's just the cover for it all...
This is listed as the first in a new series, but looking at the author's website, I discovered that this is listed as book 5 of the series, so now I'm wondering if I need to go back and start at the beginning to get the entire picture of Kate Turner, DVM. Hmmm...
Saying that, I liked the fact that the author is a true DVM, and her knowledge is extensive. While others might not find it interesting, as a pet owner, I certainly do. People like myself consider our pets as part of the family, and care for them in the same manner (FYI, my cats are indoor cats; I would never consider allowing them outside, especially in the area where I live. Just sayin').
Anyway, I enjoyed this book for the most part. There was enough going on to keep me interested throughout, and honestly, I liked Jeremy more than Luke. But not having read the other books, perhaps there's something I'm missing about the man's personality.
The mystery was well-drawn, and gave us enough suspects to chew on. It also handed us plenty of red herrings, and there were a couple of times I thought I knew who the killer might be (not the obvious person, of course), I had to change my opinion as I got closer to the end -- which is how it should be. When it all came together, it was rather sad how one person can treat another (in the situation that is, and I won't give it away here). The book also shows us how social media can influence and sometimes hinder our lives.
But I will say that I was a bit disappointed in the end. I absolutely detest cliffhangers - I call it holding the reader hostage - because you are obligated to pick up the next book to find out what happens. Forcing the reader to purchase another, not by choice. Don't get me wrong; the murder is solved admirably and everything is wrapped up nicely, but there are loose ends that I was looking forward to finding out the answers, and they never were. It's irritating. But, because the book was written well, and the characters authentic, I give this four stars. Recommended.
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