Friday, November 4, 2022

Five mystery novels featuring the bond between humans & animals

Amber Camp writes cozy mysteries that reflect her love of animals and quirky small towns. A lifelong lover of books, she started writing her own stories as a teenager and found she loves to write as much as she loves to read. Camp lives in Northwest Arkansas with her husband and daughter and works as a registered nurse at a small rural hospital. She has a menagerie of animals that includes dogs, cats, horses, chickens and what has been described as the Mule from Hell, which may or may not be a slight exaggeration.

Camp's new novel is Canter with a Killer.

At CrimeReads she tagged five "great mysteries that combine a compelling whodunit with the passion and dedication of animal rescue," including:
Alex Erickson, The Pomeranian Always Barks Twice

Liz Denton and her son Ben run Forever Pets Rescue and regularly foster and rescue animals in need. Their current residents include two beagles and a calico cat on wheels. The latest animal needing help is an adorable elderly Pomeranian named Stewie. His owner, Mr. Fuller, is also elderly and sadly needs to go into a care home that doesn’t allow pets. When Liz and Ben arrive, they find rescue rival Courtney is already there which results in a nasty quarrel and Liz has to arrange a later pickup for Stewie. Liz leaves and Ben visits a neighbor while they wait to return. When Liz comes back for Stewie she finds that Mr. Fuller has been murdered and Ben is getting collared for it! Liz snaps into mother bear mode and sets out to clear Ben’s name. The rescue animals play an important role in the backdrop for the central whodunit and Liz gets plenty of support from her veterinarian husband. I’ve always had a soft spot for the oldsters, so Stewie won me over from the get-go.
Read about the other mysteries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue