Barking up the Wrong Bakery

Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries, Book 1

By: Stella St. Claire

Narrated by: Machelle Williams

Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Some people would kill for coffee....

Olivia Rickard would kill to keep everything just the way it is. She’s got a gorgeous boyfriend who loves her, a supportive sister to lean on, and a dog walking business that’s briskly barking away. But just as she’s getting comfortable, her sister suddenly wants to buy an entire brownstone with her, and her boyfriend looks like he’s going to pop the question at every opportunity. Changing the status quo has always been disastrous for Olivia, and now everything is changing at once....

What Olivia needs is a distraction, and she’s found one in stumbling upon Yvette Dunn dead in her coffee food truck - drowned in a vat of fresh coffee. Olivia starts out as an unlucky bystander to the crime, but she’s forced to dig in deeper when it looks like her sister could be involved in Yvette’s death.

Olivia is running out of time in regards to the mystery, the mortgage, and the marriage. She’s going to have to solve all three problems - and quick - or face a future most foul.

©2017 Relay Publishing (P)2017 Relay Publishing

Cozy Mystery

This was a great whodunit cozy mystery. The narrator Machelle Williams did a great job. I am looking forward to the next in the series. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Enjoyed this very much!

I enjoyed this story very much. I found myself chuckling out loud several times, but the mystery was well written, as well. Side note of the romance was really good. I loved how Olivia, although she loved her boyfriend, came to really appreciate his love for her. The fun stories of her pet walking business and her need for listening to audiobook mysteries were a boost for who Olivia is. Machelle Williams did a fantastic job of narrating this story.

really good!

I loved everything about this cozy mystery! The humor, mystery and romance were all really well done and the narration was perfect. Highly recommend!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. The fact that I was gifted this book had no influence over my opinion of it.

Barking up the Wrong Bakery

When you fall in love with someone, do you ever wonder who you might be hurting? The person who you are now taking up all of their time to be with...are you taking them away from friends and family? Quite possibly, someone could hold a grudge against that, but do you ever think about it like that? NO--of course not! And why would you? People are supposed to understand, right?! This story has a predictable plot twist, but the characters are what really draws readers in and keeps them turning those pages. Readers who want to dive into Olivia's world of amateur sleuthing will have their fill of witty, funny and entertaining along the way as she hunts for a killer.

Olivia finds the dead body of Yvette Dunn, a local food truck owner. When the sheriff strictly forbids Olivia to get involved with the murder investigation, she shrugs him off and tells him what he wants to hear--but deep down, she knows that this case could be the distraction she needs to ward off the all-too-real decisions that are honing in on her personal life. Her perfect boyfriend is on the verge of proposing and her sister is ushering her to invest in a brownstone for her dog-walking business. Is she afraid of change? Is she afraid of commitment? All she knows is that she bolts every time the time is right or her sister gets that look on her face. Once she jumps into the case though, she realizes that maybe those two decisions wouldn't be so bad--just as long as she lives long enough to make them. With someone on her trail, Olivia knows that she is getting close to cracking the case wide open, but at what price will she go to find the murderer?

St. Claire has an entertaining story filled with mystery and superb character development. While this story isn't as creative and original in its mystery, the characters are fascinating and spontaneous which makes the book a page-turner. Since this review is complimenting the audiobook, it does appear that the story is well-written and William's vocal relay remains clear throughout the entire book. The pace is quick and easy to follow; however, Williams is a bit dry and seems to have trouble differentiating between characters. If you are a reader of cozy mysteries and amateur sleuthing, you will probably enjoy this book. It is the first installment of the Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries; therefore, you can dive right in.

An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Barking up the Wrong Bakery by Stella St. Claire.

A great cosy mystery

This was such a fun book to listen to.

Olivia Rickard is an accidental sleuth trying to take her mind off an impending proposal she is expecting. She is set on solving the mystery, especially when one of her friend’s is considered a suspect.

I really enjoyed Olivia’s internal thoughts. Her friends and the other supporting characters – with plenty of quirky habits - provide lots of entertainment. There are plenty of quick-witted people in town.

I did not guess who the killer was but that’s never been my strength.

The narration was excellent. The pacing was great, emotions were well conveyed and each character had a distinct voice.

I am looking forward to listening to more books in this series.

Deliciously Devious!!

The plot line is intriguing and keeps the reader guessing until the end. I loved it and can't wait to read the next in this series. This book did not fail to impress me, I enjoyed it very much. The writing was excellent , and I am definitely a fan of the narration.
"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review." 

Nice easy listening mystery

Fun story. Narrator bothered me a bit trying to change tones for characters & all came out flat.

What a great cozy mystery

This is my first experience with both the author and narrator, and I love them both. The book starts out with the murder, and we can't tell who it is, of course because then we wouldn't have the mystery. The author takes us on a journey of discovery as our mystery-loving dog walker gets herself into hot water pursuing a crime she's been warned to stay out of. While all this is going on, her boyfriend is trying to propose and she ruins it every time. The plot is well-constructed, the story has just the right amount of humor in it, and the narrator does a great job with a crisp, clear, voice and professional processing. I highly recommend this book to readers (or listeners) who like a cozy mystery. *I was offered a free copy of the book for the purpose of giving an honest review.

Quirky mystery!

Stella St. Claire weaves a "tail" of intrigue with twists and turns that keeps you guessing to the end.

Machelle Williams has good diction and a great sense of the characters she portrays.

I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

HOOKED FROM THE BEGINNING

BARKING UP THE WRONG BAKERY is the first book in the Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries series. It is unclear as yet if they will need to be read in order, but usually the first book needs to be read first because it establishes the characters and setting.

I was hooked from the beginning. Being in the mind of the murderer (told from their point of view), I wondered if there would be more chapters from that mind. It was a wonderful and unique way to introduce me to the crime scene and the motive.

After that there is the cozy mystery side of this with Olivia finding Yvette and trying to emulate her favorite book hero while avoiding change in her own messy life.

I loved the humor, the romance, the family ties, the community and the dogs.

The characters are great, the story and the subplots are well woven, and there are loveable dogs – a trifecta win in my mind!

This is the first book I have read (listened to) from Ms. St. Claire. I would love to hear more of this delightful series.

P.S. The titles are marvelous!

Narration: The narrator, Machelle Williams, provides a nice voice to the characters. Her performance is beautiful. I enjoyed listening to her as I drove to and from work and that is all I ask – don’t make that stress higher than it already is. I would love to hear her perform in more audiobooks.

Note: While I received this book as a gifted audiobook copy via Audiobookworm Promotions, my opinions are my own and are given freely.


Title: BARKING UP THE WRONG BAKERY
Series: Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries #1
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Listenability: OK
Received from: Stella St. Claire (as an Audible gifted copy)