Murder Most Howl: A Paws & Claws Mystery - Krista Davis

The third book in the Paws & Claws series, Murder Most Howl, sees the gang in the  (unfortunately fictional) pet resort town of Wagtail hosting a murder mystery weekend.  The Sugar Maple Inn is filled to the rafters with excited sleuths looking to solve their very own murder.

Things start going downhill when the morning after the "murder" kicked off the event, a real dead body turns up in town and it's up to Holly and her gang to solve the mystery.

This was a great plot; moved along pretty well, but bogged down a little towards the middle of the book.  Still, I have to say that although I figured out who the thief was, I really had no idea whodunit until the very end.  I loved the whole murder-mystery-within-a-murder-mystery idea.  Really well done!

Deducted half a star because of a few niggling things; first, the whole Ben - Holmes - Holly triangle has got to go.  It doesn't tantalize, it annoys.  Second, there was an event that was mentioned before it was introduced into the story (Spoiler ahead)

While on the way to Shadow's house, Holly mentions that the money clip has gone missing.  Wait, what money clip?  Well, a few chapters later, a character reports that her husband's money clip is missing.  Either Holly has become psychic or there was a glaring plot error that somehow made it to publication.

(show spoiler)



Last, what the is the point of Aunt Birdie?  Seriously?