Purebred Dead

Mary McGill is a fixture n her small California town. If you need something done, everyone knows Mary is your go to woman. This year, Mary’s having a little problem with the town Christmas pageant. A bloodied body has turned up inside the creche, the only clue, the black and white puppy huddling around the body. her A couple of kids reported seeing a shadowy figure, but that’s not going to get this crime solved. Mary may not be a detective, or a dog expert, but she knows if she finds out more about the dog, she might just be able to point a finger at the killer

A charming and gently humorous cozy mystery with a cute puppy as an added bonus. What’s not to like?

This is a delightful cozy mystery featuring Mary McGill, the type of woman you would want as your friend and neighbor. Mary is in charge of the Christmas posada in her hometown of Saint Louisa when two neighborhood children find the body of a retired veterinarian in the manger. They also find a cute puppy. Mary's nephew in law Dan, the police officer in charge of the case, relies upon her friendship with the two children to help him find out the facts. And is the cute puppy really an expensive purebred dog who is they key to solving the case? Read this book to find out - I highly recommend it.

They are having a lovely Christmas event in their lovely small town with children's choirs, a reenactment of Joseph and Mary's journey, and a manger for everyone to gather 'round. The only problem is that there is a dead man in the stable...

Severn House and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 1st, so make a note on your TBR list to pick it up then.

Two children found the dead man. They had gone out to see if the doll would fit in the manger. While they are staggered by what they see, they also notice a small puppy hiding in the manger area. They rescue him and Mary rescues them. She's in charge of the event and this murder ends it.

There are several suspects. Even the priest is under suspicion because of his monk clothing and the sandals he wears. However, he's not the only one. The puppy is a mystery, but he's also a clue.

Everyone is trying to protect the two children who saw the killer. Even with the whole town on watch, they aren't really safe.

When the next person is murdered, the waters grow even more muddy. Mary is amazed to find herself with a dog. She was the murdered man's dog and no one else has room for her. As anybody with animals knows, it doesn't take long for the dog to get Mary on her side. She even sneaks in bed with her.

The world of animal breeding is vicious. Everyone has their own techniques, their own beliefs, and some breeders are almost rabid about them. Mary is pretty sure that's what's behind the murders but she can't see who is benefiting from the deaths. She keeps snooping though, and it's almost the death of her.

My favorite characters are the little boy and girl in the story. They're fearless when they need to be and they added a lot of life to the story. I like Mary and look forward to seeing her again in another book. Why don't you see what you think?

A murder mystery & dogs was a combination that couldn’t be resisted!

Everyone knows a ‘Mary’- someone who will help anyone & be involved in any committee that no-one else wants. Trying to solve a murder was not something she had signed up for & yet she finds herself in the middle of a search for a killer.

Although this could never be categorised as a grisly or overly complicated story, it is full of interesting characters and a good read. Maybe not quite up to five stars but worth a good solid four stars

Mary McGill is the town busybody, but in a good way. She is on all of the committees in the town, knows everyone that lives there and is very willing to help out wherever she is needed. Most of the time whatever event she is putting on runs perfectly. But that is about to change. Because at the Christmas Pageant and Parade, a dead body is found in the Christmas Manger. To make matters worse, the body is discovered by two young children. Two young children that may have seen the murderer. Two young children that may now be in danger if the killer thinks they can identify the murderer.

A black and white puppy is also found at the murder site. No one can figure out how the puppy got there or why it was left there. Mary feels that the puppy holds the key to solving the murder and identifying the killer. She has no experience with puppies but knows she had better learn as much as she can and as quickly as possible before the killer comes after the children. With the help of her niece, Ellen and Ellen’s husband, Dan, she begins to investigate the murder. Dan is the chief of police and Mary’s inside track for details of the murder.

The characters are well developed and well rounded. But in my opinion there are a few too many characters introduced. At times I found myself getting confused as to who was who and had to backtrack to figure out who they were. This may have just been me, other readers may have no problem keeping track of them all. With so many characters, there is also a big supply of possible suspects. With so many, I was not able to figure out the killer before it was revealed at the end. Which is fine with me, I enjoy being surprised.

The author seems very knowledgeable about dog breeding and purebred bloodlines. Either she has first hand knowledge from experience or she thoroughly researched the topic. I am very impressed and I enjoyed this aspect of the book and learned some information I did not previously know.

I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Mary and the black and white puppy develop. Mary has no experiencing caring for a dog and is not even sure she wants to learn. But after looking into the puppy’s eyes and spending time with her, Mary falls in love. The two became best friends. This was very heartwarming and added so much to the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted animal cozy mystery. This is the first book in the Canine Mysteries series and it is a great start for the series. This is the first book that I have read by this author but I will be looking for more of her books to read.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review, which I have given. I would like to thank NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a delightful new cozy series set in California small town where Mary is the town organizer. She is a great older woman who gives from her heart to help out anyone who needs it. This first book introduces Mary and her cute dog Millie. We also meet all the town people who will play important roles in the upcoming stories. I love Mary and I learned a good bit about the dog breeding business.

