Turkey Trot Trouble: A Cozy Animal Mystery (Ruff McPaw Mysteries #8), by Max Parrott

 

Publication Feb. 8, 2024

Who knew being in a cooking show could be murder?

As much as I enjoy the mysteries in this series, the thing that keeps bringing me back is the human, family side of Angela. Her mother has early onset dementia and although it's sort of a lurking beneath the surface aspect of the story, it showcases the love and togetherness of Angela's family, which now seems to largely include teacher boyfriend David. Having dealt with dementia in the family, it makes Angela seem not just all the more real but anchors the story in reality. Yes, there are adorable, personable critters, most notably Ruff, the border collie sidekick who hates wearing his service animal vest, but Angela would drop everything in a heartbeat to be with family and it's a lovely trait to have. She also works closely with the police, not always true in cozy mysteries, even when the main character is romantically involved with a detective or police officer. In other words, Angela and her family are characters we can all relate to as humans, not just virtual characters we drop in on each new book. 

As for the mystery, yikes. A star chef is murdered on camera....sorta. Who'd want to kill hometown guy made good? As it turns out, there are several different suspects. There are also family issues that arise and, huh, missing/stolen cookbooks? Fortunately, besides David, also a huge help with the critters, and family, Angela has very human backup, a reporter/editor friend who is as good as, if not better than Angela at computer searches. I was a bit disappointed to see Ruff, with his very human thoughts throughout, rather sidelined this go-round but I'm sure he'll be back in action next book. Hey, someone has to stay home and keep an eye on Eggatha and her escape artist chick, now grown, Indy, named after Indiana Jones. Now, if someone could just teach Angela to make a good pie.

Bottom line, a fun, easy read that I pretty much devoured in one day. I'm trying hard not to get hung up on taking notes, so I'm sure I've left out stuff but, hey, you'll find out all about the cooking contest, wayward turkeys, close knit family, and, hey, even some growing romance. Lots to enjoy and I always find myself wondering what Angela will manage to do to wind up in the hospital next time. Thanks #BookSirens and author #MaxParrott for letting me have this sneak peek into Angela's world again. My dog Daisy sends Ruff a tail wag.

Cluckin' Clutch Commotion: A Cozy Animal Mystery (Ruff McPaw Mysteries Book 7), by Max Parrott

 

Between the somewhat bemused looking dog and the humor of the cover, it was impossible to resist this one. It's become a favorite series, I must admit. The chemistry between Angela and Ruff, her dog, is great and I liked the "thoughts" injected in places from Ruff. No, no talking dogs here. Just what one might surmise he's thinking. I've done the same with my own dog, must admit, and truth be told, I'm not sure I'd really want to know some of her thoughts about my human frailties and slowness to figure out what her eyes and expressions are telling me. Angela does make the mistake of overlooking some clues found by Ruff, of course, being a mere human. She's getting better, though.

As for the rest of the humans, there's Angela's boyfriend David who seems like a gem. Not only does Ruff approve of him but he's so nice the goats want to eat him. Honest. Well, his shirt. Some cute scenes with Angela's farm critters, that's for sure, including Eggatha the opinionated hen and Indiana, one of her adventurous chicks. Angela's family is also one many of us would adopt as our own easily, not to mention her father is a retired cop. Her mother's dementia, which I've noted in previous book reviews, is mentioned in this installment but only briefly. Her sister is largely uninvolved and brother William primarily as the employer of the victim of a murderer. Poor Seth. He actually sounded like a nice guy, helpful to all, and a wiz at auto mechanics. How could he not have noticed the problems with his vehicle? Why would someone want to kill him?

As for the murder, which it is deemed to be, it was interesting to watch Angela put the clues together to make sense of it all. True, she runs into problems and winds up on crutches but barely allows herself time to heal before she presses on. One aspect that I definitely liked near the end was her basically admission to her father that, sadly, solving a murder isn't always as satisfying as one might expect. Since she's always appeared a bit excited at getting another case and working with the police, that was a nice bit of growth for her to acknowledge. The growth of her relationship with Dave is also great to see after all the hesitations of past books. I must admit, as a retired teacher, I also like that he's a teacher, even if it keeps him ridiculously busy at times. 

Although it was nicely woven into the plot, I did hesitate briefly before giving into my need to keep up with Angela's life when I saw that part of the story line involved community animals getting sick. No one seems to know why, although many are suspicious of a new animal food. Needless to say, although I was relieved Ruff wasn't getting that brand, the animal lover in me was glad to see Angela get to the bottom of that mystery, too. Bottom line, a fun, quick read (I pretty much read it in one evening) with just the right mix of strong characters, critters, and whodunit. Thanks #BookSirens and #MaxParrott for allowing me to spend time with Angela, Ruff, Dave, and everyone involved again. I always enjoy my sneak peek visits.