A Whisker in the Dark by @LeighannDobbs ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

"I'm fairly certain that having a guest die before breakfast is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Even so, I was feeling a bit nervous as the guest at my newly acquired Oyster Cove Guesthouse dug in. Never mind that the memory of how a previous breakfast had been spoiled in a most alarming manner was still fresh in my mind, the reason I was nervous about this breakfast was that I was trying out a new pumpkin-bread recipe on my guests and, seeing as my culinary skills were meager at best, I was worried they might not like it." (chapter 1).

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 2019; Bookouture; 978-1838880538
ebook, print (216 pages); cozy mystery

I have such a weakness for cozy mysteries so when I saw A Whisker in the Dark on Netgalley I had to request it even though I already had a number of July ARCs to read. I had read one book by Leighann Dobbs a while ago, A Zen for Murder, that I enjoyed greatly and so was happy to try another one of her cozies.

A Whisker in the Dark is the second book in the Oyster Cove Guesthouse series but it can be read as a stand-alone as I had not read book 1. I kind of wondered why Millie sold the guesthouse to Josie, but it wasn't really pertinent to the mystery.

I don't know if this is really a category of cozy mystery, but I would classify it as a cat cozy. The cats don't speak to the humans but they do "talk" to the reader. They are definitely sleuths in their own right and attempt to communicate clues to the humans. The human sleuths are Josie, Millie, and Josie's mother.

I haven't read too many animal cozies, but I definitely enjoyed this one. The cats are so cute (you all know I'm a cat person), and some of the thoughts the cats have I swear my cats think the same thing.

"Fresh water out of the tap always tasted so delicious it was worth the risk of getting swatted at." (chapter 12)

My cat Pete feels the same way. Though I don't swat at him. Instead, when I see him running after me to the kitchen I turn the faucet on for him.

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Pete is showing that the cats in the upcoming cozy mystery A WHISKER IN THE DARK by Leighann Dobbs are indeed correct - water from the faucet tastes better. (Ignore the dishes) #cats #catsandbooks

A post shared by Girl Who Reads (@girl_who_reads) on Jul 16, 2019 at 3:28pm PDT

I think I liked the cats more than the people. There wasn't much character development around Millie and Josie's mother. And I didn't really get Josie. If she can't cook, then why did she buy a bed and breakfast? And because her inability to cook was brought up early in the story, I thought perhaps she was a younger person (like in her 20s), but then her grown daughter is mentioned. I guess there are people who don't cook well that have children, but then I wonder what the kids eat.

The interactions between the characters were great. Dobbs has a talent for dialogue. The town's business showcase was a fun backdrop for many of these interactions.

A Whisker in the Dark has all the makings of a great cozy mystery - a fun, quick read and quirky characters. There are even recipes at the end. If you love cozy mysteries as much as I do, then you should add this one to your list.

Buy A Whisker in the Dark at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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