Dog gone good. Mary is not a dog person, but she quickly becomes one. Many of us have been seduced by a dog. A charming and suspenseful mystery involving dog breeding.

Purebred Dead: A Canine Mystery by Kathleen Delaney is the first book in A Mary McGill Mystery series. Mary McGill is a retired home economics teacher living in Santa Louisa, California. She spends her time helping with various fund raisers around town (a lot of them). Mary is the chair of the Victorian Christmas Extravaganza which is taking place that night. She is on the steps of the library when Dalia comes running up to her. Someone was lying in the manager and would not get up. Mary finds Dr. Cliff Matthews dead in the manger. Cliff is a retired vet (lost his license due to drinking). Dalia and her brother, Ronaldo also found a puppy near the body. Why would a puppy be there?

Don Dunham, Santa Louisa’s Chief of Police (and Mary’s nephew) quickly arrives at the scene. The kids are quickly escorted from the scene. Mary decides to investigate the crime. She starts asking questions around town and finds out that the puppy is an important clue to the case. Mary follows her leads (from her questions) while doing her charity work to find the killer. Will Mary be able to keep herself and the children safe until the person responsible is apprehended?

Purebred Dead was a cute and fun cozy mystery. The mystery was not super complicated nor was it very simple (though I did solve it). The writer has a nice conversational style that makes the book a delight to read. I give Purebred Dead 4 out of 5 stars. I do not know how Mary has time for all her charity work (just reading about it was exhausting). The characters are pleasing in the novel and I liked the descriptions of the various animals. If you relish reading cozy mysteries, give Purebred Dead a try.

I received a complimentary copy of Purebred Dead from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.

This is the first book in a canine theme series that is a delightful cozy mystery The protagonist is intelligent and smart. The clues , sleuth and mystery builds adequately and gives the book a pleasant flow. The small town is a delight to read about and grows on the reader with each introduction of a new character. I look forward to further additions to this enjoyable series by Kathleen Delaney. Thank you for the advance reading copy. I highly recommend Purebred Dead: a canine mystery.

Purebred Dead A Mary McGill Mystery #1 Kathleen Delaney Severn House, August 2015 ISBN 978-0-7278-8501-2 Hardcover

From the publisher—

Pillar of the community, Mary McGill has a finger in every pie, a place on every committee. She’s the one the townsfolk can count on when they need help. Everything Mary organizes runs smoothly – apart, that is, from the town’s traditional Christmas pageant. For the festivities are rudely interrupted by the discovery of a blood-stained corpse lying in the manger. Cowering beside the body is a small black-and-white puppy.

Two local children report seeing a shadowy figure fleeing from the scene – but there are no clues as to the murderer’s identity. If Mary could only find out what the puppy was doing there, she would be one step closer to finding the killer. As someone who knows nothing about dogs, purebred or otherwise, Mary had better learn – and fast – before she and the children become the next victims.

Like many other mystery aficionados, I enjoy a good cozy set in a small town where everybody seems to know everybody else, where the sleuth has some common sense and where the murderous activity turns out to be a puzzle that keeps me guessing for a while. Such is Purebred Dead and this one has the added attraction of a pet-related theme that is quite evident in real life, the very profitable world of dog breeding.

As in many mysteries of this type, character development is paramount and I have to say I found Mary to be very appealing in her normalcy. Here’s a woman we’ve all run into before, the retiree who throws herself into civic and charitable work first because she believes she should but also because she simply can’t NOT do it. Mary is actually a little annoying because she complains, very mildly, that she just can’t take on one more task and then she does anyway. That annoyance is overshadowed, though, by her intelligence and her determination to set things right as well as she can while not interfering with police efforts.

Other characters are also quite likeable, especially the children and Mary’s family, and the canine element is interesting as well as educational. I don’t think it’s farfetched that dog breeding would be at the core of the crime as this has become a sort of cottage industry with too many opportunities for abuse, fraud, greed, etc. Puppy mills abound and small towns are certainly not immune to the dark side of breeding; they may even be more likely settings since official scrutiny is probably less intense.

Killing a veterinarian, even one who is disgraced, is a bit unusual since there’s no immediately apparent motive and Mary doesn’t have any particular expertise in investigating crime nor does she know much about the dog world. What she does offer is a logical mind and concern for truth plus she knows the people in her town. It’s not surprising that the chief of police, who happens to be her nephew, recognizes that Mary might be an asset in his investigation and I really appreciated the mutual respect between Mary and Dan, not always evident in a small town cozy.

The solution itself is not especially deep but it’s a good puzzle full of potential suspects and motives. Ms. Delaney is an accomplished mystery author with multiple books to her credit and it shows in this new series, one I’ll be following with much enjoyment. Besides, how can I resist Millie? ;-)

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, December 2015.