pets, rescue-animals, murder, murder-investigation, family, family-dynamics, friendship, small-business, small-town, law-enforcement, private-investigators, cozy-mystery*****

Liz owns a pet rescue, is married to a veterinarian, and has two grown kids, one of whom is apprenticing to be a PI. Liz has two main problems: one is a toxic woman who is crazy competitive, and the other is the follow-up related to the man she had vetted as a cat adopter but had found his body when she tried to deliver the animal. Although Liz has experience with the homicide department, she really does not consider herself an amateur sleuth. The animals are great, the humans are quirky, the plot is twisty, and the red herrings drove me nutz. A fine read.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

When Liz goes to deliver a rescue cat to his new owner, she stumbles upon the would-be owner’s dead body instead. This new case likely has ties to an old unsolved one. Decades before, the deceased was believed to have killed his wife. Liz gets sucked into the current case, wanting to satisfy her curiosity that she hadn’t selected a poor risk for an adoptive pet. When she finds out that the PI agency where her daughter works is also involved in the investigation, mother and daughter jump in with both feet to find some answers. It’s likely to be a dangerous leap, since both are a bit adventurous and not cautious. This well-plotted mystery is exciting, with clues to keep readers involved in the story. The characters, even the secondary ones, are well developed and add interest to the story. I missed the first book in the series, but it’s going to the top of my TBR stack. This is a great series for cozy readers and animal lovers, and anyone else who just likes a good story. ( )

Liz has found a home for the sneezing Sheamus with Joe Hitchcock but when she gets to his house she finds him dead. Who would have wanted him dead? Is it related to the disappearance of his wife years earlier? Is Erik his unknown son? How is she going to place Sheamus now? ( )