I would like to preface this review by saying that 1) I do not take yoga, 2) I am not a dog person (I'm a cat person), and 3) I am not a vegetarian. All of that being said, I still really loved this book. I have not read any of the earlier ones in the series and while references to previous cases and characters were made, this book stood well alone.
Kate is a yoga teacher and has also trained to be a doula for her best friend, who is about to give birth to twins. Kate is also passionate about animal rescue, and has her hands full when her live-in boyfriend brings home two abandoned puppies. As cute as the puppies are, they don't seem to get along so well with her own furbaby Bella. Things really get complicated when one of Kate's favorite students is accused of murdering her husband, a fertility doctor with a less than stellar reputation. Not only was Kate the one to find the doctor's body, but she saw his wife fleeing the crime scene. It's a slam dunk case for the police, but Kate believes her student is innocent and wants to help.
Kate is the type of person who will go to great lengths to do what she needs to to help a person (or animal) that needs protecting, even if it means she ends up in hot water. The list of credible suspects was quite long, and I was satisfied by the resolution. A great read if you like cozy mysteries!
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Kate is a yoga teacher and has also trained to be a doula for her best friend, who is about to give birth to twins. Kate is also passionate about animal rescue, and has her hands full when her live-in boyfriend brings home two abandoned puppies. As cute as the puppies are, they don't seem to get along so well with her own furbaby Bella. Things really get complicated when one of Kate's favorite students is accused of murdering her husband, a fertility doctor with a less than stellar reputation. Not only was Kate the one to find the doctor's body, but she saw his wife fleeing the crime scene. It's a slam dunk case for the police, but Kate believes her student is innocent and wants to help.
Kate is the type of person who will go to great lengths to do what she needs to to help a person (or animal) that needs protecting, even if it means she ends up in hot water. The list of credible suspects was quite long, and I was satisfied by the resolution. A great read if you like cozy mysteries!
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
A Fatal Twist by Tracy Weber is the fourth book in A Downward Dog Mystery series. Kate Davidson is the owner of Serenity Yoga in Seattle, Washington. Kate has also been busy training to be a doula to help her friend, Rene. Rene is expecting twins with her husband, Sam. Kate is at the open house of the Lake Washington Medical Center new birthing facility. After getting cake all over her top (thanks to Sam and Rene's bickering), Kate heads to a restroom to clean up. Just as she is about to enter, Rachel Jones comes out clutching her red handbag to her chest. Rachel runs by Kate without a greeting. Upon entering the bathroom, Kate finds Dr. Richard Jones (known by most as Dr. Dick) on the floor with a knife sticking out of his chest. Dr. Dick lived up to his name with his philandering ways. Because of Kate's testimony, Rachel is arrested for the murder leaving her sixteen-year-old daughter, Nicole in the care of Justine (friend of Rachel's). Kate knows that Rachel did not murder her husband and sets out to find the real culprit. Kate has some new additions to her household. Michael, Kate's boyfriend, brings home two puppies that he found outside his store, Pete's Pets. Bella, Kate's one hundred pound German Shepard, actually likes the little fellows. Soon, though, the destruction gets to be too much for Kate and Bella's health takes a downward turn. Will Kate be able to find Dr. Jones' killer and the person responsible for leaving the puppies outside Michael's shop before Rene has her babies?
I found A Fatal Twist to be an easy read and a reader can enjoy it as a stand-alone novel. I found the two mysteries (the murder and the puppy issue) to be easy to solve. The identity of the killer can be figured out very early in the book (much to my disappointment). The puppy conundrum can also be solved before the answer is revealed in the story. I found A Fatal Twist to be packed with yoga, puppies, babies, lawsuits, cheaters, sleuthing, Bella's stomach issues, and Kate's bio breaks (leaving little room for the mystery). The reader is subjected to many details regarding Bella's digestive condition (EPI). The details will have you reconsidering eating your next meal. I also found the frequent mention of "bio break's" unnecessary. Does a reader really need to know every single time a character goes to the bathroom? I give A Fatal Twist 3 out of 5 stars. I found Kate to be a contradiction at times (and a hard character to like). Kate loves yoga, but has issues with hot yoga (you could not pay me enough to subject myself to hot yoga). Her reaction to the class seemed odd for this yoga lover. The book does contain descriptions of various yoga poses and different types of classes. If you have enjoyed the previous books in the series, then you will enjoy reading A Fatal Twist.
I found A Fatal Twist to be an easy read and a reader can enjoy it as a stand-alone novel. I found the two mysteries (the murder and the puppy issue) to be easy to solve. The identity of the killer can be figured out very early in the book (much to my disappointment). The puppy conundrum can also be solved before the answer is revealed in the story. I found A Fatal Twist to be packed with yoga, puppies, babies, lawsuits, cheaters, sleuthing, Bella's stomach issues, and Kate's bio breaks (leaving little room for the mystery). The reader is subjected to many details regarding Bella's digestive condition (EPI). The details will have you reconsidering eating your next meal. I also found the frequent mention of "bio break's" unnecessary. Does a reader really need to know every single time a character goes to the bathroom? I give A Fatal Twist 3 out of 5 stars. I found Kate to be a contradiction at times (and a hard character to like). Kate loves yoga, but has issues with hot yoga (you could not pay me enough to subject myself to hot yoga). Her reaction to the class seemed odd for this yoga lover. The book does contain descriptions of various yoga poses and different types of classes. If you have enjoyed the previous books in the series, then you will enjoy reading A Fatal Twist.
