Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed Sniffing Out Murder (Bailey the Bloodhound, Bk 1) on + 748 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
Priscilla Cummings has found success as an author with her first children's book, The Case of the Missing Maltese, an Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound, Pet Detective story. So successful that she is giving up her career as a teacher. She has saved what she knows is going to be the hardest parent-teacher conference as the last thing to do before she leaves the school as a member of the staff. Joe and Whitney Kelly's adopted daughter, Clarice is very smart but hasn't applied herself and Pris believes she needs to be held back. The parents blame her as a teacher and her bloodhound who is part of a reading program at the school for distracting their daughter.
Later Pris and Bailey go to the Blue Plate Special Cafe owned by her aunt Agatha for some chowder and a BLT without the T but plenty of B. Her meal is ruined when the Kelly's make an appearance and cause trouble. Whitney vows to use her position as chairwoman of the school board to ruin Pris and cancel the reading program along with the art and music classes, calling them unneeded "fluff". Pris attempts to tell her how important these programs are and they have a minor argument that gets blown all out of proportion when the new Chief of Police Gilbert Morgan walks in with his daughter. Not everyone saw what Whitney did to start the chaos but the drama queen acted all innocent trying to blame Pris and her dog.
Pris then finds herself in the hot seat when an early morning walk has Bailey the Bloodhound sniffing out a murder, and digging up the body of none other than Whitney Kelly.
______
Prepare to have your heart stolen by Bailey the Bloodhound. It is a stubborn breed especially when they catch a scent. Nose to the ground the hound is at work but when he is ready to play he is a gentle 100-pound giant with a whole lot of drool. A loyal inquisitive dog he always seems to be ready for his next adventure. His person Pricilla, was inspired by him to not only write stories featuring him but she also started a pet-assisted reading program letting children read to Bailey. She also takes him to library, to show off his special skills. She is inquisitive herself which comes in handy to do a little amateur sleuthing. Her Aunt Agatha has her back no matter what and I loved that. Her best friend, Marcie, is also a teacher and a lot of fun. I was not a fan of Chief of Police Gilbert Morgan until I got to know some of his backstory and his delightful daughter Hannah. He is a by-the-books kind of guy from Chicago so he needs to find his place and understand the ways of small-town life. I enjoyed meeting all these characters and like that even for the first book in a series, they have depth.
Set in the small town of Crosbyville, Indiana, we meet several of its residents that are all tied in different ways to what is happening in the story. The cast is very diverse and typical of what you would find in any midwestern small town. The good, the bad, and sometimes the creepy or entitled. I hope to see the good ones in future stories.
Ms. Benjamin sets a brisk pace with short chapters and she plotted out a sharp mystery. Pris is on the suspect list but there are several other viable suspects. Whitney Kelly was an awful person and had made some enemies. I was suspicious of all of them. As Pris investigated she did put a target on her own back but then clues for me started to fall into place. One character stood out but I wasn't sure about their motive until it was all spelled out. The killer did make a big mistake when they tried to get rid of some loose ends. The showdown was tense. A unique lesson came into play and some high school talents saved the day. I absolutely loved the way the ending played out.
Sniffing Out Murder is a delightful lighthearted mystery with appealing characters and a sweet adorable bloodhound. I am excited to see what Ms. Benjamin has planned for her characters next and what kind of trouble Bailey's sniffer finds.
Priscilla Cummings has found success as an author with her first children's book, The Case of the Missing Maltese, an Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound, Pet Detective story. So successful that she is giving up her career as a teacher. She has saved what she knows is going to be the hardest parent-teacher conference as the last thing to do before she leaves the school as a member of the staff. Joe and Whitney Kelly's adopted daughter, Clarice is very smart but hasn't applied herself and Pris believes she needs to be held back. The parents blame her as a teacher and her bloodhound who is part of a reading program at the school for distracting their daughter.
Later Pris and Bailey go to the Blue Plate Special Cafe owned by her aunt Agatha for some chowder and a BLT without the T but plenty of B. Her meal is ruined when the Kelly's make an appearance and cause trouble. Whitney vows to use her position as chairwoman of the school board to ruin Pris and cancel the reading program along with the art and music classes, calling them unneeded "fluff". Pris attempts to tell her how important these programs are and they have a minor argument that gets blown all out of proportion when the new Chief of Police Gilbert Morgan walks in with his daughter. Not everyone saw what Whitney did to start the chaos but the drama queen acted all innocent trying to blame Pris and her dog.
Pris then finds herself in the hot seat when an early morning walk has Bailey the Bloodhound sniffing out a murder, and digging up the body of none other than Whitney Kelly.
______
Prepare to have your heart stolen by Bailey the Bloodhound. It is a stubborn breed especially when they catch a scent. Nose to the ground the hound is at work but when he is ready to play he is a gentle 100-pound giant with a whole lot of drool. A loyal inquisitive dog he always seems to be ready for his next adventure. His person Pricilla, was inspired by him to not only write stories featuring him but she also started a pet-assisted reading program letting children read to Bailey. She also takes him to library, to show off his special skills. She is inquisitive herself which comes in handy to do a little amateur sleuthing. Her Aunt Agatha has her back no matter what and I loved that. Her best friend, Marcie, is also a teacher and a lot of fun. I was not a fan of Chief of Police Gilbert Morgan until I got to know some of his backstory and his delightful daughter Hannah. He is a by-the-books kind of guy from Chicago so he needs to find his place and understand the ways of small-town life. I enjoyed meeting all these characters and like that even for the first book in a series, they have depth.
Set in the small town of Crosbyville, Indiana, we meet several of its residents that are all tied in different ways to what is happening in the story. The cast is very diverse and typical of what you would find in any midwestern small town. The good, the bad, and sometimes the creepy or entitled. I hope to see the good ones in future stories.
Ms. Benjamin sets a brisk pace with short chapters and she plotted out a sharp mystery. Pris is on the suspect list but there are several other viable suspects. Whitney Kelly was an awful person and had made some enemies. I was suspicious of all of them. As Pris investigated she did put a target on her own back but then clues for me started to fall into place. One character stood out but I wasn't sure about their motive until it was all spelled out. The killer did make a big mistake when they tried to get rid of some loose ends. The showdown was tense. A unique lesson came into play and some high school talents saved the day. I absolutely loved the way the ending played out.
Sniffing Out Murder is a delightful lighthearted mystery with appealing characters and a sweet adorable bloodhound. I am excited to see what Ms. Benjamin has planned for her characters next and what kind of trouble Bailey's sniffer finds.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I was in the mood for a canine-themed light and fun mystery, so I picked up Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin (AKA V.M. Burns) with mixed results.
I did enjoy the small town setting and the cast of characters, like Pris's Aunt Agatha who owns the Blue Plate Special Café, and the police chief's eight-year-old daughter, Hannah. Her background as an elementary school teacher means that Pris has many tools in her arsenal when dealing with children and-- more importantly-- with difficult adults (excluding Whitney). The relationship she forms with Hannah is exceptional.
I also liked how Bailey's reaction to one of the characters was a dead giveaway, but his reaction did not solve the entire mystery.
Then there were the things that didn't sit well with me. Like the fact that Pris was under a critical deadline yet did not write one single word of her next book. Or the fact that she kept sticking her nose in various people's business, getting harsh reactions, yet was so absolutely clueless that she didn't realize she was putting her own life in danger. Or the fact that Bailey the bloodhound really didn't figure in the book much.
However, the major thing that I didn't care for was the overwhelming aroma of romance throughout the entire book. Pris had just had the very traumatic experience of finding a dead body, but the split second she spies Police Chief Gilbert Morgan, she longs for a comb and a makeup touchup. (If you just pictured my eyes rolling back in my head, you hit the bull's-eye.) Yep, there were just too many curling toes and quivering livers in Sniffing Out Murder that kept me from truly enjoying the book, but it is a light, fun, and fast read-- perfect for the summer.
I did enjoy the small town setting and the cast of characters, like Pris's Aunt Agatha who owns the Blue Plate Special Café, and the police chief's eight-year-old daughter, Hannah. Her background as an elementary school teacher means that Pris has many tools in her arsenal when dealing with children and-- more importantly-- with difficult adults (excluding Whitney). The relationship she forms with Hannah is exceptional.
I also liked how Bailey's reaction to one of the characters was a dead giveaway, but his reaction did not solve the entire mystery.
Then there were the things that didn't sit well with me. Like the fact that Pris was under a critical deadline yet did not write one single word of her next book. Or the fact that she kept sticking her nose in various people's business, getting harsh reactions, yet was so absolutely clueless that she didn't realize she was putting her own life in danger. Or the fact that Bailey the bloodhound really didn't figure in the book much.
However, the major thing that I didn't care for was the overwhelming aroma of romance throughout the entire book. Pris had just had the very traumatic experience of finding a dead body, but the split second she spies Police Chief Gilbert Morgan, she longs for a comb and a makeup touchup. (If you just pictured my eyes rolling back in my head, you hit the bull's-eye.) Yep, there were just too many curling toes and quivering livers in Sniffing Out Murder that kept me from truly enjoying the book, but it is a light, fun, and fast read-- perfect for the summer.
