Either these books are getting better, or I’m getting desensitized to them and less inclined to be nitpicky. Either way, I was able to enjoy this adorable little mystery full of adorable pets (DOGGIES!! KITTIES!!) and their indulgent owners, even though my brain was probably only 60% engaged with the story for the majority of the book. Although I couldn’t have figured out the murderer from the clues revealed along the way, it wasn’t too difficult since there’s really only one non-pet friendly person left alive in the book. Also, How could they have been so clueless about the thievery since in the last book, it was the pets running unchecked everywhere behind the poltergeist-like moving/disappearing personal possessions? Anyway, it was a cute story, and I enjoyed it very much.

Audio version, borrowed from my public library via Overdrive. Jeanie Kanaley’s performance has not improved at all over the first two books. Her pacing and tone of voice do not vary, regardless of whether she’s narrating the consumption of pancakes or the main character stumbling over a dead body.
( )

it's ok ( )

I was so sorry when I finished this book knowing there wasn't a next one handy. I love Wagtail and The wish I lived at the Inn, chocolate croissants for breakfast and the food so mouth watering and all the lovely dogs and cats. Packed full of detail and fun.

I was so sorry when I finished this book knowing there wasn't a next one handy. I love Wagtail and The wish I lived at the Inn, chocolate croissants for breakfast and the food so mouth watering and all the lovely dogs and cats. Packed full of detail and fun. ( )

Murder Most Howl may be the third Paws and Claws mystery, but it's my introduction to the series. I love cats and dogs, so I was happy to grab it off the new large print books shelf at my local library.

Fictional Wagtail, Virginia sounds as if it's the perfect place to vacation with one's furry companions. Our heroine, Holly Miller, has been left in charge of her Oma's [grandmother's] Sugar Maple Inn while Oma and her friend are on vacation. It's January and the slow season, so Holly is hosting a murder mystery weekend. We cozy fans know that there will be a real murder before it's over. As is traditional for this genre, the more we learn about the victim, the more surprising it is that murder hadn't been committed years ago.

The inn is also hosting a 'If the Dog Fits' program with dogs from the local animal shelter. The guests get to choose a dog for the weekend that they could adopt if they wish to afterward. One couple argue over which dog to choose (a small or a large). I wanted to yell at them to take both.

Holly also has to hire a handyman. No, it can't wait until Oma gets back, no matter what employee and former butler Mr. Huckle says. Has Holly made the right choice? Should she have made a background check first?

Notes:

Chapter two:

a. Movie star Clara Bow was the first (so far as I know), It Girl.

b. There's a Groucho Marx quotation.

c. There's a Robert Louis Stevenson quotation.

Chapter seven:

a. an Australian children's rhyme is quoted.

b. an anonymous poem about two kittens is quoted.

Chapter eight: Tom Swift (probably junior, not senior), the Hardy Boys, and Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island get mentioned.

Chapter nine: In case you weren't forced to take French in school, 'au jus' means 'with juice'.

Recipes included: Blanche Burger, Caramel, Caramel Apple Bundt Cake, Gingerbread cupcakes, Krista's Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mac and Tease (for dogs), Maple Syrup Bacon Slices, Nutella Hot Chocolate, Sugar Maple Inn Chicken Stew for Dogs, Sugar Maple Inn Chicken Stew for People.
Sugar Maple Inn Mini Mac and Cheeselets, Sugar Maple Inn Rodeo Roundup (for dogs), and Swedish Tea Ring.

I really appreciated the game's rules and the work Holly had to do to try to find out who tried to sabotage the weekend. (The contestant who tries to find out who committed the real murder was the second most unpleasant character in the book.) There's a climax involving several cats, dogs, and a live mouse that made me chuckle as well as wince. The characters were engaging and the town a nice place to know. Now I want to check out the earlier books. ( )