Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries #4 and 5
by Donna Ball
Bone Yard was good, but Silent Night was great. It had a touch of humor, especially in the first few chapters, that pushed it over into 'great' territory. Great to me, anyway. I can understand why these books may not be everybody's personal favorites--they're too cozy for serious police procedurals but a little too edgy for people wanting a "warm blanket" kind of story. Her relationship with law enforcement is tenuous at best--her ex-husband is the police chief and her uncle the former police chief. So she gets tips and gets away with behavior that would have a normal person behind bars.
Her dogs are the stars of the show. Mischief and Magic are Aussies (I think), which I assume stands for Australian Shepherds. Both have more energy and intelligence than they know what to do with, so they work it out in amusing little pranks. And Cisco, the young and undisciplined Golden Retriever, is more than likely to find the human scent he's supposed to be tracking, alert his handler, and then run off chasing squirrels. He tries to be good, but has lousy impulse control.
That's the best I can explain. The mysteries are well plotted; the action keen; and the personal complications realistic and not all "angsty" as some mystery writers tend to make them. Yeah, she questions her attraction to the neighbor who is responsible for bringing in development that might turn her beloved mountain into a tourist hub, but she doesn't agonize over it.
No comments:
Post a Comment