Demolition Daredevil: A Cozy Animal Mystery, by Max Parrott

 

 

What could a gerbil have to do with two deaths and an explosion? 

This series continues to grow on me as I play catch up on reading. In this installment, Angela and Ruff are caught up in the investigation of one troubling death and find themselves investigating two deaths, not to mention the seemingly unrelated explosion of a local pesticide company. The only survivor of the explosion is a gerbil but, well, it can't talk. Angela is determined not only to help solve the weird string of coincidences occurring but save the little critter's life. She's also dealing with the slow moving relationship with Dave, a visit from her lawyer sister, her own farm critters' care, as well as her mother's dementia. You know, just a typical day in a PI's life, right?

I won't detail the plot except to say that although it starts with a fatal car wreck, there are just too many coincidences for Angela and the local Police Chief to ignore. It is definitely a nice break to see the police giving Angela respect, too, not always being the case in cozy mysteries. It all ties together in the end, however, as Angela, Police Chief Helbar, and her family all work toward justice being done. And, Speaking of family, as one who has dealt with dementia in a family member, I felt the pain Angela's family felt given her mother's increasing memory lapses but admire the author for including this aspect as part of the series' threads.

Bottom line, while the mystery was top-notch with twists and turns and red herrings, it was the characters that kept me reading. Angela's entire family sounds like they could be described as a warm hug, while new boyfriend Dave sounds like a winner, too. Their relationship is slow moving, yes, but one is reminded that at times slow and steady is the perfect pace. Even the suspects are fleshed out as we learn a bit about their backgrounds. And, no, I didn't figure it out until near the end. As for Ruff the dog, I adored Ruff who pouts like a child at being left home alone, his personality shining through. All in all, a fun, satisfying read with characters I like and am already looking forward to visiting again. Thanks #BookSirens for allowing me to get better acquainted with Angela and Ruff. Looking forward to spending more time with her family and friends.