I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dressed Up 4 Murder
by J.C. Eaton
Series: Sophie Kimball Mystery #6
Series Rating:
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation on February 25, 2020
Genres: Cozy Animal Holiday Mystery
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Goodreads
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: Molded 4 Murder , Broadcast 4 Murder, Railroaded 4 Murder, Saddled Up 4 Murder, Grilled 4 Murder, Strike Out 4 Murder, Revved Up 4 Murder
Last one standing is the winner . . . The holiday season has arrived and bookkeeper/amateur sleuth, Sophie "Phee" Kimball, would love nothing more than to enjoy the comforts of her new home with her detective boyfriend near Arizona's Sun City West. Instead, her mother Harriet wants to showcase her chiweenie-chihuahua-dachshund Streetman in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza costume events. The festivities begin in October and end on St. Patrick's Day--with the winner starring in the St. Pat's Day parade. But things quickly turn an awful shade of green when Streetman uncovers a dead body under a tarp-covered grill in the neighbor's yard.
The victim is Cameron Tully, a seafood distributor working out of Phoenix, who died from ingesting a toxic sago palm leaf. Before the police can even find a motive and suspect, another Precious Pooch owner nearly dies from the same poison. With Harriet believing someone's targeting her and Streetman because of the costume contests, Phee will need a potful of Irish luck to sniff out a killer . . .
Praise for the Sophie Kimball Mysteries
"An eclectic cast of entertaining characters that will keep you wondering whodunit!" --USA Today Bestselling Author Nicole Leiren, on Staged 4 Murder
"A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable, yet realistic characters and enough plot twists--and dead ends--to appeal from beginning to end."--Booklist STARRED REVIEW on Booked 4 Murder
Dressed Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is a hilarious tale regarding the things that people will do for love.
Who will make more headlines, Phee, or Streetman? Will the Williams Detective Agency solve the newest rash of crimes plaguing the Sun Valley West area?
Phee is such a great character who has confidence, intelligence, and a knack for investigating. Marshall and Phee move in together in this installment. It is nice to see them together. Phee and Marshal work for Williams Investigations, Marshal as an investigator and Phee as their accountant.
In case you haven’t figured it out, Phee is our sleuth and main character. However, one of the things that make Phee so unique is Harriet. Harriet is such a riot. She and her book club ladies are all over any crime that takes place in their neighborhood. These ladies drive the local Sheriff’s department crazy. But mostly they drive Phee nuts like when her mother calls her to look for clues and pass on gossip. Oh, and Phee is expected to be there for all of her mother’s activities and to support Streetman (Harriet’s Chiweenie).
The Mysteries
Multiple crimes are going on, as one would expect in the Phoenix area. The breakdown: two poisonings that result in one murder and one attempted murder; break-ins around the city, a streaker, a hold-up at a restaurant, and a lady is going around threatening other contestants in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza. So, lots of things to keep Phee, Marshal, and Nate busy.
Some Humorous Things to Watch For:
- Streetman’s Costumes are adorable, but watch how he acts. And watch for the turkey incident.
- Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza decorations are over the top. I hope these ideas come from our authors’ imaginations.
- Whenever Herb shows up, he makes me laugh at how serious everything is. And what a gossip.
- The things that Augusta (Receptionist at Williams Investigations) talks about when comparing her former life to her current life.
- The things that Phee does to get on the local news television shows are fun. However, I don’t think she appreciated the spotlights at all.
Five Stars
Oh, my! I have to say that I love this series. Harriet and Streetman are riots, its all poor Phee can do to keep up with them. This book has such a fun story, I love the way the mysteries combine with the characters and how I keep guessing what is going to happen next, but it completely surprises me. It is five stars for Dressed Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton. I highly recommend this series to all cozy fans out there.
Here’s a song that is played at the Thanksgiving Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza. Just imagine all the dogs in costumes walking with the owners to this tune.
Other Books in the Series
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Dressed Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton.
Until the next time,
This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove.
About J.C. Eaton
J.C. Eaton is the pen name for the collaborative writing team of Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp. Together they juggle three unique series of cozy mysteries, all with quirky characters and a zillion twists and turns. Learn more on their website – https://www.jceatonmysteries.com
From analytical Sophie “Phee” Kimball to impulsive Norrie Ellington and sassy Marcie Rayner, they’ve got a sleuth for all tastes!
While Ann is a seasoned author in her own right, having eight published YA time travel mysteries to her credit, James, a former winery tasting room manager, has focused on non-fiction with informative blurbs on the wine industry. This unlikely author duo found common ground when they moved to Arizona and realized that the community they were living in was the perfect background for murder mysteries.
Ann admits that she’s definitely “the detail person” while James is more comfortable with plotline and the big ideas. Running the dialogue is their favorite pastime in this venture.
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