Cherie O'Boyle

Looking for a gripping and fast-paced tale that is different than your usual mysteries or adventures? I recommend "On Scent" which will lead you into the Sierra Nevada on the trail of an inept (at best) dad who has snatched his toddler in hopes of having a "fun" weekend together. But he botches it in ways I won't reveal, leading to the FBI and other law enforcement on his trail. Someone has the good sense to call in the canine squad. These highly trained dogs and their gutsy handlers are willing to go in where others fear to tread--even as a wildfire gains strength in the rugged terrain. The author clearly knows about canine tracking and I gained from her knowledge by reading this new book. Told from multiple points of view--a handler, a fire-spotter, an FBI agent, the dad, even the fire itself--you will stay intrigued from the first page to the last. I recommend it to dog-lovers, adventure-lovers and anyone who wants a good read.… (mehr)

Fire at Will's is an intriguing mystery, featuring the new character Estela Nogales. Estela lives in the aptly named Arroyo Loco, whose HOA consists of a motley bunch of cranks, kooks, cat fanatics, crabby people--and evidently, a killer! Estela observes and participates in the affairs of her neighbors with a fair bit of eye rolling and snarky attitude. often accompanied by her border collies, Scout and Shiner (who have much more pleasant attitudes than most of the humans they encounter). When Will's house is burned to the ground, and his body found inside the smoking remains, it turns out that almost every neighbor had motive for wishing him ill will. But who would go so far as to douse his home with gasoline, and why?

I enjoyed the humor that threads throughout this tale. For example: "it is against community rules to intentionally roll one's eyes to express disapproval during any meeting...this has become quite a handicap for those of us for whom raising our eyebrows...and rolling our eyes...form a significant part of our usual set of communication skils. Mumbling under one's breath along with audible expressions such as 'Oh, pluuueeze!' are also banned during meetings". I think I have attended some meetings like that!

Unlike many mysteries, the resolution was neither telegraphed in advance, nor coming out of some unlikely left field. I won't give it away but the answers are, and are not, what you might expect! I look forward to encountering Estela and her dogs in future adventures.… (mehr)

arson, friendship, murder, investigation, snarky, cozy-mystery, neighbors, pets
In a distant neighborhood with little working Internet, the idiosyncrasies of a group of neighbors seem magnified. The characters are all a little squirrelly and a whole lot laugh worthy. Estella is great fun and so are her dogs and she copes with the goofy neighbors a lot better than I would! First there's the arson, then the body is discovered, the wife of the household seems unreachable, and then there's the photos. The plot is good but the characters really make it, along with the snarks of course! I really enjoyed it!
I requested and received a free audio copy through AudioBookBOOM.
Hilarie Muskavitz gave a really good narration.… (mehr)