Dane McCaslin

Gwen, a newly retired teacher, is recruited by her friend Nora to be part of a dog-walking enterprise. Gwen says she is allergic, and neither wants to do the unpleasant chore of removing doggie waste, so they hire a third person, a young man Gwen knew from her teaching years. They find a dead body in Nora’s kitchen, and now they are also amateur sleuths. This mystery just didn’t make the cut for me. The author spent too much time rehashing her characters’ quirks, spinning her wheels in unnecessary (and dare I say it?), boring dialog. I never got invested in the mystery or its solution. I may try the second in the series, just to see if I judged the author too harshly.… (mehr)

Although Playing Possum by Dane McCaslin is book three in The 2 Sisters Pet Valet Mysteries, it’s the first one I’ve read in the series and it was so good I may have to go back and read the first two.

Nora is a bit stuffy and an older woman who’s already made up her mind about people, but Gwen is the perfect balance with her devil may care attitude and love life to its fullest vibe. And while I would still consider this a cozy mystery, it is a bit different than some die hard cozy fans may be used to, but I really enjoyed the change of pace. With all the action and running around that Nora and Gwen do in the book, along with their sass, it reminded me a bit of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.

It’s a good thing that Nora has such an understanding beau and they have employees that can handle the pet valet since they are rarely at the business in this book. Because they are out and about, McCaslin has the opportunity to be more descriptive about many places, which she does really well. But I definitely think where she shines is with her character development. You can really feel the bond between Gwen and Nora and she can also write quirky and mean characters perfectly too.

A fun book/series if you are looking for something a little bit more bold than the average cozy mystery.… (mehr)

Doggone Dead by Dane McCaslin is the debut of The 2 Sisters Pet Valet Mysteries. I thought Doggone Dead was a quick book to read. Gwen Franklin and Nora Goldstein have been friends since they were children. They are as opposite as two people can be from looks to disposition. Gwen is a newly retired English teacher who lives in Portland, Oregon. She is looking forward to sleeping late and reading mystery novels. Nora has been married several times and came out of each marriage richer. She is loud, pushy, and dresses like a woman in her twenties. Nora has more money than sense and comes up with various business ventures. The last one was a fish pedicure salon that the city nixed. There are a variety of quirky characters in Doggone Dead. I was not a fan of our main characters. Nora is a bully who pushes people into doing what she wants or pays them. She is also rude. Nora comes up with the pet sitting and walking business knowing Gwen is allergic. Nora refuses to listen. Of course, Gwen should have stood up for herself. I know this is supposed to be campy and funny, but I was just plain irritated. Brent Mayfair is hired to handle all the pet clients plus a variety of other odd jobs. Gwen treats him like a blithering idiot. Brent does come across as a few cards short of a full deck, but now and then, Brent will surprise you. The murder occurred in the first chapter and then nothing until a third of way into the story. The mystery took a backseat to the zaniness. The whodunit can easily be solved. One piece of information gives readers the identity of the killer. The clues were obvious (might as well have been a giant neon arrow pointing out each clue). As you can tell, Doggone Dead was not my cup of tea. Those readers who prefer lighthearted, humorous cozies will find Doggone Dead right up their alley (my mother says I was absent the day sense of humors were passed out in heaven). Doggone Dead is a madcap cozy mystery with a bawdy bird, a piddling puppy, a knifed neighbor, covetous stepchildren, a distasteful detective, and two fast friends.… (mehr)