A BISCUIT, A CASKET
by Liz Mugavero
Mugavero does an excellent job of weaving the varied lives of a large cast of small-town characters together to create a coherent and thrilling mystery with a heart.
~Back Porchervations
A Biscuit, A Casket by Liz Mugavero
Cozy Mystery – 320 Pages
July 7 – July 16, 2014
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A Biscuit, a Casket
Series: A Pawsitively Organic Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington (April 1, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0758284802 /ISBN-13: 978-0758284808
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MY REVIEW
I was so charmed by the quirky title and adorable cover art for this book I completely overlooked it’s being the second book in the Pawsitively Organic Mystery Series. Another fun title.
Even though I hadn’t read the first book, I had no trouble getting to know the characters and picking up on their history. It’s a fast, addictive read. I finished it in two sittings.
Stan (Kristan) hasn’t lived in Frog Ledge for very long and she’s become a bit of a corpse magnet. From what I gather happened in the first book, she seems to have a propensity for stumbling over dead bodies.
Her neighbors are part of a farmers co-op, growing organic crops. Each year they do a corn maze for Halloween. There a lots of scary monsters hidden throughout the maze. But no one was expecting to find a dead body, a real one. Somebody killed farmer Hal and left him in the maze.
Frog Ledge reminds me a bit of my home town. Stan’s business, making organic treats for dogs and cats, would fit right in. I got a kick out of the idea of her catering a doggie birthday party and could see her business doing well here. We have pet parades and all the animals wear costumes. It’s quite a fun day and growing every year.
The dogs are a big part of the story and I had several chuckles over their antics. Dogs will be dogs, even at a birthday party and their table manners are atrocious.
The town is filled with colorful characters, giving you plenty of suspects to choose from. And there’s a love interest. I was kind of hoping Stan and Jake would hook up. He seems like a nice guy, even though I didn’t get to know too much about him.
That’s why I’ll be reading the first book next. I want to be introduced to the stars of this series. Get to know them, find out what makes them tick. Yep, I’m a fan of character driven stories.
Even if you haven’t read the first book, you can still read this and easily fall into the series. It’s a fun mystery, perfect for a relaxing day by the pool or snuggling up in front of the fire on a cold winter night.
4 STARS
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Thanks so much to Liz for her delightful review copy for the tour and to Lori for organizing this fun event.
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Synopsis:
The small town of Frog Ledge, Connecticut, has wholeheartedly embraced Kristan “Stan” Connor’s new business – preparing quality organic treats for dogs and cats. On a healthy diet, the animals may live longer…but one local farmer won’t be so lucky. As Halloween approaches, Stan is asked to cater a doggie costume party hosted by the Happy Cow Dairy Farm. Part of a local co-op, Happy Cow specializes in organic dairy products, and farmers Hal and Emmalee Hoffman have started opening up the farm for parties, offering a “haunted” corn maze as an added attraction. When Hal’s lifeless body is found in the maze, the police at first suspect his wife, but Stan soon learns the dairy farmer had plenty of enemies – from bitter family members to shady business associates. If Stan can’t extract a kernel of truth from the labyrinth of lies, she may be the next one to buy the farm…
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About This Author
Liz Mugavero has been writing stories since she could hold a pen. Before that, she would tell them to anyone who would listen (not many at the time). After deciding early on she would write books for a living, she practiced by writing bad, angst-filled poems, short stories and even a storyline for a soap opera–all by age 15. She never wavered from her goals despite all the usual questions including, “So are you going to be an English teacher with that degree in English?” or, “That writing thing sounds nice, but how are you REALLY going to make a living?”
She went on to get a master’s in writing and publishing and spent time in journalism, PR, and presently, corporate communications. And she’s confident this writing thing IS the way to make a living.
Aside from writing, she loves animals (has a houseful), the beach, reading other writers’ masterpieces and Starbucks coffee.
Author Links
Webpage ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads
Tour Participants
July 7 – Back Porchervations – Review
July 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview
July 9 – fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s ramblins and reviews – Review
July 10 – deal sharing aunt – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
July 11 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – Review, Interview
July 12 – Griperang’s Bookmarks – Review, Giveaway
July 13 – Books-n-Kisses – Review, Interview
July 14 – Bea’s Book Nook – Review
July 15 –Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Guest Post
July 16 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
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