A Shot in the Bark

A Dog Park Mystery, Book 1

By: C. A. Newsome

Narrated by: Jane Boyer

Would you recognize a serial killer if you met one? Talked to one every day? Artist Lia Anderson doesn't, and neither does anyone else who frequents the Mount Airy Dog Park. But a violent death brings Detective Peter Dourson into the close-knit group, and he is convinced someone is not who they seem. As the investigation uncovers secrets, Lia struggles to cope with warring emotions and a killer watches.

©2011 Carol Ann Newsome (P)2013 Carol Ann Newsome

Average

An OK little mystery. Nothing special but was a nice listen, worth a few hours. I like how the murderer was done, and how the book left off, chilling.

Stars: Overall 4 Narration 5 Story 3.5

Starting with a prologue that is told in a killer’s point of view, C.A. Newsome has added an interesting twist to the cozy mystery genre with the inset. While ostensibly the story is focused on a group of regulars at a dog park, the story works on several different levels that may be disconcerting for some readers.

Firstly, the dogs: I am a huge fan of do-related stories, and the particular insets of the many dogs and their associated personalities, as well as their relationships and correlations to their owners is cleverly done. There are several characters introduced in the story, and it does make it a bit more difficult to narrow down the more important players from the group. What is very well done is the cold, calculating and distinctly written and narrated point of view insets from the murderer him (or her) self. Kudos to the author for the stylistic switch: and to the narration by Jane Boyer in which she imbues a harder and more calculating quality to the voicing of those sections. It is a quality that is often overlooked in audiobook narration, particular intention behind a character’s narration and tone, and she excelled at this story.

But back to the story itself: I really did enjoy this, even with the lack of a comeuppance for the murderer, or even a sense that you are certain the murderer has been named. Possibly muddled by the many characters, there was a sense that the second book will not only provide the reason for this murder, and fully explain the intentions of the culprit. In this, the mystery portion of the story has the potential to disappoint some readers who want to have a final wrap up that is defined and obvious, but I particularly appreciated the openness and quality of the stylistic differences that made this story unlike any I have previously encountered.

I own this book in two forms, I purchased a Kindle copy, and I was fortunate to win the AudioBook version of the story. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Too much time inside the killer's mind

Would you try another book from C. A. Newsome and/or Jane Boyer?

Maybe.

Would you recommend A Shot in the Bark to your friends? Why or why not?

No. I have decided not to read books where I spend more than a minimal amount of time inside the killer's mind. I don't think that's healthy. I like mysteries because they present a puzzle to solve. I don't want to empathize or even listen to the thoughts of someone who could hurt another person purposefully. This is not up-building. It's troubling.

What three words best describe Jane Boyer’s performance?

Pleasing, smooth, scary.

Any additional comments?

I didn't find the voice of Peter very masculine.

Narration Detracted from Story

What would have made A Shot in the Bark better?

A narrator who is less monotone in her reading.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Shot in the Bark?

The twist at the end.

Would you be willing to try another one of Jane Boyer’s performances?

NO!

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The story was good, but the narration made me think about not finishing the audiobook and just reading the rest of it.

Any additional comments?

I might read or even purchase more books in this series, but I hope to avoid narration by Ms. Boyer in the future.

It's Okay

This was an okay story. A couple of the characters were not realistic. There was too much time in the killers head. This isn't my kind of story but there it will probably get better as it continues.