Author: Emmie Lyn
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781644510469
Sweet Promise Press
298 Pages
$28.60; $2.99 Amazon
August 3, 2019
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Murder wasn't supposed to be on the menu at the Little Dog Diner, but that's exactly what we got served anyway.
Hi, I'm Dani Mackenzie and I'm the unfortunate soul who owns said diner. Looks like business is going to be slow for a little while as the who town scrambles to find whodunnit.
At first I just needed something to keep me busy while on my forced vacation, but now as the clues stack up, I'm caught in the middle of this crazy mixed-up murder. And I'll do anything to get to the bottom of what really happened and why it happened in my kitchen.
Too bad the only known witness to the crime is the victim's terrier, Pip, and no one believes she bludgeoned her owner to death. But if not her...then who? And, perhaps more importantly, who's next?
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
Dani Mackenzie is attending the funeral of her best friend Lily's husband when suddenly, Ray sits up in the casket...it turns out the entire thing was planned in order for Ray to convince his soon-to-be ex-wife that she really loved him and not to divorce him. Stunned, Dani hurries herself and Lily out the door back to their restaurant, the Little Dog Diner. Dani lives above the restaurant, and while they're changing clothes, she starts to get some of the story from Lily -- such as, Lily knew about the fake funeral beforehand. Lily also might still be in love with her cheating spouse.
When Ray wants to meet Lily, she convinces him to come to the diner. But when they go downstairs and find the body of Ray sprawled on the floor, everything changes. Lily bolts, and Detective AJ Crenshaw now has her in his sights as a suspect. But that's not all -- Dani's high school boyfriend, Luke, has returned from California and he was also in the diner and might be a suspect. What can a girl do except try to prove the innocence of friends?...
This is the first book in the series and I must say that it was quite entertaining. I do like Dani, and the fact that she shares clues with the police as soon as she finds them. This is a plus in itself. She can also cook (there are so many cozies out there where the protagonist doesn't know what a spatula is for). And the big plus is she takes in the poor terrier whose owner was killed.
When Dani starts looking for clues, she comes across them quite naturally, without having to probe people too much, so conversations don't get uncomfortable; and her friend Lily (we should call her weak Lily) gives up information sporadically. While I'd like to spend time with Dani, Lily seems too wishy-washy for me. Ah, well.
The plot is well done and the writing is done well, so this makes for a good first book in the series. The clues are there (I knew the murderer before Dani, but then again, I read a lot of mysteries) and it was still fun watching her put everything together and get that final clue in an 'aha' moment.
In the end, the reason for the murder seemed a little sad, but murder is still what it is; everything else came together nicely, and I will definitely read the next in the series. Recommended.
More on Emmie Lyn's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/emmie-lyn/
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