Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Dog-Gone Dead by Jackie Layton

DOG-GONE DEAD
SERIES: A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery #2
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Bell Bridge Books
RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2020
PAGES: 248

Who’d have thought mulch could cause such a stink?

Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott is happy to score some free mulch from one of her brother’s landscaping jobs—until she discovers the dead body buried beneath the bark.

Worse, her brother’s landscaping tools were used to commit the murder. Once the police arrest her brother and seem happy to have “caught their man,” Andi Grace has no choice but to track down the real killer. She’ll risk everything to prove her brother’s innocence. Even if it means turning over every rock in town.

If you love small-town coastal life, dogs, and strong heroines, you’ll love Dog-Gone Dead.

Other Books In This Series

Before reading the latest Low Country Dog Walker mystery by Jackie Layton, I went back and (finally) read the 1st book, Bite the Dust, and promptly fell head over heels for this cast of characters. Particularly Andi Grace & Marc – and even more particularly Andi Grace & Marc together as a couple, pretend or otherwise 🙂 Their respective dogs burrowed quickly into my heart as well, and the supporting players who fill in the rest of the cast are also great additions. The plot of Bite the Dust was intriguing and complex, with plenty of surprising twists & turns that kept me on my figurative toes from start to finish. What impressed me the most, though, was the warm tone of the author’s writing voice – it’s a warmth that wraps around you as you read, without overpowering the story or making it saccharine. Instead, you just want to snuggle in & keep reading.

As for Dog-Gone Dead, I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with Andi Grace & Marc, as well as their canine companions Sunny & Chubb. I also loved spending more time with Andi Grace’s brother Nate and her best friend Juliet and getting to know them a bit more than we did in book 1. And of course I’m a huge fan of the continuing romance (and genuine affection & respect) between Andi Grace & Marc … and the sparks between Nate & Juliet too. The mystery is again very well done and full of plausible suspects. In Bite the Dust I had the “who” figured out pretty quickly but the “why” remained a puzzle until a reveal that had me holding my breath; in Dog-Gone Dead, I kept changing my mind about the “who” even though I was fairly certain (at least in a general sense) about the “why”. I was pleased that both books were different enough to avoid falling into a predictable pattern, yet they both shared that warmth I loved so much in Bite the Dust. And while I’m glad I read book 1 first, Dog-Gone Dead can easily work as a stand-alone too.

Bottom Line: Dog-Gone Dead is a delightful, warmly written cozy mystery! The main characters are quite likable – both the two and four legged varieties – and the host of possible suspects will keep you guessing right up to the very end. Faith, family & friends are central to the story’s backdrop & add further layers to our amateur sleuth Andi Grace. A well-written & enraging whodunit!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received via the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!

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Former Kentucky pharmacist Jackie Layton loves her new life in the Low Country. When she’s not writing, Jackie enjoys walks on the beach, bike rides and collecting shells. The first two books in Jackie’s Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series are Bite the Dust and Dog-Gone Dead. Jackie always enjoys hearing from readers.

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